I must reply about Ulysses. I have been wondering what people are saying in England. It took me about a fortnight to wade through, but on the whole I'm dead against it. I suppose it was worth doing if everything is worth doing ... but that is certainly not what I want from literature. Of course, there are amazingly fine things in it, but I prefer to go without them than to pay that price. Not because I am shocked (though I am fearfully shocked, but that's "personal"; I suppose it's unfair to judge the book by that) but because I simply don't believe ... [and there the draft breaks off].
27 December 2019
Mansfield on Joyce
In a letter to the Times Literary Supplement (23-30 August 2019 edition), John Barnie of Aberystwyth draws attention to the draft letter Katherine Mansfield wrote and included in her 1922 journal, on James Joyce's Ulysses, which had been published in February of that year.
Labels:
books
16 December 2019
How the information revolution bypassed democracy
Across the world [in the 19th century], wherever industrial technology advanced there were strikes, riots and reform because the technology of the industrial revolution connected people, empowered them and, through all this upheaval, catalysed the process of democratic politics itself.
But in the revolution of the new information age over the past 25 years, democracy has been noticeable only by its absence as elected leaders have largely disengaged from issues that will determine the future of their countries and their citizens: the use of new technology; the regulation of the internet; the ownership of information.
Gargantuan corporations, larger than any the world has ever seen - Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Apple - shake the ground on which nation states were built, cutting across borders and challenging governments' capacity to raise tax. They are accused of re-wiring our brains, corrupting our children, providing a safe haven for paedophiles and extremists, spawning terrorism, trashing our privacy and, of course, harvesting for free the most valuable asset of all - our data - usually without our knowledge.
Governments have allowed private firms to extract information - the oil of the digital economy - worth hundreds of billions of pounds. This time, it has not been pumped out of the ground but out of citizens. Worse still, this vast transfer of wealth and power has happened without touching the sides of democratic debate, until it is perhaps too late to stop it.
'The new grooves of how people live, how we do business, how we do everything,' as the tech writer Jaron Lanier put it, have been carved into the future by private corporations in the pursuit of vast profit without, for the most part, proper political debate or legislation.
- Tom Baldwin, Ctrl Alt Delete: How Politics and the Media Crashed Our Democracy, London, 2018, p.234-5.
But in the revolution of the new information age over the past 25 years, democracy has been noticeable only by its absence as elected leaders have largely disengaged from issues that will determine the future of their countries and their citizens: the use of new technology; the regulation of the internet; the ownership of information.
Gargantuan corporations, larger than any the world has ever seen - Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Apple - shake the ground on which nation states were built, cutting across borders and challenging governments' capacity to raise tax. They are accused of re-wiring our brains, corrupting our children, providing a safe haven for paedophiles and extremists, spawning terrorism, trashing our privacy and, of course, harvesting for free the most valuable asset of all - our data - usually without our knowledge.
Governments have allowed private firms to extract information - the oil of the digital economy - worth hundreds of billions of pounds. This time, it has not been pumped out of the ground but out of citizens. Worse still, this vast transfer of wealth and power has happened without touching the sides of democratic debate, until it is perhaps too late to stop it.
'The new grooves of how people live, how we do business, how we do everything,' as the tech writer Jaron Lanier put it, have been carved into the future by private corporations in the pursuit of vast profit without, for the most part, proper political debate or legislation.
- Tom Baldwin, Ctrl Alt Delete: How Politics and the Media Crashed Our Democracy, London, 2018, p.234-5.
Labels:
books
04 November 2019
23 October 2019
All aboard flight NZ1 to London
Sad news today with the announcement by Air New Zealand that the Los Angeles to London leg of the famous Auckland to London route will cease in October 2020. The service was first introduced in 1982 using 747s and 38 years is an eternity in the cutthroat world of air travel: in fact it's a seismic change for Air New Zealand and the many thousands of New Zealanders and UK citizens with ties in both countries.
While a new 787 direct service from Auckland to Newark New Jersey (EWR) for New York will get New Zealanders most of the way to the UK, there's a great sense of tradition in being able to travel all the way from Auckland to Heathrow on New Zealand-crewed airliners. The LAX to LHR leg was also special because it afforded marvelous views of Greenland as the aircraft skirts near the polar regions on its way to the UK. And from a cultural perspective, it was always cheering to see a ZK-registered Air New Zealand aircraft banking over the grey London skies on approach to Heathrow, and know that in a pinch you could be back in New Zealand in a little over 24 hours.
The airline sees greater growth potential in the North American market, which ties in quite nicely with the Prime Minister's recent entente cordiale with the Late Show's Stephen Colbert. And as Air New Zealand places greater emphasis on the capabilities of its Dreamliner fleet, long-range direct services like Auckland to Newark become more feasible. It does beg the question, however: can the airline sustain direct services to seven North American cities? Are there sufficient passengers to and from Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Houston, Chicago and New York to make these services viable?
One can speculate why Air New Zealand has finally pulled the plug on its UK presence after nearly four decades. The London to Los Angeles service is clearly well regarded, and the services are usually full, so presumably the seat revenue is insufficiently high to justify the running costs. Perhaps the legendarily high landing costs at Heathrow are up for renegotiation or have been traded to another airline? And perhaps the negative impact on passenger experience of having to transit through the famously unwelcoming LAX has eroded the viability of the service too. Certainly the two-hour dash through a pointless US border check that seems unwilling to acknowledge the existence of transit passengers makes the stopover stressful and tiring, in the midst of an already wearisome double-longhaul journey.
Jetsetting New Zealanders and expats will adjust their travel patterns as they always do, and will take this retreat by Air New Zealand in their stride. Personally, I've not flown all the way to London on Air New Zealand for around five years, chiefly to avoid the grim LAX experience. I also discovered that the return leg from Singapore to Auckland is around 90 minutes shorter than the equivalent leg from LAX to Auckland, which is an eternity when you're trapped in economy class for a full day. But it still seems a great pity that Air New Zealand is abandoning the UK market after such a long history of service, which has started and ended so many tales of intercontinental adventure over the years.
While a new 787 direct service from Auckland to Newark New Jersey (EWR) for New York will get New Zealanders most of the way to the UK, there's a great sense of tradition in being able to travel all the way from Auckland to Heathrow on New Zealand-crewed airliners. The LAX to LHR leg was also special because it afforded marvelous views of Greenland as the aircraft skirts near the polar regions on its way to the UK. And from a cultural perspective, it was always cheering to see a ZK-registered Air New Zealand aircraft banking over the grey London skies on approach to Heathrow, and know that in a pinch you could be back in New Zealand in a little over 24 hours.
The airline sees greater growth potential in the North American market, which ties in quite nicely with the Prime Minister's recent entente cordiale with the Late Show's Stephen Colbert. And as Air New Zealand places greater emphasis on the capabilities of its Dreamliner fleet, long-range direct services like Auckland to Newark become more feasible. It does beg the question, however: can the airline sustain direct services to seven North American cities? Are there sufficient passengers to and from Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Houston, Chicago and New York to make these services viable?
 |
| Air New Zealand aircraft at LAX, 18 November 2009 |
Jetsetting New Zealanders and expats will adjust their travel patterns as they always do, and will take this retreat by Air New Zealand in their stride. Personally, I've not flown all the way to London on Air New Zealand for around five years, chiefly to avoid the grim LAX experience. I also discovered that the return leg from Singapore to Auckland is around 90 minutes shorter than the equivalent leg from LAX to Auckland, which is an eternity when you're trapped in economy class for a full day. But it still seems a great pity that Air New Zealand is abandoning the UK market after such a long history of service, which has started and ended so many tales of intercontinental adventure over the years.
08 October 2019
The rise of the New Zealand daily press
The advent of the daily press was accompanied by far-reaching changes in the nature of journalism. Prior to 1853 the New Zealand press was a few newspapers which were mainly advocates for the resident landowners and through which was coordinated the agitation for self-government. It was a colonial press united by its attempt to replace the Crown Colony Government with local government. From 1853 to the start of the commercial press, which can be dated as beginning with the Otago Daily Times in 1861, the New Zealand press remained a small number of newspapers. They shared a dominant concern with being partisan political discussion forums within each province. No longer with the shared task of winning self-government to unite them, the management of the various newspapers did not maintain the contact of pre-independence days. But a similarity of size of circulation, of upper class-biased readership, and of concentration on provincial political affairs remained. The provincial focus of newspapers was not total. All newspapers were also interested in the national political arena. Many provincial debates were conducted on the national stage. All newspapers had orientations towards the status and policies of the General Government which were largely dictated by provincial considerations. The various newspapers' various positions in regard to national politics were by no means the same but all newspapers, although taking different debating positions, were at the debate. They showed a similarity of concern and interest, if not of policy.
In the 1860s this similarity lessened. The sheer increase in the number of publications made dissimilarity more likely. But the increase was also accompanied by an increase in the types of publication. Many of the new publications were not general newspapers but were journals oriented to specific audiences. Religious and temperance publications were the first of this type but they were followed by others. Even the newspaper press became a diverse group. Many of the new newspapers, particularly those away from the main centres, were small circulation weekly publications printed on the iron-framed fixed presses of the type used in the 1840s and 1850s. The main centre newspapers, at the other extreme, were rapidly becoming large scale businesses. Differences of circulation, technology, capital investment, staff and revenue quickly grew.
- Patrick Day, The Making of the New Zealand Press 1840-1880, Wellington, 1990, p.164-5.
See also:
Blog: Wellington Anniversary Day 1850, 22 January 2015
Blog: Hold the front page, 20 May 2012
Blog: The lifeblood of a young colony, 12 June 2009
In the 1860s this similarity lessened. The sheer increase in the number of publications made dissimilarity more likely. But the increase was also accompanied by an increase in the types of publication. Many of the new publications were not general newspapers but were journals oriented to specific audiences. Religious and temperance publications were the first of this type but they were followed by others. Even the newspaper press became a diverse group. Many of the new newspapers, particularly those away from the main centres, were small circulation weekly publications printed on the iron-framed fixed presses of the type used in the 1840s and 1850s. The main centre newspapers, at the other extreme, were rapidly becoming large scale businesses. Differences of circulation, technology, capital investment, staff and revenue quickly grew.
- Patrick Day, The Making of the New Zealand Press 1840-1880, Wellington, 1990, p.164-5.
See also:
Blog: Wellington Anniversary Day 1850, 22 January 2015
Blog: Hold the front page, 20 May 2012
Blog: The lifeblood of a young colony, 12 June 2009
05 October 2019
30 September 2019
An Onehunga institution
The gold-etched window art at 171 Onehunga Mall marks the former shop of local legend Gordon Sai Louie, whose family operated the fruit shop on the site from the 1940s until 1988. From 1988 until 2018 the building housed the Legendary Hard To Find But Worth The Effort Second-Hand Bookshop, which now operates from two locations, one in Newton and one in Dunedin. The Onehunga Mall building is currently still vacant, and it would be wonderful if the owner undertook long-deferred maintenance and preserved this historic shop for future customers.
See also:
Blog: Public transport comes to Onehunga, 10 February 2015
Blog: Avondale to Onehunga tramlink, 31 October 2010
Blog: From sea to shining sea, 20 July 2009
Labels:
auckland
22 September 2019
To the glory of God and in memory of Captain Williams
In the heart of the Lambton end of the Wellington central city a small, elegant building perches at a busy intersection a mere two blocks from Parliament. The Missions to Seamen Building was begun in 1903, and its dedication plaque at the corner of Stout and Whitmore Streets has been half-noticed but mostly ignored by Wellington pedestrians for generations. Its text reads:
The building is a distinctive feature in Wellington's north end, particularly as it is nestled within the heritage precinct with other architectural gems like the Old Government Building (1876) and the former Supreme Court House (1880). David Kernohan's 1994 book Wellington's Old Buildings describes the Mission building as follows:
Increasingly successful, Williams acquired a wide range of ships including the Heversham, the Australind, the Cyrus, the Edwin Bassett, and the Carlotta. He may not have been the luckiest proprietor, because his obituary lists all of the above vessels as being lost to shipwreck, although often after Williams had sold them to other owners. Clear signs of Williams' economic prowess came in 1876 when he purchased the steamer Grafton in Sydney and in 1881 when he returned to England for the first time in 27 years to buy the steamer Westport at Glasgow, and sailed on it direct from England to Westport in a speedy passage of 62 days. Later he sold his shipping interests to the Union Steamship Company and instead managed his West Coast coal business. His Evening Post obituary on 17 March 1890 reported:
On its dedication day in 1904 the Mission was officially declared open by the new Governor, Lord Plunket:
The building was narrowly saved from demolition in the 1980s and converted into upscale apartments in 1994. I have heard that one of its prominent occupants was New Zealand's first woman Prime Minister, Rt Hon Jenny Shipley, who would have appreciated its proximity to her day job.
The Mission to Seamen still exists, although the name has changed to Mission to Seafarers. The Anglican mission was founded in England in 1856, and provides drop-in centres in ports around the world for seafarers to rest, with chapel services and cheap accommodation. The Mission now operates in eight New Zealand ports, with Wellington's service operating for around half the year from Shed 52 on Aotea Quay.
History: Wellington 150, a capital anniversary, 26 July 2015
History: Wellington's first settler ship, 22 January 2014
History: The lifeblood of a young colony, 12 June 2009
To the Glory of God
And in memory of
CAPTAIN W.R. WILLIAMS
This stone was laid by
MRS W.R. WILLIAMS
The donor of the land & building
16th Dec 1903
James Moore, Missioner
The building is a distinctive feature in Wellington's north end, particularly as it is nestled within the heritage precinct with other architectural gems like the Old Government Building (1876) and the former Supreme Court House (1880). David Kernohan's 1994 book Wellington's Old Buildings describes the Mission building as follows:
The building occupies a conspicuous corner site, and, while small, has a scale and character which still provide a strong presence despite being surrounded by high-rise commercial buildings. It is essentially ecclesiastical in appearance with references to Dutch and English domestic, and Scottish baronial, architecture. At one time on its northern gable there was a model of a steamer which can now be seen in the Maritime Museum [p.60].The Captain Williams memorialised on the building is William Robert Williams, born in Gravesend on 5 March 1832, who first arrived in New Zealand in the 1850s on barques trading from the Australian colonies. The Dunstan gold rush of 1858 saw him sailing more and more to New Zealand, often bringing coal from the New South Wales port of Newcastle and returning to Australia with timber and kauri gum. His New Zealand port in this trade was Wellington, which was the start of a long association for Williams.
Increasingly successful, Williams acquired a wide range of ships including the Heversham, the Australind, the Cyrus, the Edwin Bassett, and the Carlotta. He may not have been the luckiest proprietor, because his obituary lists all of the above vessels as being lost to shipwreck, although often after Williams had sold them to other owners. Clear signs of Williams' economic prowess came in 1876 when he purchased the steamer Grafton in Sydney and in 1881 when he returned to England for the first time in 27 years to buy the steamer Westport at Glasgow, and sailed on it direct from England to Westport in a speedy passage of 62 days. Later he sold his shipping interests to the Union Steamship Company and instead managed his West Coast coal business. His Evening Post obituary on 17 March 1890 reported:
The deceased was a shrewd man of business, and while he acquired a competence for himself he did much good for Wellington by his enterprise. At one time he was without doubt the largest employer of labour in the city, and he was always noted for fair dealling with those who were in his service. While running his line of steamers he had a shipbuilding yard on the Te Aro foreshore, and amongst the undertakings carried out in connection with the establishment may be noted the lengthening of the Moa, the construction of the Mana (which was his property up to his death) and the Ahuriri, and the fitting up of the Maitai, after her hull, &c, had been completed by Messrs. Luke and Sons.It was the generous gift of £7000 from Williams' widow, Mrs Mary Anne Williams - totalling around $1.25m in today's money, allowing for inflation - that built the Mission in her husband's memory. The New Zealand Times of 30 July 1903 lavished praise on Mrs Williams for her generosity, in keeping with the popular sentiment of contemporary journalism:
Mrs Williams has set a noble example to people possessed of wealth in thus providing the means for brightening and humanising the lives of the thousands of sea-faring men who visit Wellington every year. Strangers in a strange laud these men—too often waifs and strays of the ocean—see no means of spending their leisure in a rational way, and it is only through some organised body in the community that an effort can be made to bring them into touch with their fellow-men ashore.
On its dedication day in 1904 the Mission was officially declared open by the new Governor, Lord Plunket:
 |
| Opening ceremony, 24 August 1904 Source: Terence Hodgson, Colonial Capital: Wellington 1865-1910, 1990, p.134. |
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| Opening ceremony, 24 August 1904, source: Papers Past |
The Mission to Seamen still exists, although the name has changed to Mission to Seafarers. The Anglican mission was founded in England in 1856, and provides drop-in centres in ports around the world for seafarers to rest, with chapel services and cheap accommodation. The Mission now operates in eight New Zealand ports, with Wellington's service operating for around half the year from Shed 52 on Aotea Quay.
See also:
History: Pre-1840 European visitors to Wellington, 21 February 2016History: Wellington 150, a capital anniversary, 26 July 2015
History: Wellington's first settler ship, 22 January 2014
History: The lifeblood of a young colony, 12 June 2009
Labels:
history,
wellington
15 September 2019
10 September 2019
Belitsa Bear Sanctuary
On my recent Intrepid tour through Bulgaria one highlight was several hours spent at the Belitsa Bear Sanctuary on the edge of the Rila National Park, some two-and-a-half hours south of the capital Sofia. The charitable trust that established the sanctuary received support from veteran animal rights campaigner Brigitte Bardot, and has been housing rescued bears from across Eastern Europe as more countries ban the cruel practice of 'dancing' bears. Visitors are left with no illusions of how painful and inhumane the centuries-old training process is, thanks to an introductory video that is particularly hard to watch. But once you venture out onto the well-fenced mountainside bear habitat it's a relief to see these formerly imprisoned animals now have a safe and stimulating natural environment in which to live out their retirement.
The bears are sociable but not all bears get along, so there are several separate large enclosures in which groups can cohabit. There's an hourly tour with well-informed Bulgarian guides but you can also wander the trails yourself, which is what I did for most of the visit. This resulted in several wonderfully peaceful close encounters with the bears as little as five metres away through the thankfully sturdy fences. Irrespective of the heft of the barriers, the bears were not in the least bit interested in me as I took their picture. The video below shows one enclosure pair, with the second bear having been rescued after a fight with an aggressive male that resulted in the medical amputation of her forepaw. Despite this, she is able to get around the mountainside quite well, if not speedily, hunting down the food the keepers secrete around the enclosures to keep the occupants active and engaged.
The bears are sociable but not all bears get along, so there are several separate large enclosures in which groups can cohabit. There's an hourly tour with well-informed Bulgarian guides but you can also wander the trails yourself, which is what I did for most of the visit. This resulted in several wonderfully peaceful close encounters with the bears as little as five metres away through the thankfully sturdy fences. Irrespective of the heft of the barriers, the bears were not in the least bit interested in me as I took their picture. The video below shows one enclosure pair, with the second bear having been rescued after a fight with an aggressive male that resulted in the medical amputation of her forepaw. Despite this, she is able to get around the mountainside quite well, if not speedily, hunting down the food the keepers secrete around the enclosures to keep the occupants active and engaged.
Labels:
europe
08 September 2019
Cars and trucks and things that go
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| Thorndon / Port of Wellington, 8 September 2019 |
Labels:
wellington
27 August 2019
The beneficent miracle of the postal service
Celebrated [19th century] writers gave a considerable amount of space in their letters on the subject of letters themselves - not least the early nineteenth-century debate over whether it was disrespectful to the Church to write on a Sunday (consensus: personal letters acceptable, business ones less so). And they were particularly interested in the vagaries of the postal service, and what likelihood their letters had of reaching their destination. In 1835 Thomas Carlyle sent a transatlantic letter to Ralph Waldo Emerson in which he marvelled at the divine madness of the system. A letter from Emerson had taken two months to reach him, but still Carlyle felt grateful: 'As the Atlantic is so broad and deep, ought we not rather to esteem it a beneficent miracle that messages can arrive at all; that a little slip of paper will skim over all these weltering floods, and other inextricable confusions; and come at last, in the hand of the Twopenny Postman, safe to your lurking-place, like green leaf in the bill of Noah's Dove'.
In another letter to Emerson four months later, Carlyle bemoans the state of England; there is poverty everywhere, there is the threat of cholera, and worst of all, it seems, is all this newfangled technological progress, a comment we may hear echoes of today. 'What with railways, steamships, printing-presses, it has surely become a most monstrous "tissue" this life of ours'. Fortunately for him, it was still possible to defeat the technology of the postal service. Writing to his mother in 1836, he is delighted that the parliamentary summer recess is over, because, now that 'certain "honourable members" having got back to town again', he may once more obtain free postage by abusing their free franking privileges.
- Simon Garfield, To the Letter, Edinburgh, 2013, p222-3.
See also:
History: Early overland mails between Auckland & Wellington, 23 March 2019
Books: Emily Dickinson's postal book group, 2 September 2014
History: Posting the empire as the royal word, 9 January 2013
In another letter to Emerson four months later, Carlyle bemoans the state of England; there is poverty everywhere, there is the threat of cholera, and worst of all, it seems, is all this newfangled technological progress, a comment we may hear echoes of today. 'What with railways, steamships, printing-presses, it has surely become a most monstrous "tissue" this life of ours'. Fortunately for him, it was still possible to defeat the technology of the postal service. Writing to his mother in 1836, he is delighted that the parliamentary summer recess is over, because, now that 'certain "honourable members" having got back to town again', he may once more obtain free postage by abusing their free franking privileges.
- Simon Garfield, To the Letter, Edinburgh, 2013, p222-3.
See also:
History: Early overland mails between Auckland & Wellington, 23 March 2019
Books: Emily Dickinson's postal book group, 2 September 2014
History: Posting the empire as the royal word, 9 January 2013
24 August 2019
18 August 2019
Film festival roundup 2019
After a wintry final night of the Wellington film festival, the capital can now start the long process of preparing for NZIFF2020. Despite the depredations of the usual cavalcade of sweet-unwrappers, late arrivals and mid-film chatterers, it was a great fortnight of film-watching. Here's my brief rundown on the 20 films I experienced, in a rough order of personal preference.
Apollo 11 (dir. Todd Douglas Miller, USA, 2019, trailer)
A grand technical achievement to capture a spectacular scientific achievement, this film illustrates the still vivid power of genuine photography over the art of CGI. So many scenes are shockingly beautiful in their realism, and the hitherto unseen IMAX-quality video footage of the Command Module capsule there and back show just how accurate Ron Howard's Apollo 13 actually was. A brilliant electronic score using only period instruments accentuates the high drama, and expert documentary photography, particularly at Cape Kennedy for the launch sequence, make this a thrilling visual experience.
Daguerréotypes (dir. Agnès Varda, France, 1976, trailer)
Perhaps when it was released Varda's homage to the shopkeepers of her beloved Rue Daguerre seemed rather esoteric, but its charm is immediately obvious, and its importance as an irreplaceable record of a now-vanished way of life makes it hugely valuable. The trust these varied shopkeepers seem to have for the small, peculiar filmmaker who squats in the corners of their shops, filming away and presumably inviting her subjects to pretend she's not really there, is a tremendous asset, because the small life stories she elicits from her subjects are a rich tapestry of Parisian life. Many seem to be migrants from rural France over a great span of decades, and all have a tale to tell, of personal heritage, professional ambition or romantic endeavour. By design the film recreates the retail documentary form of Eugene Atget's vital shop-front photography, but Varda also imbues the film with plenty of warm-hearted humour and sympathy for her cast of oddballs. A standout scene is the long sequence featuring a magician entertaining the locals, which seems unpromising but builds into a wonderful tribute to the art of prestidigitation and old-fashioned hocus-pocus.
Peterloo (dir. Mike Leigh, UK, 2018, trailer)
If you're watching a film about the 1819 massacre at St Peter's Field, Manchester, by army troops of peaceful protesters calling for basic democratic rights for workers, you probably already know that this film isn't going to end well. One character in particular ambles through the film almost as if he has a gigantic target on his back. But the process of getting to the grim conclusion is expertly realised, with Leigh following the grass-roots campaigning in tavern back rooms, industrial break-rooms and disused country factories, as ordinary English workers join the campaign to demand rights equal to those of their privileged masters - well, for male voters anyway. It's a special thrill to see Pearce Quigley in a supporting dramatic role, having stood a mere metre away from him as a Globe groundling as he gave a hilarious performance as Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor back in June. Rory Kinnear gives his traditional highly watchable performance as the mercurial, vain master orator Henry Hunt, who was the star attraction for the tens of thousands gathered at the St Peter's Fields. The massacre scene itself is gripping, and increasingly hard to watch as the chaos spirals out of control and the barbaric army forces, particularly those from the drunk yeomanry, wreak havoc upon the unarmed crowd. A finely honed study of the banality of institutionalised prejudice.
Kind Hearts and Coronets (dir. Robert Hamer, UK, 1949)
Imagine the brutal indignity of a man of taste and breeding being compelled to live in Clapham! While the protagonist who cuts a swathe through the English aristocracy is ostensibly the focus of this blackest of black comedies, in practice it's the ludicrously entertaining star turn by the then-35-year-old Alec Guinness as eight different members of the ducal family being heartlessly offed that is the central attraction here. A great British comedy for the ages, now beautifully remastered for its 70th anniversary.
La Belle Époque (dir. Nicolas Bedos, France, 2019)
Care to recapture your lost youth and rekindle the spark of a decaying marriage? La Belle Époque is a confident French comedy with broad, inter-generational appeal, featuring a delightful cast and enough genuine humour to keep audiences engaged throughout. With its blend of bittersweet nostalgic reminiscence and youthful infatuation, and a convincing dual relationship between the aged Daniel Auteuil pretending to be a young, 1974 version of himself and the radiant Doria Tillier portraying both the youtful incarnation of Fanny Ardant's character and the unlucky-in-love actress who plays the role, the film charts a delicate and rewarding course between sheer fantasy and droll farce. It's interesting to note that this fond remembrance of mid-'70s France is soundtracked almost exclusively by music from English-speaking countries - apart from the suitably saucy Yes Sir, I Can Boogie by Baccara. (Which is from 1977, but hey, who's counting?). Notably, we're seeing it in New Zealand even before French audiences - it's not out there until November.
Capital in the 21st Century (dir. Justin Pemberton, NZ, 2019, trailer)
A sweeping history lesson providing insights into the profound impact the regressive power of institutionalised capital on democracy and society. Having regrettably not yet read Thomas Piketty's enormous 2013 book, it did come as a small surprise that so much of this film was historical context, but this is a valuable contribution to international economic debate in an environment in which certain orthodoxies are seldom questioned. Convincing storytelling with a blend of deftly-selected talking heads (from a more diverse background than usual), archival film and period music, reminding viewers that the taxes that are so often avoided by the wealthy are the membership fee for what most of us regard as a civilised society. Great use of Lorde's Royals, too.
2040 (dir. Damon Gameau, Australia, 2019, trailer)
I initially approached 2040 as a bit of frothy infotainment, a useful antidote to the understandably dire environmental prognostication of many other films that seek to wake up audiences to unsustainable politics and practices. And its use of the cute devices of having an actress playing a grown-up version of the director's 4-year-old in the 'future' sequences, and interspersing the globetrotting (but carbon-offset) ideas clips with voxpops of primary school kids from around the world giving their ideas for the future, initially suggested this would be entertaining, but perhaps a bit lightweight, like a feature-length episode of Beyond 2000. Luckily, director Damon Gameau (That Sugar Film) was on hand for a Q&A afterwards and was able to dispel some of my concerns about the scientific rigour. In many of his answers to detailed audience questions he referred to informative extra material shot for the long cut of the film, or ideas that will feature in the upcoming TV spinoff episodes, or in the supporting material for schools and other users on the What's Your 2040 website. There's a lot going on in this multi-platform movement, and I look forward to hearing about the impact it has when a 2-minute extract is screened to the world's leaders at the UN General Assembly in November.
Amazing Grace (dirs. Alan Elliott & Sydney Pollack, USA, 2018, trailer)
As a filmed record of a singing performance this is far from ideal. The camerawork is frequently sloppy, out of focus and intrusive; there are umpteen cameramen but shots are frequently obstructed; Sydney Pollack's largely white crew seems intent on filming the interloping Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts rather than the exuberant audience; and so much of the performance is impinged upon by the mechanics of actually shooting the film. The church setting seems singularly ill-suited to such an intimate performance. And ultimately Pollack's catastrophic error of failing to use clapperboards on his 20-hour shoot meant it was impossible to sync the film with the audio recording, so the footage was never released at the time.
A cheerfully energetic evocation of the mid-'90s Scottish rave scene featuring two charismatic and convincing young actors, Beats pokes fun at the knee-jerk legislation that foolishly attempted to ban rave gatherings amidst a climate of misguided moral panic. The inevitable climactic rave scene is as joyous a celebration of the positive influence of the shared experience music as you're ever likely to see, and a fondness for the musical genre is by no means a prerequisite to garner the full emotional impact of this coming of age tale shot through with the rude energy of Glasgow youth.
Andrei Rublev (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, USSR, 1966)
A quite spectacular technical achievement, flecked with touches of cinematic brilliance; a film about a painter that never shows the process of painting; another reminder that Russian history is a thousand-year tale of woe and degradation with the added bonus of a somewhat masochistic tendency amongst the locals. While this is by and large a defiantly bleak tale of a spiritual wilderness and the travails of the people who inhabit it, every bit of Andrei Rublev is memorable - even if, like me, you struggle at times to follow the moral lessons being imparted.
The Day Shall Come (dir. Chris Morris, UK/USA, 2019)
This traditional Chris Morris fare, with a screenplay by Morris and Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show, Fresh Meat, Four Lions, In The Loop) sees Anna Kendrick working as an FBI operative monitoring a black activist who the agency is trying to entrap to meet its quota for terrorism charges, but who she is increasingly and justifiably convinced is a harmless nutjob. While The Day Shall Come doesn't reach the heights of In The Loop or Armando Iannucci's The Death of Stalin, its darkly satirical depiction of the amoral pursuit of fall guys irrespective of the tenets of justice is a wry, if bleak, hallmark of US politics in 2019. (I'd link the trailer but it reveals all the best jokes. Damn you, trailer editors everywhere!)
Bellbird (dir. Hamish Bennett, NZ, 2019, trailer)
A polished local production with the added USP of a director writing and directing a film set in his own hometown of Maungakaramea in Northland. A convincing script, talented cast and suitably low-key New Zealand humour underpin this increasingly rare beast, an actual New Zealand feature film drama. Particularly strong depicting the challenges of male communication in an intensely taciturn rural culture.
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (dir. Midge Costin, USA, 2019)
A well-constructed and thorough survey of the history of sound in film and how the various aspects of the sonic palette are combined in the service of story-telling. An ideal companion to documentaries such as Christopher Kenneally's 2012 film-versus-digital debate Side By Side for those of a film nerd bend. Also, as an unexpected bonus, Making Waves' director and USC film academic Midge Costin attended the Wellington screening for an impromptu Q&A, having made her own way to New Zealand. Now that's commitment.
This Changes Everything (dir. Tom Donahue, USA, 2018, trailer)
It would be hard to edit the multitude of (justifiably mostly female) talking heads collected for This Changes Everything in a way that respects the contribution so many women have made to the often fruitless and thwarted drive to hold Hollywood to account for its decades-long ingrained sexism and flagrant breaches of human rights laws. There’s so much material and such a consistent message from the articulate, frustrated and legitimately angry women who have been shut out of the careers they deserve. Rather than the recap of the impact of the Me Too movement on the cinema industry that I was erroneously expecting, this is more a history lesson on Hollywood’s conscious eviction of women from leadership roles after the 1920s and its stubborn and disingenuous campaign to avoid its legal responsibilities to operate without discrimination. Geena Davis’ 15-year celebrated campaign through her Institute on Gender in Media understandably features prominently, but the film also sheds light on a range of other noble attempts to hold the studios to account over the decades, which have all been torpedoed by dark forces. The film also raises the serious chicken-or-egg question: is American entertainment sexist because America itself is sexist, or is America sexist because its entertainment is sexist? Certainly the deeply creepy way women and girls are portrayed in many forms of American media should be a concern for us all.
Koyaanisqatsi (dir. Godfrey Reggio, USA, 1982)
Imagine a world in which Americans actually build TVs and make blue jeans! But seriously, the urban day and night time lapse photography in the second half were particularly influential on '80s filmmakers and music video producers in particular, amplified by the arresting synth sculptures of soundtrack maestro Phillip Glass.
We Are Little Zombies (dir. Nagahisa Makoto, Japan, 2019)
A pleasingly unpredictable indie effort with little time for adult sensibilities and a nice line in disparaging dismissals from its pint-sized protagonists. Loser parents all dead in a variety of grisly fashions and you can't see the point of feeling sorry for yourself? Form a nihilistic punk-pop group and storm the charts. Or not, whatever: 'That's so emo'.
A White, White Day (dir. Hlynur Pálmason, Iceland, 2019)
Hvítur, Hvítur Dagur
Wildly implausible but commendably acted, A White, White Day's protagonist Ingimundur is more believable as an embodiment of an Icelandic revenge saga than of a 21st century grandad, but if you suspend belief sufficiently, there's plenty to savour, particularly the relationship with his 8-year-old granddaughter Salka, which has genuine warmth and colour. As usual, the Icelandic wilds provide a sumptuous, brutal backdrop.
Loro (dir. Paolo Sorrentino, Italy, 2018, trailer)
Worth the price of admission for two key scenes: one, in which Toni Servillo as a barely-fictionalised version of Silvio Berlusconi cold-calls a stranger late at night to sell her a fictional apartment to rediscover his huckster salesman's mojo, and a second in which he and Elena Sofia Ricci as wife Veronica engage in a legendary verbal fencing match as their marriage falls apart amidst the vulgar splendour of limitless wealth. If only the rest of the film, which is over-burdened with lavish ogling of a legion of bunga-bunga women, was this snappy and vital.
Hale County This Morning, This Evening (dir. RaMell Moss, USA, 2018, trailer)
A commendable if unspectacular glimpse into the black communities of Alabama that cinema generally shuns, Hale County is a valuable social document, but lacks a compelling narrative to attract a broader audience. Makes a compelling point about the whiteness of the photographic medium, which this film helps to remedy.
High Life (dir. Claire Denis, UK, 2018)
You have to give her credit: the baby's method acting was unimpeachable. As for the rest, Claire Denis' first sci-fi attempt bears the hallmark of half-baked ideas and highly variable acting. Robert Pattinson and the afore-mentioned baby are highly watchable, however.
See also:
Blog: Film festival roundup 2018, 2017, 2016 part 1 / part 2, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009
A grand technical achievement to capture a spectacular scientific achievement, this film illustrates the still vivid power of genuine photography over the art of CGI. So many scenes are shockingly beautiful in their realism, and the hitherto unseen IMAX-quality video footage of the Command Module capsule there and back show just how accurate Ron Howard's Apollo 13 actually was. A brilliant electronic score using only period instruments accentuates the high drama, and expert documentary photography, particularly at Cape Kennedy for the launch sequence, make this a thrilling visual experience.
Perhaps when it was released Varda's homage to the shopkeepers of her beloved Rue Daguerre seemed rather esoteric, but its charm is immediately obvious, and its importance as an irreplaceable record of a now-vanished way of life makes it hugely valuable. The trust these varied shopkeepers seem to have for the small, peculiar filmmaker who squats in the corners of their shops, filming away and presumably inviting her subjects to pretend she's not really there, is a tremendous asset, because the small life stories she elicits from her subjects are a rich tapestry of Parisian life. Many seem to be migrants from rural France over a great span of decades, and all have a tale to tell, of personal heritage, professional ambition or romantic endeavour. By design the film recreates the retail documentary form of Eugene Atget's vital shop-front photography, but Varda also imbues the film with plenty of warm-hearted humour and sympathy for her cast of oddballs. A standout scene is the long sequence featuring a magician entertaining the locals, which seems unpromising but builds into a wonderful tribute to the art of prestidigitation and old-fashioned hocus-pocus.
Peterloo (dir. Mike Leigh, UK, 2018, trailer)If you're watching a film about the 1819 massacre at St Peter's Field, Manchester, by army troops of peaceful protesters calling for basic democratic rights for workers, you probably already know that this film isn't going to end well. One character in particular ambles through the film almost as if he has a gigantic target on his back. But the process of getting to the grim conclusion is expertly realised, with Leigh following the grass-roots campaigning in tavern back rooms, industrial break-rooms and disused country factories, as ordinary English workers join the campaign to demand rights equal to those of their privileged masters - well, for male voters anyway. It's a special thrill to see Pearce Quigley in a supporting dramatic role, having stood a mere metre away from him as a Globe groundling as he gave a hilarious performance as Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor back in June. Rory Kinnear gives his traditional highly watchable performance as the mercurial, vain master orator Henry Hunt, who was the star attraction for the tens of thousands gathered at the St Peter's Fields. The massacre scene itself is gripping, and increasingly hard to watch as the chaos spirals out of control and the barbaric army forces, particularly those from the drunk yeomanry, wreak havoc upon the unarmed crowd. A finely honed study of the banality of institutionalised prejudice.
Imagine the brutal indignity of a man of taste and breeding being compelled to live in Clapham! While the protagonist who cuts a swathe through the English aristocracy is ostensibly the focus of this blackest of black comedies, in practice it's the ludicrously entertaining star turn by the then-35-year-old Alec Guinness as eight different members of the ducal family being heartlessly offed that is the central attraction here. A great British comedy for the ages, now beautifully remastered for its 70th anniversary.
La Belle Époque (dir. Nicolas Bedos, France, 2019)
Care to recapture your lost youth and rekindle the spark of a decaying marriage? La Belle Époque is a confident French comedy with broad, inter-generational appeal, featuring a delightful cast and enough genuine humour to keep audiences engaged throughout. With its blend of bittersweet nostalgic reminiscence and youthful infatuation, and a convincing dual relationship between the aged Daniel Auteuil pretending to be a young, 1974 version of himself and the radiant Doria Tillier portraying both the youtful incarnation of Fanny Ardant's character and the unlucky-in-love actress who plays the role, the film charts a delicate and rewarding course between sheer fantasy and droll farce. It's interesting to note that this fond remembrance of mid-'70s France is soundtracked almost exclusively by music from English-speaking countries - apart from the suitably saucy Yes Sir, I Can Boogie by Baccara. (Which is from 1977, but hey, who's counting?). Notably, we're seeing it in New Zealand even before French audiences - it's not out there until November.
Capital in the 21st Century (dir. Justin Pemberton, NZ, 2019, trailer)
A sweeping history lesson providing insights into the profound impact the regressive power of institutionalised capital on democracy and society. Having regrettably not yet read Thomas Piketty's enormous 2013 book, it did come as a small surprise that so much of this film was historical context, but this is a valuable contribution to international economic debate in an environment in which certain orthodoxies are seldom questioned. Convincing storytelling with a blend of deftly-selected talking heads (from a more diverse background than usual), archival film and period music, reminding viewers that the taxes that are so often avoided by the wealthy are the membership fee for what most of us regard as a civilised society. Great use of Lorde's Royals, too.
2040 (dir. Damon Gameau, Australia, 2019, trailer)
I initially approached 2040 as a bit of frothy infotainment, a useful antidote to the understandably dire environmental prognostication of many other films that seek to wake up audiences to unsustainable politics and practices. And its use of the cute devices of having an actress playing a grown-up version of the director's 4-year-old in the 'future' sequences, and interspersing the globetrotting (but carbon-offset) ideas clips with voxpops of primary school kids from around the world giving their ideas for the future, initially suggested this would be entertaining, but perhaps a bit lightweight, like a feature-length episode of Beyond 2000. Luckily, director Damon Gameau (That Sugar Film) was on hand for a Q&A afterwards and was able to dispel some of my concerns about the scientific rigour. In many of his answers to detailed audience questions he referred to informative extra material shot for the long cut of the film, or ideas that will feature in the upcoming TV spinoff episodes, or in the supporting material for schools and other users on the What's Your 2040 website. There's a lot going on in this multi-platform movement, and I look forward to hearing about the impact it has when a 2-minute extract is screened to the world's leaders at the UN General Assembly in November.
Amazing Grace (dirs. Alan Elliott & Sydney Pollack, USA, 2018, trailer)
As a filmed record of a singing performance this is far from ideal. The camerawork is frequently sloppy, out of focus and intrusive; there are umpteen cameramen but shots are frequently obstructed; Sydney Pollack's largely white crew seems intent on filming the interloping Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts rather than the exuberant audience; and so much of the performance is impinged upon by the mechanics of actually shooting the film. The church setting seems singularly ill-suited to such an intimate performance. And ultimately Pollack's catastrophic error of failing to use clapperboards on his 20-hour shoot meant it was impossible to sync the film with the audio recording, so the footage was never released at the time.
But of course the limitations of the setting are what makes this an utterly legendary concert performance. Without the emotional resonance of the gospel audience, Aretha's performance would merely be her usual excellence. But with that audience urging her on, with the Southern California Community Choir powering behind her, with James Cleveland MC-ing, hammering away at the keys and even seemingly rescuing Aretha from a wardrobe malfunction, the performance is elevated to the spectacular. And spectacular is seemingly insufficient to describe the range, power and emotion of Aretha's art here; at times it's a thrill just to watch the choir reacting to her seemingly impossible vocal feats.
Beats (dir. Brian Welsh, France/UK, 2019, trailer)A cheerfully energetic evocation of the mid-'90s Scottish rave scene featuring two charismatic and convincing young actors, Beats pokes fun at the knee-jerk legislation that foolishly attempted to ban rave gatherings amidst a climate of misguided moral panic. The inevitable climactic rave scene is as joyous a celebration of the positive influence of the shared experience music as you're ever likely to see, and a fondness for the musical genre is by no means a prerequisite to garner the full emotional impact of this coming of age tale shot through with the rude energy of Glasgow youth.
Andrei Rublev (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, USSR, 1966)
A quite spectacular technical achievement, flecked with touches of cinematic brilliance; a film about a painter that never shows the process of painting; another reminder that Russian history is a thousand-year tale of woe and degradation with the added bonus of a somewhat masochistic tendency amongst the locals. While this is by and large a defiantly bleak tale of a spiritual wilderness and the travails of the people who inhabit it, every bit of Andrei Rublev is memorable - even if, like me, you struggle at times to follow the moral lessons being imparted.
The Day Shall Come (dir. Chris Morris, UK/USA, 2019)
This traditional Chris Morris fare, with a screenplay by Morris and Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show, Fresh Meat, Four Lions, In The Loop) sees Anna Kendrick working as an FBI operative monitoring a black activist who the agency is trying to entrap to meet its quota for terrorism charges, but who she is increasingly and justifiably convinced is a harmless nutjob. While The Day Shall Come doesn't reach the heights of In The Loop or Armando Iannucci's The Death of Stalin, its darkly satirical depiction of the amoral pursuit of fall guys irrespective of the tenets of justice is a wry, if bleak, hallmark of US politics in 2019. (I'd link the trailer but it reveals all the best jokes. Damn you, trailer editors everywhere!)
Bellbird (dir. Hamish Bennett, NZ, 2019, trailer)
A polished local production with the added USP of a director writing and directing a film set in his own hometown of Maungakaramea in Northland. A convincing script, talented cast and suitably low-key New Zealand humour underpin this increasingly rare beast, an actual New Zealand feature film drama. Particularly strong depicting the challenges of male communication in an intensely taciturn rural culture.
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (dir. Midge Costin, USA, 2019)
A well-constructed and thorough survey of the history of sound in film and how the various aspects of the sonic palette are combined in the service of story-telling. An ideal companion to documentaries such as Christopher Kenneally's 2012 film-versus-digital debate Side By Side for those of a film nerd bend. Also, as an unexpected bonus, Making Waves' director and USC film academic Midge Costin attended the Wellington screening for an impromptu Q&A, having made her own way to New Zealand. Now that's commitment.
This Changes Everything (dir. Tom Donahue, USA, 2018, trailer)
It would be hard to edit the multitude of (justifiably mostly female) talking heads collected for This Changes Everything in a way that respects the contribution so many women have made to the often fruitless and thwarted drive to hold Hollywood to account for its decades-long ingrained sexism and flagrant breaches of human rights laws. There’s so much material and such a consistent message from the articulate, frustrated and legitimately angry women who have been shut out of the careers they deserve. Rather than the recap of the impact of the Me Too movement on the cinema industry that I was erroneously expecting, this is more a history lesson on Hollywood’s conscious eviction of women from leadership roles after the 1920s and its stubborn and disingenuous campaign to avoid its legal responsibilities to operate without discrimination. Geena Davis’ 15-year celebrated campaign through her Institute on Gender in Media understandably features prominently, but the film also sheds light on a range of other noble attempts to hold the studios to account over the decades, which have all been torpedoed by dark forces. The film also raises the serious chicken-or-egg question: is American entertainment sexist because America itself is sexist, or is America sexist because its entertainment is sexist? Certainly the deeply creepy way women and girls are portrayed in many forms of American media should be a concern for us all.
Koyaanisqatsi (dir. Godfrey Reggio, USA, 1982)
Imagine a world in which Americans actually build TVs and make blue jeans! But seriously, the urban day and night time lapse photography in the second half were particularly influential on '80s filmmakers and music video producers in particular, amplified by the arresting synth sculptures of soundtrack maestro Phillip Glass.
We Are Little Zombies (dir. Nagahisa Makoto, Japan, 2019)
A pleasingly unpredictable indie effort with little time for adult sensibilities and a nice line in disparaging dismissals from its pint-sized protagonists. Loser parents all dead in a variety of grisly fashions and you can't see the point of feeling sorry for yourself? Form a nihilistic punk-pop group and storm the charts. Or not, whatever: 'That's so emo'.
A White, White Day (dir. Hlynur Pálmason, Iceland, 2019)
Hvítur, Hvítur Dagur
Wildly implausible but commendably acted, A White, White Day's protagonist Ingimundur is more believable as an embodiment of an Icelandic revenge saga than of a 21st century grandad, but if you suspend belief sufficiently, there's plenty to savour, particularly the relationship with his 8-year-old granddaughter Salka, which has genuine warmth and colour. As usual, the Icelandic wilds provide a sumptuous, brutal backdrop.
Loro (dir. Paolo Sorrentino, Italy, 2018, trailer)
Worth the price of admission for two key scenes: one, in which Toni Servillo as a barely-fictionalised version of Silvio Berlusconi cold-calls a stranger late at night to sell her a fictional apartment to rediscover his huckster salesman's mojo, and a second in which he and Elena Sofia Ricci as wife Veronica engage in a legendary verbal fencing match as their marriage falls apart amidst the vulgar splendour of limitless wealth. If only the rest of the film, which is over-burdened with lavish ogling of a legion of bunga-bunga women, was this snappy and vital.
Hale County This Morning, This Evening (dir. RaMell Moss, USA, 2018, trailer)
A commendable if unspectacular glimpse into the black communities of Alabama that cinema generally shuns, Hale County is a valuable social document, but lacks a compelling narrative to attract a broader audience. Makes a compelling point about the whiteness of the photographic medium, which this film helps to remedy.
High Life (dir. Claire Denis, UK, 2018)
You have to give her credit: the baby's method acting was unimpeachable. As for the rest, Claire Denis' first sci-fi attempt bears the hallmark of half-baked ideas and highly variable acting. Robert Pattinson and the afore-mentioned baby are highly watchable, however.
See also:
Blog: Film festival roundup 2018, 2017, 2016 part 1 / part 2, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009
Labels:
movies
17 August 2019
The birth of Athena
Hephaestus, who would have approved of [the] rudimentary but effective metalworking, returned to the crowded beach carrying a huge axe, double-bladed in the Minoan style.
Prometheus now persuaded Zeus that the only way to alleviate his agony was to take his hands away from his temples, kneel down and have faith. Zeus muttered something about the trouble with being the King of the Gods was that there was no-one higher to pray to, but he dropped obediently to his knees and awaited his fate. Hephaestus spat cheerfully and confidently on his hands, gripped the thick wooden haft and - as the hushed crowd looked on - brought it down in one swift swinging movement clean through the very centre of Zeus' skull, splitting it neatly in two.
There was a terrible silence as everyone stared in stunned horror. The stunned horror turned to wild disbelief and the wild disbelief to bewildered amazement as they now witnessed, rising up from inside Zeus' opened head, the tip of a spear. It was followed by the topmost plumes of a russet crest. The onlookers held their breaths as slowly there arose into view a female figure dressed in full armour. Zeus lowered his head - whether in pain, relief, submission or sheer awe nobody could be certain - and, as if his bowed head had been a ramp or gangway let down for her convenience - the glorious being stepped calmly onto the sand and turned to face him [...]
'Athena!'
'Father!' she said, smiling gently in return.
- Stephen Fry, Mythos, London, 2017, p84-5.
Prometheus now persuaded Zeus that the only way to alleviate his agony was to take his hands away from his temples, kneel down and have faith. Zeus muttered something about the trouble with being the King of the Gods was that there was no-one higher to pray to, but he dropped obediently to his knees and awaited his fate. Hephaestus spat cheerfully and confidently on his hands, gripped the thick wooden haft and - as the hushed crowd looked on - brought it down in one swift swinging movement clean through the very centre of Zeus' skull, splitting it neatly in two.
There was a terrible silence as everyone stared in stunned horror. The stunned horror turned to wild disbelief and the wild disbelief to bewildered amazement as they now witnessed, rising up from inside Zeus' opened head, the tip of a spear. It was followed by the topmost plumes of a russet crest. The onlookers held their breaths as slowly there arose into view a female figure dressed in full armour. Zeus lowered his head - whether in pain, relief, submission or sheer awe nobody could be certain - and, as if his bowed head had been a ramp or gangway let down for her convenience - the glorious being stepped calmly onto the sand and turned to face him [...]
'Athena!'
'Father!' she said, smiling gently in return.
- Stephen Fry, Mythos, London, 2017, p84-5.
12 August 2019
Johnston Hill
East- to southeast view from Karori the morning after a lightning storm, elev 350m, tripod-mounted panorama stitched in Photoshop Elements 14 from four RAW originals, f/6.3 1/250s ISO200.
Labels:
wellington
02 August 2019
My road has been a little rocky on my way home
As a filmed record of a singing performance, Aretha Franklin's Amazing Grace is far from ideal. The camerawork is frequently sloppy, out of focus and intrusive; there are umpteen cameramen but shots are frequently obstructed; Sydney Pollack's largely white crew seems intent on filming the interloping Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts rather than the exuberant audience; and so much of the performance is impinged upon by the mechanics of actually shooting the film. The church setting seems singularly ill-suited to such an intimate performance. And ultimately Pollack's catastrophic error of failing to use clapperboards on his 20-hour shoot meant it was impossible to sync the film with the audio recording, so the footage was never released at the time.
But of course the limitations of the setting are what makes this an utterly legendary concert performance, and one of the greatest achievements of Aretha's career. Without the emotional resonance of the gospel audience, Aretha's performance would merely be her usual peerless excellence. But with that audience urging her on, with the Southern California Community Choir powering behind her, with James Cleveland MCing, hammering away at the keys and even seemingly rescuing Aretha from a wardrobe malfunction, the performance is elevated to the spectacular. And spectacular is seemingly insufficient to describe the range, power and emotion of Aretha's art here; at times it's a thrill just to watch the choir reacting to her seemingly impossible vocal feats.
But of course the limitations of the setting are what makes this an utterly legendary concert performance, and one of the greatest achievements of Aretha's career. Without the emotional resonance of the gospel audience, Aretha's performance would merely be her usual peerless excellence. But with that audience urging her on, with the Southern California Community Choir powering behind her, with James Cleveland MCing, hammering away at the keys and even seemingly rescuing Aretha from a wardrobe malfunction, the performance is elevated to the spectacular. And spectacular is seemingly insufficient to describe the range, power and emotion of Aretha's art here; at times it's a thrill just to watch the choir reacting to her seemingly impossible vocal feats.
20 July 2019
Advice for omnibus passengers, 1836
Omnibus Law
1. Keep your feet off the seats.
2. Do not get into a snug corner yourself and then open the windows to admit a north-wester upon the neck of your neighbour.
3. Have your money ready when you desire to alight.
4. Sit with your limbs straight, and do not let your legs describe an angle of forty-five, thereby occupying the room of two persons.
5. Do not spit on the straw, you are not in a pig-sty but in an omnibus.
6. Behave respectfully to females, and put not an unprotected lass to the blush, because she cannot escape from your brutality.
7. Reserve bickerings and disputes for the open field, the sound of your own voice may be music to your own ears - not so, perhaps, to those of your companions.
8. Refrain from affectation and conceited airs. Remember you are riding a distance for sixpence, which if you made in a hackney coach, would cost you many shillings.
- The Times (1836), quoted in Ivan Sparkes, Stagecoaches & Carriages, Bourne End, Bucks., 1975, p.145-6.
1. Keep your feet off the seats.
2. Do not get into a snug corner yourself and then open the windows to admit a north-wester upon the neck of your neighbour.
3. Have your money ready when you desire to alight.
4. Sit with your limbs straight, and do not let your legs describe an angle of forty-five, thereby occupying the room of two persons.
5. Do not spit on the straw, you are not in a pig-sty but in an omnibus.
6. Behave respectfully to females, and put not an unprotected lass to the blush, because she cannot escape from your brutality.
7. Reserve bickerings and disputes for the open field, the sound of your own voice may be music to your own ears - not so, perhaps, to those of your companions.
8. Refrain from affectation and conceited airs. Remember you are riding a distance for sixpence, which if you made in a hackney coach, would cost you many shillings.
- The Times (1836), quoted in Ivan Sparkes, Stagecoaches & Carriages, Bourne End, Bucks., 1975, p.145-6.
05 July 2019
Iggy Pop's zombie grunge
The makeup is, they're hovering over you with these latex guns, shooting this weird latex all over your body. They would spray this cold spray to make it set and you'd shiver, and then you'd get hot because your skin can't breathe. They just cover the costume in grunge and filth, and there's filth in your hair, in your ears, giant contact lenses in your eyes. Because you're a flesh-eating zombie, there's guys constantly coming up between takes [to] squirt zombie grunge into your mouth and wipe it on your gums.
The first time that I had to get down on my knees and eat [another character's] guts [laughing], I did not want to do that. I wanted to do it intellectually, but I had a dry heave. After that, I got into it.
And I did get a free William Murray golf shirt out of the experience. I don't play a lot of golf, but it's an amazing shirt, and I wear it around Miami here; I fit right in. It's polyester.
- Iggy Pop on Jim Jarmusch's The Dead Don't Die, in Melena Ryzik, 'An all-star zombie cast comes to life', New York Times, 12 June 2019
Labels:
movies
04 July 2019
Film Festival 2019 lineup
Another year, another 20 films to relish in this highly promising 2019 Film Festival programme, which runs in Wellington from 26 July to 11 August. I'm most excited about seeing the peerless 1949 Alec Guinness comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets on the big screen for the first time, and while it ain't an IMAX the Grand is the next best place to see the eye-popping imagery of the 50th anniversary documentary Apollo 11, particularly given the thrill I experienced visiting NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston last year.
La Belle Époque (dir. Nicolas Bedos, France, 2019)
The latest in that never-ending quest to recapture the heyday of French film farce; the omens are positive as this time-travelling rom-com caper features both Daniel Auteuil and Fanny Ardant.
Hale County This Morning, This Evening (dir. RaMell Moss, USA, 2018)
A fascinating glimpse into modern black communities in their own words, shining a light on an often-neglected facet of rural Alabama life.
Apollo 11 (dir. Todd Douglas Miller, USA, 2019)
Finally making great use of contemporary 65mm footage that has sat in film canisters for nearly a half-century, this promises to be a beautiful anniversary present for those of us still enthralled by the 1969 Moon landing.
Bellbird (dir. Hamish Bennett, NZ, 2019)
A local comedy-drama! This urban snob is looking forward to gaining a greater understanding of bucolic pastimes such as treading barefoot in cowpats on cold winter mornings, and the correct way to wear a Swanndri.
Capital in the 21st Century (dir. Justin Pemberton, NZ, 2019)
Ideal for those of us with good intentions but lacking the follow-through to actually read French economist Thomas Piketty's famous 2013 text.
2040 (dir. Damon Gameau, Australia, 2019)
2040 (dir. Damon Gameau, Australia, 2019)
Charting a course to a positive vision for future societies two decades hence, as an antidote to the grim environmental news we face today.
Beats (dir. Brian Welsh, France/UK, 2019)
As ably promoted on Mark Kermode's MK3D live show, this affable black-and-white snapshot of Glasgow teen life in the mid-1990s follows two lads enthralled by rave culture, seeking the ultimate night out throwing shapes or whatever it is people who can dance do.
Daguerréotypes (dir. Agnès Varda, France, 1976)
A slice of life from Varda's own neighbourhood, delving into the lives and livelihoods of the many shopkeepers in the Rue Daguerre.
Amazing Grace (dirs. Alan Elliott & Sydney Pollack, USA, 2018)
Another great archive find, made possible by the restoration prowess of modern technology: a 1972 Aretha Franklin live concert film shot in Watts in the same year as the iconic Wattstax festival.
Kind Hearts and Coronets (dir. Robert Hamer, UK, 1949)
A comedic tour-de-force from Alec Guinness playing eight - count 'em - different roles in this murderous black comedy, here restored to pristine condition for its 70th anniversary.
We Are Little Zombies (dir. Nagahisa Makoto, Japan, 2019)
Must-see Japanese orphan teen pop musical extravaganza!
Andrei Rublev (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, USSR, 1966)
Perhaps a daunting prospect due to its unflinching depiction of medieval squalor and cruelty, this legendary, once-banned epic 15th-century epic biopic is still a drawcard.
The Day Shall Come (dir. Chris Morris, UK/USA, 2019)
A match made in heaven - the scabrous vitriol of director Chris Morris and the comedic talents of Anna Kendrick unite to satirise the war on terror.
A White, White Day (dir. Hlynur Pálmason, Iceland, 2019)
Hvítur, Hvítur Dagur
It wouldn't be a film festival without an Icelandic film, and this drama of an ex-policeman finding out too much about his dead wife's hidden life sounds intriguing.
This Changes Everything (dir. Tom Donahue, USA, 2018)
Film documentary capturing the spirit of reform demanding an end to the male-dominated boys-club Hollywood system of old.
High Life (dir. Claire Denis, UK, 2018)
French director Denis' English-language and sci-fi debut, featuring Juliette Binoche and Robert Pattinson on a convict vessel in the depths of space.
Koyaanisqatsi (dir. Godfrey Reggio, USA, 1982)
Hugely influential feature-length timelapse imagery with a famed Phillip Glass score.
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (dir. Midge Costin, USA, 2019)
Another film doco, this time on the the audible craft of cinema, by a veteran film sound editor, illustrates the pivotal importance of how the sound of a movie defines our experience viewing it.
Peterloo (dir. Mike Leigh, UK, 2018)
A valuable historic document of the 1819 massacre in Manchester that claimed the lives of 18 demonstrators calling for democratic representation for workers.
Loro (dir. Paolo Sorrentino, Italy, 2018)
Braving a second film in one day on the notoriously uncomfortable Soundings seats for Sorrentino's unmissable Berlusconi portrait.
Labels:
movies
24 May 2019
09 May 2019
2nd Sustainable Health Care in Aotearoa Forum
It was a useful & informative day at the Medical School in Newtown yesterday for the forum, and the organisers managed to cram 18 presentations and a ministerial address from the Associate Minister of Health, Hon Julie Anne Genter, into the day. This was particularly timely, given the introduction of the Zero Carbon Bill earlier in the day. A few notes from key presentations:
Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health: Opening address on the Zero Carbon Bill, upcoming Wellbeing Budget (which we believe will be world-leading), and the Government’s priority for environmental sustainability are now key drivers of health policy. Noted that hospital builds/rebuilds are a major opportunity to hard-wire environmental sustainability and promote wellness for the people who work in and use the facilities. Minister Genter is pressing him for progress and the Ministry of Health aims to deliver.
Mark McKenna, engineering consultant, Norman Disney & Young (Sydney): Designing & building health care facilities that thrive on natural light, with superb insulation, modern ergonomics and plentiful shared space is both environmentally sustainable but also encourages happier workforces who stay longer. Tying a building into its community and broadening the understanding of what a building is for. As always, stakeholder clarity is essential if expensive rework is to be avoided. Greenstar building ratings are a useful guide to the success of a sustainable build.
A/Prof Cassie Thiel, NYU-Wagner (via Zoom): life cycle assessment and principles of industrial ecology to analyse and improve the environmental performance of medical systems, hospital design, health care practice, and medical technologies. 10% of the US’ total emissions are derived from the health sector, and much US practice is excessively wasteful. Example of Aravind Eye Care System in India that adopts production-line and recyclable process that maximises re-use; tiny environmental impact at 1/10th the cost of US procedures. Also example of Fred Hollows Foundations’ new sustainable procurement strategy. (Probably unaware that Hollows was a NZer).
Dr Richard Jaine, Ministry of Health: Ministry’s sustainability team seems to consist of 1.2FTEs (mostly him). Genter asked MOH to survey DHB sustainability practice; 19 DHBs responded and 16 have a sustainability manager. (Based on the discussion in the room, it may be that these are the only sustainability employees in DHBs). DHB procurement practice highly variable, and none are actively considering measures to adapt to climate change. Only half of DHBs are measuring their carbon footprint. Discussed suggestions for a national sustainable health care unit and green health building standards.
Dr David Galler & sustainability officer Debbie Wilson, Counties Manukau Health: Innovative hospital food systems, Wiri Prison farm initiative, Manurewa High School farm.
Margriet Geesink, NDHB: Surveyed Northland’s decarbonisation efforts. Good progress on EVs and energy efficiency, but Whangarei hospital reliance on natural gas generator (cheap to run, bad for the environment) will be expensive to address. This is a problem across many hospitals. Their three other, smaller hospitals are all full-electric and have a much lower emissions profile.
Andrew Eagles, NZ Green Building Council: The NZ Building Code is drastically below international best practice and achieving change is hard in notoriously conservative industry. The health system can promote change by setting a good example. Healthy buildings are more productive and welcoming for patients and staff.
Ben Masters, BECA: Engineer working on Taranaki Base Hospital expansion. Relying on heat pump technology & hoping to take some other, older hospital buildings off the natural gas generator and switch to heat pumps too.
Johan Rockström & Walter Willett, EAT-Lancet Initiative launch (Youtube presentation, 27 min): ‘The EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health brought together more than 30 world-leading scientists. Prof Walter Willett (Harvard University) and Prof Johan Rockström (Potsdam Institute and Stockholm Resilience Centre) present the report at the EAT-Lancet Launch Lecture in the University of Oslo Aula, January 2019. The Commission delivered the first full scientific review of what constitutes a healthy diet from a sustainable food system, and which actions can support and speed up food system transformation’. How to build a Planetary Health Diet (hint: more fish, nuts and legumes).
Anna DeMello & Jono Drew, University of Otago: Medical students delivered detailed findings of the environmental impacts of different eating habits, which have a great potential to shape our carbon footprint. To be published later 2019, and created much excitement in the room.
Patrick Morgan, Cycling Action Network: Designing healthy streets and putting humans back at the centre of transport systems. Advocating cycling is about ‘not selling the ingredients, it’s selling the cake’: how good do people feel when they have safe cycling options? Parking allocations displace healthy transport options; streets are the biggest public space in all cities and we should be open about re-envisioning how they are used.
Hon Julie Anne Genter, Associate Minister of Health: Yes, she did cycle to the Med School. Zero Carbon Bill introduced today; urged participants to have their say. There will be major health co-benefits if we achieve zero carbon; we need to measure progress, incentivise positive and healthy behaviour, and stop waste. The Wellbeing Budget, Treasury’s Living Standards Framework, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Developing procurement guidelines and had initially wanted national leadership but MOH preferred to let DHBs innovate and see what works. Minister seemed to now be leaning towards pressing MOH to provide more leadership, because sufficient progress hadn’t been made.
Other notes:
Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health: Opening address on the Zero Carbon Bill, upcoming Wellbeing Budget (which we believe will be world-leading), and the Government’s priority for environmental sustainability are now key drivers of health policy. Noted that hospital builds/rebuilds are a major opportunity to hard-wire environmental sustainability and promote wellness for the people who work in and use the facilities. Minister Genter is pressing him for progress and the Ministry of Health aims to deliver.
Mark McKenna, engineering consultant, Norman Disney & Young (Sydney): Designing & building health care facilities that thrive on natural light, with superb insulation, modern ergonomics and plentiful shared space is both environmentally sustainable but also encourages happier workforces who stay longer. Tying a building into its community and broadening the understanding of what a building is for. As always, stakeholder clarity is essential if expensive rework is to be avoided. Greenstar building ratings are a useful guide to the success of a sustainable build.
A/Prof Cassie Thiel, NYU-Wagner (via Zoom): life cycle assessment and principles of industrial ecology to analyse and improve the environmental performance of medical systems, hospital design, health care practice, and medical technologies. 10% of the US’ total emissions are derived from the health sector, and much US practice is excessively wasteful. Example of Aravind Eye Care System in India that adopts production-line and recyclable process that maximises re-use; tiny environmental impact at 1/10th the cost of US procedures. Also example of Fred Hollows Foundations’ new sustainable procurement strategy. (Probably unaware that Hollows was a NZer).
Dr Richard Jaine, Ministry of Health: Ministry’s sustainability team seems to consist of 1.2FTEs (mostly him). Genter asked MOH to survey DHB sustainability practice; 19 DHBs responded and 16 have a sustainability manager. (Based on the discussion in the room, it may be that these are the only sustainability employees in DHBs). DHB procurement practice highly variable, and none are actively considering measures to adapt to climate change. Only half of DHBs are measuring their carbon footprint. Discussed suggestions for a national sustainable health care unit and green health building standards.
Dr David Galler & sustainability officer Debbie Wilson, Counties Manukau Health: Innovative hospital food systems, Wiri Prison farm initiative, Manurewa High School farm.
Margriet Geesink, NDHB: Surveyed Northland’s decarbonisation efforts. Good progress on EVs and energy efficiency, but Whangarei hospital reliance on natural gas generator (cheap to run, bad for the environment) will be expensive to address. This is a problem across many hospitals. Their three other, smaller hospitals are all full-electric and have a much lower emissions profile.
Andrew Eagles, NZ Green Building Council: The NZ Building Code is drastically below international best practice and achieving change is hard in notoriously conservative industry. The health system can promote change by setting a good example. Healthy buildings are more productive and welcoming for patients and staff.
Ben Masters, BECA: Engineer working on Taranaki Base Hospital expansion. Relying on heat pump technology & hoping to take some other, older hospital buildings off the natural gas generator and switch to heat pumps too.
Johan Rockström & Walter Willett, EAT-Lancet Initiative launch (Youtube presentation, 27 min): ‘The EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health brought together more than 30 world-leading scientists. Prof Walter Willett (Harvard University) and Prof Johan Rockström (Potsdam Institute and Stockholm Resilience Centre) present the report at the EAT-Lancet Launch Lecture in the University of Oslo Aula, January 2019. The Commission delivered the first full scientific review of what constitutes a healthy diet from a sustainable food system, and which actions can support and speed up food system transformation’. How to build a Planetary Health Diet (hint: more fish, nuts and legumes).
Anna DeMello & Jono Drew, University of Otago: Medical students delivered detailed findings of the environmental impacts of different eating habits, which have a great potential to shape our carbon footprint. To be published later 2019, and created much excitement in the room.
Patrick Morgan, Cycling Action Network: Designing healthy streets and putting humans back at the centre of transport systems. Advocating cycling is about ‘not selling the ingredients, it’s selling the cake’: how good do people feel when they have safe cycling options? Parking allocations displace healthy transport options; streets are the biggest public space in all cities and we should be open about re-envisioning how they are used.
Hon Julie Anne Genter, Associate Minister of Health: Yes, she did cycle to the Med School. Zero Carbon Bill introduced today; urged participants to have their say. There will be major health co-benefits if we achieve zero carbon; we need to measure progress, incentivise positive and healthy behaviour, and stop waste. The Wellbeing Budget, Treasury’s Living Standards Framework, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Developing procurement guidelines and had initially wanted national leadership but MOH preferred to let DHBs innovate and see what works. Minister seemed to now be leaning towards pressing MOH to provide more leadership, because sufficient progress hadn’t been made.
Other notes:
- The planned Q&A sessions were mostly ditched to catch up time when presenters ran over-long, which was fortunate, because the clinicians in the room were poor at asking questions. Instead they preferred long, rambling statements, even when questioning the Minister. NZers in general are poor at Q&As. Facilitators: always remember to pick a female questioner first (most of the air-time went to mouthy males) and specify that all contributions must be brief and all must be actual questions!
- Used ‘Catch-Box’ soft cube remote mic that can be chucked quickly around the auditorium to pick up audio from the floor. Cool but super expensive.
- Wholly vegetarian catering was a good idea, although you do emerge ravenous.
Labels:
wellington
05 May 2019
07 April 2019
Honour & glory are excellent things, but so are silver & gold
[The Cruisers & Convoys Act 1708, which concerned naval prize money, and which was still in force during the Napoleonic Wars] laid down the proportions into which the value of the prize was to be divided. There were certain Droits of the Crown, but these were kept in reserve; in general, the full value of the prize, ship and cargo, went to the captors, as follows: the captain had three-eighths, of which he gave one to the flag officer under whom he served; the other officers, down to sergeant of Marines, had three-eighths, in three categories which ensured that the more senior had the bigger share; and the remaining two-eighths went to the rest of the crew, again shared according to seniority. Nor was this all: in the case of warships captured or destroyed, Admiralty paid head-money at the rate of £5 per head of the enemy crew at the commencement of the engagement. This was to encourage doubtful captains to engage warships rather than seek the easier and more lucrative merchant prizes; moreover, a successful engagement with a warship meant probable promotion, which never rewarded captors of merchantmen [...]
[As a result of the October 1796 action in which the frigate HMS Naiad captured the treasure-laden Spanish frigates Santa Brigida and Thetis late of Vera Cruz, the prize money granted was lavish]. Besides a cargo of valuable commodities such as cochineal and indigo, the two ships had between them about a thousand boxes each containing 5000 silver dollars, besides odd bags and kegs and some gold. There can have been few literate persons in the squadron who were not doing pleasing little sums during the short voyage to Plymouth, where they arrived on the 21st November. The treasure was conveyed in sixty-three wagons to the citadel of Plymouth, and thence to London. The prize-money was divided thus:
Each Captain: £40,730
Each Lieutenant: £5091
Warrant-Officers: £2468
Midshipmen, etc.: £791
Each Seaman & Marine: £182
One has to consider that the rate of pay per annum did not exceed £150 for a frigate captain, £75 for a lieutenant, and £12 for an ordinary seaman. A captain would have to serve for 250 years to earn the money he picked up in a couple of easy days; and even the humblest seaman could set himself up in a cosy pub. It was very wise of the Admiralty to allot these astounding prizes; it was like the football pools and the lotteries: I know that the chance is remote, but all the same, people have in fact won such prizes, and why should the next one not be me? Honour and glory are excellent things, but so are silver and gold; and if all are to be had in the same engagement, let us go heartily about it!
- James Henderson, The Frigates, London, 1970, p.119-121
See also:
History: In fear of the Tsar's navy, 5 November 2011
History: Chatham Historic Dockyards, 5 August 2010
History: Nauticalia in Portsmouth, 12 April 2007
[As a result of the October 1796 action in which the frigate HMS Naiad captured the treasure-laden Spanish frigates Santa Brigida and Thetis late of Vera Cruz, the prize money granted was lavish]. Besides a cargo of valuable commodities such as cochineal and indigo, the two ships had between them about a thousand boxes each containing 5000 silver dollars, besides odd bags and kegs and some gold. There can have been few literate persons in the squadron who were not doing pleasing little sums during the short voyage to Plymouth, where they arrived on the 21st November. The treasure was conveyed in sixty-three wagons to the citadel of Plymouth, and thence to London. The prize-money was divided thus:
Each Captain: £40,730
Each Lieutenant: £5091
Warrant-Officers: £2468
Midshipmen, etc.: £791
Each Seaman & Marine: £182
One has to consider that the rate of pay per annum did not exceed £150 for a frigate captain, £75 for a lieutenant, and £12 for an ordinary seaman. A captain would have to serve for 250 years to earn the money he picked up in a couple of easy days; and even the humblest seaman could set himself up in a cosy pub. It was very wise of the Admiralty to allot these astounding prizes; it was like the football pools and the lotteries: I know that the chance is remote, but all the same, people have in fact won such prizes, and why should the next one not be me? Honour and glory are excellent things, but so are silver and gold; and if all are to be had in the same engagement, let us go heartily about it!
- James Henderson, The Frigates, London, 1970, p.119-121
See also:
History: In fear of the Tsar's navy, 5 November 2011
History: Chatham Historic Dockyards, 5 August 2010
History: Nauticalia in Portsmouth, 12 April 2007
31 March 2019
23 March 2019
Early overland mails between Auckland & Wellington
During the [eighteen-] forties the Post Office first attempted a mail route overland between Auckland and Wellington. The only feasible route was by the west coast, where foot messengers could avoid the dense bush and tangled undergrowth that covered most of the central parts of the island. The path went from the Waikato Heads to Kawhia Habour, and thence by way of Mokau to New Plymouth. From Wellington the messenger would take mail to Wanganui and on to New Plymouth by way of Hawera (then called Waimate). The Government Gazette makes mention, in September 1843, of the intended monthly service from Auckland to Kawhia Harbour. It was to start on 15 September 1843. Nothing more is heard of it. In 1844 Felton Mathew, then Acting Deputy Postmaster-General, advertised that a fortnightly mail would commence on this route in August of that year. We know a Thomas Scott of Rangitikei (now Bulls) was carrying mail between Wellington and Wanganui for nine months in 1844-45, but it is not clear how much of this overland route was in use at that time. This earliest use of the overland route between Wellington and Auckland did not last long; it had ceased when the British Commissioners visited New Zealand in 1846.
The Wellington-Wanganui section was reopened in 1849. Thomas Scott answered the call for tenders by promising to carry the mail by horsed postmen. They were to go from each end and exchange mail at Ohau "which is as near as possible halfway". A mail was to traverse the whole distance in three and a half days. Thomas Scott's bid was regarded as too high, and the government decided to use police instead.
The whole route between Auckland and Wellington seems to have been put to use by 1856, for Henry King of New Plymouth reported that the mails were arriving and departing "with much regularity". It was a long and difficult journey to go the whole length of the route. If a mail, for example, left Wellington on a Wednesday, it reached Wanganui on Saturday, arriving in New Plymouth the next Friday, reached Mokau the following Monday, and arrived in Auckland, all being well, on Saturday - two and a half weeks after leaving Wellington! One reason for the long schedule was the refusal of the Maoris [sic.], who had become professed Christians, to carry mail on Sunday. It was a day of rest.
- Howard Robinson, A History of the Post Office in New Zealand, Government Printer, Wellington, 1964, p.57-8.
See also:
Blog: NZ postal rates 1936, 1 January 2018
Blog: Writing to the New Plymouth colony, 28 November 2015
Blog: The arrival of an English mail in 1853, 26 January 2015
Blog: Posting the empire as the royal word, 9 January 2013
The Wellington-Wanganui section was reopened in 1849. Thomas Scott answered the call for tenders by promising to carry the mail by horsed postmen. They were to go from each end and exchange mail at Ohau "which is as near as possible halfway". A mail was to traverse the whole distance in three and a half days. Thomas Scott's bid was regarded as too high, and the government decided to use police instead.
The whole route between Auckland and Wellington seems to have been put to use by 1856, for Henry King of New Plymouth reported that the mails were arriving and departing "with much regularity". It was a long and difficult journey to go the whole length of the route. If a mail, for example, left Wellington on a Wednesday, it reached Wanganui on Saturday, arriving in New Plymouth the next Friday, reached Mokau the following Monday, and arrived in Auckland, all being well, on Saturday - two and a half weeks after leaving Wellington! One reason for the long schedule was the refusal of the Maoris [sic.], who had become professed Christians, to carry mail on Sunday. It was a day of rest.
- Howard Robinson, A History of the Post Office in New Zealand, Government Printer, Wellington, 1964, p.57-8.
See also:
Blog: NZ postal rates 1936, 1 January 2018
Blog: Writing to the New Plymouth colony, 28 November 2015
Blog: The arrival of an English mail in 1853, 26 January 2015
Blog: Posting the empire as the royal word, 9 January 2013
Labels:
auckland,
history,
wellington
17 March 2019
11 March 2019
So hold me, Mom, in your electronic arms
Laurie Anderson's 2015 film Heart of a Dog was tonight's Filmsoc selection. Presumably unconnected to the 1925 Mikhail Bulgakov novel of the same name, which I read a few years back. Anyway, it's as good an excuse as any to play this wonderful slice of avant-garde video performance art from 1981. 'O Superman' sounded like the future of music then, and it probably still does today. Despite how esoteric and adventurous this is the single version still reached #2 in the UK pop charts, which is a pleasing reminder that the record-buying public don't always go for the cheap thrills of MOR... just *most* of the time. (Incidentally, 'O Superman' was kept off the UK number 1 spot in October 1981 by either Altered Images' 'Happy Birthday' or Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin's cover of 'It's My Party', neither of which has indisputably stood the test of time).
Labels:
music
03 March 2019
02 March 2019
28 February 2019
Jane Austen flies to London
[By 1814] Jane was now considered by her brothers to be worldly-wise enough to travel to London by stagecoach alone rather than having to wait about until a male relative was ready to accompany her. 'I have explained my views,' she wrote, when her escort was in doubt, 'I can take care of myself'.
In 1814, she went up in Collyer's Flying Machine, with four people alongside her in the vehicle, and a further fifteen clinging onto the roof. One crossed one's fingers for small, quiet co-passengers, and this time Jane was lucky: 'I had a very good Journey, not crouded', because two of her companions were 'Children, and the others of a reasonable size; & they were all very quiet and civil'. She was luckier than the traveller who once found his personal space invaded by an 'overgrown female', 'puffing and panting as if she had not half an hour to live'. He and his companion 'screw'd ourselves up in each corner and allowed her to take the middle when she sat or rather fell down with the grunt of a rhinoceros and remained a fixture for the whole journey'.
The coaches from Hampshire disgorged their passengers in Ludgate Hill, while those serving the west of England terminated at the White Horse Cellar in Piccadilly. Such coaching yards were full of whooping as vehicles arrived or moved off, 'the coachy's "all right - ya-hip!" and the sounding of the bugle by the guard ... the journey to most minds commences with pleasure and delight'. Upon arrival came the challenge of rooting out your own luggage 'from all the other Trunks & Baskets in the World', while the bouncing of the coach - a 'long Jumble' - left you extremely tired.
It really was more comfortable to travel in a private carriage, if you could, and sometimes [Jane's brother] Henry gave Jane a lift. In 1813, he carried her from Chawton to his home in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, a distance of about fifty miles. It took all day, much longer than the stagecoach. As they weren't swapping horses every few miles, they had to allow Henry's hard-working animals to take rests. 'A 12 hours Business', Jane wrote. 'I was very tired too, & very glad to get to bed early'.
- Lucy Worsley, Jane Austen at Home, 2017, p.278
See also:
History: Mail coaches - London departure points, 24 September 2015
Blog: De Quincey's phobia of public conveyances, 10 September 2015
History: Nelly Weeton at the Windermere foot-race, 27 August 2015
Books: This great ebbing surging traffic of London, 12 August 2015
History: I cannot say much for this monarch's sense, 6 March 2014
History: Coach travel from London in 1658 & 1739, 4 October 2013
In 1814, she went up in Collyer's Flying Machine, with four people alongside her in the vehicle, and a further fifteen clinging onto the roof. One crossed one's fingers for small, quiet co-passengers, and this time Jane was lucky: 'I had a very good Journey, not crouded', because two of her companions were 'Children, and the others of a reasonable size; & they were all very quiet and civil'. She was luckier than the traveller who once found his personal space invaded by an 'overgrown female', 'puffing and panting as if she had not half an hour to live'. He and his companion 'screw'd ourselves up in each corner and allowed her to take the middle when she sat or rather fell down with the grunt of a rhinoceros and remained a fixture for the whole journey'.
The coaches from Hampshire disgorged their passengers in Ludgate Hill, while those serving the west of England terminated at the White Horse Cellar in Piccadilly. Such coaching yards were full of whooping as vehicles arrived or moved off, 'the coachy's "all right - ya-hip!" and the sounding of the bugle by the guard ... the journey to most minds commences with pleasure and delight'. Upon arrival came the challenge of rooting out your own luggage 'from all the other Trunks & Baskets in the World', while the bouncing of the coach - a 'long Jumble' - left you extremely tired.
It really was more comfortable to travel in a private carriage, if you could, and sometimes [Jane's brother] Henry gave Jane a lift. In 1813, he carried her from Chawton to his home in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, a distance of about fifty miles. It took all day, much longer than the stagecoach. As they weren't swapping horses every few miles, they had to allow Henry's hard-working animals to take rests. 'A 12 hours Business', Jane wrote. 'I was very tired too, & very glad to get to bed early'.
- Lucy Worsley, Jane Austen at Home, 2017, p.278
See also:
History: Mail coaches - London departure points, 24 September 2015
Blog: De Quincey's phobia of public conveyances, 10 September 2015
History: Nelly Weeton at the Windermere foot-race, 27 August 2015
Books: This great ebbing surging traffic of London, 12 August 2015
History: I cannot say much for this monarch's sense, 6 March 2014
History: Coach travel from London in 1658 & 1739, 4 October 2013
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