Nothing jumps out to speak about. Read Pepys diary as you wish by clicking on the link above.

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I am doing a garden for Judith, one of my favourite customers.  She owns a large house on some valuable land but cannot bring herself to up sticks and leave. We encourage her every time we visit as her health will catch her out.  She has kidney failure and can barely walk due to a fall.

Whilst working  I found myself having a mental rant, this time about people who claim to be raped. Scroll down if the topic does not interest you.

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In recent times many women have found the courage to ‘come out’ and claimed they have been raped by this or that famous or powerful person. I can understand the delay in cases of child abuse or inmates of prisoner of war camps in Japan but I do not understand young intelligent women of 18+ some in their late 20’s and 30’s behaving in this way.  Women have a good intuition and they must pick up in five seconds flat that a man’s intentions are suspect. I’m not talking about a film mogul asking people to come to his hotel room and appearing in a bathing robe for an interview. It takes two to tango. Are women who ‘come forward ‘ to complain about so and so so gullible and naive that they somehow go into a trance state, remove their clothes and allow a man to penetrate them or do some other act of sex? At some level they WANT to take part. It’s the thrill of being loved, of feeling needed even though  they know it is a fake. Some of them deliberately prostitute themselves and offer their bodies in exchange for a real or imagined favour say in the film world. Afterwards they feel guilty and to mitigate the guilt decide to BLAME THE MAN. Of course he is guilty silly us for doubting it – but think. The calf muscles of a woman are strong. They have to be for obvious biological reasons. If women really did not want to be raped they can just close their legs. What chance does a 6″ + little visitor have? None. They could as a prelude  say a plain ‘no’ but their ambivalence and lack of a moral compass catches them out.  I think ladies come forward out of conscience. They know they were complicit. Blame should be 50/50 unless I am missing something.

Oh and I forget, what about women who deliberately seduce a man and call it rape. Again, obviously – his fault.

Comments anyone? <end of rant>

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Tonight’s offering from the Bath Film Festival;

The Prince of Nothingwood

Nothingwood is the opposite of Hollywood: prolific Afghan filmmaker Salim Shaheen works with a budget of zilch and no expectation of a paying audience. He uses the stunning natural landscape as the backdrop for his homemade dramas which he then screens to local communities. If ever there was a labour of love, this is it. Director Sonia Kronlund accompanies him during the making of film no. 111, and presents us with a portrait of this immensely loveable, endearing and enduring auteur, whose only aim in life is to give pleasure to others. ‘Educational, touching and hilarious’ – Screen International.  IMDB page here

discussing the next scene. There is no written script.

My review: this was an eye opener to see what life in Afghanistan is like. Here we have an ebullient and charismatic film maker Salan Shaheen, who loves showing off and doing as much self advertisement as he can. There was a lovely story of a 16 year old girl who saw the film director in the street and simply told him that she wanted to be in his films (110 made so far). She went to his office and he agreed.  Films are not rehearsed and filmed with one or possibly two hand held cameras.

Salim was beaten as a child for showing interest in films but he went back to watching movies anyway. (brother gives testimony)

People love him I suspect as a model of someone who refuses to be beaten and demoralized by the Taliban. They ban all images including films. there are only five cinemas in the whole country so making money from showing films is virtually impossible.   This wonderfully eccentric  man has a three story house. On the first floor lives his first wife with their six children, on the first floor his second wife and the third floor is his for social and recreational purposes. I can truly call him a character and rejoice that there are these types of people around hopefully serving as a role model for the rising generation.

even the Taliban could not stop people from downloading his films on to their mobile phones.

The Festival goes on until next Sunday but the best films are sold out so as things stand that will be our last Festival film viewing. However with yours truly never say never.