Long Day

I got home after my twelve hour shift to find a slightly frazzled Chris reclining on the couch after a a busy day animal caring.I have just had time to eat a nice tea (made for me) and water the flocks before walking the dogs and having an hour watching a documentary on war films on the excellent Film 4..and then bed.

Apart from Mrs Miniver my all time favourite war time propaganda film is the classic Went the Day Well? (1942).I know just why I like it, as it has in effect, the essentials to fashion the classic disaster movie.

A group of English villagers, amongst them ( ham armed postmistress heroine Mrs Frazer (Marie Lohr),Ivy Dawking the land girl (Thora Hird) and Bill Purvis the poacher (Edward Rigby) slowly realise that dreadful German soldiers have taken over their tiny hamlet, and fight back to reclaim their village. Typical of the later disaster films, the socially opposite warmer characters die bravely ( the old post mistress and the game old Lady of the manor house) but daringly the film also has British children shot in the streets ( a rare sight in any war film) and some fairly graphic scenes of violence and sadism.

Anyhow God knows why I am rabbiting on about Went the day well, my day today didn't go that well at all. Looked after an old lady who had collapsed on the last day of her holiday.The very fact that she was enjoying her first holiday in ages in a local guest house, I found incredibly moving and sad, especially as things look rather bleak for her. I am working another twelve hour shift tomorrow, so I hope I can look after her and her family then.