The Other News From England.

3 Dec. 2001.

It is intended to renew The Other News weekly, but there are occasions when this is not possible. We apologise in advance for when this occurs.

This week nothing except the Shakespeare, I am araid. The pressure of the gigging season is upon us.

Index of earlier issues - click here.

(Those who like digging about will find that there are hundreds of articles on many subjects to be found on this site.)

Old issues.

There are some much earlier Other News on this site. Click below.

early Othernews - 1992, 93, 94.

Bonnington Cafe.

Saturday 8th December should be Phil, who sings a selection of Bert Jansch/Joni Mitchell/Dylan/his own songs, sometimes with guest artist/s, and on rare occasions Hugh Harris on a few numbers.

Saturday 15 December should be Gabriele Gad and Hugh Harris - quiet old-fashioned jazz from these two veterans of the European jazz scene.

No charge on either of these evenings, but the hat goes round

About the Bonnington.

Bonnington Cafe is a communally owned cafe in Vauxhall, Central London. The atmosphere is somewhat Bohemian, international, friendly, educated, and much wine (brought in by diners, not sold on the premises) gets drunk. Good quality vegetarian. Cheap. The only lighting is usually candles stuck in wine bottles, and the furniture is a collection of odds and sods that people have thrown out. The overall result is relaxed and pleasing. People tend to spend the whole evening over their meal, and engage in discussion with those on other tables, the caterer, the band, passers through......

Bonnington Cafe, Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 UK. Near Vauxhall underground and mainline station, buses 185, 36, 2, 88, 322 and others.

Booking for most Saturdays through Margarita (the main Saturday caterer) on 0207 582 3339.

Joe Punter's Shakespeare.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, by william shakespeare.

ACT 3.

Scene 1.

The wood. Titania lying asleep.

Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout and Starveling.

BOTTOM:

Are we all here?

QUINCE:

We are. And here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be the stage, this hawthorn-bush our dressing-room; and we shall do it in action like we will do it before the duke.

BOTTOM:

Peter Quince, -

QUINCE:

What say'st thou, bully Bottom?

BOTTOM:

There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How do you answer that?

SNOUT:

True. A difficult fear.

STARVELING:

I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.

BOTTOM:

Not a bit. I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue, and let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm with our words, and that Pyramus is not really killed, and, for the better assurance, tell them that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver. This will put them out of fear.

QUINCE:

Well, we will have such a prologue, and it shall be written in eight and six. (I think this may refer to lines of poetry. - ed)

BOTTOM:

No. Make it two more. Let it be written in eight and eight.

SNOUT:

Will not the ladies be afeared (afraid) of the lion?

STARVELING:

I fear it, I promise you.

BOTTOM:

Masters, you ought to consider it with yourselves. To bring in - God shield us! - a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living - and we ought to look to it.

SNOUT:

Therefore another prologue must tell us he is not a lion.

BOTTOM:

Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he himself must speak through, saying this (or to the same defect) - 'ladies',- or 'fair ladies,- I would wish you,' - or 'I would request you,'- or, 'I would entreat you,- not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life. No, I am no such thing; I am a man as other men are.'- and there, indeed, let him name his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner.

QUINCE:

Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things,- that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber; for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moonlight.

SNUG:

Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?

BOTTOM:

A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanac; find out moonshine, find out moonshine.

QUINCE:

Yes, it doth shine that night.

BOTTOM:

Why, you may then leave a casement of the great chamber-window, where we play, open, and the moon may shine in at the casement.

QUINCE:

Ay. Or else someone must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moonshine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall.

SNUG:

You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?

BOTTOM:

Some man or other must represent a wall. And let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall. And let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

QUINCE:

If that can be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, go into that bush, and so everyone according to his cue.

(Enter Puck behind).

PUCK:

What hempen home-spuns have we swaggering here, so near the cradle of the fairy queen? What! a play coming on. I'll be an auditor; and an actor, too, if I see cause to be.

QUINCE:

Speak, Pyramus. - Thisby, stand forth.

BOTTOM:

Thisby, the flowers of odious sweet, -

QUINCE:

Odours, odours.

BOTTOM:

---odours savours sweet: So hath my breath, my dearest Thisby dear. - But hark, a voice! Stay thou here but a while, and by and by I will appear to thee.

(exit)

PUCK (aside):

A stranger Pyramus than ever.

(exits)

FLUTE:

Must I speak now?

QUINCE:

Ay, you must; for you must understand he only goes to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again.

FLUTE:

Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue, of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier, most brisky juvenal, and most lovely Jew, as true as truest horse that would never tire, I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

QUINCE:

'Ninus' tomb', man: - why, you must not speak that yet; that, you answer to Pyramus; you speak all your part at once, cues and all. - Pyramus enter: your cue is past; it is 'never tire'.

FLUTE:

O, as true as truest horse, that you would never tire.

(enter Puck, and Bottom with an ass-head.)

BOTTOM:

If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine:-

QUINCE:

O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted! Pray, masters! Fly, masters! Help!

(Exit with Snug, Flute, and Starveling)

PUCK:

I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, thorugh a bog, through bush, through brake, through brier: Sometimes a horse I'll be, sometimes a hound, a hog, a headless bear, and bark and grunt and roar, and burn, like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

(exit)

BOTTOM:

Why do they run away? This is knavery of them to make me afeared.

(enter Snout)

SNOUT:

O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee?

BOTTOM:

What do you see? You see an ass-head of your own, do you?

(exit Snout)

(enter Quince)

QUINCE:

Bless thee Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated.

BOTTOM:

I see their knavery; this is to make an ass of me; to frighten me, if they could. But I will not stir from this place, do what they can. I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear that I am not afraid. (sings):

TITANIA (awakening):

What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

BOTTOM (sings):

For indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry cuckoo never so?

TITANIA:

I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: Mine ear is much enamoured of thy note; So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And my fair virtue's force doth move me, on first view, to say, to swear, I love thee.

BOTTOM:

Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays; - the more the pity that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can be wrong on occasions.

TITANIA:

Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

BOTTOM:

Not so, neither: But if I had enough wit to get out of this wood, I would have enough to serve mine own needs.

TITANIA:

Out of this wood do not desire to go. Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wills it or no. I am a spirit of no common rate,- the summer doth tend upon my state; And I do love thee: therefore, go with me; I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee; And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep, and sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep: And I will purge thy mortal grossness so that shalt like an airy spirit go.- Peas-blossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-seed!

(enter four fairies.)

FIRST FAIRY:

Ready.

SECOND FAIRY:

And I.

THIRD FAIRY:

And I.

FOURTH FAIRY:

And I.

ALL:

Where shall we go?

TITANIA:

Be kind and courteous to this gentleman, - Hop in his walks, and gamble in his eyes; feed him with apricocks and dewberries, with purple grapes, green figs and mulberries; The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees, and for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs, and light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes, to have my love to bed and to arise; and pluck the wings from painted butterflies to fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes: Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.

FIRST FAIRY:

Hail, mortal!

SECOND FAIRY:

Hail!

THIRD FAIRY:

Hail!

FOURTH FAIRY:

Hail!

BOTTOM:

I cry your worship's mercy heartily. - I beseech your worship's name.

COBWEB:

Cobweb.

BOTTOM:

I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good master Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. - Your name, honest gentleman?

PEAS-BLOSSOM:

Peas-blossom.

BOTTOM:

I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good master Peas-blossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance, too.- Your name, I beseech you, sir?

MUSTARD-SEED:

Mustard-seed.

BOTTOM:

Good master Mustard-seed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like oxbeef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you more acquaintance, good Master Mustard-seed.

TITANIA:

Come, wait upon him. Lead him to my bower. The moon methinks looks with a watery eye; and when she sleeps every little flower weeps, lamenting some enforced chastity. Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently.

All exit.

End of scene 1.

More next week.

...........................................................................................................................

The stuff that doesn`t often get changed now follows:

Alternet News.

Alternet News might appeal to some readers as a regular list of goings-on in the human rights/green areas of life. You can receive it by email. I have put one copy on this site so that you get an idea of what it is about and how to subscribe.

For sample Alternet email click here.

Biotechnology

Click here for an email that arrived in January 2000 concerning a proposed reasoned approach to this tricky subject

Goforth's social justice e-zine.

This interesting email magazine comes at fairly regular intervals and is of interest to almost anybody who is interested in human rights and green issues. In November 2000 it was going out to about 10,000 addresses. Try it. It won't cost you anything, and you can reproduce the contents without paying. You can subscribe by writing to them at: sjzine@netscape.net, or visit: Goforth's site

This website is about accounting investigations and fiddles. If you like to look at financial scandals (both hidden and public) this might be worth a look. I have not been there myself, but the books produced by these people, although difficult to follow, cover a lot of mysterious ground.

This website is about the destruction of countryside and agriculture. Worth a visit if you want to find out about how it is thought the British countryside will fair under the ongoing creep of the multinationals.

This website is one to do with monetary reform.The British Association for Monetary Reform. If you are interested in economics it is worth a look. http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bamr1

This is a website about alternative currencies.Might be worth a look to those who have realised that you don't necessarily have to have money as such to be prosperous.

This is a website for something called The Green Guide. I know nothing about it, but am hoping it is something worthy. Please let me know if it is questionable.

This is a site concerned with one of the most unpopular planning decisions ever made in Greater London, the Crystal Palace Complex. It is so stunningly awful that only a handful of people who do not live near it appear to approve, whilst the rest are not entirely uninclined to mention such things as payola, freemasons....you name it! The site belongs to the London Borough of Bromley, but the aggro generated by it and the destruction of amenity caused by it will be almost entirely suffered by residents of adjoining boroughs and not the people of Bromley themselves.

This is a recycling site based in London, and offering materials to anybody. The organisation is a charity seeking to link suppliers of surplus materials with users. Especially good for the more ingenious designers amongst us.

The email of the people who run the above site is cs@london-recycling.demon.co.uk. They are called Creative Supplies. Look them up for more info.

Here's an interesting education site - particularly for those who have young children and are not quite sure what to do to avoid the worst of what`s on offer in the mainstream of education.They are called www.edrev.org.

early Othernews - 1992, 93, 94.

Early Other News essays.

There were a few essays that went out with the early Other News as a freestanding item. You can read these by clicking below.

Essays.

The Soup Designer`s Handbook.

The Soup Designer`s Handbook.

London Journey - a trip from Docklands through Beckenham and back to Docklands.

Friday Woodworkers.

(Friday Woodworkers are suffering a temporary break due to some of the episodes not having been fully edited at the time of writing. It may take some timne to fix this problem.

Episode 17.

(These articles were written in 1988, and were my first attempt at writing. Some people when shown these fell about laughing, some smiled faintly - and some yawned. I thought I was going to write a technical book, but it soon became apparent that I was much more interested in the people than the technology - and that is the main reason there are no drawings - although it might be rather good to do a couple of caricatures sometime.)

Index of Friday Woodorker articles (and a means of access).

Index of earlier issues.

Gabriele Gad on alternative therapy.

A READER COMPLAINED that it was not possible to go back more than 6 articles in Gabriele`s area. Regrettably this is because there is no index, and I have not the time to organise one yet. However, for those determined enough to find the early ones, they should be accessible by going to an early Other News and clicking through from it. This will not be fast, but I think will do the job. They started about November 1997 I think.

editor@othernews.co.uk

Cartoons and graphics.

drawings click here.

sheet music click here.

Consumers.

LEXMARK 3200 PRINTER.

In an earlier issue I told you about my feelings regarding Tempo retailers and the Lexmark 3200 printer I bought from them.

The Lexmark 3200 printer I got from Tempo must surely be the most uneconomical printer I could possibly have bought. The black cartridge only does about 250 pages of ordinary type - for £28! That makes each sheet cost 11.2 pence plus the cost of the paper and probably another 11.2 pence more if any colour is used! - ABOUT 22.4 PENCE A SHEET! Nearly a pound for every four sheets!

I wouldn`t recommend you to buy it - but also look at my earlier article for an idea of Tempo`s service.

Wanted

A person to help make up a subject index for the growing numbers of articles on The Other News From England. Email editor@othernews.co.uk (this may now have been provided, but please email if you might like to join in in some way - ed.)

All material on this site is copyright. Contact me if you want to use it. I am quite flexible. Educational non-profit use is free - but ask for permission and print an acknowledgement. If you can`t think what to print, put:

From The Other News From England. http://www.othernews.co.uk

Even better if you print the date of the article.

editor@othernews.co.uk

That`s all this week folks