I know ... but I did enjoy it and it was worth it to see Molesley curtseying to the Queen. And Dame Maggie was on fine form. It did feel a bit like a Boxing Day TV special but as the cinema was handing out free chocolate and popcorn, naturally I indulged and felt suitably 'ick.



I got the teeniest bit bored with The Farewell (though I loved all that Chinese food!) The reviews have been great and I felt a bit niggled that I wasn't enjoying it as much as everyone else.



But Greener Grass was surreal and fun - and definitely my most colourful movie of the year. Screened as part of the Raindance Festival, the cinema was packed and they were turning people away - but it returns in November. Think Desperate Housewives meets Mumsnet AIBU in day-glo pastels.
They showed this trailer and I thought Renée Zellwegger looked very promising as Judy Garland but that's for another day.
Also went to see this noir-ish thriller which was suitably gripping, followed by an excellent talk by director Mike Figgis.

I know. I've been very lively this week, out every night. I'm feeling a surge of autumn energy, and I no longer have to feel guilty that I don't much like summer and hate hot weather. I've even made the first 'pumpion' pie of the season.

To make a Pumpion Pie.

Take a pound of pumpion and slice it, a handful of time, a little rosemary, and sweet marjoram stripped off the stalks, chop them small, then take cinamon, nutmeg, pepper, and a few cloves all beaten, also ten eggs, and beat them, then mix and beat them all together, with as much sugar as you think fit, then fry them like a froise, after it is fried, let it stand till it is cold, then fill your pie after this
manner. Take sliced apples sliced thin round ways, and lay a layer of the froise, and a layer of apples, with currans betwixt the layers. While your pie is fitted, put in a good deal of sweet butter before you close it. When the pie is baked, take six yolks of eggs, some white-wine or verjuyce, and make a caudle of this, but not too thick, cut up the lid, put it in, and stir them well together whilst the eggs and pumpion be not perceived, and so serve it up.