Agatha Christie Bus

Agatha Christie Bus

Wednesday 30 March 2011

Scarey News

Disney want to make a film with a 30 year old glamourous American lady playing Miss Marple - set in contemporary times.  Not really worthy of comment is it?

Monday 28 March 2011

The big Four

I am re-reading this book. It's quite a strange book and is a completely different style to any other of Agatha's books. I believe she first wrote a series of short stories which were published in papers.

She was going through a fairly traumatic time in her life and the publishers were pressing for a book. Her brother in law suggested that she string the short stories together to form a full length book. The result? The Big Four.

This reminds me very much of Conan Doyle Poirot and Hastings could easily be Holmes and Watson.

I would be interested in what anyone else thinks?

Friday 25 March 2011

British Empire Exhibition & Mind-Blowing Fact

Agatha Christie went on a round the world tour in 1922 accompanying her husband at the time Archie Christie who was a financial adviser for the British Empire Exhibition.  This is when she discovered her love of travelling.  She made the most of this even down to surfing in Honolulu - what a woman she was definitely ahead of her time.  What a fantastic opportunity for anyone to have.

Another mind-blowing fact about Agatha - her book Endless Night written in 1967 - in this book she writes as the first person a young working class man - and at this time she was aged 77.  Absolutely amazing!

Thursday 24 March 2011

Agatha and a Slice of Sponge

There's nothing better than sitting down with a lovely cup of tea and a slice of sponge cake while you read of watch an Agatha.

Victoria Sponge Cake

4 oz (115 gramms) butter or vegetable oil
4 oz (115 gramms) caster sugar

Cream above two together then add

2 beaten eggs

Then carefully fold in 4 oz (115 gramms) self raising flour

Pour into two greased sandwich tins and cook in a moderate oven for about 20 mins.

Leave to cool then sandwich together with jam, cream or even buttercream - which is butter and icing sugar mixed together with a little bit of milk (no exact measurements - just make it to taste).

Dust top with icing sugar.

A cake that I am sure Miss Marple would have enjoyed while having a gossip with the old ladies in St. Mary Mead.  Not too sure about Hercule Poirot though - although you could always use a square tin for him which might satisfy his mania for symetry.

Wednesday 23 March 2011

Fun Facts about Greenway

So far 5767 objects have been counted in the house.

Keeping the house clean fills 10 hoover bags a month.

It takes about 40 hours a week to clean the house.

Sunday 20 March 2011

Greenway House

I've had a lovely day visiting Greenway House and Gardens.  I can never tire of visiting there.  It was gorgeous weather.  We also had a lovely lunch in Agatha Christie's kitchen - pork loin followed by chocolate roulard with clotted cream.

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Poirot Adaptations - bad news

There are rumours going around that ITV have pulled the plug on Poirot adaptations.  I have to say that the last few they have produced, with the exception of The Clocks (one of my all time favourites) and Halloween Party that I am not surprised - they have been absolutely dreadful. The words "based on" are truley apt.  In my view Murder on the Orient Express, Appointment with Death and Murder in Mesopotamia - to name a few of the recent releases are appalling and do not bear much resemblance to Agatha's stories.

It is beyond me why on earth they have to change them in the first place, characters missed out, completely new characters introduced, sex of characters changed and completely new sub plots inserted.

Monday 14 March 2011

The Thirteen Problems

Just reading The Thirteen Problems - a collection of 13 short stories.  Several people meet up on a Tuesday night and call themselves "The Tuesday Night Club".  They sit around and discuss problems and try and hit on the correct solution.

Luckily Miss Marple is a member of the club and of course is always able to provide the correct solution.

Welcome

Welcome all to my new blog all about Agatha Christie.