Just recovering from ghastly encounter with a dodgy take away... yes, 
indeed but, after a 48 hour fast, I grazed nervously on two apples last night and by lunchtime today I managed to tuck into a small pear, two soya yoghurts, six grapes, three strawberries and two sips of herbal tea...and started to feel a bit again. However, I was determined to see the day through and sure enough, the nausea passed and tonight I managed to down some steamed greens and runner beans with some liquorice for, erm, 'dessert'..... it's like reading the diary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, isn't it... Anyway, as lovely as the picnic was (aren't all picnics alfresco?), I can't take all the credit as it was a combined effort and besides, both my friend and I cheated and bought pre-prepared stuff but also, if you don't mind, could we avoid any food references or at least refrain from mentioning anything 'savoury'. I can cope with simple fruit and veg references and, obviously liquorice is fine to discuss but, definitely not savoury and, oh god, no oily food references either please! ( Or rice - do not mention rice.)
So, yes, sorry Beverly, but you find me as self-obsessed as ever. The film? Well for a start there were certainly more than two of us there that night and, the rest of the audience did not look like they were lost tourists either. Perhaps they were too awestruck to put anything into words! Well, we were one big, happy crowd, huddled on the pavingstones and gazing wistfully up at the big screen. It felt like a far more laid-back affair, compared to the premier at the Barbican - this time round there was much ad libbing, cheering, giggling but not enough to spoil the enjoyment... well, no one told me to shut up....
I don't want to give anything away, in the way of the plot, but well, it's a little like this - Good king and Bad king are cousins and gamblers. Bad king is greedy and envious of Good king and, because he is a Bad king, he tries to do away with Good king but only injures him but it is a bad injury. Fortunately Good king is rescued by wise old bloke with extensive knowledge of herbal medicine and pure-hearted beauty for a daughter. Good king takes a shine to daughter. Bad king visits, meets daughter and is also smitten. Old man, no idiot, declares Good king well enough to go forth. Daughter decides to go forth with Good king. Old man not happy but frankly, no one's really asking for his opinion and besides.... and so the Bad king tries one devious stunt after another in order to win the heart of pure-hearted beauty from his well-intentioned but wreckless Good king cousin. Bad king woos her the only way he knows how... with shows of power, showers of wealth, the occasional revolting grope and a mangey-looking parrot or two (let's face it, b&w does nothing to enhance colourful plumage).... will the gift of exotic birds less colourful than the maestro's website ( 
) swing the deal..... I'm not prepared to say but I suspect that you could figure that out without me having to give away the whole story!