Housewife 49. TV 1, 11pm Saturday night

This should be a good movie. It's from the book 'Nella Lasts War'

In WW II women were asked to keep diaries of daily goings on. Nella Last was one of them. She wrote each day about what she did, how she felt and how she was managing. How the war was affecting her and other people around her in her village. Volunteer work, checking on elderly neighbours, bombshelters, her sons and how she felt about them going off to war, home help, acquiring food and making it last are a few of the things she wrote about.

It's an amazing story of how she struggled and how she overcame the hardships and horrors of living through bombings and trying to keep herself sane.
Pity it's on so late! No doubt there will be the usual 'chewing gum for the mind' movies preceding it.

Victoria Wood plays Nella Last. If the movie is as good as the book, it should be a goodun. Possibly worth videoing if it's on too late to the early risers.

Yakut

Bugger, sounds like a good movie. I am working so will hopefully remember to tape it.

Sounds like a book I read some time ago and will dig it out. It was based on diaries kept by a variety of registered volunteers on how they coped during the war times, whilst still at "home" (UK).

Very interesting if somewhat "normal" but the point was made. Some follow up was done down the track and in one or two cases I felt I would have liked to have known more.

I will let you know the title as it should be close to hand. Ordered it through Amazon UK.

I read one a while back called 'Landgirls'. Set in the UK and followed a group of landgirls who had all been sent to a farm. That was apparently a film as well but they often change the title so it's hard to catch up with it if it is ever screened and you don't remember the title of the film.

I also have a book written by Jane Dare about being a British landgirl here in NZ during the war. That is interesting. Jane moves from one farm to another as the need arises. From a family to a tight fisted old lady in a run down house where she has to sleep on a ratty old bed with 'sandpaper' bedding.

I bought a second hand book in a shop somewhere ages ago. It's called 'Housemaster' I was intrigued by the cover but didn't get around to reading it for a while. When I finally did, I was so pleased I'd bought it.
Nothing to do with landgirls or WWII but an English school master and along the lines of a typical 1950's British comedy. That too had been made into a film but alas, too obscure to find a copy lurking on video or DVD. It was a gentle riot, if there can be such a thing. It's that gentle humour the old British comedies managed so well. Nothing smacking you in the face but that real subtle stuff that has you shaking with mirth.

There have been some fabulous books written that would be so good if they could be made into movies or those that have already reached that point, re released.

I am so over these bubblegum movies churned out in Hollywood seemingly just to put actors in jobs. Same scenarios, same old gags just longer credits at the end ('blah blah, Assistant to the Assistants Assistant of the Assistant Producers Assistant')

These old Brit com movies had very few special effects if any and the credits were over in a few frames and are far superior to the mind numbingly boring drivel oozing out now.

Have you ever noticed how Bruce Willis (in particular) always seems to end up in a blood and mud covered torn white tee shirt by the end of the rip shit and bust movies?

No decorum! []:rolleyes:

Yakut

Ah Yakut, Brucey looks pretty hot like that! lmao!

The Book I read is called "Our hidden lives" the remarkable diaries of post war Britain.

Author Simon Garfield, Random house publishing.

Originally compiled by Mass Observation and archived at Uni of Sussex. Sounds like it follows on from your one Yakut.

Ooh Yeah the Mass Observation rings distinct bells. yes she was one of the women who 'answered the call'.

I had geared myself up to watch it last night and then found it is on tonight.

Yakut

Sounds very good, will try and keep my eyes open until then. Isn't it always the way good movies are always on late.

Yakut if you are interested in my book, I can always drop it off in your letterbox if you wish as a loan. Won't be long and I shall be back! []

We finally got around to watching our videoed copy of this last night and sadly it must have gone on slightly longer than advertised, or I mis-set the timer. We missed whatever happened after Nella was watching the fireworks out her window. Can anyone remember what else happened and how it was wrapped up, please? I suspect it wasn't far from the end. Thanks.