My Life In ... Films

The eighteenth in an occasional series of alternative Curriculum Vitae because no-one on their death bed says "I wish I'd spent more time in the office". 

FaceBook. July-2018.

Talking to the daughter of a friend in the pub, after debating favourite music artists, I realised this post has been sitting in draft for ages. So here it is...

Following a previous meme to nominate your 10 favourite albums [My Life In ... Albums], there followed another. "Dopo la musica non potevano mancare i film ! Quelli che vi hanno fatto ridere, piangere, pensare e che potreste rivedere in ogni momento*.  Top 10 movies ! Day n. I nominate no one. 

*[After music, movies couldn't be left out! The ones that made you laugh, cry, think, and that you could watch again anytime.]

Day 1 of the 10 day challenge: The Blues Brothers.

This was the first that popped into my head as I have watched it many times and it features many quotable lines. At one point we bought the Italian version and even without subtitles I pretty much knew every line.

My favourite quote is “Elwood: It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark. And we’re wearing sunglasses. Jake: Hit it.” 

Day 2 of the 10 day challenge: Die Hard. 

Obviously a classic Christmas movie. A cracking adventure movie with some of the best smart arse wisecracks. And the inevitable Bruce Willis stained and ripped T-shirt.

My favourite quote is “No fucking shit, lady! Does it sound like I’m ordering a pizza?”.

Day 3 of the 10 day challenge: The Shawshank Redemption.

Another movie we have watched over and over. The combination of Tim Robbins quiet and meticulous patience of Job combined with the incomparable voiceover from Morgan Freeman - great combo.

Favourite quote is “I’m known to locate certain things from time to time.” 

Day 4 of the 10 day challenge: The Terminator.

Some say that Terminator 2: Judgement Day is a rare example of the sequel bettering the original. That is probably a fair judgement (see what I did there) but I did see this one first so deserves it’s slot. What I like is Arnie’s ruthless determination as the ultimate bad guy and a heroine who shows some gumption.

Favourite quote is “Listen, and understand! That Terminator is out there! It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear and it absolutely will not stop… Ever, until you are dead!” 

Although an honourable mention should be given to the classic, “I’ll be back!”

Day 5 of the 10 day challenge: Back to the Future.

Another time travel movie and an absolute classic. I read that they filmed Part II and III back-to-back. The plot device of the protagonist seeing the same scene from different angles is a something I first saw way back in the early 80s at the National Film Theatre in an obscure Czechoslovak film called “Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea”. 

I have the BTTF box set, but only occasionally watch Part II and III as the original is sufficiently self-contained to stand on its own.

Favourite quote is "If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 mph, you’re going to see some serious shit."

Day 6 of the 10 day challenge: The Empire Strikes Back.

I saw this when it first came out in a cinema in Leicester Square. It was a group outing organised by Maureen who rushed off to buy enough tickets for a crowd of us to go and see it together.

The scene that really knocked me out was the section set on the planet Hoth. It was so convincingly real it was like they actually filmed on location on this distant ice planet!

Favourite quote is from Yoda “No. Try not. Do… Or do not. There is no try.”

Day 7 of the 10 day challenge: Blade Runner.

A visual treat - dark cyberpunk style and futuristic design proving an inspiration for many later films.

Favourite quote just has to be Batty’s final words, “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire of the shoulder of Orion. I’ve watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time.. Like tears in the rain... Time to die.”

Day 8 of the 10 day challenge: The Draughtsman‘s Contract.

A bit of an outlier this one I have only seen it a couple of times. The first time was at the Everyman in Hampstead in a sparsely occupied cinema and it struck me as both beautifully filmed and mysterious. It took the second viewing for me to really understand what was going on although that was secondary to the sheer visual treat.

I do not remember any quotes from the film, but looking up on IMDb one made me chuckle. "Why is that Dutchman waving his arms about? Is he homesick for windmills?"

Day 9 of the 10 day challenge: 2001: A Space Odyessy.

When this film came out my father, a die hard science-fiction fan, took us on family trip from Coventry to London to see this on first release in Leicester Square in CinemaScope with surround sound. A film that made a huge impact. Two things I remember vividly was the chattering sound of apes as they scampered off behind us in the auditorium and the scene where the hostess walks round in a hamster wheel style contraption to end upside down and it felt like the whole cinema was tilting. A very unnerving sensation on the inner ear.

Favourite quote is "Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL. HAL: I’m sorry, Dave I’m afraid I can’t do that."

Day 10 of the 10 day challenge: The Fifth Element.

A another visual treat and an entertaining plot with a nice mix of drama and humour.

I have always liked the concept of the four elements: fire, water, earth and air. Going back to the ancient Greeks and popping up again in mediaeval times with the paradigm of the four humours. 

Favourite quote is “Mul-ti-pass."

Looking back on the list the heavy science-fiction bias is very apparent. Hardly surprising as my father was a keen reader of sci-fi and growing up the family bookshelves were full of titles from the golden age of science fiction and formed much of my childhood reading.

Carlisle Christmas Farmers Market 2025

Carlisle Cathedral, Cumbria. Saturday 06-December-2025.

We had booked a slot at the Christmas Farmers' and Makers' Market in the grounds of Carlisle Cathedral for a charity stall supporting Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths. The market is held once a month from 9am to 2pm. 

The objectives, as always, are raising awareness and raising money. The first consists of buttonholing passers by and asking if they knew of the baths, to then start the conversation about its history and our plans for the future. The second was to make use of tombola prizes which we had set up ready for Penrith Winter Droving in November. Unfortunately, that was cancelled due to a forecast of high winds so we had boxes of prizes all numbered up and ready to go.

It turned out to be a pretty damp day so the turnout was not nearly as good as we might have hoped and the ground around our gazebo was a mud bath. Nevertheless, we did have lots of interest in the baths, some very useful chats with locals and were happy with the amount raised considering the conditions. 

The Friends also decorated a Christmas tree in the crypt (along with various other charitable organisations such as the Round Table) as part of the cathedral's Christmas Tree Festival 2025. Yet another way of making people aware of the Baths.

Much of Sunday we spent cleaning the mud off the gazebo, tables and chairs, and boxes.

Edy Hurst at Theatre by the Lake

Keswick, Cumbria. Friday 05-December-2025.

We booked to see Edy Hurst performing “Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Himself“. The central conceit of this performance is that Edy is a direct descendant of one of the witches of Pendle*. This means he has wizardly powers which is the cue for some hyperactive spell casting. Interwoven with this is an obsession with the Vengaboys 1999 album The Party Album and their female vocalist Kim Sasabone.

We ignored the first rule of comedy club which is "Don’t sit in the front row". So when the time came for a "volunteer" from the audience, he picked on me, front row right by the aisle. Fortunately, nothing too embarrassing. Edy proceeded to deliver an hour’s worth of magick entertainment in a slapstick style that can best be described as manic! It was all quite a hoot really.

* Read more about the Pendle witches at Lancashire witch trials. 

Christmas Tastings - 2025

Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Cumbria. Thursday 04-December-2025. 

For the third year running we went to the Bassenthwaite Lake Station food and wine matching event to celebrate the festive season. We learned our lesson from the 2023 and 2024 Christmas tastings and were prepared for the ample snacks provided. We had a filling lunch and then a light snack at home before heading out to Bassenthwaite.

As a reminder, the train is a replica of The Orient Express built for the 2017 version of the film. I was informed that I was sitting in Johnny Depp’s chair. When you look at the poster for the movie and look closer at the fabric design for this chair you can see that it is indeed the very same. Unfortunately the similarities end there says Mary!

As well as buying the carriages of the movie set Simon and Diana obviously also purchased all the contents See [Bassenthwaite Lake Station: Our Story].

There were many Christmas jumpers and Santa hats on display, but the couple on the table next to us definitely win the prize for the best outfits.

Wine, ABV, Country, Supplier & Price. 

• Tasting notes 
• Food Pairing
• Mary‘s notes and star rating

1 Lachetea Cremant de Loire, brut, 12% France £16 Ocado 

• Lively, well structured, persistent effervescence, This Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc blend displays a touch of lemon and berry fruits. Lemon, tangerine, exotic fruits on the nose. Translucent, brilliant, pale yellow. Should cut nicely through the cream cheese. 
• Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Blini 
• Decent acidity, not completely bone dry, light nose and body. ✱

2 Trimbach Pinot Blanc, 13%, France £16 Booths Or Majestic £18.

• Made from Pinot Blanc and Auxxerois, this complex wine spends two years in bottle prior to release. Vinified dry, you'll discover fresh and elegant stone-fruit flavours. Its rich and rounded character makes it incredibly food-friendly. Enjoy as an apéritif, or with fish and poultry dishes. 
• Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Blini  
• Pale yellow; dry, Fuller nose, some spiciness on the nose; fuller body, peachy, good acidity. ✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - Trimbach Pinot Blanc;
Mary - ditto.

3 Belles Lettres Cote du Rhone Blanc, 2024, 13% France £10.50 Booths. 

• A special offering from the southern Rhone region. Grenache blanc is blended with Marsanne and a touch of Clairette to create this refreshing wine with hints of peach and honeysuckle. Should hold its own well with this rich velouté. 
• Parsnip and Chestnut Velouté 
• Pale lemon; slight green nose, some spicy; good body, peachy, lightly oily, decent Length. ✱✱

 4 Wynn's Coonawarra Chardonnay, 13.5% Australia £15.75 Booths 

• Lifted white peach and nectarine aromas, complemented by subtle nut and nougat flavours. Soft stone fruit, citrus and poached pear flavours linger on the fresh, lightly creamy palate. Flavoursome wine for a flavoursome soup! 
• Parsnip and Chestnut Velouté. 
• Very pale; vegetal nose (green pepper?); unoaked, clean, stone fruit, very slightly green, nice texture. ✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - Cote du Rhone Blanc;
Mary - Coonawarra Chardonnay.

5 Leyda Reserva Pinot Noir 2024, 13% Chile £13 Booths. 

• Bright ruby red colour. A fruity nose with strawberries, hints of red cherries and a subtle wild herb notes with a delicate smokiness and tobacco. Refined on the palate, juicy and full of ripe berry flavours, a hint of minerality and refreshing finish. Pinot Noir and turkey? A classic pairing! 
• Festive Turkey Bonbon 
• Light, pale mahogany; strawberry on nose, slight vegetal/herb; soft ripe, berries, slight mineral. ✱✱.

6 E. Guigal Cotes Du Rhone 2021, 14.5% France £15.75 Booths 

• Cotes du Rhone is characteristically supple and smooth, easy-drinking, appealingly fruity and full-flavoured with a twist of sweet spice on the finis, typical of the Grenache Noir and Syrah grapes. This would be at home with all sorts of rich meats and bold vegetable dishes. 
• Festive Turkey Bonbon 
• Dark purple; darker fruit, deeper nose; spicy, peppery, plum, good length. ✱✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - Pinot Noir;
Mary - Cotes Du Rhone.

7 Susana Balbio Crios 2023, 14% Argentina £14 Booths 

• A fresh, pure expression of the variety, this superior Malbec displays aromas of violets, cherries ahd spices. Fruity, with balanced acidity on the palate, notes of ripe red fruits and a subtle hint of oak. Hopeful of a perfect pairing with a roast! 
• Roast Beef and mini Yorkie with rich red wine jus 
• Dark purple; light chocolate, caramel? Dark fruit. Plum/damson, some astringency, soft dark fruit. ✱✱✱

8 D'Arrys Original 2020, 14.5% Australia £15.50 Booths 

• Deep, dark and brooding on the nose with delicious notes of black forest gateau. Grenache and Shiraz work well together to create a ripe and generous Australian red. Dark-berry flavours are joined by red-fruit and black olive notes on the finish that vill be fabulous with this rich dish. Wine Champion 2023 on Wine Society website. 
• Roast Beef and mini Yorkie with rich red wine jus  
• Dark mahogany; much softer/sweeter nose, Tobacco, slight vegetal/green pepper?; Spicy, pepper, dark fruit (black/redcurrant). ✱✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - D'Arrys Original;
Mary - ditto.

9 M&S Sweet Ruby Port, 20% Portugal £10 (on offer) Ocado 

• A powerful, rich, full-bodied wine with aromas and flavours of red berries like plums, cherries and strawberries. With balanced sweetness and a smooth, long finish, some tastings show a hint of dark chocolate and some spice which should be perfect with this dessert and strong cheeses. 
• Dark Chocolate and Cherry mousse, 2 Cheeses 
• No notes. ✱✱

10 Barbadillo Pedro Ximenez, 18.5% Spain £17.50 Ocado.

• This Barbadillo Pedro Ximenez Sherry offers an indulgent experience with its rich, sweet flavour profile. Made from sun-dried Pedre Ximenez grapes it boasts a deep, dark colour and intense notes of dried fruits, caramel and molasses. It is a perfect choice for rich chocolate desserts or strong, salty cheeses. 
• Dark Chocolate and Cherry mousse, 2 Cheeses
• No notes. ✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - Pedro Ximenez;
Mary - ditto.

The two puds and wines went equally well in both combination with both desserts and cheese. The last time I had Pedro Ximenez it was disgustingly sweet. This was much so much better; alcoholic raisin in a glass. As Mary is lactose intolerant they made a separate dessert for her. These are the two puddings.

Replete with fabulous food and wine, it was a short stroll back to The Pheasant for our usual beery nightcap and so to bed.

City Break - London, November 2025

London, England. Thursday/Monday 27-November/01-December-2025.

A hectic weekend in London triggered by our friend Bill's 70th year celebration on the Sunday! We decided to make a long weekend of it and took full advantage of our time down south.

Thursday 27-November-2025

Thursday night we travelled to Romford, staying at Spark by Hilton right next to Romford Station. Spark by Hilton is their entry into the premium economy market. Although the facilities were fine the room was a shoebox with a maximum of 15" (40cm) on all sides round the bed - I literally had to walk sideways to get round the foot of the bed and when you opened the bathroom door you could not get to the wardrobe nor to the room door. On the upside, that evening we ate at a very good Turkish restaurant just across the road.

Friday 28-November-2025

Friday was fun: a visit to Mary's hairdresser of more than 30 years followed by a lovely Japanese lunch (not available in Penrith) at Shoryu in Covent Garden. Followed by an afternoon of culture: an exhibition by choreographer Wayne McGregor exploring the use of AI in dance and music plus our annual visit to the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery to marvel at how they managed to capture so much of the character of the subject. 

That was followed by a lovely evening of eating, drinking and catching up with old friends from my time working on a massive, and ultimately failed, IT project based in Drury Lane (NPfIT, 2004-2008). We met at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, an extraordinarily historic pub with labyrinthine cellars pre-dating the Great Fire of London (1666).

As we walked to the pub this was the view down Fleet Street to St Pauls' where Mary and I were married!

Then back to Romford and our shoebox.

Saturday 29-November-2025

Saturday was #parkrunday, of course, at Ingrebourne Hill in Rainham and the reason we had based ourselves in Romford - we needed an "I" for our second alphabet.

That evening we went over to Witham for an overnight stay with friend Andrea and a meal at another excellent local Turkish restaurant "Astare" with friends Elaine and husband Mark. 

Sunday 30-November-2025

Sunday morning was back into London and the primary reason behind the trip - a celebration of friend Bill's 70th year with a meal at the Ivy at Tower Bridge. Gorgeous food, wine and service in a fabulous room with an equally fabulous view.

Many of those present were friends I met back in 1979 after I moved to London and revelled in the bright lights, big city. Those were heady days or as Bill likes to say, "Our salad days, when we were green in judgment" [Wikipedia]. 

Mary, Allan, Bron.

Conversations with old friends.

The birthday boy!

The obligatory team photo.

The Thames night sky looking atmospehric.

After a fantastic celebration it was down to earth with a bump: an overnight stay in the Premier Inn in Wandsworth.

Monday 01-December-2025

First thing Monday morning we did a check over and some deep cleaning of our rented flat before a new tenant moves in. Then back on the train to Penrith in the afternoon feeling tired and happy (and about a stone heavier).