Lance Greenfield's Blog, page 83
June 11, 2015
Top Notch Omelette
I am spending a few days bringing some of my “Titbits” blog posts to the fore, as my more recent followers may not have dived into that section. Here’s the third…
Lobster Omelette – Delicious!
“Oo dare to order plain omelette from zee keetchen of zee greatest chef in zee ‘ole Caribbean?!” yelled Jean-Paul at the terrified Grenadian waiter, waving his hot spatula inches from the poor boy’s nose.
“Twenty years of ‘ard graft in zee ‘ottest restaurants in Paree so I can prepare zee best New Year Gala Dinner menu ever seen in zees ‘emisphere, to be insulted by some reech American touriste!”
Five days later, most of the guests had departed and Jean-Paul sat chatting to the friendly, unassuming British couple who remained.
“No, no. Please. I like to ‘ear zee feedback,” insisted Jean-Paul.
“Well, it might please your guests if you could mix your haute cuisine with some laid-back Caribbean,” suggested the gentleman, tentatively. “For example, my wife resorted to just a plain omelette on New Year’s Eve.”
“Ah! YOU are zee geelty wan!” exclaimed Jean-Paul, leaping to his feet, waggling his finger threateningly in the direction of the terrified lady’s face.
June 10, 2015
Very Proud of my Little Sister!
Article from The [Sheffield] Star. Click on the headline to view the original.
Professor Diana Greenfield, a Macmillan Consultant Nurse based at the Royal Hallamshire and Weston Park Hospital
A Sheffield healthcare worker who champions the needs of cancer survivors living with the long-term effects of the disease years after treatment has been recognised for her work.
Professor Diana Greenfield, a Macmillan consultant nurse based at the Royal Hallamshire and Weston Park hospitals has been honoured by the University of Sheffield.
She has been named as the university’s ‘Chair in Cancer Survivorship’ for the impact of her clinical and academic work locally, nationally and at international level.
Professor Greenfield champions the ‘Late Effects’ service at the Royal Hallamshire and Weston Park Hospitals to support the ongoing general health and wellbeing, physical and psychosocial needs of cancer survivors – including diabetes, infertility, obesity, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression.
She said: “I am truly honoured to have been recognised by the University of Sheffield for firmly putting cancer survivorship on the agenda.
“It is a privilege to look after people who have survived cancer, and learn from them every day.”
Professor Hilary Chapman, chief nurse for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “I am delighted that Diana has been recognised by the University of Sheffield for improving care for cancer survivors. Not only has she helped to establish a truly inspirational consultant nurse role, but she has also led the way with the development of clinical services, promoting best practice and aiding greater understanding of the challenges cancer survivors face. Her new role will help fly the flag for Sheffield across many specialities.”
Chess made simple . . . and Pink!
Over the next few days, I thought that I’d drag a few of my “Titbits” blog posts to the fore, as my more recent followers may not have dived into that section. Here’s the second…
This is how I explained the game of chess to a wonderful lady radio presenter (Charlie Crocker) who loves to laugh and loves the color pink even more. She kept telling her listeners that she had never been able to understand chess, so I thought I’d help her out.
Chess explained as never before
Imagine that you are a Queen in medieval times. You live in a square continent that has only two countries. All the people in your country dress in one colour. I think that PINK would be ideal, don’t you?! All the people from the other nation dress in YELLOW because that is also such a jolly colour.
You are the PINK Queen.
Of course, you are married to a wonderful, PINK King who must be protected at all costs. Naturally, you are much more powerful than your dear King. You can move as many steps in any direction as you like. Your King can also move in any direction, but only one step at a time. Poor chap!
Your country has an army with only eight foot soldiers, all of them dressed in PINK. They are led by you and your King, and you are supported by two PINK Bishops, two PINK knights and two mobile, PINK castles (a bit like tanks in the modern army). They are all dressed in PINK including the horses that the knights ride around on.
The YELLOW nation are similarly configured.
All of the soldiers, bishops, knights and castles are constrained in the way that they move, but don’t bother about that. They know the rules, and YOU are the Queen.
Your army moves around the continent, trying to capture the YELLOW pieces of the foreign army, whilst avoiding capture themselves.
You win by cornering the King of the YELLOW nation so that, whichever way he moves next, remembering that he can only walk one step at a time, he would be captured by a member of your army on the next move.
But watch out! YOU will lose if the YELLOW army corners YOUR PINK King first!
Is that plain enough for you?
June 9, 2015
Review: Clouded Vision
Clouded Vision by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The strength of this story is not so much in the murder mystery, but in the intrusion of a fraudulent psychic who makes a living out of exploiting the vulnerable families of missing persons.
The prologue, entitled Setting the Scene: Ellie, describes the death and ingenious seclusion of the body from the victim’s point of view. That builds the suspense on which the rest of the story is founded.
Each chapter describes the progress of the plot from the perspective of one of the characters, and the conclusion of this quick read is worth the wait. It is possible to read the whole book in just over an hour.
As I read, I could guess what was going to happen next, but only a few lines ahead of each event. I think that this is skillful writing. You don’t want to be able to guess the ending in the first chapter. Equally, you don’t want to arrive at several revelations in the final chapter for which there have been not a single clue on the way to that point.
Definitely recommended if you want a short, entertaining murder with twists story.
My Small Part in a Hitchcock Film
In the coming days, I just thought that I’d drag a few of my “Titbits” blog posts to the fore, as my more recent followers may not have dived into that section. Here’s the first…
The 1956 version of the Hitchock film, The Man Who Knew Too Much, starred James Stewart (as Ben McKenna) and Doris Day (as Jo McKenna). This is the film which launched the first song to make it to number one on both sides of the Atlantic: Que Sera, Sera.
At the time, my Mum, pregnant with me, was a classical pianist and a model in London. She was extremely beautiful. As an extra in the closing scenes of the film, she was a member of the choir in the Albert Hall. During the concert, an assassination attempt on a foreign Prime Minister is foiled by Jo and Ben.
Later at the embassy of the foreign dignitary, Doris Day’s son in the film, Hank, who had been kidnapped, hears her singing Que Sera Sera, and cries for help. He is rescued. A happy ending.
I truly believe that I must also have actually heard that song during the many recordings of those final scenes, as, even now, hearing Que Sera Sera being sung by Doris Day makes me feel quite emotional!
Re-wind to the real climax of the film, which is Ben’s frantic search for the killer in the boxes of the Albert Hall. Jo can see the barrel of the assassin’s gun emerging from the curtains and is trying to guide Ben towards him. He is waiting for the cymbal clash to mask the noise of his shot. The tension mounts. Jo screams as the shot is fired. It just grazes the intended victim. Ben grapples with the gunman, who falls to his death from the balcony.
My Mum
As Ben’s search reached its climax, Hitchcock directed the camera to zoom in onto the fair face of the most stunning woman in the choir.
Yes. You have guessed it…….
That was my Mum! Her face filled the big screen.
And I was inside her tummy!
So, I can truthfully claim to have been……
…… the bump in the night in a Hitchcock film!
June 8, 2015
Rather extravagant – I bought TWO new albums!
I went into town, Staines-upon-Thames, just now to post a package. As I was passing the music shop, I suddenly thought of Melody Gardot’s new album, Currency of Man, which was published in UK last week while I was away. You may remember that I recently published a very moving preview of one of the tracks, Preacherman.
If you didn’t see and hear it before, you won’t regret a click ‘n’ listen now.
Searching for my choice, I spotted another album that appealed to me: The Changing Lights by Stacey Kent.
Uncharacteristically, for me, I splashed out on BOTH albums! I even bought the 15-track, rather than the 10-track, version of Currency of Man.
As a bonus to you for reading this far, I am adding in a Stacey Kent track that I absolutely adore. It’s not on this album, but please feel free to smooch along with me to its mellow tones.
Review: Coastliners
Coastliners by Joanne M. Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Nice little story, but painfully slow
A young woman, Mado, returns to the island of her birth following the death of her mother in Paris. She has been scraping a living as a painter, but the small, split community of the Brittany island of Le Devin seems to be calling to her. She wants to care for her depressed father, Grosjean, who continually rejects her kindness to such extent that he refuses to speak to her.
Life has never been easy at the poorer end of the island, Les Slants, to which Mado belongs. To make matters worse, the beach has completely disappeared over recent years. Quite the opposite has happened at the rich end of the island, La Houssiniere, and their improved fortunes appear to be something to do with the wealthy, but sinister, M. Brismand.
There are ancient family feuds, and mystery and secrecy abound. Against the odds, and in unlikely alliance with an outsider, Flynn, Mado set out to literally turn the tide.
There are a few twists at the end, some of them tragic, but these are little consolation for the slow pace of the story. The book is worth reading, but there are plenty that I would recommend ahead of it.
Weekend Music: Black Mountain Rag
I love it!
Originally posted on Sourcerer:
Still my favorite YouTube guitar video. This is a minute and a half of pure virtuosity right here. It’s the look of complete happiness that does it for me. And the shoes. What shoes!
Happy Weekend! I should be around more here next week.
Originally posted on 
June 7, 2015
Two Special Songs on Sunday
I have been listening to these two very special songs today. They both mean a lot to me.
