- Dickens World will open in May. I wonder how it will pan out? And what the state-of-the-art animatronic show is? Wasn’t there someone developing a virtual world, a la Second Life, based on Dickens, or did I dream it up? I can’t find it on Google.
- Amy gives us an interpretive reading of a 1907 text on novelty, fads and herd mentality. I’m sure I’m one of the ‘social derelicts’! Isn’t it noticeable how patriachal the writing is? Maybe I will record a reciprocal reading from Christina Hardyment’s book Dream Babies: Childcare from Locke to Spock, which traces the fashions in childcare over the last few centuries, based on her theory that ‘what we are told to do with our children is very much a reflection of the times we live in, and the prevailing social and psychological theories’. This book influenced me greatly: I can remember being quite shaken that something as fundamental as how one brings up children could be so deeply subject to fads (and again, often in the past generated by ‘knowledgable’ men), but it’s really worth knowing. I should read some of Hardyment’s newer books, as they look interesting, too.
- Princess Mary of Denmark, (our Mary ;P), has given birth to a daughter. She and Frederick have all the sense, joy and grace that is lacking in the English royals; wouldn’t it be nice if we could swap? His wedding speech was worthy of a Darcy.
