Friday 9 April 2010

A Saga of bed and chocolate

Well, maybe I shouldn't have moaned about the weather last time because, when the sun did come out on Easter Saturday, I rushed outside to do a little bit of gardening. It was so nice to take off my cardigan and get stuck in that I got stuck in a little too much and spent the next five days in bed with a bad back.

The first two days were the worst. I was unable to move without excrutiating pain; my long suffering other half even had to help me on and off with my knickers - something we havent indulged in for a while now :D In the following days bed was the only place where I could gain any comfort, half propped on pillows. Sitting upright just made me lock up again and lying down is very dull, all I learned is that the ceiling needs repainting again. It wouldnt have been so bad had i not suspected that the males in the family were rather glad; gardening and diy were abandoned without the 'gaffer' and it was football and cricket from dawn to dusk. Not that it affected me too much, although I did have a long wait between cups of coffee.

A few more paragraphs of The Forest Dwellers emerged but the pain was distracting and I couldn't access my research notes very easily. Thank the Lord I had chocolate eggs to ease my long, boring days. And, curtesy of my friend, Brenda, the whole of the original Forsyte Saga to watch.

When I began to watch the early episodes I thought, 'Oh, Lord, this is dreadfully dated.' The acting seemed a bit hammy and I had never realised that Victorian women indulged in such heavy eye make-up. However, as I became absorbed in the wonderful tangle of Soames and Irene, shared thier joys and sorrows, (poor old Soames) I forgot all that and I forgot about The Forest Dwellers for a while too.

It is such a shame that they dont make Television like that any more; ok, so the make-up is flaky and some of the acting a bit OTT and the scenery rattles about like the walls are made of cardboard. None of that matters, I don't know if it is the depth and scope of John Galsworthy's novel or the superiority of the cast but, almost fourty four years on, The original Forsyte Saga is still one of the best series I have ever seen.

2 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear you've hurt your back so badly, Judith. I hope you are better soon.
    I, too, love the Forsyte Saga. I enjoyed the Damien Lewis version made a few years ago.
    Take care!

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  2. hiAnne,
    thank you, yes I am better now and managed a little tentative gardening yesterday. There is so much to do out there,if I dont get on to it I will be up to my chin in nettles before I know it!
    I would so much rather be writing! Damien Lewis is one of my favourites, very sexy and terrific actor but, I have to say, that I think Eric Porter wins hands down when it comes to Soames Forsyte :D
    enjoy your day

    Judith

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