inahandbasket

Keiki and his espresso.

( +4 photos )

Death in Paradise, the newest series. I really like the new DI, Mervyn. “I'm not insensitive! Other people are just too sensitive.” Yeah, that's totally it, dude. Also, I feel you, mate. As ever, the actual murder mysteries are silly and improbable, but it doesn't matter because the scenery is beautiful and I love the characters and their relationships.

Agatha Christie's Seven Dials. Bumpy pacing and gaping plot holes aside, I enjoyed this because of Bundle's inquisitive angry little face, her coterie of hapless male admirers / accomplices, and Helena Bonham Carter's snooty lady-of-the-crumbling-manor.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. Weirdly slow and ponderous, and according to the kids, quite confusing if you didn't know the back story. And yet they watched the entire film with us and thought it was good.

I was reminded of the Eddie Izzard sketch where he (at the time) talked about the differences between British and American films. How British films were all “A room with a view and a staircase and a pond”, and featured people walking into rooms and not saying things to each other. “Oh, I…” “What is it, Sebastian, I'm arranging matches.” “I'd better go.” And how you can't eat popcorn to that sort of thing. This film was like that, all long pauses and people staring moodily into the middle distance, punctuated by the occasional scene of ultraviolence and wrestling in pig muck.

The kids liked the atmosphere and the cinematography and the characters. Their one serious criticism: “That is NOT a Brummie accent.” They should know. Keiki’s still got one, and Humuhumu can code-switch effortlessly.

Oh, and we did eat popcorn during it.

Bonus pic: Ozzy the Bull with his PB flat cap on

Very much feeling as though I'm limping toward the finish line here. The University shuts down at CoB tomorrow for the Easter holiday. I'm running on fumes and caffeine, trying to clear my desk and inbox of things I really shouldn't leave until after it re-opens.

This month features the return of the canal boats*, two trips to London, and the inaugural ice creams from the Ninja Creami (thank you, semianonymous!). Making your own soft serve ice cream from scratch truly is a luxury.

* We missed them last year. The entire lock flight had to be shut for months so the Canal and Rivers Trust could carry out extensive repairs to a lock with collapsed walls.