Friday 23 May 2014

You know how to whistle, don't you?


One picture of two women who have never lost their charm (or hair) - H.I. and Lauren Bacall.

I can't remember when I first saw that movie, but she was only 18 when she made it, and I was so jealous of Humph.

I have a friend the same age as me, and when he went off to register the birth of his daughter, he slipped in 'Lauren' as her second name in honour of Miss Bacall, without informing his wife. She only realised what he had done without her consent after she looked at the birth certificate. That's the effect she has on us men - note I say 'has' and not 'had'.

The things that come into this room via that screen.

I am now able to watch the Peregrine Falcons bring up their chick, high up on the Catholic church, 24 hours a day, thanks to the black-light infra red which switches itself on automatically at dusk.

Last night, the last thing we did before going to bed was check up on them. The white chick could be seen scrabbling about beneath the mother (or father - I cannot tell), as the adult on top tried to get a bit of sleep, occasionally glaring out over the parapet before stuffing its head beneath a wing and trying again.

This morning, the adult has stuffed the chick into a corner and up against a wall, to protect it from the awful wind and rain which is lashing at the church tower even harder than it is down here. The feathers are continually ruffled by it. You can see the little patch of blood where they had breakfast, but I missed that event.

That breakfast probably means that there is another chick of a different species somewhere, waiting for a breakfast which may never come. It's a hard life, but someone has to live it.

It is strange to see a bus go past underneath this window, then appear in the top right of the screen a few seconds later. It's even stranger to know that someone else is also watching it, maybe on the other side of the world.

"It's a bit like voyeurism", H.I. said last night.

"It IS voyeurism", said I.


25 comments:

  1. http://upp.hawkandowl.org/bath-peregrines/live-bath-st-johns-church-peregrine-web-cam-2014/

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    1. I wish I had the URL to watch Lauren Bacall in her own home 24 hours a day, but that WOULD be a bit dodgy...

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    2. 80 something, I think. That interview was filmed in the 1980s, I also think.

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    3. She came to Bath a few years ago for a theatre production. H.I.'s daughter spoke to her in town and said she was stunning. I wish I had talked to her.

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  2. Interesting fact about Peregrine Falcons, which I have only just learnt of - it may even have been one of you who told me:

    They are called 'Peregrines' because they can only be trained as hunting hawks if they are caught on their first flight from the nest, when they go off on their 'peregrinations'. After this, they will never follow instructions from a human.

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  3. I've been watching my latest grandson on Skype; similar I suppose, but without the mice or grubs.

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    1. It's not mice or grubs, it's all birds of one sort or another - maybe you could watch your grandson eating chicken?

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  4. The advent of xyz-cams is delightful. My friend has two eagle cams going and shouts at the people with stupid remarks when comment is on. Our county engineer put up a round-about cam when he built the first one in the county. Watching traffic approach, merge and exit the circle. I liked that one for a few minutes.

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    1. The roundabout one sounds like 1960s art by Warhol, when he used celluloid film.

      I am thinking about getting a trail-cam to see who comes down to my workshop every night and smokes one Marlboro Light. It's getting to me.

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  5. It's hard to think that Bacall was only 20 when she played " slim" in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT
    She always seemed so mature
    She's 90

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    1. Yes, mature is almost the word, but it's funny how she has gone from an old young person to a young old person.

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  6. Lauren Bacall is stunning. She has perfect lips and perfect hair. And the most amazing stare near on evil eye look.

    aw little chickies

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    1. She actually called it, 'The Look'. If you think that chicky is cute, take a look at the Norwich Cathedral website!

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  7. Yes Tom, I always thought she was beautiful, but the look I desperately wanted when I was young was that of Jean Simmons - some hopes.
    How marvellous to be able to watch that Peregrine family from your window.

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    1. Jean Simmons - I have many films with her in them.

      My window is an electronic one as far as their nest goes, but I do see them flying about from a real one all the time.

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    2. I adore jean Simmons too..... She was famous for saying" who do I fuck to get off this picture?"
      The film in question was one of her best
      THE BIG COUNTRY

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    3. That film features nicely in my 'C-word' game.

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  8. Replies
    1. I know - I hope nobody rounds it up to 130 - My happiest period was when I had 101.

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    2. As soon as I draw attention to things like this it means that someone cannot resist becoming a follower. Anywhere but of me of course.

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    3. Mainly John Gray, not us - he has about 800 followers simply from endlessly talking about dog shit. It's a mystery to me, but then again, most things are.

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    4. I just asked him what it feels like to be God.

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    5. Fairly wonderful plebs......fairly wonderful

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    6. Fairy wonderful, more like.

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