Sandra Says Blog

  Tales From The Lockdown She I love this story despite the awful predictions. It reminds me of the TV series ‘Years and Years’ by Russell T. Davies with Rory Kinnear. Although I don’t remember it reaching so many years into the future. This is a fascinating read. As is, mostly, the norm I/you don’t see the turn of events coming. I feel that there has been some extra extensive research done for this story and sadly, probably not far off the mark for the future. I like how the ‘Postmortem’ explains more about the story and you really shouldn’t play with Ouija boards. They create a portal for any good or unwanted evil spirits to come through, where you then have to have the exact same group of people to create the portal for them to then leave and not get trapped. I have been to a supposed haunted location where the place is not actually haunted in it’s own right, but by the entities that have come through from the Ouija boards that haven’t been able to then leave because the group h...

  Tales From The Lockdown The Padre To set the story around the Salem witch trials is good, despite the awful nature of what happened at the time. This is a clever story. I did get a little confused whilst reading this story and had to re read a little bit to have more of a clearer understanding of what exactly was going on. The research for this story has been really well done and I like how the ‘Postmortem’ explains more about the story Thank you for reading Sandra 

  Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘ Em Christmas Specials Jessica’s First Christmas (1974) Frank Spencer’s (Michael Crawford) new neighbour, Mr Jackson (Bryan Pringle) gets a shock when Frank turns up for an interview, Mr Jackson is the foreman. Being Frank’s neighbour is not easy. It is sad to see that no one else, accept Betty Spencer (Michele Dotrice ) Frank’s wife seems to see Franks enthusiasm for things. It seems Frank won’t be in the Nativity. I mean Frank is Frank after all. It is lovely to see Frank interact with his daughter Jessica (Emma Ware), sadly it doesn’t end well for the neighbour across the road and her TV reception. It is good to see Frank is keeping his job going, for now. What a fantastic job Frank did with the Nativity scenery, well not with the trap door. Well it is good to see that Frank is in the Nativity after all, but the church hall now needs a new roof. Learning to Drive (1975) It is the first time I have ever seen Father Christmas, Wheeler (G...

  Father Ted A Christmassy Ted Preparations for Christmas are underway, but flashing lights, an advent calendar, which I seriously doubt will include women’s knickers and a window sill, stall proceedings for a while. I remember the film ‘Three Men and a Baby’ so when we see a baby, ‘Three Priests and a Baby’ in the same concept springs to mind. However, luckily the crisis for now is adverted. Next we see Mrs Doyle’s (Pauline McLynn) worst nightmare. When they say ‘Robots will take jobs’ you could in this case, say ‘A coffee/tea machine could take her job’. Oh dear there are some places that Priests shouldn’t be, one being in an underwear section of a store, where it realistically shows that trying to navigate your way through a shop can be traumatic, even a military operation and two leaving Father Jack Hackett (Frank Kelly) in the crèche with alphabet bricks. It is also helpful to note/remember how quickly children pick up words they hear as well. It is amusing to s...

  Tales From The Lockdown Tales From The Lockdown Schrodinger I hadn't heard of Schrodinger until I watched ‘The Big Bang Theory’  by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady with Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco.  Although I can see why this story was called what it was and the idea behind it, the connection is still a bit flimsy. However, I still like it as the twist is obviously as they mostly are unexpected.  This is a realistic story as to what has been believed would happen within the scenario in this story. What I take from Schrodinger is ‘You don’t know until you know 'or also known as ‘ The moment of truth’. I like this. The research for this story has been really well done and I like that the ‘Postmortem’ explains the story more Thank you for reading Sandra

  Tales From The Lockdown Teacher’s Pet An interesting story, Patrick certainly took science very seriously. I do like how it, if a little quickly, and in a way where the reader has to work it out for themselves, which is clever, how it switches from a lighthearted story to taking a very sinister turn. Although good for the story it is not so great for the main characters there is so much potential lost. We all know what would happen to him or should happen, so it doesn’t need to be written into this short story but as they say ‘Always leave them wanting more’. Which you could say in one way does. The research for this story has been really well done and I like how the ‘Postmortem’ explains the story more. Thank you for reading Sandra

  The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. This edition published by Penguin Popular Classics As I start to read this version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, I questioned, whether it was a fictional or a factual story. It is however, I have found out, a fictional story. It proceeds to break the ‘fourth wall’, I have only known this in films before. When the film characters talk to the watching audience down the camera lens, during the film. In this book the fourth wall is broken throughout, referring things to the reader directly. i have never known this to happen in a fictional story, in a book, making it, for me, unusual, but I have known numerous times in films. I also like, that, whenever there is a sentence in French, the translation is in a key at the bottom of the page. At the end of the first 4 chapters of book 1, I feel sorry for Gringoire , it is annoying and frustrating, when things don’t go according to your plans. He is at a loss with so many people not on ...

  Men in Black International With an organisation that relies on secrecy and mind/event deleting technology, known as a ‘Neutraliser’. It is now obvious, unlike in the previous three ‘Men in Blacks’ that someone is going to slip through the net. In this case, Molly (Mandeiya Flory). It is amusing to see older Molly (Tessa Thompson) apply for a job where no one knows about. B ut now let the recruiting begin and Molly becomes Agent M. I love the tra nsport from New York to London, and why is it that new recruits always cause chaos. This part could have been longer to make more of an amusing impact. It is nice to see that persistence gets you a working partnership. Now on entering the, what could be described as a ‘Nightclub’. I felt was borderline a scene from ‘Thunderbirds’, a children’s sci-fi puppet T.V. show and films. It is good to see that sometimes ‘Instincts’ are better than ‘Qualifications’, and how many weapons can one car hold? Answer ‘A lot’. This equals a very...

  The Apartment by Danielle Steel When this book starts, it is describing how the 4 girls/young women, Claire, Abby, Morgan and Sasha, met and come to live in the apartment together. Everything seems perfect and I wondered where this storyline was going to go to. As I read on, it is good to read, that 3 of the girls, despite their separate backgrounds are doing well. It Is equally sad that Abby has fallen under the spell of a man called Ivan. I can see why the other 3 girls have given up telling Abby, she has to find out for herself unfortunately. There are only so many times someone can be told something. It is amusing, that one of the 4, Sasha a twin, her sister being Valentina, it is fun to read how Valentina interacts with Sasha’s other 3 roommates. It gives the storyline an exciting depth to it, although Sasha may not always think so. At the end of chapter 2, after a disastrous date, Sasha returns home to a fire in the neighbouring apartment block. It is unexpected and...

  The Shell Seekers (1989) In this heart-warming version of The Shell Seekers, based on the book of the same name by Rosamunde Pilcher. Although we see that it follows the book to a point. Nancy (Anna Carteret) first comes across all nice and caring, only to quickly become her true ‘worrying about money’ self as in the book. Although in the later 2006 version more of the book has been made into a visual representation, this one has less of the book in it, but all the important elements of the story are there with only so me differences. From the sunny climate of Ibiza to rainy England, it is nice to see Penelope Keeling (Angela Lansbury) reaction to Olivia (Patricia Hodge) and Antonia (Sophie ward) turning up on her door step. It is nice to see Nancy and Penelope kind of make-up, only to have Noel (Christopher Bowen) act like his father , Ambrose . Some of the story is cold and nasty with no respect for memories and processions. This is the essence of the story as a who...