International Foyle’s War Club -Eagle Day!

Posted by in Castle Coop News | 12 comments

 

 

Tonight is the 4th meeting of the International Friday Night Foyle’s War Club!

Earlier in the month, I mentioned ‘Quietly Enigmatic, a site dedicated to Michael Kitchen aka DCS C. Foyle and Foyle’s War. It is choc-a-block full of info. Thanks to 2 of its members, Wolesley and Starlight, I’ve been watching this youtube clip:

 

 

Isn’t Michael Kitchen fab!

Minutes from the last meeting: 

Apologies: none

Attendees: (Virtual): Martha from America, MohairMK, Kitchentease, C. Nelson, Digby D (although he watches different episodes 24 hours in advance of us, he assures me he is with The Friday Night Club in spirit) and Digby D’s mother (possibly). (Actual): Lady Egality (Club Treasurer), The Graf and Lady Liberty (Club Secretary).

Absentees: none

Announcements:

1. We are delighted to welcome a new Virtual member:  ‘ayresorchids’ from America. 

2. Lady Egality is hopeful that she has persuaded Colonel Pyncheon and Lady Sebright to sign up as Actual members. They were moaning that Castle Coop is completely dead on Friday Nights as everyone goes to the Ox and Moose which they do not care for (the landlord doesn’t stock Bombay Sapphire Gin). Lady E put them straight immediately and  their enrolment is pending their return from a fortnight’s holiday in India.

3. re Refreshments:

Feedback from the last post has confirmed widespread support for decent refreshments during club meetings. It has therefore been agreed that it will be perfectly acceptable for any gesture towards authenticity during our club meetings to be ‘token’. Our newest Club Member,’ ayresorchids’ suggests Lefèvre Utile Petit Écoliers biscuits, with milk/dark/white chocolate topping might fit the bill. Although the white chocolate ones sound delicious, our club secretary has failed to trace them. The other ones have been successfully tracked down and as they sell for a reasonable £3.50 (ish) for 10, Lady Egality has approved the notion that a Biscuit Fund should be set up.

A.O.B.:

1. It has been suggested that a photograph of DCS Foyle should be placed on the table during the I.F.N.F.W. C meetings. Please could all members vote in the comment box below as to whether they are in favour or against this motion.

2. Lady Liberty would like to ask the Club membership if anyone knows why on earth the Fedora Hat went out of fashion?

Date of the next Meeting: Friday 14th February? to be confirmed…

As this is Valentine’s Day, it will hopefully prove politic to postpone. Please be on the alert for an update to confirm the exact date. Lady E and I must consult Sir Plym and the agent. Hopefully our partners in life will both agree to (or even suggest) a romantic celebration in which champagne and roses feature. If no such celebrations are given the thumbs up, the meeting will take place as planned next Friday (although both our faces might look a bit downcast – no slight to F.W intended).

Venue: Castle Coop (both actually and virtually).

 

Eagle Day!

Tonight we shall be sitting on the Club sofa watching, ‘Eagle Day’, (Episode 4, Series 1).

Here is Wikipedia’s précis:

With air-raids becoming more common, a local lorry driver is found murdered inside a bombed out house, a gold locket in his hand. Meanwhile, Foyle’s son Andrew returns from RAF training and is posted to a local radar station as a test pilot for their systems, but his time there is troubled. Against this, Sam Stewart’s father tries to take Sam back home from the apparently dangerous influences of life as a female in uniform.[1][2] After visiting an art gallery, Foyle wonders whether artworks shipped to Wales by the driver are all that they seem, and are helped when Sam’s father identifies a valuable French statue by chance. Andrew’s queries and arrest brings the two cases to a head as Foyle senior’s investigations reveal the reason – the sexual assault, pregnancy, and suicide of a WAAF, and ensuing cover up (under the guise of Official Secrets Act), and revenge by her father.

As fully paid up members of the twenty-first century, Lady Egality and I shall be watching this episode with particular interest. I don’t think anybody would try and insist that Sam should stay at home nowadays and miss out on all the excitement going on in Hastings, without being able to ‘do her bit’. It makes me feel pretty lucky to be modern even if men don’t wear Fedoras any more (which I regret). It would be very interesting to know what aspects of life members feel have improved since the 1940s and what things we might have lost out on. Do please let us all know in the comments section below…

Yours in anticipation,

LLH signature

 

P.S. ayresorchids has most kindly passed on these links as explanations to my question as to wear on earth men stopped wearing such a fabulously stylish accessory as the Fedora Hat – (explanations echoed by Digby D please see the comment section)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/05/04/152011840/who-killed-mens-hats-think-of-a-three-letter-word-beginning-with-i

http://www.primermagazine.com/2010/learn/the-man-who-killed-the-hat

12 Comments

  1. I have been pondering what Foyle’s interests are outside his job. Given the lack of information given about this, this is obviously pure speculation. However, I like to think that he would be a serious student of World War 1, particularly the Somme campaign – I think this would have fitted his cerebral nature and I feel he would have related to the challenges for those in the field required to implement poor decisions made by those supposedly at the top of the command chain. I can just see him making a battlefield visit sometime in the 1950s and shaking his head with that characteristic expression of his at the wanton destruction of life.

    It would be interesting to hear what other members of the IFNFWC see Foyle devoting his private time.

    • What a great question! You’re right, it would be really interesting. All I know is that he likes fishing and the odd glass of whiskey. I shall be sure to raise it at the next meeting.

  2. Billy was particularly concerned at the biscuits which he views as a dangerous distraction.

    • Has Billy never heard of multi-tasking?

  3. By the way, I was talking with Billy who is concerned that your focus on Foyle is distracting from you from your bicycle training. He thinks you should be up to 50 miles a day by now and wondered if you would like him to provide some private supervision? I told him I thought this was unlikely and I was sure you had everything under control.

    • Please re-assure Billy that I only totally focus on DCS Foyle on Friday nights; the rest of the week, I am very alert to other good things in life. However, it is true that I am still only on 9.5 miles but it takes me an hour not a day. Although I took last week off (because of my cold and having to avoid Brown Owl) now I am as fit as a fiddle, I have every intention of stepping back onto the straight and narrow tomorrow. If I do that, according to the official Royal British Legion 18 week training plan, incredibly things will indeed be under completely control.Will Billy be convinced or think I’m lurking in a coffee shop?

  4. Eagle Day! – mesmerising and jolly good stuff.

    • I’m so glad you approved the biscuit fund.

  5. I’m here for the weekly meeting of the IFNFWC and getting ready to watch Eagle Day as I write! Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of Foyle to put on my desk as I watch, but I have one on my computer as wallpaper, so that will have to do! Would be great to sample the Lefèvre Utile Petit Écoliers biscuits, but don’t think I can get them here in the USA. Love the clip of MK rockin’ the FW theme as only he can!

    • Bonjour MohairMK, what a brilliant bit of lateral thinking to use your computer Wallpaper! I bet DCS Foyle would be very impressed by such a neat solution to the problem.

  6. I believe it was John Kennedy who stamped the seal on the demise of the fedora by appearing hatless at his Inaugural (though I would defer to the expertise of my American cousins to correct me on this.)

    Splendid episode last night – “Casualties of War” which I don’t think I had actually seen before. Lots of fine non-verbal, but crystal clear communication from DCS Foyle.

    I hope my mother is able to join you. I think this should be up her alley.

    • If JFK was responsible, although he was Mr. Stylish on legs, with the benefit of hindsight, I think the ‘no hat’ decision’ was a terrible mistake.
      I am very excited about seeing all the delicious episodes which lie ahead – that’s one of the best bits of only being on Series 1.

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