Well, the day started with Cultureseekers and another quiz - this time, it was Driving in the UK! I figured I mightn't know everything, but I have driven in the UK a few times, so I said I'd have a go.
10 unusual roadsigns to start, and the general consensus was that this was the hardest section. First up was possibly the most curious:
There were some multiple choice, which I was doing pretty well at until the questions turned to the number of vehicles in the UK, and the number of purely electric cars - I overestimated in the first case, and underestimated in the second. Other interesting questions included - what do you call a crossing where both horses and pedestrians can cross the road? Well, I have to say, I'd never heard of a Pegasus crossing, but it's a great name.
I was worried at the thought of having to guess where license plates are from - until I realised he was talking about international ones, so all you had to do was know the country code! (which greatly surprised one person on the call, who hadn't realised that different countries can be identified from the license plates. For heaven's sake.) And here's an interesting fact - the first speeding ticket (although there was some dispute about the year) was apparently issued in 1905. Can you guess what speed they were doing? That was the question - the answer: 45mph. Which was a lot faster than most people would have thought.
As usual, an interesting and well-designed quiz.
Well, yesterday marked two weeks since my second vaccine dose, which means I'm as safe as can be to get out and about. So - I did! With Irish theatres still closed, I checked the cinema listings in Limerick (there's one closer to me, in Ennis, but there's no parking near it, so Limerick is handier). Unfortunately, my evenings are still tied up watching tv with my mother - else there are a few horror films I could have gone for. Instead, I booked for Supernova at the Omniplex - I'd just be in nice time to get there after the quiz. Colin Firth accompanies his partner, Stanley Tucci, who's been diagnosed with dementia, on a road trip to relive old memories, while Stanley still can. D' you know, when I booked it, I was the first to book - and nobody else had booked yet, the last I looked. :-) So I think the fact that they blocked five seats around me is neither here nor there..
This was the first thing I went to, in person, since 18 March last year. Which was also a film.
So, after the quiz I did my various chores, and hurried off - had to stop at the recycling centre on the way, and start with a visit to the chemist for something for my mother when I got there: figured I'd better go before the film, as they might be closed after. There were a few parking spaces free in front of the cinema, anyhow - and I see they've introduced a one-way system throughout the shopping centre, marked off with cones and tape, with gaps to cross so you can enter a shop, or just change direction. It was also sad to see that a few businesses have closed, since I was last there.
I did my business and got to the cinema just at film time. Had a spanking new mask for the occasion, which I bought yesterday - lighter and more comfortable than the type I have been wearing. Figured I'd need it, if I intended wearing it for the duration. So - hand sanitisers in the foyer, and a booking system for concessions, so you have to prebook and collect. Much like Argos. He scanned my ticket - luckily, I'd taken a screenshot straight after booking; as it happened, the confirmation email I got was missing the QR code image. And it's just as well he told me where the screen was, it's so long since I was there..
Well, I found my seat without difficulty - it was just near the door. Before the ads started, we were (well, I, the only person there, was) fed informational messages on a loop, including that when it was time to leave, we should do so by row, starting with those closest to the exit. Ok then.. and to sit in our assigned seat. Given that they mentioned the thorough cleaning that the cinemas would get after each showing, I can see why. Just as the ads started, someone else did arrive - and sat up near the back, on the other side.
OMG It felt so good to be back!! The only thing was, it was a bit weird to have to wear a mask throughout. But anyway. The ads were pretty forgettable, given that they were for films I have no interest in. But the feature film.. firstly, it's set in jawdroppingly beautiful scenery - researching afterwards, I discovered it was shot in the Lake District. Wow, I really must get up there, one day.
This is a beautiful story - and as someone said online, a masterclass in acting. The two leads occupy the screen for almost all the film, and two more engaging characters you could hardly hope to meet - I'd love to be invited on holiday with them. But dementia is a terrible, debilitating disease - and so sad, as it robs loved ones of the person they used to know. Apparently, they were originally cast the other way around, but during initial readings, decided it'd work better this way. I think they were right - I can hardly imagine the roles reversed. And watching Colin's character come slowly to the realisation of how bad things are getting for the man he loves is absolutely tragic. (It's really awkward, by the way, to get weepy when you're wearing both glasses and a mask. Which I kept having to remove when I got teary.) So, so highly recommended..
I thought I might take advantage of its proximity to a KFC, while I was there. But you know what, when it came to it, I just didn't feel like it - waited to eat till I got back instead.
As I say, that was the only film I could make and that I was interested in - I'm steering clear of the summer blockbusters, from lack of interest. But then, it occurred to me that I could check what was on in Ennis, for tomorrow - and lo, The Father is on there, also in the afternoon. This is one that did really well in the Oscars: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, who plays the title role of a man developing dementia (the theme of the weekend, evidently), and a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Olivia Coleman, who plays his daughter. Also nominated for best picture, best film editing, and best production design. Sounds worth seeing - again, I was the first person to have booked, and this time they've blocked out six seats around me! I'll say something for social distancing - it'll make it a lot less annoying to be in the cinema when others in the audience are eating popcorn! I see a couple more seats are booked now - not too far from me, but again, with all seats immediately around them blocked, we should all be ok. More expensive than today's, and with a booking fee, but hey..
Might check out Supermac's in Ennis, tomorrow. Now, that's somewhere I really haven't been in ages - in fact, I don't think I've been since I moved to London! (It's not in the UK.) Jeez, but I used to love their cheeseburgers.. I'll see how I feel.
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