Academy of Armitage Studies -- the Research continues

[Theresahollyinyourmind]

Welcome to our newest faculty building. Make yourselves comfortable and ignore the smell of paint. We cannot keep up with the demand for new premises.

Eek. At first glance, that one looks as alarming as another which I gave up reading when I decided the author was a loon not on my wavelength. I now avoid all blogs, about Mr Armitage or about anything else. But that may be my loss.

I expect everyone is busy shopping today, buying all those 75% off bargains I keep reading about in the papers.

Here are my first impressions of LOTN. A Oyster said, very different from the Heyer audio book. Gone are the well-spoken, well-modulated tones, and in its place a rougher, huskier voice with a northern accent. A touch of Guy with a touch of a less refined Thornton perhaps, and slightly less civilised altogether. Promising, indeed. Watch this space.

75% off bargains? Really? I had noticed that the January sales have started even earlier than customary but have yet to see anything being flogged at quarter-price. Any clues as to where?

Ooh-err. That does sound very wibble-making. I asked The Poet this morning whether he'd like an audio book by Bernard Cornwell (he is a big fan of Sharpe) with a chunk of Beowulf in it (he can recite it in Old English, being a geek literary scholar) but the game was up when I mentioned the narrator.

We were talking to Offspring about the world's greatest actors. This is what The Poet brought to the cultural table. (which is odd because we know she is really Alanis Morrisette).

It doesn't show signs of stopping,
And I've bought some corn for popping,
The lights are turned way down low,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Well, the DM said this : Big names including Laura Ashley, Gap, French Connection and B&Q promise reductions of up to 75 per cent, Missy, so it must be true.

I have wondered about the coffee maker favoured by the Divinity. I can't see how it can be all that good from little foil capsules. But what do I know, here in Limpopland where you have to plant the beans and wait a bit.

Who's snowed in this morning then? It's threatening down here on the south coast but nothing much has settled so far although suspect it will be like an ice rink by tonight if we don't get any actual white stuff.

Loved the screen-melting tango and am looking forward to catching up on the 'Some Kind of Wonderful' vid when DH isn't lurking. Not sure to what extent he knows of my adolescent crush on Mr A although I imagine that when my mum presents me with a boxed set of Spooks and a Richard Armitage coaster on Boxing Day morn the jig will be well and truly up - that's if DD doesn't drop me in it big style first!!!

Finished Venetia this morning - ahh! Although slightly anti-climactic imho.

Have promised my Dad I will make him a copy of LOTN (naughty I know - but will have to rip it to put it on iPlayer so I can listen in peace anyway)

Hoping no faculty members will suffer too much from the weather this weekend, MrsLNP.

I have just been browsing Amazon's January Sale. Nothing special for us but guess what is top of the list of their best-selling period dramas?

And deservedly so, after all.

Quite right too! What did you make of the end of Venetia? I had to check it actually was the end and tete wasn't another chapter to round things off!

It did end up in the air, I agree, MrsLNP. I wanted to hear the actual proposal. But I did rather enjoy the "January. If not December" and the door-locking.

I do rather like the posh voice, as well as the rough one

There were moments when he really was Lovelace-lite which were fab. The scene in the barn was very wibble-inducing, I actually had quite a hot flush and I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with the fact I was in the middle of my baking marathon at the time !

I wasn't looking for it, honest guv, but I think you may appreciate this, Holly...

Guy Fanfic

Muchos snow here and - to judge by the colour of the sky - more to come soon.

I'm a bit worried about your Mr Armitage coaster, MrsLNP. What happens if he ends up with a coffee stain obliterating his perfect features? Or slightly scorched?

I've always thought the Divinity's coffee machine looked a tad, well, naff which is why I was disappointed when he advertised it. I never drink coffee but, if I did, would want an authentic looking Gaggia machine, so that I could pretend I was in a 1950s coffee bar listening to skiffle.

However, I prefer to drink tea.

I know someone with a Gaggia - lovely when working but an expensive pita if it goes wrong apparently - will stick to my cafetiere as I'm the only one who drinks 'proper' coffee in our house - DH has decaff everything

Hmm. The Poet is the only one who drinks coffee here and prefers a cafetiere too. I offered to buy him a Gaggia for his birthday but he didn't want one - I think I'm more impressed by the gleaming chrome than he is!

Guy fanfic? Moi, Mrs LNP? So what were you looking for?
Of course I would never...
But Teri the fangirls just has to peek, I'm sorry to say. So thank you kindly, from her.

I second your worries about the coaster Missy. So here is some to sooth our troubled minds.

I have to confess I am a bit of a java junkie. I tend ony to drink tea when I'm poorly and need the doctor

Glad Teri enjoyed herself! Gizzy isn't my favourite character on the whole (although let's be honest we all know I'll take RA in whatever format he comes ), but I did enjoy the way he was longing for Marion so desperately in that story and was willing to let her walk all over him...

And I was actually looking for Venetia fanfic when I found that one !!!

Hello from the snowy South-East! I took DD to the pantomime today. There was no snow whatsoever on the way there but we came out to 4 inches of the stuff! I had no idea it was due to snow so I had my girly smart shoes on and walking home in those was NOT fun :)

Speaking as you were of George Clooney, I must tell you about the hilarious dream I had a few nights ago! I dreamed I was in London with a group of girls and we bumped into George Clooney (as you do). He was very friendly and more than a little flirty but instead of asking him along to the club with us, I got him to babysit for DS! How sad was that - I had the chance to flirt with George Clooney but got him to babysit instead :o

We could have gone to a gig tonight but it's been snowed off. I love the way that Twiggy's Clooney dream has been adjusted to accommodate family life.

The Academy's resident babysitter is looking a little bemused.

Is there any Venetia fanfic, MrsLNP? I liked your description of Lord D as Lovelace-lite, though I would have preferred him to be a leetle bit badder than he was. But that is what Heyer wrote, ultimately. And I liked the Venetia character far more than that of Clarissa, though again that's what heroines were supposed to be like in Richardson's time.

I have to say Teri's not the world's biggest Marion fan

She gets upset when Guy gets humiliated yet again, it is so not fair, she says, but puts up with it in order to read about His Leather-clad Gorgeousness a little.

Twiggy, we have just had George making a guest apprance in the common room, flogging coffee makers. Maybe you had a date with someone else, that's why you roped him in as baby-sitter

Whatever he's flogging, I'm happy to buy

Resuscitate me now

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk
A consolation prize for Missy]]

And a date for Twiggy. All gussied up!

The consolation prize was for the cancelled gig, not for the sheer impossibility of buying one of George's coffee makers

Oh, Holly, that's perfect. I saw Queen live, back in the day.