Pond and Mincemeat.

 I wanted to do something restful today
I’ve just worked two twelve hour shifts and am about to do two more.
Today I wanted to mooch…quietly

I should have helped the community Association volunteers in their planting out of the newly reconstructed village pond but I went to the cinema instead. 
This may have rested my sore neck ( my work physio almost pulled my head off during a somewhat energetic therapy session) but resting in the cinema wasnt really therapy as the film wasn’t as good as I expected …hey ho.

I went up to the pond later on  to survey their work and I was impressed.
Not only has the pond been dredged of silt and mud. Aquatic plants and reeds have been planted on its borders with shrubs, annuals and woodland plants framing it nicely




The movie was Operation Mincemeat, a true wartime story of MI5s efforts to try to deceive the Germans by posing the body of Welsh tramp as a British Officer with forged top secret instructions outlining the allied invasion of Greece instead of the intended target of  Sicily. It’s a story that was filmed more successfully back in 1956 in The Man That Never Was.
This version has a cast to die for . Mathew Macfadyen, Colin Firth, Penelope Wilton, Jason Issacs, Mark Gatiss, and Kelly MacDonald, but Firth was miscast as the lead role and the whole thing I found somewhat dreary.



31 comments:

  1. I often think in any of the performance arts - if youhave enjoyed it the first time round don't see another version - its probably going to disappoint.

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    1. I have seen some remakes that are better than the original but the are rare

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  2. First I've heard of the movie or the operation

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    1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mincemeat

      Makes for an interesting read

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  3. I often think re-makes aren't a patch on the original, so rarely watch them. The pond looks great and will soon be full of wildlife. Fantastic work by the volunteers. xx

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  4. I wondered if your pond had a nice name x

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    1. Pwll
      Which means ponder pool in welsh

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    2. Is that pronounced ''pool''? Pool Pool?

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    3. No double LL is oooch in welsh

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    4. Ponder Pool sounds lovely- my dad would have pondered by the pool if he was passing by-leg up on a rock leaning forwards and dragging on cigarette nonchalantly x

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  5. The pond looks delightful. Will it self fill and replenish, maybe w a spring? Or rain? I wondered about the pond project when you mentioned the new orchard. btw NYC is planting an orchard also, all heirloom trees...in case you visit us and get homesick.
    lizzy x

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    1. There is a water source into it Lizzy

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  6. Finally the pond project is completed. It looks lovely and restful. Somewhere to sit and watch the frogs and the dragonflies whilst getting away from it all. Pity about the film ... that is a stellar cast!

    Jo in Auckland

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  7. The pond is charming. What a great job they did.

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  8. Wow, there really was a pond under all the previous jungle of plants! I'm constantly amazed by the community spirit in your village. In the times we live in it starts to become like something out of a bygone era or about a made up romantic village in a dear old book.

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  9. Not all villages are blessed with folk who get stuck into community projects. They seem to have done a great job of the pond and surrounding area. Marvellous.

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  10. The pond looks wonderful and will provide a nice place to visit for the community. You recently planted fruit trees and this will be equally good for the community. You contribute to lots of village projects so missing the pond project is surely okay.

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  11. Looks nice. Sad the movie was not better.

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  12. Barbara Anne1:13 am

    Lovely pond and the surrounding flowers are so pretty.
    Sorry the moving was less than stellar. Even Colin Firth didn't help? How is that possible?!

    Hugs!

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    1. Barbara Anne1:14 am

      make that "movie". Oh, to remember to proof read before clicking "publish". Sigh.

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  13. Sorry to hear "Operation Mincemeat" fell short. I was looking forward to seeing it, based on Colin Firth and that stellar cast.

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  14. Sounds to me like another WWII story I heard about using a body to misdirect the Germans on the eve of the Normandy Invasion. Could be the same story and my memory just changed the facts.

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  15. I loved the original film, and have watched it many times. I don't think I could be bothered with the new version; unless of course it was a LOT better.

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  16. The pond is lovely! Sorry the movie was not what you expected. Not all remakes come out as good as they would hope.

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  17. The pond looks as if it is going to become an absolute haven for wildlife and people! Your village has a good heart.

    Shame about the film, especially with such a promising cast.

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  18. I recall seeing the original movie but remakes seldom are better, I agree, despite name casts sometimes. Sorry this one was such for you, an unwelcome disappointment. The pond looks like a lovely spot to regenerate the spirit or just lose oneself in thought.

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  19. That's good enough for me. I want to see it.

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  20. Community deeds , wonderful.

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  21. "The Man that Never Was" is definitely a better title!

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