Travel / Words / Arts

TRAVEL: Literally or metaphorically,

'Think of a journey that felt rather long. What was that journey?'

WORDS: Complete the line,

‘You’re only as good as your…’

ARTS: This morning, I awoke to a news reference to ‘sporting hero Sebastian Coe’. By way of opening the Cultural Olympiad, he’s to take part in Martin Creed’s ‘Work No 850’ at Tate Britain. This got me thinking:

‘What would be an interesting and inspiring way to launch a four-year arts and cultural programme?’

Politics / Music / Internet

This week’s preponderances:-

POLITICS: This question comes from my hearing commentators speak of the Liberal Democrat leader - Nick Clegg’s - efforts to avoid sounding like a Conservative during his main party conference speech.

What, if anything, do you feel there to be missing from the mainstream political landscape (as you perceive that)?

MUSIC: Next, a question borne of the Last of the Summer Wine theme tune:

Is there a musical instrument that sings for you, in ways that other instruments (played well) just don’t quite manage?

INTERNET: The next question emerges from my Facebooking the fact that for practical reasons I’m going to have to join one of those social networking sites.

Have you landed on any websites recently that have really drawn you in – more so than do most newly landed-upon websites?

More frippery next week.

Environment / Film / Language

Environment: Recently, I've been scrutinising the city where I live.

In the village, town or city where you live, which single feature of the natural environment most appeals to you? And which single feature of the built environment has most appeal for you?

For me, in Stoke-on-Trent, I most like the woodland at Trentham and Hanchurch. Also, the big hills that are dotted about afford really good views of the city. Of the built environment, it would have to be some of the big industrial buildings along the railway sidings, just to the north of the station. It's also visually pleasing when a bottle kiln seems to appear out of nowhere.

Film: This comes from my thinking about industrial landscapes (above).

Have you ever twice seen a film at the cinema? If so, what did you see?

I've done this only twice. The first occasion was when the Stoke Film Theatre were showing the original Get Carter - it was good for recalling home. More recently, I returned to the cinema to see The Dark Knight - I wanted to properly focus on the make-up, sound and physical tics of Heath Ledger's Joker.

Language: This one comes from hearing that a local secondary school have dropped the teaching of all modern foreign languages.

At the click of a finger, you will be afforded the ability to fluently speak an additional language. Which language do you choose?

Having had virtually no direct experience or interest in the country for just over 30 years, I've recently gathered an appetite for Spanish.

Literature / Film and Sport

The latest incarnation of A Post Box follows, thus: I aim to post only once per week, with between 2 and 5 questions offered up for response, dissection or rejection. Play along, pass it on, stick it in your pipe, and so on. It's A Post Box, it's a public Post Box, and so all links and flaggings up are appreciated. So, we begin. Again:

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LITERATURE / FILM: I note some discussion of novels or ‘literature’ that are adapted for television and film. On a similar theme,

Are there any novels, novellas, or other pieces of writing, that you would like to see adapted for stage or screen?

Stephen Fry’s ‘The Hippopotamus’ always struck me as a particularly filmic novel, in a great British ensemble cast sort of way.

SPORT: I've recently been pondering the values that are implicit to introducing young children (the young hound, Jack, 7, in particular) to football (specifically) at the corporate end of the spectrum over the lower (local) level teams - Newcastle United over Newcastle Town, Manchester United over Macclesfield Town, kind of thing. Only very loosely related:

Is there a sports event or venue that you’ve not ever been to, but that you would like to experience in person, one day?

Counter to my above pondering, I've never been to Wembley, but would certainly like to - a football play-off final or a competitive international would be ideal.