Sunday 18 March 2012

How Far We've Come?

I finally got time to sit down with a glass of wine and enjoy BBC 4's She-Wolves: England's Early Queens.  Rather annoyingly, I did miss the first episode in the series, as the other half only thought to mention that he had seen it advertised, a few minutes before the second episode and thought it was right up my street.  However for those of you with fast enough internet and who missed the second episode, you will be glad to know you have 11 days still to watch it on BBC I Player or its repeated tonight at 11pm.

In the programme Helen Castor tells the story of Isabella of France and Margaret of Anjou, who through marriage became Queens of England, and due to circumstances both women found themselves having to lead in a mans world.  Helen explains, how history has dealt with these two women is not fair. Had they been men their behaviour would have been more than acceptable.

Going slightly off subject, as only a rambling wee lassie can, I have to say well done to BBC4, just lately they have been producing some very interesting programmes.  I'm starting to think that the smaller the budget for the programme, the better the programme is?

Sunday 4 March 2012

Frontstalag - The Internment Diary of an English Lady


I've just finished reading Frontstalag 142 - The Interment Diary of an English Lady by Dr Katherine Lack, a really interesting book.  I often find myself reading about Prisoners of War in the the Far East, so it was a natural progression to pick up this book. 

The book tells the story of the authors Aunt Fan, who was an English Lady living in France during the occupation.  Shortly after the occupation began, Aunt Fan and one of her sisters were picked up, along with other British residents and placed into Frontstalag 142, which would eventually hold around 2400 mainly British civilians.  Later she was transferred to Frontstalag 121, in Vittal, where hotels from the Spa town had been adapted for the prisoners before she was released at aged 60, considered to old to be any trouble.  During this period Aunt Fan kept a diary and drew many pictures of her surroundings, some of which have been included in the book.