E.1027 – eileen gray and the house by the sea…

My second trip to the Watershed in successive days! This time to see Beatrice Minger+Christoph Schaub’s film ‘E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea’, with Natalie Radmall-Quirke playing Gray.
As a retired architect, I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit my lack of knowledge of much of Eileen Gray’s career. I had a very patchy awareness of her work and life… and a very vague recall of the link of E.1027 with Le Corbusier. Gray (1878-1976) was an Irish interior designer, furniture designer and (self-taught) architect who became a pioneer of the Modern Movement in architecture.
In the late 1920s, Gray designed and built a modernist villa on the Côte d’Azur for herself and her lover, the Romanian architectural journalist Jean Badovici: she called it E.1027 (a cryptic combination of her initials and those of Badovici)… “In the 1920s, men built the world to meet their own needs. I wanted to create a space for the woman… and then I could conceive of a different world”. But she and Badovici quarrelled and she impulsively moved out, leaving him in sole possession of the property – which he, subsequently, allowed the architectural world to assume it was his own work (in fact, he had very little to do with either the design or its construction). Badovici’s friend Le Corbusier, upon discovering it, was intrigued and obsessed by the house. He later covers its walls with murals (much to Gray’s fury when she discovered what he’d done – she’d always expressed a wish that it should be free of any decoration); Gray regarded this as an act of vandalism.
I went to see the film with fairly limited expectations… but I was completely wrong. I really enjoyed it.
It’s a very beautiful building (impressively renovated back to its original state – but the Le Corbusier frescoes are still there!) and I found myself captivated by the story. However, it also left me feeling frustrated by some aspects of it: it’s a drama-documentary that fails to include the emotion and creativity involved in producing a work of art… or, indeed, the work relating to the creation of such a building in such a remote location, over three years. Also lacking, in my view, was there a sufficient sense of betrayal (ie. a lack of recognition of the work of female designers and artists of that time)(of course, these frustrations still exist today!).
The film included clips of the house in an extremely poor state of repair (in the 1950s/60s?) – and effectively abandoned (it was occupied by squatters for a time) but, somewhat incredibly, the architectural press ‘rediscovered’ the building in 1968 and Gray’s name subsequently became recognised… and the house ultimately restored to its former glory (it’s now become a tourist attraction!). At the end of the film, there’s a poignant interview with Gray (in 1973, when she was in her late 90s) reflecting back on how the house came about.
All in all, a really lovely, informative and inspiring film. You’d enjoy it! 

the phoenician scheme…

Another trip to the Watershed today – this time to see Wes Anderson’s ‘The Phoenician Scheme’. I’m a great lover of Anderson films… I love the chorography (if that’s the right word?), symmetry, limited colour palettes, eccentricity, and the somewhat theatrical (and at times ridiculous) approach to storytelling.
In this film, wealthy businessman, Zsa-zsa Korda (played by Benicio del Toro) appoints his only daughter, a nun (Mia Threapleton), as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins. As usual, the film features a host of ‘other stars’ in various cameo roles - including Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe, Scarlett Johansson and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Yes, I’d be first to admit that Anderson’s films are (or have become) somewhat predictable in both their style and, to a certain extent, their type of storylines… there’s an element of him just repeating the same, old, successful formula. But, hey, I still found his sets and backdrops (and all the wonderful details) quite brilliant… and they make me feel very happy! So, in this depressing uncertain world, it’s good to find that some things still have the power to please!
It might not be the best Anderson film I’ve ever seen, but I really enjoyed it nevertheless.

celebration day: 26 may...

Today, May Bank Holiday, is apparently ‘Celebration Day’ – a recently-created, dedicated opportunity to honour and celebrate the lasting impact of those who have inspired and shaped us—whether through personal connections, history, or culture—and whose influence continues long after they’ve died.
An opportunity to share stories.
For me, although perhaps there have been times when I didn’t quite acknowledge his influence on my life, that person is probably my father: Ronald Frederick Broadway (1921-1992).
I scribbled this as my ‘Celebration Day’ contribution:
 
I’ve been thinking about my father a lot recently.
I wish I’d known him better.
That we’d had more opportunities
To chat, just the two of us…
Like those days in the 70s in Oxford
In a pub, on a Sunday lunchtime, when he was down to visit.
Yes, we definitely had our different opinions(!),
But they were special times…
And I realise that now.
He died more than 30 years ago.
So much has changed since then.
He’d be delighted and appalled in equal measure.
 
I sometimes imagine us meeting in that pub again
An opportunity for me to tell him
What’s happened since he departed…
That Moira+I still love each other after more than 50 years together
About the amazing women his granddaughters have become,
Since he last saw them in their emerging teens.
Perhaps a chance for them to tell their own stories?
And he’d be so proud to learn about his great-grandchildren
As they make their respective ways into the adult world.
I can see him shaking his head and smiling.
But there’s so much more to tell…
Can I buy you another pint Dad?
 
Photo: My Dad… with his granddaughters Alice, Han+Ru in our back garden in Thame (c.1987/8?) - before Ru’s garden re-design and before I’d re-painted the shed door to look like a cricket scoreboard!
PS: Back in 2011, I wrote a brief blogpost about remembering my father. It’s strange re-reading it today.

april-may 2025 books...

Orange Dust: Journeys After The Buddha (Kenneth Wilson): I bought this book (published in 2011) after reading ‘High Cello’ (about his pilgrimage to Rome, on a bike, with a cello!) and after he hosted a ‘Lenten Quiet Day’ at Bristol Cathedral in March. I think he’s 10 years younger than me and, among other things, he’s been a CofE vicar, property developer, poet and also founded ‘Soul of India Tours’ in 1992 (guiding people on spiritual journeys in that country). This book is another pilgrimage – this time exploring some of the Buddha's teachings and visiting sacred sites. Wilson is an unassuming, but fascinating, individual and an excellent, entertaining writer. I’m not sure if he’s a Christian or a Buddhist or indeed of any faith these days (and perhaps that doesn’t matter at all), but he comes across as a decent, spiritual man – and a pilgrim in the true meaning of the word. It took me a little time to get into the ‘rhythm’ of this book but, when I did, I found it impressive and engaging.
Virgina Woolf: A Critical Memoir (Winifred Holtby): For a number of years now, I’ve been fascinated by the work of and the individuals linked to the Bloomsbury Group (and have read several books about them/it). This memoir, however, pays only scant reference to the group and focusses on Virginia Woolf’s writing. The book was first published in 1932 (my copy was published in 1978) – 9 years before Woolf’s suicide in 1941, aged 59. This memoir’s author is the distinguished novelist+writer Winifred Holtby (who herself died at the early age of just 37 in 1935, after suffering from Bright’s Disease). It’s a brilliantly detailed assessment of Woolf’s writing career by someone who clearly was entirely familiar with all her books and her critical reviews. Somewhat predictably, I didn’t have such extensive knowledge of Woolf’s writing (I’ve only read 3 of her books: ‘The Waves’, ‘Mrs Dalloway’ and ‘To The Lighthouse’), but found Holtby’s memoir absorbing. I was also fascinated, given the nature of her death, by Woolf’s frequent references and books relating to the sea/water and to death (she’d struggled with mental illness throughout her adult life and drowned in Sussex’s River Ouse). As the book’s cover rightly acknowledges: “the work of one intelligent novelist commenting upon another”.
Zee+Co (Edna O’Brien): Continuing to work through my collection of Edna O’Brien books - actually, although I’ve recently bought three ‘new’ secondhand novels of hers, this (first published in 1971) is one we’ve had on our shelves for some years. It features three rather detestable characters: Zee, her husband Robert, and his mistress Stella and essentially explores the sexual geometry of the eternal triangle (Zee+Robert are particularly horrible, selfish individuals). Rather wonderfully written (it was an original screenplay) but, although I’ve never seen the film, I was somewhat put off by the knowledge that the characters were played by Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine and Susannah York respectively. I found it quite amusing to discover that this Penguin paperbook was originally priced at 0.25p (just published before decimalisation)!
To Have And Have Not (Ernest Hemingway): First published in 1937, this consists of three ‘long short stories’ which form three sections of the life of Henry Morgan, a struggling fisherman in the Florida Keys during the Great Depression, who makes a living by rum-running, gun-running and man-running between Florida and Cuba. I like Hemingway’s writing – except, in this case, for his regular references to one of the characters as ‘the n*gger’ (yes, I know it was written over 90 years ago, but I still think it’s awful). Morgan is forced by dire economic forces into the black-market activity of running contraband between Cuba and Florida. It’s a tough, uncompromising story about (as the title suggests) the haves and the have nots – about the rich and powerful and those who have no option but to bend to their will in order to survive (but many fail in the process).
Vagabond (Mark Eveleigh): This is our next Storysmith bookgroup selection (theme: literary road trip). I really loved this book (published in 2024). Eveleigh has been a travel writer/journalist (I like his style of writing) for the past 25 years (he’s 54) and the book relates to a 1,225km solo hike – inspired by a nomadic vagabundo (vagabond/tramp) he met decades ago - across the Iberian Peninsula, from Gibraltar in the south to Estaca de Bares (Spain’s most northerly tip) carrying just a backpack and a hammock. I very much enjoyed the slow rhythm of the book – the walking-pace journey (although he actually completed his trek in 35 days – that’s 35km/nearly 22 miles per day!) and the fact that he hadn’t set himself any particular goals or time targets and was happy to take detours if something struck him to be of particular interest. Although he did occasionally stay in a hostel (some of the journey was part of the many Camino trails to Santiago de Compostela – although Eveleigh was travelling in the opposite direction of course), his main objective was live ‘under the stars’. Having said this, he was happy to use some of the bars and simple restaurants he encountered en route (and to replenish his water bottles). It’s a story about a trip he’d been promising himself and something of a celebration of rural Spain (he’s a UK citizen but had lived in Spain for several years in his 20s/30s and so language was not an issue). It’s something of a pilgrimage… it’s about the journey; the people he met on the way (and the rural communities); the challenges he faced (including the heat and his agonising blisters!); the history of his surroundings; and the value of slowing down and noticing things. A beautiful book.

ocean…

I went along to the Watershed tonight to see David Attenborough’s new film 'Ocean' (unsurprisingly, it’s about the oceans!) – released on this 99^th birthday and providing a backdrop to his remarkable career and to how much we’ve learnt during his long lifetime.
After watching so many of his nature programmes on the BBC, I somehow felt it was important for ME to see this film as my personal acknowledgement/appreciation of his lifetime’s work (yes, I know that sounds a bit pompous!)… and a recognition that he’s unlikely to be with us for very much longer.
The film didn’t disappoint.
As you might imagine, the film is an array of stunning cinematography but it’s much, much more than that. It’s a breathtaking journey showing that there is nowhere more vital for our survival than the ocean. The film bluntly exposes the harsh realities and challenges facing our oceans - from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching. The footage of large ‘fishing factory’ boats scraping huge areas of the ocean floor was truly sickening… and yet, these boats were fishing legally and, in many cases, with the full support of key nations. The percentage of oceans that have protection orders is currently absolutely tiny (something like 3%); apparently, there’s a resolution at the forthcoming UN World Oceans Day pressing for this cover to be increased to approximately 30%.
Despite the horrors, the film’s story is also one of optimism - with Attenborough pointing to inspirational stories from around the world, providing a lens of hope. It’s been shown that the ocean has the amazing ability to recover and indeed flourish.
Attenborough’s leadership in these matters has been (and remains) utterly inspirational. It would be a fitting legacy to know that we heeded his wise counsel before it’s too late.
A brilliant, depressing and yet encouraging film that governments across the world should be compelled to watch… and act on urgently. 
You need to see it too!
Note: UN’s World Oceans Day on 8 June.

another cricket friday…

I went along to the Suite Unique Stadium in Bristol again today to watch the first day’s play of Gloucestershire v Kent… and the sun was shining (again!).
An interesting day! Glos won the toss and put Kent into bat. The decision seemed totally justified by lunchtime – Kent had struggled to 85-5. But Gloucestershire then really struggled for the remainder of the day; they took just ONE more wicket while Kent added a further 301 RUNS by the close!! Glos also managed to drop three catches in the process… (Kent ended the day on 386-6, with Grant Stewart 173 not out and Chris Benjamin 82no).
But, hey, it was a very enjoyable day nevertheless... even if you supported Gloucestershire.
Note: Much amusing banter from the not-so-old codgers (in their 60s?) standing nearby… well, at least it STARTED as amusing banter but, as the day wore on… and as more beer was consumed, the subject-matter degenerated from cricket memories of their youth to politics (and, in particular, immigration)… and, of course, as the hours passed, the volume increased! I ended up moving away.

the extraordinary miss flower…

I went along to the Watershed again this afternoon to see ‘The Extraordinary Miss Flower’ film from artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard.
Geraldine Flower certainly wasn’t famous in her lifetime (she was born in Australia, worked for the Daily Telegraph in London for a time and travelled extensively) but, when she died in 2019 (aged 72), her daughter discovered a suitcase in her London flat packed with hundreds of love letters written to her by the adoring men in her life during the 1960s and 70s. She was apparently known for her independent spirit and adventurous lifestyle(!).
The letters inspired a 2024 album by Icelandic singer-songwriter Emilíana Torrini (a singer I first came across in 2008) and, in turn, resulted in this intriguing documentary film/studio performance. I found the whole project absolutely enthralling – reminders of a woman’s colourful life and complex relationships (viewed from her lovers’ perspectives!) dramatised in part through film (Caroline Catz features as Miss Flower… and with the likes of Nick Cave and Richard Ayoade reading out some of the letters) and live studio performances (including some dance) of Torrini’s songs. Inevitably, there will be some who would have liked there to have been more songs featured in the film and, perhaps more likely, some who were desperate to hear more extracts from the letters. In the event, I think they got the balance about right.
It’s an evocative exploration of Geraldine Flower’s life and I found it really rather lovely. I think she would have found her suitcase of letters spawning a film and an album of songs absolutely hilarious!

sunny cricket day at taunton…

I had a lovely cricket day in Taunton today (my second Championship game in a week!). 
Somerset were playing Essex; won the toss and, surprisingly for many of us, elected to put Essex into bat. It proved to be a pretty decent decision – Essex were bowled out for 206 (although, at one stage, they were 136-7!) and Somerset were 9-1 at the close. 
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the masterly bowling of Jack Leach – who ended with figures of 3 for 35 in 30 overs.
Perfect weather. A couple of beers and excellent cricket.
Photo: Leach in action.