Friday, October 02, 2009

Posted by PicasaFamily holiday. They are fellow guests at the hotel. They speak Russian.
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In the playground in the Grove, a mother and a little girl sit side by side on swings. As the little girl swings backwards and forwards she looks around and chants: "Hello, cloud! Hello dog! Hello, sun! Hello tree !..." That's not a bad approach, I think to myself. It's probably what I do, but more quietly and with a world-weariness, which I would like to, but can't seem to lose.
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"Yes, Richard Hammond," says a woman into a telephone, "...yes, and she's got a picture on her phone to show you."
Richard Hammond? A celebrity of course, someone who appears on TV. But a picture on a phone, would you believe it? Truly we live in an age of marvels.

5 comments:

Roderick Robinson said...

Gosh, and I labelled him egregious.

Lucas said...

The poise and quiet sense of belonging displayed by the Russian family, surrounded by sand and sea is delightful. It's almost as if they were alone on the beach. Well photograped!

Unknown said...

Lucas: They were almost alone. It was early. A chilly morning which developed into a fine day.

Clare said...

That little girl has a touch of the Basil Fotherington-Thomas.

I don't know if you knew, but the main thing that happened in Tunbridge Wells was the filming of the Morrisons advert, for which they turned Calverly Rec and Chapel Place into winter. It starred Richard Hammond, hence the photo on the phone.

Unknown said...

Clare: I knew that the Morrison Christmas advertisement had just been filmed again in Tunbridge Wells. I saw the artificial snow, Christmas trees and fake shop windows in Chapel Place and The Pantiles, but I didn't know that the ubiquitous Richard Hammond had been involved in the film. Nor that the conversation which I overheard, related to his presence there. Thanks for making the connection.