Wolf Hall and The Tudors

Victoria here, still breathless after finishing Hilary Mantel’s novel Wolf Hall.  I admit I had a hard time getting into the novel at first, but soon I was hooked and hung on every word to the finish. I can understand why Wolf Hall won the Man Booker Prize.  It is exceptionaly well written and seems firmly based in fact.

The novel is set in the time of Henry VIII and the main character is Thomas Cromwell, a man of humble birth who is rising to prominence as an adviser to the king after serving Cardinal Wolsey.  Cromwell (later named Earl of Essex, as in the picture at left from the National Portrait Gallery in London, after a painting by Hans Holbein) is brilliant at accomplishing any task, large or small, for the king and the court. He is a skilled negotiator, creative in suggesting solutions to complicated problems and efficiently acquires power and influence.
The stories of Henry VIII, his wives and mistresses, his reign and those of his short-lived son and his two daughters have been popular in all sorts of media in the past few years.  Novels about ill-fated queens, from Katherine of Aragon to Mary, Queen of Scots, have been seen on television and the big screen.  I frankly wondered if I needed one more version of a Tudor story when I began Wolf Hall.  Though I thought Jonathan Rhys-Meyers made an interesting young Henry, despite the wrong build and wrong shade of hair, I thought it was ridiculous by the end of The Tudors. Wait — it was good drama but bad casting and veered from historical to completely faux by the end of the fourth and last season. In my opinion, of course.
But I digress.  This time of the English Renaissance is not really MY period at all, but I must say Ms. Mantel’s skill gave me a new appreciation for the politics and scheming associated with Henry’s break with Rome, the Dissolution of the Abbeys, and the establishment of a new church (left, Tintern Abbey by Turner).  The time of Henry VIII, Wolsey, Cromwell, More, and the Boleyns was a dreadful time of intrigue and bloody torture as well as a flowering of art and music.
Hilary Mantel was born in Derbyshire in 1952. She has written many novels, for which she has won awards, culminating in the 2009 Man Booker Prize, probably the world’s most prestigious. She also writes essays, reviews and has written a memoir as well as many short stories.  She is working on a sequel to Wolf Hall tentatively titled The Mirror and the Light.  I am eager to read it. In the meantime, the trade paperback has been recently released in the U.S. from Picador, an imprint of Macmillan.

Do You Know About Dr. Finlay?

Yes, yet another medical based British telly series to tell you about. Based on a novella entitled Country Doctor by author and doctor A.J. Cronin, Dr. Finlay’s Casebook was a television series that was broadcast on the BBC from 1962 until 1971. The storylines centred on a general medical practice in the fictional Scottish town of Tannochbrae during the late 1920s.  
The latest television series featuring Dr. Finlay is set in the post-WWII era, with the plot lines revolving around a small local medical practice in Scotland. One of the recurring themes is the transition to the National Health Service, instituted in Britain in 1948. Doctor Finlay supports the move, while other doctors resist the change. The show stars David Rintoul as Dr. Finlay, Ian Bannen as his semi-retired practice partner, Dr. Cameron, and Annette Crosbie as his housekeeper, Janet. Other central characters include Finlay’s assistant, Dr. Neil, played by Jason Flemyng and Finlay’s new partner, Dr. Napier, played by Jessica Turner. The series is a Scottish Television production (now known as STV Productions) that was filmed in Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland. It aired in the U.S. on PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre.

Life in post-war Scotland–or to be precise, post-war Tannochbrae–is not getting any easier for Dr. John Finlay. His workload is increasing now that former partner Dr. Cameron is semi-retired, his relationship with young Dr. Neil is strained, and he is also preparing the practice for the setting up of the National Health Service. Meanwhile the ever-reliable housekeeper Janet is preparing for her marriage to local pharmacist Angus Livingstone, though she is worried about her successor at Arden House.

The interactions between three generations of doctors adds extra depth and interest to the stories. Each fellow has his own quirks and weaknesses. We like them all, even when they are cantankerous (Cameron), humorless (Finlay), or cocky (Neil).

A look at the plot synopsis for the first episode, which aired on 9 May 1993, will give you the flavor of this character driven series: In 1946, Dr. John Finlay is finally demobilized and he returns to life in private practice in his native Scotland. His partner, Dr. Alexander Cameron, has stayed on passed his retirement age to keep the practice open pending his return but it is now far less prosperous that when he left it and is barely paying for itself. Dr. Cameron hires a new locum, Dr. David Neil, to join the practice but fails to consult Finlay before doing so. Finlay and Neil begin to question the elder member of the practice’s judgment when they suspect he had mis-prescribed medication to a pregnant woman.

For the remainder of the series, the private lives of the characters and concerns of the patients drive the plots and often tug at the heartstrings. Settle in with a cuppa and enjoy these dvds, which should be available through most public libraries.

Handel and Hendrix???

Here is a pair for you! 

Jimi Hendrix 1942-1970

George Frederic Handel 1685-1759

Yes, friends, Hendrix and Handel are together at last. Or, rather, at first!  In a wonderful coincidence, the two composer/performers lived in the almost the same building, separated by one wall and about 200 years. Here is the article that explains the new exhibition at London’s Handel House Museum.

Handel House Museum
25 Brook Street, Mayfair, London

For more about the Handel House Museum, click here.


For those of us who see little in common among the two, other than gender and profession, the article points out several things.  Both were immigrants to England, Hendrix from the U.S., Handel from Germany. Both were improvisers, Hendrix on the electric guitar and Handel on the harpsichord.


The actual Hendrix apartment is now used as office space for the museum, but they hope to restore it to the look Hendrix had in the 60’s.


I (Victoria) visited a couple of years ago when the exhhibition, in addition to the restored rooms of Handel’s time, concerned The Messiah and its performances, first in Dublin in 1742, and later, when the most familiar version was adapted as a benefit for the Foundling Museum in London in 1754.


The buildings used for museum have shops on the first floor. The access to the museum is from the rear, where new entrances with elevators have been added in a creative adaptive reuse, worth seeing in itself. I recommmend it as a nice respite from the large museums of London — or the tribulations of Mayfair shopping.


Last June 2010, when Kristine and I were in London, we attended a wonderful concert at St. Martin’s in the Fields off  Trafalgar Square. As we considered whether to go, Kristine said she wanted to hear Handel’s Royal Fireworks Music.  Guess what they played?? Yes, selections from the Royal Fireworks Music, as well as music by Bach, Mendelssohn, and others, including a rousing rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah.  Not a note, however, from Jimi Hendrix.


The Handel-Hendrix exhibition runs through November 7, 2010.

Burke and Hare – The Comedy?

Tag line: No Job Too Small. No Body Too Big. No Questions Asked.

Burke and Hare, directed by John Landis, is a comedic take on the true story of the 1828 Edinburgh body-snatchers William Burke (Simon Pegg) and William Hare (Andy Serkis). These two 19th century entrepreneurs discover that a dead body can fetch a hefty price when the demands of the leading medical professors Dr. Knox (Tom Wilkinson) and Dr. Monroe (Tim Curry) reach beyond that of the local supply. The film also features John Cleese, Hugh Bonneville, Isla Fisher, Stephen Merchant and an appearance by Christopher Lee.

Director Landis said of the film, “It has horror things within it — it’s about dissection and grave robbing, after all — but it’s a very black romantic comedy, hopefully in the tradition of the old Ealing Studios’ Kind Hearts and Coronets and The Ladykillers.”

Simon Pegg, who plays Burke, said, “Hare’s the mastermind, the schemer. Burke’s a little more of a frustrated romantic. But they weren’t hand-rubbing, evil villains; they kind of fell into it, really. They felt they were justified. The movie dares you to be sympathetic towards them and, quite cannily, actually feel a little for them. And you constantly have to keep going, ‘No! They’re bad!’”

The film, which has been stuck in production glue – or congealed blood – for quite a while and seemed forever stalled, was finally being touted by it’s director in Cannes a few months ago and is said to be released in October in England. It’s U.S. release date is a somewhat vague “2011,” but we thought we’d give you the heads up, anyway. You can read all about the gruesome, real life events surrounding the crimes of Burke and Hare here.

Curiosity Corner – We Have a Winner!

What is it!?


A George IV sterling wine funnel, made by Joseph Angell London 1826.

I’m pleased as punch to announce that Louisa Cornell, one of our most loyal followers, made to correct guess below. While it’s noted as a wine funnel, rather than a strainer, Louisa’s guess is close enough for us. Here’s Louisa’s answer:

Is it a strainer of some sort? In looking at some old photos of my Mom’s china cabinet it looks like a piece my mother bought at an estate sale in England. She uses it to strain her tea as she makes it from the real thing – tea leaves, not tea bags. According to Judith Banister’s English Silver it might also be a wine strainer? Not sure I want to drink wine I have to strain. Tea is another matter altogether.

See I told you it would make me nuts. 

Louisa – You’re not nuts – you’re the winner! Email your snail mail address to me via the link in the left sidebar and I’ll send your Sense and Sensibility dvd on its way to you. Thanks to everyone for such enthusiastic guessing! 


And as I’d alluded to, Kat was the first winner, but disqualified herself. Here, at last, is her post received yesterday which couldn’t be aired, as it contained the answer:



It is a wine aerator/funnel. I make my own wine as a hobby. So i will not claim this prize.


The first person to correctly identify this item will win a DVD of the Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility. Please place your guess by using the “comments” link below this post.

Please Note: Only registered followers of this blog shall be eligible to win. You may register now by using the link in the right sidebar under “Those Who Call Number One London Home.”

Good Luck!