Czech Republic, Prague

Last week I visited Prague to attend the European Sociological Association 2015 conference with work. A big part of my job is helping to organise our busy conference schedule, so I was grateful for the opportunity to finally experience one first hand. The change of scenery was also very welcome, as I’d heard plenty of good things about Prague. I was perfectly happy to leave the office behind and swap a rainy business park for a sunny European capital!

As you might imagine, the majority of my time was spent inside the conference venue looking after the stand, selling books, interviewing authors, speaking to customers and ensuring everything ran smoothly. In the evenings though, I was free to socialise with colleagues and explore the city.

My accommodation was ideally situated between the conference venue and the city centre. 3 stops on the metro and I found myself walking around the Old Town. This part had a great buzz, and was packed with a blend of interesting architecture, cobbled streets and vibrant cafes and restaurants.

Obligatory tourist selfie in Old Town Square…

On the second day, we ventured further south for some alcohol based refreshments by the river in the warm evening sun.

Vltava River and Charles Bridge… The perfect spot for a Pilsner or two.

For the penultimate evening before flying back to the UK, we tackled the steep ascent to Prague Castle from where you get a fantastic vantage point to gaze out over the city.

Overall I was thoroughly impressed with Prague. Rich in history, beautiful architecture, and a variety of museums, the city packs plenty of charm. It’s especially good if you’re trying to plan a holiday on a budget. Eating out was shockingly cheap – a large Pizza and a beer came to about £4.80. As such, it’s not hard to see why the city is so popular for stag parties. Whether you’re looking for nightlife or culture, Prague has something for everyone.

The White Horse at Uffington

The British summertime is notoriously sporadic and unpredictable,  so when we were recently blessed with some beautiful weather, we jumped on the opportunity to get outside and make the most of it.

Pic from National Trust website

The White Horse at Uffington is the highest point Oxfordshire, with fantastic views for miles across 6 counties. Dating back to the Bronze Age, the site was once home to Uffington Castle and also includes Dragon Hill where St. George is said to have slain the dragon.

An ideal spot for a M&S picnic. I’m quite fond of the cheese and onion pastry rolls…

What a view!

Access is made easier by the car park being situated some way up the steep ascent, meaning people of all abilities can go and enjoy the stunning vista.  The attraction certainly seemed popular, as there were plenty of families, dog walkers, paragliders and picnickers all taking in the fresh air and vitamin D.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking to fill an empty afternoon. If you’d like more information then please visit the National Trust page.

Blenheim Palace

In keeping with our mission to explore more of Oxfordshire, Kate and I recently decided to visit Blenheim Palace. After a short half hour drive from our flat in east Oxford, we had arrived.

Clock tower at the entrance

Blenheim remains one of the most impressive and elegant stately homes in the country. Still managed independently by the Duke of Marlborough and his family, the estate boasts over 2,000 acres of gardens, parks and lakes, as well as 18th century Baroque-style architecture.

Pic from Wikipedia

The Palace is also famous for being the birthplace of Winston Churchill, and as 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of his death, they had organised a great exhibition which documented the influence and inspiration he took from Blenheim as a child. Churchill also later proposed to his wife at Blenheim during a house party in 1908, so it was clearly a very important place to him. The exhibition was a genuinely fascinating glimpse into the past and gave a real insight into how the wartime Prime Minister spent his formative years.

After having a wonder through the main house and galleries we went to replenish ourselves with some coffee and cake from the Searcys cafe. We then continued outside for a stroll through the gardens.

In the afternoon were were lucky enough to be treated to some falconry and jousting.

A young spectator giving the head-on-a-stick themed violence a solid thumbs up

Before finally heading home we decided to end our visit with a leisurely walk to explore the rest of the grounds.

The path over the bridge and the ‘Column of Victory’ monument in the distance

Looking back at the house

At £23 for an adult ticket, admission might seem a little expensive, but this does include an Annual Pass, so if you’re able to make a return visit it actually represents pretty good value. Having briefly worked at a big tourist attraction with a similar pricing model, I know this approach isn’t always popular – especially with one off tourists. If you’re local though, I’d certainly recommend it, particularly given the fact that there are plenty of events hosted all year round which you can take full advantage of. If you enjoy National Trust properties and all the history and culture they have to offer, this will definitely be up your street too!

Review: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley ★★★

Image from Goodreads

As a book that often appears in those ‘100 most important novels of all time’ polls, I’ve been meaning to read Brave New World for a while. I knew some of it’s themes had influenced one of my favourite films – The Matrix (1999) – so I was keen to give this ‘classic’ a go.

Set in the distant future, a genetically engineered class system has bought peace and stability to the world. People are always happy, they get what they want, and they don’t strive for what they cant have.  There is no war or religion, and the World State motto of “Community, Identity, Stability” is upheld.

It would seem that the World Controllers have manufactured the perfect society, but any regime, no matter how totalitarian, will always be met with some level of resistance. The main protagonist Bernard Marx sees through the facade and yearns for the something higher. His surname is no coincidence – although ultimately it transpires he’s a more of a feeble coward than a liberating revolutionary champion-of-the-people. This is not his fault because really, he’s been conditioned to fail from the start. Nevertheless, Bernard’s quest for the truth sends him on a journey of self discovery, where he realises the full extent of the Brave New World.

I felt that the first and final chapters where the most exciting, with the middle section somewhat lacking in pace. It’s still a great book though, one that prompts you to ask questions about freedom, knowledge, power, science, art, culture and the meaning of happiness… ‘Can ignorance really be bliss?’… If you’ve read Orwell’s 1984 you’ll definitely notice some parallels between the two. Huxley’s dystopia is, on the surface, less oppressive, intimidating and coercive. The genius lies in it’s it’s warm and friendly guise. But that really just makes it all the more sinister…

Weekend in Cornwall

I recently spent a weekend away in Cornwall, staying in my old university town of Falmouth. Since finishing my studies and moving away I’ve really missed this part of the country – renowned for it’s majestic coastline, wild landscapes and distinctive cultural charm. A trip back had been long overdue and it was great to revisit some of my favourite places.

On Saturday I drove up to St. Ives, a small town on the north coast famous for it’s unique light, stunning beaches and art history. The port is also notorious for it’s aggressive and cunning population of seagulls which can regularly be seen dive-bombing unsuspecting tourists and stealing snacks. Last time I was here our beach picnic was raided and I had a sandwich snatched straight out of my hand.

A slightly overcast St. Ives

When I arrived back in Falmouth that evening there was a huge blood moon dominating the night sky, which came as a total surprise. I decided to go for a drive along the seafront to admire the remarkable view. It was probably the most striking lunar event I’ve ever seen and the iPhone picture really doesn’t do it justice!

Pendennis Castle and the Blood Moon

The next day my dad and brother came down and we all went to Gylly Beach Cafe for lunch. I hadn’t seen them for a while so it was great to have a catch up over a winning combination of beer and burger. Afterwards we indulged in an obligatory ice cream (I had mint choc chip!).

Family photo on Gylly beach – I’m holding Kate’s bargain dress from Seasalt!

On the final day the weather was spectacular, so we went for a drive up to Pendennis Point to take in one final breath of fresh sea air before driving back to Oxford.

Panoramic from Pendennis Point

The long weekend flew by like a hurricane and it was a shame to wave goodbye to Falmouth. I spent 3 of the best years of my life there so I really do feel a profound sense of attachment. Just a few weeks ago, the actor and comic Dawn French became the first Vice-Chancellor of Falmouth University. I think she is a perfect fit for the institution and will serve as a tenacious ambassador. In her initiation speech, she had the following to say about Falmouth graduates:

“Cornwall will forever be in their blood and in their growing minds. It will creep up on them in the most unexpected moments in their future lives, when their DNA will whisper to them and remind them that once  they belonged here. And they will remember the beauty with great love and they will take Cornwall with them them wherever they go. Because you may to choose to leave cornwall, but believe me, it never leaves you.”

Well said, Dawn.

Review: The Buddha in the Attic ★★★

Sometimes it’s nice to change the pace and read a short novel, particularly if you’re busy and don’t want to commit to a hefty volume. The Buddha in the Attic is about a group of Japanese picture brides immigrating to America in the early 1900s. The most striking and immediately obvious aspect of this book is that it’s told in the first person plural. As a narrative technique, the author employs this to effectively express shared experiences and a collective consciousness. However, it leaves the reader unable to identify with a central protagonist – something which might be important for some readers. I found the style refreshing and I think it works well considering the length of the story, but if the book were any longer, I feel it would soon become repetitive and tedious.

Based on true stories and thoroughly researched, this is a harrowing and poetic account of strangers lost and alienated in a deeply foreign land. The themes remain exceptionally relevant – cultural difference, migration, and perceptions and treatment of the ‘other’ – this is a book that will continue to resonate for years to come.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour – Harry Potter

Last week as part of my birthday celebrations, Kate and I went to visit the Harry Potter studio tour. Having grown up reading the books, I’ve always been fascinated by J.K Rowling’s intricate world of Hogwarts, horcruxes and hippogriffs. The great thing about the Harry Potter universe is that it’s tantalisingly close to being real – who’s to say there isn’t secret wizarding world on the periphery of society as we know it? To a child’s untempered imagination, the possibilities are endless.

If it weren’t for the tell-tale super size posters, this could be any ordinary warehouse…

The Great Hall. With real flagstone floors!

Gryffindor common room. Looks cosy!

Dumbledore’s Office. My headmaster’s lair was almost as fancy… Almost.

Potions class in the dungeon, anyone?

Entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

Posing outside 4 Privet Drive and squinting in the sun like a proper muggle

Kate on the Hogwarts bridge. Thankfully Neville Longbottom didn’t blow it up that day.

A lovely assortment of goblin parts

Diagon Alley. Shame you weren’t allowed inside the shops!

The Hogwarts model. It took over a month to build and formed the basis for the panoramic shots.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile day out. The amount of work that went into making these films is truly staggering. Supposedly there were hundreds of thousands of costumes and props custom made, which is pretty dizzying if you begin to consider how many hours would have been invested. It’s easy to take for granted the sheer complexity and scale of a project like this, but it’s important to recognise that the finished product is the result of hard work from an array of  skilled and talented people. Hair, make up, costumes, lighting, production, audio, visual FX, special FX, animatronics, carpenters, engineers, designers… The list goes on…

Unfortunately there were a few minor quibbles that let the experience down. The gift store had some great merchandise, but alas, even by gift store standards, it was atrociously expensive (£8 for a chocolate frog!?). Also, the Butterbeer tasted like artificial caramel flavouring with cheap lemonade, topped with synthetic squirty cream. Yum.

Generally there were far too many people, and every section felt overcrowded. This wouldn’t be a problem if people were able to behave in a civilised manner, but of course, the camera welding, selfie stick obsessed ego maniacs are a peculiar breed of their own. I guess this an industry wide problem that plagues every large tourist attraction, though.

Ultimately however, the fantasy eventually came to an unwelcome but inevitable end, and I was sad to leave. Back to mundane muggle life!

New ukulele!

This week I bought a second hand Kala KA-S ukulele from eBay! I’ve been playing guitar for a while so I’m hoping most of the skills will be transferrable. I don’t think anyone takes the ukulele too seriously – it’s always been seen as a children’s toy rather than a legitimate musical instrument. That said, the humble uke seems to be experiencing a surge in popularity, with groups springing up all over the country. A local pub near where I live hosts a ukulele night which sounds like a lot of fun. They teach beginners and also have an intermediate group that play quite a few gigs! I’ll do an update in a while to discuss my progress!

Review: The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell ★ ★ ★ ★

I’ve always had this weird mentality where I cant read a book if I’ve already seen the film. Damn those spoilers! This is exactly what happened with Cloud Atlas. Having ‘missed the boat’ with the novel, I was still left intrigued by Mitchell’s metaphysical approach to story telling. So, I was keen to get my hands on his latest endeavour The Bone Clocks, which Santa was kind enough to bring me this Christmas.

Similar to Cloud Atlas, the book is split into several distinct interconnecting stories that are skilfully weaved together to form a master plot. With the bulk of the action taking place over  70 years or so, the reader follows the life  of feisty teenager Holly Sykes, who is inadvertently drawn into a world of mysticism and paranormal phenomenon. She gradually comes to realise she has a ‘scripted’, pre ordained role to play in events much bigger than herself, and must summon all her strength to help defeat an ancient and tenacious enemy.

The use of multiple narrators keeps the pace lively while also adding depth to the narrative. As the story jumps through time and space, the various well-rounded and carefully crafted characters contribute jigsaw-shaped pieces of information that slowly build a bigger picture. Exhilarating, comical, and powerfully imaginative, this morality tale has a number of remarkably poignant lessons to teach us about the sanctity of life and the world we live in. Highly recommended!

Festive Holiday in 2015!

Short dark days, snow, ice, rain, thermal clothing, and big heating bills. Needless to say, I’m not a big fan of the British winter. Fortunately this year I’ll be avoiding these nuisances for an entire month – trading in the bitter cold for stunning landscapes and scorching sun.

The plan is to fly out to New Zealand in December (with a brief stopover in Tokyo), hire a camper van and spend 2 weeks exploring the South Island.  Ever since watching the first Lord of the Rings film (cliche, I know) New Zealand is a country I’ve always wanted to visit, so I’m pretty excited it’s finally happening. After Christmas we’ll then fly over to Sydney for the new year celebrations. Once we’ve seen 2016 in, the remainder of the trip will be spent visiting Melbourne, Uluru, Cairns, Darwin, Bali, before finally heading home. Phew!

Naturally this trip wont come cheap, and as someone who’s pretty frugal with money, forking out a slightly insane amount for flights this weekend was painful! On the other hand I probably won’t get another opportunity to do this, so it’s kind of a now or never situation. As the Lonely Island would say, ‘you only live once’. It will also provide my girlfriend and I with some much needed motivation to get us through the year! Time to start saving the pennies…