AV News 186 - November 2011
Several years ago, the author of, 'Stand Proud Brother', kindly agreed that a
copy could be passed to me. The sequence had quite an impact and shortly
afterwards I went to the Library to order some books on the indigenous people
of Australia. My research led to an ongoing interest in their art and I now have
twelve prints of their paintings, every one telling a different story of their
history in minute detail. If anyone would like to see them, together with the
information I have accrued this can easily be arranged.
I also have a CD called, 'Val's AV's'. A short and simple title but the
contents are superb. The comings and goings in Val's house at 'Three 0'Clock
in the Morning' make interesting viewing and I had no idea that making your
own wine included lying on your back on the carpet looking up into the eyes
of a uniformed policeman and a very tall one at that!
'I'm Not Afraid to Die', written by a soldier in the First World War arouses
every emotion and I can only look at this AV when feeling strong in spirit. I am
reminded of the girl chorister whose voice echoed around the vaulted ceilings
of Wells Cathedral at Harry Patch's funeral singing, 'Where Have All The
Flowers Gone?' The question in the last line remains almost a century later,
'When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn?' Not a dry eye in the
congregation and I guess around the country as we all tuned in.
Living not too far away from Thomas Hardy's Wessex, the unusual title 'All's
Past Amend', made me curious. What is this sequence about? Thomas
Hardy's despair looking back on his marriage is narrated so sympathetically
by Sir George Pollock, I believed I was listening to Thomas Hardy himself.
His wife's encouragement from the after-life, read by Val made me wish
Thomas Hardy was still around to hear her himself, but life is not like that, is
it? Despite the dark murmurings running through the theme I was
overwhelmed with the photography. The d