Kuriositas

Spider-Noir Was Not Nicolas Cage’s First TV Show – This Was…

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 09:16:04 +0000

Having just finished Spider-Noir (and thoroughly enjoyed it), I felt the need to read a few reviews of the show to see if my opinion matched with those of the critics. It did – Spider-Noir is widely considered an entertaining and visually unique show, with a distinct and very stylish noir aesthetic. However, several of the reviews stated that this was Nicolas Cage’s first TV show – something that isn’t quite correct…

In fact, Cage has dipped his toe in to TV waters once or twice over the years, most notably taking a co-starring role in 1981’s The Best of Times. At that time, he was billed as Nicolas Coppola (his real name). It was broadcast by ABC on July 13, 1981 – and as it was a TV Pilot, it was most likely shot a few months earlier. As Nicolas Cage was born on January 7, 1964, this means he was 17 years old at the time of broadcast and was probably 17 during filming as well (assuming filming took place in spring 1981).

The show chronicles the everyday adventures and mishaps of a group of teenagers, with each actor playing a character bearing their own first name. As such, the young Nicolas Coppola played Nick, the sporty one. Whenever there is an opportunity to appear shirtless, the young Nicolas takes it (to be fair to him, that was probably a director’s decision).

An early scene shows him air-boxing and referencing Sylvester Stallone’s famous scene in Rocky, where Balboa trains by punching sides of beef hanging in a meat locker (perhaps surprisingly, they never appeared together in a movie, although there has been occasional fan speculation about Cage appearing in later Expendables films). However, he also gets to try out his acting chops in a more serious monologue, where he talks about “this here El Salvador thing” and worries about being drafted.

Here's the "Best of Nicolas Cage" from the TV pilot, including his monologue.

Tonally, the inclusion of this scene makes this TV pilot a bit more of a mess than it already was. It is no wonder that it was not picked up for a full series, as it is little more than a variety show with a vague attempt to weave in a plot between the musical numbers and various painfully unfunny teenage antics. Cage does stand out though; his dramatic comedy-beefcake entrance doing one-armed push-ups at the beach is a lot of fun. He's obviously ecstatic to be in front of a camera. Yet seeing his character abruptly pivot away from this fun to the serious monologue about the state of the world really, really jars. What is evident throughout is Cage’s natural enthusiasm and commitment to giving his best to the role – something that we have seen ever since, even when he is chewing the scenery into oblivion. His performance here does show a lot of promise. The script, alas, does not. Cage's character's advice about how to pick up girls, for example, would probably have got you arrested in 1981, let alone today.

In The Best of Times, Cage shares a lot of screen time with Crispin Glover (also 17 in 1981), who serves as the protagonist and has the unenviable task of trying to bring this hotch-potch together into a meaningful whole. This was also Glover’s TV acting debut, and he displays a goofy charm that quite possibly led to him being cast as George McFly in 1985’s Back to the Future. It also marked the TV debut of future scream queen Jill Schoelen who would go on to make numerous appearances in horror movies.

Also appearing, but very much going through the motions, is legendary stand-up comedian and actor Jackie Mason, playing a local shopkeeper who has to put up with the kids’ antics whenever they visit his store (which is once).

If you feel you can sit through the whole show, here it is... I was consoled by one thing at least . If this pilot, with its almost dizzying scene sequencing speed, can be used as a measure of the attention span of 1981 teens, then we have little or nothing to worry about today's equivalent.

The Best of Times was directed by Don Mischer – who won multiple Emmys over his career. If you were around for 2004’s Democratic National Convention, you will have heard his voice. He was the producer of the event in Boston and after John Kerry’s acceptance speech, balloons were timed to fall to the floor in spectacular, celebratory fashion. They didn’t and Mischer lost his temper – to say the least. Unfortunately, CNN accidentally broadcast his profanity-laden tirade to the watching nation.

Back to Cage – or Coppola as he was known then. He would move on the following year to his first (albeit uncredited) movie role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). As the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, Cage had to deal with a lot of teasing (we call it bullying now) about his last name during the filming of Fast Times. Fellow actors would quote lines from his uncle’s films in implicit accusations of nepotism. This prompted young Nick to adapt a stage name, partly inspired by the Marvel character Luke Cage. The result was successful enough that many people were unaware of his connection to the Coppola family until after he had already become famous in his own right.

What If He-Man Worked at a Grocery Store? Prince Adam’s Funniest Career Move

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:33:28 +0000

Prince Adam of Eternia, the alter-ego of He-Man, has lost everything to his sworn enemy Skeletor. He has even had to sleep on his friend Ram Man’s couch. Now down at heel, he needs to find himself a job. Where else would he go but to the Job Centre for Cartoon Characters, which puts him to work at a supermarket immediately… In this case it is Asda (if you live in America, think Walmart – which did own Asda till 2021, but that’s another story).

Unfortunately, poor old Adam is in for something of a shock when he meets the supermarket manager… but never mind, he has the perfect job for our young prince. Created by British comedian Leigh Francis, this sketch is well-timed in some ways, with the He-Man movie just having hit cinemas. At least it gives us a good idea what could happen if the movie bombs…

Alone - A Lonely Robot Finds a Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:12:59 +0000

I enjoy a simple story, well told. As such Alone fits into that category perfectly. Set aboard a future spacecraft, it tells the story of a robot given the lonely job of cleaning, polishing and maintaining everything while the humans on board wait out the journey in suspended animation. After a while, the robot becomes lonely and decides to take some action to remedy the situation. Soon, there are two robots. However, every action has a reaction – and soon there are issues aboard the spaceship. There are difficult choices ahead…

This animated short was created by students at the UTS Animal Logic Academy in Australia. It’s not long, but it’s perfectly formed. There is a dash of WALL-E, a slither of R2D2 and a dash of Silent Running in the design of the robots – but they come across very well as their own creations. The list of names involved is far too long to include here, but I would like to say a thank you to everyone involved in this wonderful creation!

Top Casino Movies to Watch This Year

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 20:04:47 +0000

Casino movies never really go out of fashion. One year it's poker. The next it's a casino heist. Then somebody discovers an old classic and suddenly everyone's talking about it again. Part of the appeal is that these movies rarely focus on gambling alone. The cards, chips and roulette wheels are usually sitting in the background while something else is happening. A scam. A friendship falling apart. A bad decision getting worse.

If you're looking for something to watch this year, these are a few movies that are still worth your time.

The Sting

Some older movies feel outdated. The Sting doesn't.

It’s all about a con, and the less you know going in, the better. Paul Newman and Robert Redford do most of the heavy lifting, but the script deserves a lot of the credit too. It's one of those movies where you think you've figured things out, then realise you're probably a step behind. There are bigger casino movies. There are louder casino movies. Very few are this satisfying.

Casino

Mention casino movies to almost anybody and this title usually gets brought up in the first minute.

Martin Scorsese's Casino takes viewers into 1970s Las Vegas through Sam Ace Rothstein, a man who only seems to have complete control over his world. What stands out isn't even the gambling. It's the way the movie shows everything behind it. Security. Money counting. Surveillance. Everything operating like clockwork until people get in the way. Robert De Niro is excellent, but Sharon Stone's performance is often what people remember later.

The Hangover

Las Vegas has inspired plenty of serious dramas. The Hangover went in a different direction.

Three friends wake up after a night they can't remember. The groom is missing. There are clues everywhere. None of them make much sense. The story gets more ridiculous as it goes along, but that's part of the appeal. The movie captures the feeling of a city where almost anything seems possible, especially after midnight. Years later, people are still quoting scenes from it.

Bad Grandmas

Bingo movies are harder to find than casino movies, which makes Bad Grandmas stand out immediately.

The story follows a group of grandmothers who become caught up in criminal situations far more dramatic than their usual bingo nights. The movie’s all about comedy and friendship, which separates it from some of the darker gambling stories on this list. It may even spark fond memories of your favourite bingo games and how a simple evening at the hall could become the highlight of the week. Not every gambling movie needs high rollers and luxury casinos.

Rounders

Poker players have been recommending Rounders for years and they're probably not stopping anytime soon.

Matt Damon plays Mike McDermott, a law student pulled back into underground poker games. Edward Norton plays his friend Worm, whose return causes all sorts of problems. Unlike a lot of gambling movies, Rounders isn't trying to make poker look flashy. Most of the tension comes from people sitting around a table trying not to reveal what they're thinking.

Ocean's Eleven

Ocean’s Eleven is more about a casino than gambling itself. It trades poker chips for a heist plan and somehow makes preparing for it look fun.

George Clooney’s Danny Ocean puts together a team to rob three Las Vegas casinos, and we get to see the plan take shape and how each member of the crew fits into it. Every scene is made even more entertaining by Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts. There are plenty of films you'll watch once and forget. Ocean's Eleven isn't one of them.

Molly's Game

Molly's Game is based around poker, but it feels very different from Rounders.

There are poker games, of course, but the real focus is Molly Bloom and the poker empire she builds for the wealthy. Jessica Chastain carries the movie, and Idris Elba plays the lawyer helping her through the fallout. The interesting part is seeing how much organisation sits behind running a business. That's what separates it from a lot of other gambling movies.

Jan Ravnik's Stunning Dance Video Interpretation of ROSALÍA's 'Berghain'

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:44:57 +0000

The official video for Berghain by ROSALÍA featuring Björk & Yves Tumor was an emotional roller-coaster (and probably one of the best of last year). Now, Jan Ravnik (above), Slovenian professional dancer director and choreographer has released a dance video of the track – and its as startling as the original in its own way. Ravnik strips away almost all the symbolism - no forest, animals, orchestra, or religious imagery—and focuses entirely on the body as the storyteller. From the opening, where we see him slide down a precipitous wall (which isn’t a wall – how did they do that?), the tone is set. Using a wonderful ensemble of dancers, the movements mirror the lyrical content – and the dancers’ fluid (often erratic) movements seem symbolic of the feeling of being overwhelmed by intense emotion – this is heartbreak but it’s transformative.

This is viscerally powerful dance – incredibly physical and simply boiling with emotional energy. It’s little wonder that Jan Ravnik's performance in Berghain is so captivating – and that he elicits the same level of intensity from the ensemble. Having worked with global stars including Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars and Lewis Capaldi, he has earned a reputation for combining technical brilliance with powerful emotional expression, making him one of the most respected dancers working today. It is great to see him combine his talents into this dance video – I think I must have already watched it about ten times. I suspect you will want to watch it more than once at least!

Who Was Mary Anning? Watch the Animated Story of Britain's Pioneer Fossil Hunter

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:33:31 +0000

This animated short, created by the Natural History Museum in London, tells us the story, in animated form, of Mary Anning. She was born in 1799 and only lived till she was 47, but left a legacy as a pioneering palaeontologist who really should have received much more recognition while she was alive, frankly. What got in her was her gender – she was barred from belonging to any of the serious scientific “clubs” of the time simply because she was a woman. Not that it stopped her – she discovered the first ichthyosaur – not to mention an almost complete plesiosaurus and spent her life collecting and studying fossils on Britain’s Jurassic Coast.

This video is a great introduction to Anning and is suitable for young and old audiences alike – who will no doubt take away different things from this story of someone who refused to give in doing what she loved simply because she was born with the “wrong” body parts. As much as anything else, Anning’s discoveries massively increased our understanding of life on our planet millions of years ago and many of her discoveries are still on exhibit at the Natural History Museum. Watch the animated story of Mary Anning’s life below.

Kazuho Monster Suitcase Dance - A Fantastic Blend of Popping, Moonwalk and Robot Movements

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 31 May 2026 17:15:03 +0000

Kazuho Monster is a Japanese dancer, model and social media performer best known in his home country for his extraordinary "animation dance", robot dance, and moonwalk-style illusions. His real name is Kazuho Horino (堀野一穂), and he comes from Hadano in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Describing himself as the world’s most off-stage dancer, he does what it says on the label and dances anywhere, anytime, any place. I am new to this dancer and I must say this video has massively impressed me, not just for the variety of movement that you can see on display, but his technical control which allows him to make this all seem very, very easy, casual even. But don’t try most of these moves at home unless you want a hernia!

Kazuho Monster is known for “animation dance”, which is a recognised style name in Japan. It refers to dance that looks like stop-motion or cartoon-like movement with robotic or unreal body control. In terms of the English-speaking world, we would probably refer to his style as a robot-moonwalk-popping hybrid. He’s not that easy to pin down!

In this video, he has just purchased a RAWROW hard-shell suitcase and is set to take off on a trip somewhere. However, the suitcase seems to have other ideas and refuses to move! There is one particularly clever sequence in this video where it seems to hang in mid air while Kazuho tries to pull it this way and that. It’s incredibly clever – and Kazuho must have some pretty serious upper body strength to carry this move off, which he does perfectly.

Does the suitcase finally comply with its new owner’s desire to get to the plane on time? Watch the video and find out!

Spider-Noir Opening Title Sequence: A Perfect Blend of Noir Visuals and KIRBY's 'Saving Grace'

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 31 May 2026 16:36:55 +0000

The opening title sequence for Spider-Noir, the new superhero series developed by Oren Uziel for MGM+ and Prime Video (and produced by SPTV) is slick, stylized and dark – a perfect match for the series starring Nicholas Cage, Brendan Gleeson and Li Jun Li. I had to double-check another cast member, Lukas Haas, and sure enough, the last memory I have of him is when he played the part of the Amish child who witnesses a murder in the 1985 Harrison Ford vehicle Witness. There are plenty of other familiar faces in the show, but back to the opening title sequence. The title sequence was created by Digital Kitchen, the long-running design and motion graphics studio behind title work for shows such as Dexter, Narcos, and True Detective.

The sequence establishes a pulpy, and haunting tone which fits perfectly into the film noir genre, with the use of dark imagery and evocative music used to introduce us to the world of alternate New York City, telling us, handily enough, that Spider our erstwhile hero, has not been spotted fighting crime for a while. We see Ben Reilly (Cage) as well as some of the other characters who will feature in the series using broken mirror imagery, which serves as a visual metaphor for both the protagonist’s fractured identity as well as the state of the city in which he lives. This imagery perfectly reinforces the show’s dark, noir-inspired tones (even though I have chosen to watch it in colour), highlighting the theme that he really isn’t the man he was (before he was the man he was!) and is trying to put his life back together whilst at the same time being haunted by his own history as well as a personal tragedy. I particulalry like the way we learn about what has been happening in New York and to Spider-Noir through the newspaper headlines that are interspersed throughout the title sequence, which establishes the backstory - a nice touch (and yes, it's been done before but this feels very fresh).

The chosen track is spot on, too. It is “Saving Grace” by KIRBY and is a great choice. It was written specifically for Spider-Noir rather than being an older song that was reused. It creates a smoky, cinematic mood with a dash of melancholy, and has an introspective, haunting quality which, like everything else about this intro, sets the tone for the show beautifully.

The opening is attracting a lot of attention, with one commenter on YouTube saying “This is definitely one of my favourite tv openings ever.” By the number of likes on that comment, they are not alone in their thoughts. I, too, think it is pitch-perfect for the show. Another says “We may skip a lot of intros but not this one” while a third admits “I’ve never skipped the intro even once .. one of the greatest opening themes I’ve ever heard”. High praise indeed – and a quick addition from myself – I love it!

How Stalin Rose to Power: Brutality, Strategy, and Animated Satire

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 30 May 2026 11:56:32 +0000

Depending on how you look at him, Stalin was either brutal, bloodthirsty gangster or.., well, a brutal bloodthirsty gangster with a plan. Regardless on where you stand on the man and his legacy, learning about his rise to power is not one of those boring history lessons you had to sit through at school, because there was so much bloodshed that it makes a Game of Thrones look like an Enid Blyton adventure in comparison. He certainly did have a knack for getting where he wanted to be (the top) and those who underestimated him never saw it coming. And even if they did, there wasn't much, apparently, that they could do.

So, the story of his rise is QI. It’s made even more interesting, here, because Netherlands-based Mitsi Studio has taken it upon themselves to tell the story in the form of an animated (tragi) comedy. This comes complete with character animations that, if they were timelords, are seemingly the new incarnations of Michael Bentine’s Potties (do you remember Potty Time? Well, that puts a sell-by date on you for sure). This video shows Stalin's rise – and we are promised a second instalment in the near future which shows what happened when his absolute power was secured (more blood). This is great fun – very knowing and ironic (“because Russia is Russia” is given as the reason why the Royal Family were murdered). Watch it below: It may seem a little callous to laugh at such a bleak time in history but, you know, comedy is comedy.

Gargoyles – Glorious Gruesome Grotesques

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 30 May 2026 08:45:06 +0000

Gargoyles – they are strange, bizarre, unpleasant or just plain ugly. They have been hovering around our towns and cities for centuries, for so long that it can be forgotten that they have meaning and purpose. Take a tour of the weird world of the gargoyle.

Image Credit Flickr User Beggs

A gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque statue, and they were designed to convey water away from the roof and the sides of large buildings. We associate them mostly with medieval times thanks to a certain hunchback but they have been around much longer than that. They are more than just scary statues as if they were not there then the mortar between the stones of their buildings would, in time, erode away and the building would fall over. Many gargoyles take the shape of animals and – lost to our modern minds – these creatures were chosen for a purpose. This is why...

The Lion

Image Credit Flickr User Foxyparr

Both lions and their female counterparts were a favorite choice for the makers of gargoyles. Here at Dornoch cathedral in Scotland a lovely lioness leans and growls at passers by. The lion was by far the most popular non-European animal to be used on churches and cathedrals in the middle ages. They were popular as gargoyles during older times (Pompeii is full of them) and they symbolised the sun, with the golden mane representing the solar wreath of our life giving star.

Image Credit Flickr User Jourand

However, by medieval times, the builders of cathedrals would use the lion as a symbol of pride, which is of course one of the seven deadly sins and therefore to be avoided by the God fearing denizens of the towns below them. This one at the Collégiale Saint-Martin à Colmar, Haut-Rhin in France looks particularly proud. Other than lions you will not get many other felines represented on these centuries’ old monuments. Cats were symbols of witchcraft and so were avoided as gargoyles (although occasionally you may find a cat’s head attached to a serpent’s body).

The Dog

Image Credit Flickr User Eusebius@Commons

This fine gargoyle can be found at the top of the Philippe le Bel tower in the ducal palace of Dijon again in France. As popular then as they are now, dogs were rarely kept simply as pets and were often given guardianship of a home at night. As such they were seen as clever, loyal and faithful. So on one hand they can be seen as those stone animals given the role of protecting these buildings but there was another reason for their presence too. Dogs are always hungry and were often common thieves during these times and so were included on the sides of cathedrals to show that even such a faithful animal as the dog can fall prey to the temptation of the devil and commit the sin of greed.

The Wolf

Image Credit Flickr User Alan Bell

Although wolves too were linked to greed they were respected as an animal that lived through cooperation with its peers – and they gave rise to the ancient metaphor ‘the leader of the pack’. They were also linked to priests whose responsibility it was to protect the people from the devil – so the wolf was the protector of the lamb of God, as it were. Gargoyles come in packs too – and this was because the architects needed to divide the flow of rainwater off the roof. A single gargoyle would not be much good in a ferocious storm. Their strange elongation is also deliberate as the extra length will ensure that the water cascades as far away from the wall as possible.

The Eagle

Image Credit Flickr User e3000

A monstrous eagle as gargoyle on the Saint Rumbolds Cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium. These were protectors of the buildings, particularly against dragons as it was said that they were one of the few animals capable of destroying a winged, flying serpent. They were also highly respected for their vision (which was again used as a metaphor and seen as foresight) and legend had it they had Phoenix like qualities. They were, it was said, able to heal themselves by looking directly in to the sun which itself is an ancient symbol of deity.

The Serpent

Image Credit Flickr User Wit

Krakow, Poland has this fearsome serpent to warn people of the sins of the flesh. The serpent is associated with original sin and as such can be found (most often winged) all over the cathedrals of Europe. From the days of Adam and Eve the serpent has been the symbol for the continual struggle between good and evil. In terms of the seven deadly sins, the serpent represented envy. Scarily enough they were also thought to be immortal which meant that the daily struggle against the sins of the flesh would carry on for all eternity.

The Goat

Image Credit Flickr User Son of Groucho

Barcelona Cathedral has this marvellous goat gargoyle. Like many of the animals featured here it had a duality of nature in the eyes of medieval Christians. On one side they were thought to be Christ-like because of their ability to find food on steep mountainsides and nourish themselves from almost nothing (the Feeding of the Five Thousand springs immediately to mind as a parallel). On the other hand they were seen as venal creatures and were often perceived to be a symbol of lust – yet another one of those seven deadly sins. Plus, of course, which animal would you most naturally associate with Satan?

The Monkey

Image Credit Flickr User Maveric2000

Our nearest relatives were seen as what happens to us when nature goes wrong. Often associated with stupidity they were, however, mostly associated with cunning and laziness. For this reason, their own particular deadly sin was that of sloth. It is no surprise that a large part of our examples originate from France - the one above is from the Sacré-Cœur in Paris. The word gargoyle comes from that language. Gargouille once meant ‘throat’ and the word itself came originally from Latin. There is also a connection to the French word for gargling – gargariser – and that is reflected in the Spanish gárgola as well.

Image Credit Flickr User Lovestruck

Image Credit Flickr User Toni Vega

Other languages are more precise. The romance of Italian is levelled somewhat – its word for gargoyle is grónda sporgente which literally means a protruding gutter. In German – always a direct language they are water spitters (Wasserspeier) and the Dutch go one step further – waterspuwer means to vomit water. And yes, that is where we get the verb ‘to spew’ in the English language. However, animal gargoyles aside, the most delightful of them all are often considered to be the Chimeras.

The Chimera

Image Credit Flickr User Guldfisken

York Cathedral in the North East of England has a set of particularly scary chimeras. Although we might not be too afraid of them ourselves, used as we are to the like of the Saw movies, the average medieval person – superstitious and illiterate – would find them pretty scary. A chimera is born when different types of body parts come together to make a completely new creature, such as a harpy, a centaur or a griffin (with mermaids being popular in fountains for obvious reasons).

Image Credit Flickr User Bjorn Giesenbauer

Milan cathedral has a fine set of Chimeras, where renaissance thinkers stand next to strange creatures born from the minds of the mad. These chimeras are no strangers to the heights of medieval religious buildings and were seen to represent those who underestimated the power of the devil. Although he could not create life he could mix it up to produce truly fearsome creatures – crimes against nature.

Image Credit Flickr User Son of Groucho

Image Credit Flickr User Sapphireblue

Some of the most famous gargoyles in the world can be found at Notre Dame in Paris. Even Disney studios cannot divert from their sense of foreboding, although one of them does seem rather bored. Wouldn’t you be after six centuries?

Image Credit Flickr User Len Dog64

The Legend of Gargouille

Image Credit Flickr User Fabio Bruno

The French have a legend around one of their saints, Romain. In the seventh century he was made the Bishop of Rouen and he fought a creature called the Gargouille. It was a dragon like creature, with wings, a long neck and was able to breathe fire. When Romain subdued the dragon he was not able to destroy its head as it had been tempered by its own breath. So, it was mounted on the walls of Rouen cathedral to scare off evil. The above, however, is from de Kathedrale Basiliek van Sint-Jan Evangelist.

People

Image Credit Flickr User Matt Drobnik

Saint Vitus Cathedral in Prague has some very scary individuals but these are not animals or chimeras. These are people. The moment of damnation is frozen in time for hundreds of medieval souls throughout Europe. Mouths agape they scream through the centuries as a constant reminder – be vigilant against the devil or this may happen to you! The most frightening of all gargoyles are those that bear such a close resemblance to ourselves, surely?

Image Credit Flickr User Vin Crosbie

St Vitus’ Cathedral in Prague has this particularly scary example of the form, perhaps made even scarier by the way the lead spout looks like a horribly distended tongue.

Image Credit Flickr User Jo Jakeman

This can be found in Nottingham in the Midlands of England. A reminder for all eternity not to try and chew your toenails. Anyone who has read Chaucer has sometimes found themselves sat bolt upright when confronted with the occasional and unexpectedly vulgar sensibilities of the Middle Ages. They called a stone a stone in those days and most certainly, the gargoyles of Europe often reflect this in no uncertain terms. If you were outside a cathedral you were closer to hell than being inside – and the tortures of that fiery place were never far away.

Image Credit Flickr User puroticorico

This gargoyle in Valencia, Spain, leaves you in no doubt that the devil will have you exactly where he wants you if you do not mend your ways. Yes, he is – if you were in any doubt.

Image Credit Flickr User puroticorico

Again from Spain, this unfortunate woman atop Lonja Cathedral in Valencia is captured for all eternity answering the call of nature in a paroxysm of agony.

Image Credit Flickr User Krossbow

Leave it to the Germans to make things blindingly obvious, however. Again, reminiscent of the denouement of one of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, this gargoyle from Freiburg Cathedral turns tail and delivers you your final ignominy. Time to repent, no doubt.

First Image Credit Flickr User 12SonofLama

Oniko - オニコ

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 29 May 2026 20:02:39 +0000

I’m dying to, but if I told you what Oniko means in Japanese, that would probably set off the spoiler alert sirens! So, I won’t – I will just urge you instead to watch Oniko, a collaborative group project by Masters of Animation and Visualisation 2025 students at the UTS Animal Logic Academy in Sydney, Australia. Don’t look up why it’s called the Animal Logic Academy – I’ve done it for you. It isn’t a bizarre veterinarian college with a quirky little animation wing added on at the back. It’s named after the famous Australian animation and VFX studio Animal Logic, which partnered with the University of Technology Sydney to create the academy. So, now on to the animation - and it is rare to see such an exquisitely crafted piece from a professional animation studio, let alone from a group of students. I suspect that might sound a little patronising, which I don't mean in any way - I can only give the highest praise for this exceptional piece of art.

It opens with a young high-born woman fleeing a palace in Edo-period Japan, carrying her infant son in a sling. She escapes through the snowbound landscape as seemingly supernatural samurai pursue her through the darkness. When there seems to be no escape for her something inexplicable happens that will change her life – and that of her baby – forever. Developed by the student cohort through all its stages of development and production, Oniko will leave you on the edge of your seat to the very end. Already, commenters on YouTube are calling for a sequel of for this to be developed into a full animated movie. I can only say that I agree with them!

This Hunchback of Notre Dame A Cappella Medley Performance Gave Me Chills

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 28 May 2026 17:12:18 +0000

This brought a tear to my eye, but I’m at a funny age (or so I’m told). However, when this video came my way (thank you mysterious YouTube algorithms), it combined two things. First, it’s music from my favourite Disney animated movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Secondly, it features my two favourite songs from the film – The Bells of Notre Dame and Out There. They’re not back to back either, the latter segues seamlessly in and out of the latter (and vice versa) in a gorgeous medley. My reaction? Bloody Hell! Forgive me for getting a little Ron Weasley there, but this is fantastic. The voices are pitch perfect. Plus. all of the singers seem to be having a whale of a time; they are absolutely in their element.

It looks like Swedish acapella quartet Ringmasters bumped into London-based classical ensemble VOCES8 in a bar, discovered they had a mutual love for all things Quasi, and said “Hey! Let’s put on a show!”. Or maybe not. In fact, the songs by Alan Menken were arranged by Aaron Dale, and adapted by Rasmus Krigström. It must have taken some rehearsal time, too, to get this to the point at which we witness it – it’s incredibly emotive (re the tears), full of genuine feel for the characters and the storytelling (well done, chaps) and allows full ensemble participation. To cap it all and make it feel even more astonishingly good than it already is, the only instrument used throughout is the human voice. Fly, my pretties, fly!

Mensa, Mensa, Mensam… and Other Memories of Learning Latin

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 28 May 2026 14:01:27 +0000

'In wine there is truth, in water there is health'

Back in the day - 1979, when I was a 14 year old schoolboy, Year 10 loomed menacingly (we called it 4^th form back then) and we had to choose our options for O’ Levels - an academic rite of passage for UK kids. These would, a few years after I did them, be renamed GCSEs in yet another governmental attempt to reinvent the wheel – standing for General Certificate in Secondary Education. If you’re not from the UK, these are the main qualifications kids do when they hit 16 (sometimes before, but usually at that age). The “O” in O’ Level stood for “Ordinary”, so I suppose the name change made the process of gaining the qualifications (a Herculean task, which it remains to this day) seem rather more dignified than merely scraping through something “ordinary”. Without irony, the next Level, which was and still is called A’ Level stood and stands for “advanced” so you can see the logic in changing the name, at least. Image

Still with me? Now when it came to our “options” – we had some choice. Nationally, every school had to offer English Language and Literature, with Maths the bitter cherry on the top of the compulsory subject sundae. We also had to choose at least one science (from Physics, Chemistry and Biology). Then there was RE – Religious Education. There was an O’ Level for this, from which my school bizarrely opted out, meaning we had to be the donkeys without a carrot, forced to attend some seriously boring classes without even a tantalising glimpse of an exam to at least make it seem something more than a waste of everyone's time. We also had to do PE (Physical Education), which again was not examined but for the most part was fun. So much for options!

It is as good to do as not to do

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So, I went with two sciences (Biology and Physics) and a language (French, but I also did Welsh as a private candidate because living just over the border in England, the school did not offer it). I chose History over Biology, and Art over Technical Drawing. I had room for one more and the choice was between a new-fangled subject being piloted called Computer Studies and a slightly more established one called Latin. I chose the latter. As such, I ended up doing ten examined subjects (some did less, others a few more).

Even back then, taking Latin was a minority decision. I ended up in a class of about a dozen other kids, with the same teacher we had for French (who we all adored, so that was cool). Today, a subject would probably get dropped by a school if only 13 people opted to do it, but mine in its wisdom kept it on - not just for the tiny bit of prestige the offer lent it academically, but also because they probably didn’t want a group of resentful teenagers on their hands for the next two years.

I will either find a way, or make one

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I got to learn some programming in the lunchtime “computer club”, so managed to do that too, but without the pressure of an exam. “Why did you choose Latin?” was a question we were repeatedly asked, often with the addition of an exclammatory “It’s a dead language!” at the end (as a dig at the wisdom of our choice of options). As was quickly pointed out in our first class, the aim was not to make us conversationally proficient in this “dead” language, but to teach us its complex mechanics and introduce us to (some of) its literature in its original form. It sounds like study for study’s sake when put like that – and of course it was exactly that.

We didn’t really know what we were letting ourselves in for. Although we had all studied “classics” in one form or another, none of us had studied Latin before – and so getting ready for an O’ Level from scratch in two years was a challenge. Before long, we were immersed in conjugating verbs (amo, amas, amat and so on), something we were already used to in our other language studies. Oh boy, the major shock came when we were introduced - in the very first lesson - to the declension paradigm. The what? Exactly. We left the room bewildered because I suspect we thought that Latin, being an older language, would be less complex than any modern language we were also learning (including English, of course).

However, to be presented with the fact that a noun changes its form depending on its job in the sentence was discombobulating to say the least. Each form, we were told, was known as a “case” – nominative, vocative, accusative, genitive (which made us titter, inexplicably), dative and ablative (the one I always forgot). And so, the process began, using “table” – “mensa” in Latin - as our first noun. We declined it in the singular, we declined it in the plural. We declined it when it meant “to the table” or “under the table” or “on the table”. We declined that bloody table into oblivion (and sometimes correctly). I can still decline “mensa” in both singular and plural form, but never become a party trick, unfortunately. I tried it once to a circle of blankly unimpressed faces, and that was the end of that.

Virtue, not pedigree (is the mark of nobility)

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I could expand on the horrors that awaited us, but that would bore you – and I would not be telling the entire truth. Although we hadn’t suspected Latin’s complexities, I was at least a little better equipped than my classmates to take it on board as in Welsh we have treigladau (“mutations”), which change the first letter of a word depending on grammar and sentence structure. Take for example, Bangor, a city in North Wales. The name starts with a B, right? Yet, if you go to Bangor, you go "i Fangor". If you are in Bangor, you are "ym Mhangor". These mutations are one of the most distinctive features of the Welsh language. They come naturally to first language speakers and as a nasty surprise to learners!

Back to the heart of the matter - the dead language. We loved Latin. The teacher helped a lot (Miss Roe, thank you!) because she had an immense enthusiasm for the subject, was slightly dotty and abruptly exited the room whenever we had something slightly risqué from the set texts to translate – “I’ll leave you to translate the next few lines on your own”. We were also, before it became a badge of shame, shamelessly clever. Latin was a new challenge, and we collectively egged each other on (no better verb for it, frankly), to see who could get things right or who could translate something (either way) first. As part of the “grammar stream” kids, (schools would select your “stream” according to your academic ability which is exactly as damning as it sounds), we represented the nerdier end of even that spectrum. We weren’t so much outcasts from the rest of the school - I was on the gym team, for example - but in Latin, we were kindred.

Was it a waste of time? That’s a question that has come up regularly over the years. As an end in itself – that’s very up for debate. I certainly don't sit down on a Sunday and translate a bit of Ovid, like others do crosswords. Did it help me in other ways? That’s a resounding vero. It taught us how languages work - structure, logic, patterns, and exceptions. It trained our minds to notice detail, to think in systems, and to accept that rules can be both rigid and bizarrely, sometimes confoundingly elastic at the same time. It also left me with a vocabulary of grammatical terminology that has proven surprisingly durable, even if the Latin itself has faded at the edges. Plus, I still retain some fun facts (and no, I don't try them out at parties). For example, Latin has neither a definite nor an indefinite article (“a” and “the”), while Welsh has only a definite article (“the”), but no indefinite article. English, of course, has both. Well it would, wouldn't it?

Creation from Nothing

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Here’s another fun fact - the three languages I studied (Latin, French, Welsh) are all historically connected and, in diverse ways, still share traces of vocabulary that can be spotted today (if you know where to look!). For example, words like “window” and “bridge” reveal these connections...

The French fenêtre comes from Latin fenestra, while the Welsh ffenestr shows the same Latin root filtered through different sound changes and centuries of borrowing. Likewise, Latin pons gives us the French pont, and the Welsh pont is clearly from the same source - all meaning “bridge,” and carried elegantly across languages through Roman influence and later contact (so that's another thing they did for us). It’s a reminder that languages are not sealed systems, but overlapping histories: layers of conquest, trade, education and everyday use, all leaving their mark in the words we still use without thinking. So was studying Latin a waste of time? Not for me.

More than just my collection of fun facts about languages, it created a shared experience - a small, slightly bewildered community of us grappling with declensions, conjugations, and the occasional existential crisis over a table that refused to bloody well stay a table. And oddly enough, those lessons have a way of resurfacing decades later, uninvited but useful, like old friends who never quite leave but are rarely unwelcome.

If you got to the end of this, thank you! As a reward, here’s a lovely video by BBC Ideas, presented by Dr Daisy Dunn, covering five Latin phrases that are still meaningful today. My own personal favourite is featured. Can you guess what it is? Responsa in tabella missa (that’s the closest I could get to “answers on a postcard”).

Pride the Musical: The Beloved 2014 Film Heads to the National Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 27 May 2026 17:21:48 +0000

Do you remember the charming, touching and funny 2014 film Pride? It was based on the true story of the unlikely coming together of two groups, during the miners’ strike in the UK, over 1984-85. On one hand, you had the miners, Welsh (although the strike was across the whole of the UK), small town and a little insular. On the other hand, a group called Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) who were from London - the big smoke - formed to support the long-lasting strike and oppose the then government in its policy of pit closures.

You might watch the video below and think “I can’t remember that song in the film” – even though this new stage cast belt it out wonderfully. You would be right – the song You Stood By Me was written for a new stage production of this much-loved story.

Well now, cariadau – they’ve only gone and done that thing that people seem very fond of doing these days. They’ve turned it into amusical. To be fair, I can’t think of a movie that would lend itself better to the full musical treatment. For a start, much of it is set in Wales, and that’s the land of song – so far, so obvious! Oh and also, half the characters in it are gay (is that too stereotypical? I’m afraid you will have to live with it). When you think about it, this was the ultimate destiny for the story…

(No, this isn't the official poster; it's just a little fun I had to help illustrate this post to try and capture the 1980s colour tones!).

At the heart of Pride is the idea that people who seem completely different can discover common ground through solidarity, empathy and shared struggle. No one is portrayed as perfect by any means – both groups have fears, stereotypes (them again) and prejudices. Yet those barriers gradually break down as people recognize their shared humanity. It shows us that solidarity between ordinary people (even vastly different ordinary people) can be stronger than division.

So, here’s a preview of one of the songs from the new musical, which is due to open on 11 June at the National Theatre in London. Tickets are already going like Welsh cakes and are pretty much sold out till July – which says a lot about how anticipated this new musical is. Have a watch and a listen – this is great.

If you would like a to learn a little more about this project, below you will find Pride writer Stephen Beresford chatting with Welsh Mining Community Members Dai Donovan and Siân James, as well as original LGSM Member, Jonathan Blake, all whose remarkable story inspired the hit-film turned new musical.

Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling 2026: Britain Loses Its Own Craziest Tradition to International Competitors

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:11:25 +0000

Out of the many fine British traditions that have inexplicably failed to take off outside of the country, cheese-rolling stands tall and proud – or possibly lands flat and painfully depending on whether you are a competitor or simply a spectator. The 2026 cheese-rolling championship has just taken place in the county of Gloucestershire (Cooper's Hill to be exact) and – as an event like this warrants – naturally made that evenings national 10 o’clock news. Well it would, wouldn’t it? Yet chasing a large wheel of cheese down a very steep hill isn’t just for Brits – apparently.

This year, both male and female winners were from abroad (I believe they are referred to as “Johnny Foreigners” in some drinking establishements in some parts of the country by some people). The men’s race was won by Tom Kopke from Germany, whose sanity is no longer in any doubt because he’s won it three times altogether (including this year). After all, you can’t be mad if you have won something so often… can you? I’m personally intrigued about what training he must do to prepare for the 1:2 gradient slope and how he decides which direction down to take in pursuit of the 3kg wheel of Double Gloucester cheese which can get up to 70mph in speed. Sane or not, he certainly blitzed the competition again. Ah... is that too soon?

Alice Hougault from France won the more genteel (OK, that’s not the right adjective) women’s race, meaning that no British folk were able to out-compete the international competitors. As one commenter on YouTube has declared with tongue ever so slightly in cheek: “Bloody German coming over here and winning our cheese rolling competition.” Another, rather more despondently pointed out: “If we cant even win this, how are we going to win the world cup?”. I have to include this last one – “I camembert the thought of losing to a German. I bet everyone were cheesed off and couldn't brielieve their eyes.”

So, over to the very serious news report from the BBC…

Stephen Fry Discusses a Portrait of Oscar Wilde

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:21:27 +0000

When it comes to comparisons, Stephen Fry has certainly been compared to Oscar Wilde any number of times. It didn’t help that he played him in a 1997 film, I suppose. Yet if you are going to be compared to someone, you could do far worse than Wilde. Of course, that wasn’t always the case and here, courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery in London, Fry talks about his discovery of Wilde and the connection he feels to the man is obvious – he gets quite emotional at one point in this short. One can only wonder at how Wilde would have judged Fry’s recent turn as Lady Bracknell in a controversial but nevertheless very popular revival of The Importance of Being Earnest.

This video is part of a series by the National Portrait Gallery which gives people the opportunity to discuss a portrait that has shaped their lives. It’s a lovely idea and I hope it long continues. Watch Stephen Fry wax lyrical over Oscar below.

GCSE English Language Paper 2 2026 Predictions: What AQA’s Questions and Unseen Texts Could Be

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 25 May 2026 16:44:15 +0000

As an English teacher in the UK, I enjoy the short period of peace between the two GCSE Language Papers. Paper 1 for 2026 has come and gone (I’m writing about the AQA exam). We now have a short respite from its brutal body blow before Paper 2 arrives in the ring and socks us squarely in the jaw for the knockout punch. OK, being an English teacher doesn’t necessarily make you much good with metaphors - I will admit that much. However, it also gives me some time to play my annual guessing game and to try and predict what is coming at us in Paper 2.

Before we look at my predictions for Paper 2, you are probably asking whether I got them right for Paper 1. You can read my predictions for Paper 1 here, but essentitally - and at the risk of sounding a little Vicky Pollard (look her up) - yeah, but no, but yeah. I did say “I am going to take a punt on the late 50s” and also this: “If they go with an American author, I am pretty sure they have been itching to use something by Shirley Jackson for years...”. As luck would have it, the text for Paper 1 was Shirley Jackson’s “Haunting of Hill House” from 1959. Although I did finally settle with other texts as my primary predictions (two were from 1959!), that’s not bad really, is it? It taught me something (again) - always go with your gut.

What I Can Guarantee

So on to the predictions for the 2026 GCSE English Language Paper 2. We can start with something that we know for certain. As ever, Source B will be from the nineteenth century (between 1801 and 1900). Paper 1’s text was from 1959, as we discovered on 21 May, so that means that Source A in Paper 2 will be from 2001 – 2020s. Why? That’s because AQA always uses sources from this and the previous two centuries - one from each. That Source A will definitely be from the 2000s is not a huge reveal; it follows a general trend across the last ten exams – 6 of the “modern” texts in Paper 2 were from the twenty-first century. However, at least that's one thing we can say with certainty.

I have quite a good track record for Paper 2 – I predicted the general topics of the last two papers – in a very general way of course! As we had had travel and professions in the 2024 exams, I predicted that it would be something about the natural world next (it was) and then my prediction for the November 2025 paper was something more urban (it was). I make my guesses (for that is what they are and - I must add – are just a little idle fun because being a teacher I have nothing better to do) based on history. I do try to make my guesses more than just educated, by looking at what has come before.

A quick note before moving on: if you believe that liking the subject of the texts in Paper 2 and enjoying reading them has anything to do with how well you are going to do - think again. That's not the the point of them at all. They have to be accessible, yes. However, ultimately the topic chosen is an irrelevence - so much so I sometimes wonder why I do these yearly predictions. I could just say "it's going to be about water in one of its three forms" and there's a good chance I would be right - AQA seems to love to include water in Paper 2. We've had ice on mountains, water in lakes and oceans, rainstorms, surfing - the list goes on. So, stop reading now!

Joking apart, for Paper 2, I try to divine a ten-exam-pattern (I use the last eight for Paper 1) to extrapolate likely subjects for the source texts as well as the other questions. So, here is our preliminary data… the last ten Paper 2s.

I am going to rely on some maths (English teachers say that more often than you might think). On average, AQA chooses a modern Source A text written about six years before the exam. When you think about it, they can't put exams together, sort out copyright, butcher the texts to fit the questions, do mark schemes, print them (and so on) just a few weeks before the exam, so the chances of it being really recent are slim. So, I am going to say that Source A will be from 2018 (although it would not surprise me to see one from a little later). As for Source B, the average time difference between a 19^th and a 21^st century text has been 143 years. Now, I know that this is not how AQA do it, because that would be plainly daft, but just for fun I will say that the text is going to be from 1883 – exactly 143 years ago. Out of the six from the 1800s, two were from the 1880s. So that does make a certain sense. It's close enough to our own time for the writing to feel quite modern, but not so far back that students leave the exam complaining that Source B was written by Shakespeare...

Based on the above data, I will make a single prediction – and then suggest a few more alternatives for Paper 2 2026.

PREDICTION

Source A - c. 2018

First is a modern reflective travel/gap-year experience. So, I think the text that we will get is a piece of personal journalism for Source A – by a female writer. It will be modern (obviously), and I think we will get something involving travel and experience. In other words, travelling to do something productive rather than a holiday. For example, it could be a gap year memoir, with a diary-stye narrative. The aim of the travel could be to help build a hospital or school in some far-flung place which would open the text up to the inclusion of emotional reactions and perspectives. This is just an example scenario, of course but reflective travel has a high chance of coming up. For this, someone like Greta Thunberg is perhaps too politically recognizable, so it might be writers like Scarlett Curtis, Pandora Sykes or Monica Ali. Then again...

Source B - c. 1883

If we “follow the money”, then this will be a male author. To counterpoint Source A, this could be something about travel to enrich oneself through the educational experiences. The Grand Tour (an educational European journey undertaken by wealthy people during the eighteenth century) was a little out of fashion by Victorian times but Grand Tour-style cultural travel continued throughout the nineteenth century. It would focus on personal enrichment through knowledge rather than necessarily helping others and so could balance the two different perspectives well. I would like to see Lord Byron here, but as he died in 1824, inclusion of any of his letters about his travels would make it the oldest text ever used in GCSE English Language. So, not happening (although AQA can be a little perverse in their choices). More likely would be Robert Louis Stevenson, whose Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes (1879, so my “date” for this paper would have to change!) is still a charming read. I would love it if this came up. Modestine the donkey is a wonderful character, stubborn and manipulative. I adored this book when I was a kid. It's not The Grand Tour but is someone doing something just for the fun of it (although Stevenson went on his travels to help mend a broken heart). Other possibilities when it comes to great Victorian travel writing (and who haven’t been used by AQA yet) include George Borrow, Henry James and William Hazlitt.

Other Possibilities

As you know, the above is quite likely to be wrong, being a needle in a haystack guess. For example, say AQA go with Stevenson's Travels with a Donkey, then it is possible that Source A will be a lighthearted account of another human/animal interaction and not about building a school/hospital. The permutations and combinations at play as possibilities here are enormous. However, although the above is my favourite, I did have a few more thoughts. Here are some other possibilities.

Progress – technological or otherwise. The Source B (1800s) writer could celebrate progress and its speed – enabled by the Industrial Revolution (travel, cheaper goods – the usual pros). The Source A (2000s) writer could be more cautious about the impact that progress is having on our lives (surveillance, social media – the usual cons).
Comparing Cultures - Source A (2000s): A youngish person reflecting on growing up between cultures, or navigating modern expectations around identity, school, or community. Source B (1800s): A Victorian writer describing the rigid rules of society, manners, or class - someone travelling or observing social customs.
Stress - Source A (2000s): A youngish person describing stress, overwork, exam pressure, or the feeling of being constantly measured (sounds like Greta again! Why do I keep coming back to her?). Source B (1800s): A Victorian writer describing factory work, apprenticeships, or the harsh realities of labour during the Industrial Revolution.

What about Question 5?

AQA hasn’t used a letter since 2022, so it’s overdue in rotation. However, the last times AQA used speeches, they were bundled together in consecutive exams. That could happen again – November’s Q5 was a speech. So, (of course), AQA know that we are all playing the guessing game and might just go with another speech, just to be perversely capricious or capriciously perverse (I really don’t think it is going to be an article!). If I had to choose (and I do, because I’m writing this), then it would have to be a letter for June 2026. It could look something like this:

Maybe mentioning exams in an exam is a little too meta for AQA. Regardless, why is this a good prediction? AQA loves to echoe the deeper ideas of the sources without directly copying them. As such, this is a perfect thematic match. This kind of question is a strong prediction, I believe, because it fits both what AQA usually does and what they haven’t done for a while. A letter is the most overdue text type - we haven’t seen one since 2022 - and AQA normally switches things up after a run of articles and speeches - but they know that we know that. The topic also matches the kind of issues that come up in Paper 2: what success means, how young people are judged, and what really matters in education. Writing to an MP feels realistic, persuasive and relevant, which is exactly the kind of task AQA likes to set.

Now, don’t throw your rattle out of the pram if a letter does come up. Ah, the number of times I have heard bleated variations of “I don’t like writing [insert text type]; I prefer to write [insert text type]. As I explain in this article, it really doesn’t matter which type of text you are asked to write! As you can see from my predicted letter question above, you could just insert the "speech" or "article" instruction into the question and it would make no difference, frankly. Your ability to write a letter is not judged as such - it's your ability to communicate and connect with your audience (put simply) and to organise your work. That's why they call the mark out of 24 for this question Content and Organisation!

What about the other questions? Let's have a look at some data about how they have appeared over the last ten exams.

For Question 2, it’s almost bound to be what you can infer about the differences between two things. My bet (given my prediction) would be the differences between two places. The modern text could focus on a very poor place – where one might expect volunteer work to be done by someone on their gap year. The Victorian text – if it is about The Grand Tour could be a very grand or historic place – such as the amphitheatre in Rome. Or it could remain with an impoverished poor place - as in Stevenson's Travels with a Donkey.

For Question 3, it’s likely to be a description of an experience. With my predicted paper, this would be along the lines of “How does the writer use language to describe her experience of volunteering abroad?”. The paragraph (or two) could focus on a specific moment, such as the first time she arrives at the building site, the physical effort of carrying materials in the heat, or the sense of connection she feels when working alongside local people. These kinds of vivid, sensory details give students plenty of language to analyse - verbs showing movement, adjectives describing atmosphere, and figurative language capturing emotion - which fits the pattern of recent Q3s that focus on a clear, memorable experience rather than a place or a feeling on its own.

AQA might be able to squish the 19th century text in here. What a field day some students might have with this paragraph from Stevenson's Travels with a Donkey:

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of our life more clearly; to come down off this feather-bed of civilization, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints. Alas, as we get up in life, and are more preoccupied with our affairs, even a holiday is a thing that must be worked for. To hold a pack upon a pack-saddle against a gale out of the freezing north is no high industry, but it is one that serves to occupy and compose the mind. And when the present is so exacting who can annoy himself about the future?

For Question 4, it is most likely to be the different feelings and perspectives (thoughts and feelings might appear in the question rather than perspectives). So, taking my predicted paper, this could be the differences between why they travelled in the first place – the first to help people, the second to help themselves (culturally and educationally). So, they both may have travelled to enrich themselves (one way or another) so the intentions of both writers might be good but one will be selfless and the other selfish (essentially), so their feelings about what they have experienced will differ.

So, there you have it – my predictions. They are probably completely and utterly wrong, but I had fun writing this – and I hope you had some reading my waffle. Good luck in Paper 2!

Tomorrow's the day, so take your chance,
Read with care and make words dance.
Pick your evidence, explain it well,
Show the examiner what you can tell.

Stay calm, stay focused, give it your all,
One question at a time, no matter how small.
You've worked hard and come so far.
Now go and show them how brilliant you are!

Part of Your World in Japanese – From The 2026 Little Mermaid Musical in Maihama, Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 24 May 2026 16:27:31 +0000

In August, Japan will be getting a new version of The Little Mermaid musical. It is a very well-liked story and versions of it have been staged over the years but this production looks very special (if you like that kind of thing!). I always enjoy listening to familiar songs in other languages, to see how different they sound and feel. This is an incredibly sweet rendition of Part of Your World, sung by Rina Tachibana, where Ariel sings with a gentle sense of longing and wonder, capturing the same emotional heart of the original while giving it a soft Japanese theatrical style.

The new production is based at The Maihama Amphitheater, a live performance venue located in Maihama, an area in Urayasu near Tokyo. It sits close to Tokyo Disney Resort. How does this all come about? The Disney–Shiki Partnership is a long-term licensing and production collaboration between The Walt Disney Company and Shiki Theatre Company, one of Japan’s biggest theatre companies.

In simple terms, Disney writes and owns the musicals (like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Frozen), and Shiki is the Japanese company that stages and performs them in Japan. They translate the shows into Japanese, cast local performers, and run long-term productions in dedicated theatres across cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. In this case it is the Maihama Amphitheater. Take a look at Part of Your World below – and if you are anything like me, you are probably weighing up a visit to Japan in August!

Wolf, Are You There? (Loup, y es-tu?)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 24 May 2026 15:20:25 +0000

This is dark. Created by a group of Rubika students, this animated shorts tells the story of Mischa, a girl who seems to be left pretty much to her own devices by the adults who surround her. The short is symbolicaslly rich – Mischa makes a violin out of paper, which perhaps shows the fragility of anything beautiful or special in her world. As she proceeds around the apartment in a vain attempt to play for the “monsters” who inhabit the apartment (ie the adults) she is met with ill-temper, disregard and finally interest, but not in her music.

The wolf of the title is always there and always closing in… “Loup, y es-tu ?” (“Wolf, are you there?”) is a very well-known French children’s game and song. It’s commonly played in nursery and primary schools in France and other French-speaking places. The game works a bit like “What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?” in English-speaking countries. Whether or not the wolf will eat Mischa in the end, you must discover for yourself. This is an incredibly striking animation, which will stay with you afterwards. The design, from characters to backgrounds is outstanding.

Well done to the Rubika students involved in the creation of this remarkably mature yet sombre piece of art with deep psychological undertones. It was directed by Louise Laurent, Alizée Vandevalle, Emma Fessart, Jeanne Galland, Célina Lebon and Annouck François, with music by Mathis Coopman and sound design by Louise Laurent. This is a challenging watch but a rewarding one.

Bordeaux Architecture in Motion: A Beautiful Hyperlapse Tour of the City

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 23 May 2026 10:06:12 +0000

Bordeaux is, of course, famous for its wine (and rightly so). Yet there is more to the French city than fermented grapes – its architecture is simply amazing, When you considers its long history, this might not be surprising, but its extent leaves many visitors (very pleasantly) surprised. One visitor last year was Kirill Neiezhmakov, who is famed for his hyperlapse photography and has been featured here many times on Kuriositas. Before you experience this, note that none of the footage you are about to watch was shot with drones or gimbals (a pivotal support mechanism) which may leave you wondering just how this was made... You can learn more about this by going to the video on YouTube.

Neiezhmakov catches many of the city’s famous buildings here, from the Place de la Bourse to the Grosse Cloche to the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. Apparently, some buildings were clad in scaffolding during his visit, but the result that we see looks like a gloriously sunny trip to one of France’s most famous cities (it rained, but we don’t see that!). Bordeaux has always looked great and this video is a perfect showcase for the remarkable and ancient city.

Yaxlont: A Delightful Twist on the Monster Under the Bed Story

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 23 May 2026 07:50:55 +0000

In the just slightly alternative reality we are presented with in Yaxlont, monsters who live under the bed are real and anyone can see them (well, the kids at least – it isn’t made clear whether adults can). They befriend a child who needs them and usually fade away when the child hits eleven or twelve years old. This isn’t the case with Joe (played by Joe Barber who you might remember from Adolescence) who is seventeen and still has “Yax” with him.

There is a small problem, though, which comes in the shape of Jess (Emily Burnett). Jess needs help with her homework and Joe (somewhat smitten) brings her home to study, much to Yax’s horrified chagrin. Played by Freddie Meredith (who was in a number of episodes of Andor – and many other TV shows), Yax comes across as a fully-formed and highly sympathetic… monster under the bed. Yax and Joe have something of a fine bromance going on between them, but perhaps Yax should have researched what happens to adolescent boys a little bit before the helping with the maths homework in the bedroom scenario. Perhaps, too, he has become a little set in his ways - but Yax's learning curve is about to become a lot curvier.

Written and created by Uncle Shortbread (Arthur Studholme and Cosmo Wellings), and presented by the BBC, this comedy short is something of a delight.

How I Finally Grew Delphiniums Successfully

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 22 May 2026 16:42:12 +0000

Delphiniums are not considered impossible to grow in the UK, but for a casual gardener (ie lazy) they can prove to be something of a challenge. So, I’m more than happy to have had my second year of beautiful delphinium spikes in the garden. However, it was a bit of a slog getting to this point! As you can see from the picture above, this year they are already in full bloom. OK, some members of the RHS might sniff a little, but I am very happy with their iridescent blueness – a very cheery addition to the garden. However, not every year has been as happy as this…

The pictures are all from May 2026.

The first year I tried to grow delphiniums, I bought them from seed and followed all of the instructions to the letter. The seedlings poked up, had a look around and in a fit of flowery nihilism, decided it wasn’t worth the bother hanging around. I think perhaps I tried to look after them too much - maybe I overwatered them or just simply put them off existing by my overexcitement at their presence. The second year, I bought some bare roots -and they came up. Unfortunately, a storm came and flattened them. They didn't try again. That was that for another year.

So, the year after, I went for bare roots again. I planted them in a sheltered but sunny (ish) position and hoped for the best. They came up and then I discovered something. Snails just adore chomping on delphinium and, boy oh boy, they musting have come galloping over the hill (snails do gallop, apparently) in multitudes, because before long my delphiniums were stumpy remnants. Then they just shrivelled up.

OK, I wasn’t going to give up that easily. The next year (last year), I popped some bare roots in a planter and up they came. I used peat-free compost from a local garden centre. The final touch was copper tape around the top of the (circular) planter. I think I planted them a little too late, but they came up, grew and flowered. A bit. The copper tape seemed to keep the various gastropods at a distance (unless they couldn’t be bothered climbing) and that was that. I did take some pictures but they weren’t too impressive.

This year, however, when March came, I noticed some shoots coming up in the planter and, remembering what delphinium leaves look like, I was immediately excited for a second year of these beautiful flowers. Sure enough, here they are. I love the sky blue colour that this variety has and the local pollinators (especially butterflies and bumblebees) seem to love them – apparently it’s down to their long tongues that can get to the nectar that the flowers produce).

Now, I don’t care for my plants as much as I should (time, still working too hard for money). I don’t weed around them as much as they should (and I will use the same excuse for that). And I don’t supplement their growth with any nice organic stuff that would perform that trick. So, the success is largely down to luck and all the hard work the plants put it (because I didn’t do much, really). Even if these aren’t exactly the most impressive delphiniums on the planet ever, allow me a moment of pride (before they no doubt get blown down by Hurricane Percy – or whatever the next one will be called).

Till then, I'm happy. And there's always next year...

The Close – What Life in the UK is Really Like

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 18 May 2026 17:25:37 +0000

If you are thinking of settling in any of the nations of the United Kingdom, then you are probably aware that you will have to take the Life in the UK test (which assesses applicants’ knowledge of British history, values, laws, traditions, and everyday civic responsibilities for citizenship). However, I would advise you to watch this, as it is more informative about what really goes on here. So, instead of learning about Welsh Christmas traditions, or what the Scots do at Easter – or any of the other things that most of the people who were born in the UK don’t know about either, learn from this animated short instead.

The Close, by Birdbox Studio (and here hosted by the BBC) takes a close look (ah, couldn’t resist it) at everyday life in an average British street. There’s the mum trying to get three dogs and a kid organised (sorry, that’s three kids and a dog), the grumpy old lady next door, the bashful teenagers, the one-night-standers, the randy decorators, the middle aged cyclist who really shouldn’t be wearing lycra, the home-worker with homicidal kids, the fellah who has a strange idea about masculine ideals. They’re all here. And so is the American interloper, the grey squirrel, who just wants to climb a tree but doesn't look like he has passed any tests for that recently. Put these elements together and you will get a real impression of what life is like on a quiet British street. Of course, like anything else British, behind the calm exterior there is usually just sheer chaos.

Hats off to writer and director Ant Blades and the team for creating something so funny and memorable. So, rip up your Life in the UK book and watch this instead. You still might not pass the test, but at least it won’t have cost you fifty quid. And you might have learned something useful.

Temptation – Will Dave the Bungling Bear Get his Tasty Treats?

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 17 May 2026 15:56:27 +0000

Meet Dave. Dave is a bear. And he is hungry – always hungry. And there is candy and other sweet treats everywhere. Of course, in time-honoured toon tradition, he must have a nemesis who stands in his gluttonous path. But spare a thought for Dave – he has two, in the shape of compulsive hoarder Roy the Squirrel and Audrey, the “Fearless Leader” of the local scout pack. Oh dear. Poor Dave. Will he ever manage to get his furry mitts on the goodies or will Roy and Audrey forever stand in his way?

He certainly has his work cut out for him, as did the bunch of Rubika students who produced this outstanding (and gleefully violent) animated short. The film was created by Camille Canonne (who came up with the original idea), Laura Bouillet, Michael Hoft, Catherine Le Quang, Pauline Raffin and Martin Villert, with music and sound design by Julien Auclair and Arthur Romain. Voice performances are provided by Arthur Romain, Julien Auclair and Coralie Vallias. This is a superlative piece of animated glee, especially when you take into account that these are students working on a limited budget. Fantastic – take a look below.

GCSE English Language Paper 1 2026 Predictions: What AQA’s Unseen Text Could Be

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 17 May 2026 14:10:42 +0000

As an English teacher in the UK, each year I play a guessing game. The game is “What will be the unseen text for GCSE English Language Paper 1?” (AQA board) and sometimes I am pretty close. Can I get it right in 2026? (Here are my Paper 2 predictions).

Last year, for example, I told my students I expected something like John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids to turn up, as science fiction hadn’t featured for a while in GCSE English Paper 1 (not since Ray Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder in November 2018). Now, I didn’t get the novel right – it was The Midwich Cuckoos – but I did get the novelist.

You're probably not too impressed with that, but you can go to the back of the class and be quiet for once. Regardless, here are my predictions (aka guesses) for this year.

Barry Hines – A Kestrel for a Knave (1968). Grounded in social realism, clear and accessible prose with some great dialogue. Plenty of tension between the protagonist and members of his family in this one. This might be a little too realistic for AQA, however – they had a host of complaints after using The Mill by HE Bates in 2019 (and not about the part of the story featured in the extract, either!). This has perhaps been over-studied in English schools in the past, but the people who put the exam together may well have studied it and have fond memories!
Roald Dahl – The Landlady (1959). Classic short story with a very clear structure and a strong sense of mounting tension. Starts in an ordinary, almost calm setting before gradually becoming unsettling as the protagonist’s situation shifts. Plenty of opportunities for language analysis around foreshadowing, subtle clues, and the growing sense that something is not quite right.
Elizabeth Taylor – The Fly Paper (1959). Domestic social realism with precise, understated prose and strong focus on subtle character interaction. Set in an ordinary everyday environment, it builds tension through small social observations, awkward behaviour, and implied emotional undercurrents rather than overt action. Very effective for inference, particularly around tone, relationship dynamics, and the slow shift in mood within a realistic setting.
Penelope Lively – The Darkness Out There (1984). Short story rooted in social realism with a strong focus on atmosphere and psychological tension. Begins in an ordinary, everyday setting before gradually revealing darker undertones and shifting the reader’s understanding of character and situation. Particularly effective for analysis of structure, especially how mood changes through subtle clues and a late-stage tonal shift.

Out of the four – I am inclined to go for something by Roald Dahl! Of course, this is just a little fun I have each year. Plus, it could be a wish list as much as it is a series of educated guesses. However, I have been close before.

So, how do I go about trying to predict the unseen text for Paper 1?

First of all, I look at the type of texts that have been featured over the last few years.

I call it the 8-exam pattern. Now AQA certainly doesn’t seem to rotate genres in a strict cycle. Instead, it rotates extract “functions” (what the passage does) more than labelled genres. That said, we can still see a pattern in what they’ve recently favoured.

As you can see from the picture above, there has been a strong cluster of character driven prose with psychological or internal focus – and you can add a dash of moral framing in there for good measure. Having looked through the list closely, I think the most likely type of text we’re going to get this year is contemporary social realism (contemporary to the time it was written).

I think it is likely we will have a text that shows a family (or domestic situation) or even a workplace – although my money is on a family situation. There will be subtle emotional tension in an ordinary setting – with a strong focus on character.

There is a new element in play here, of course – and that is the new wording of Question 3 (the structure question). Now, AQA has adapted the question for all its past papers. Their examples have included suspense, mystery, excitement, anxiety, sadness, curiosity and sympathy.

The one that keeps coming up again and again is “How has the writer structured the text to create tension?”. I have a feeling that they might stick with that, just to give this year’s students something that they will almost certainly have approached in class. So we’re looking for a text that has tension – and frankly any writer will tell you that is pivotal in every and any piece of prose! Tension can also vary wildly, too. However, if you look at the questions that it has been used for, it is often tension between one character and external forces working upon them (often another character or their situation). Then again, the exam board may have had a funny five minutes and decided to do a sense of desolation or a sense of happiness (wait, we might get a happy text?).

What decade will the text be from? Well, recently the 1940s and 1950s have had a very strong presence, while texts from this century have been a little thin on the ground. The 1960s–1980s is the “gap zone” in the data, but it could easily go back earlier (the very first 9-1 paper was The Tiredness of Rosabel, written in 1908). I am going to take a punt on the late 50s to the late 80s with the biggest likelihood being somewhere in the middle. As ever, this is just a feeling - AQA don’t rotate decades or genres in any reliable way; they rotate extract function + structure + language demands.

Across recent exams, there has been a mix of tension (external events), emotion (internal reaction) and observation (setting/description). The text will most likely be controlled, accessible prose with emotional or intellectual depth - not high-action genre fiction. So, that has also fed into my predictions and why I think the realism will be social, not supernatural...

Have I ever got it completely right? Never! Have I been close? A number of times (particularly with Paper 2, but that’s another story). Oh, and if they go for something very early in the 20th century, my money is on D.H, Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers – which has social realism, huge family tension and, is from a period before his prose became too dense for GCSE English. If they go with an American author, I am pretty sure they have been itching to use something by Shirley Jackson for years...

So, there you have it. You may well be wondering why you bothered reading this, so vague are my predictions. Plus, you know full well that reading this has given you absolutely no advantage whatsoever in the forthcoming exam at all. So, let me shut up and disappear. Before I do, though - here's my major punt. Let's go with Roald Dahl's The Landlady and see what happens! Yes, that contradicts the family element I predicted earlier, but teachers are a capricious lot.