Not in Castle Coop’s Back Yard!
Not in Castle Coop’s Back Yard!
This morning, I was busy sorting the laundry and was in the middle of rescuing a pillowcase when the door bell rang.
I was hoping it would be dear Lady Egality and struggled out from inside the duvet cover to open the door. The Agent and I have been bemoaning the loss of our raspberry canes which have given up the ghost and she very kindly said she had some spares. However it wasn’t Lady E, it was Brown Owl.
7,000 proposed new homes – help!
Brown Owl is spearheading Castle Coop’s campaign to oppose a threat posed by the District Council. The D.C. is currently basing its Local Plan on the assumption that over 7,000 new homes will need to be built in the area. We are all horrified.
- The schools are full to capacity.
- The surgeries are full.
- The hospital is already too busy.
- The High Street has no room for extra shops and parking.
- The commuter trains are jam-packed.
None of us can imagine how all the families who are to live in the 7,000 new homes can possibly be absorbed; with the best will in the world, there isn’t enough room!
Both the Agent & I will rally to the cause immediately.
She gave me a strongly worded pamphlet about the Not In Castle Coop’s Back Yard campaign which we are all very impressed by.
Yours glad that Brown Owl is a force to be reckoned with,
Burns Night at The Ox and Moose!
Burns Night at The Ox and Moose!
The Ox and Moose is celebrating Burns Night tonight.
Sir Plym is to pipe in The Haggis. He will look absolutely splendid!
Colonel Pyncheon has been roped in to ‘address The Haggis’. The Agent and Sir Burford Brown have promised us all that they will heckle him during the recitation which is awfully mean as getting through eight verses of stuff like
…Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o‘ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her grateful‘ prayer
Gie her a haggis!To a Haggis
with a straight face will be quite hard enough without them being a distracting presence at the back.
Yours knowing in advance that I won’t be ordering haggis,
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RIP Foyle’s War
RIP Foyle’s War
Despite 1) Lady Sebright’s sound advice that we should celebrate the pleasure that Foyle’s War has given the Friday Night Club rather than mourn its demise and 2) the absolutely delicious festive fizz which Colonel Pyncheon kindly opened for us to sip while watching ‘Elise’ the final episode of Foyle’s War, I can’t help feeling sad. Tonight as the closing credits went up on the screen, I felt they were marking the end of a most convivial era.
Valedictions:
One of the best ever youtube clips – actually I could put this on a permanent loop; I’ll never get tired of it: www.youtube.com
The Globetrotting Guitarist: The End of an Era
Telegraph: Is this really goodbye?
ITV.com: Final Foyle’s War episode
Digital spy: Foyle’s War to end
What’s on tv.com: Last episode of Foyle’s War
& for a great last look at Foyle walking out of our lives for ever… British Detectives
Message to all Actual and Virtual Members:
As Secretary to The International Friday Night Foyle’s War Club, it is my sad duty to inform you all that owing to the unhappy fact that Foyle’s War is officially a defunct series, our happy meetings are now at an end.
On behalf of the Friday Night Foyle’s War Committee, I should like to take the opportunity of thanking each of you for many happy meetings and your supportive and interesting comments. Here from the sofa in Castle Coop, we have greatly enjoyed watching:
- DCS Christopher Foyle’s sleuthing, hat-wearing and general total fabness skills,
- Sergeant Milner’s unflappable stoicism at (almost) all times
- Sam Stewart’s terrific stiff-upper-lip at all times (presumably honed on the hockey pitch), cut-glass-vowels & unbounding enthusiasm in the face of every sort of looming disaster.
Being able to share our enjoyment not only with each other but with all the Virtual Members of the International Friday Night Foyle’s War Club has made our meetings the icing on the end of the week cake for me!
I should like to invite you to join The Graf (Chairman), Lady Egality (Treasurer), Lady Sebright, Colonel Pyncheon and me in raising a glass to all those involved in the making of every episode in the 9 series which have given us such pleasure.
With the Foyle’s War photograph placed in position for the last time,
(photo source: www.foyleswar.com )
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you,
The Hat!
Yours with the ‘Michael Kitchen strumming the Foyle’s War theme’ clip playing us out (& I’ve turned the volume right up high),
P.S. I have received a revivifying suggestion from Miss Peppermint who writes,
‘Why not start a re-run club? It’s always better the second time around…‘
HURRAH!
What a stroke of genius! OR…perhaps we should think of a new series for us to watch?
If you have any ideas, please let me know. The Friday Night Club could rise from the ashes like the Phoenix…!
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Foyle’s War: Elise
The Friday Night Foyle’s War Club: Elise!
Club notes: Tonight The Friday Night Foyle’s War Club will be watching the very last episode in the ‘Foyle’s War, Although actually it was shown on ITV last Sunday, we taped it so that we could hold one last Friday night session.
Tonight therefore marks the permanent suspension of our International Friday Night Foyle’s War Club.
Club Minutes:
Apologies: Digby D. Digby D came over from America to attend the last meeting in person. Unfortunately unforeseen circumstances have intervened which will prevent him from attending tonight as planned. Instead, he watched the last episode as it aired last Sunday with The Agent. Bearing in mind his consistent support for the Club whilst a Virtual Member, and his much appreciated gesture of flying over to join us all in Castle Coop for the final episode (even though we are to be denied the pleasure of his company tonight), the Committee are pleased to grant him Actual Member status in absentia.
Otherwise we are to be a Full House!
Attendees: (Actual): Lady Egality (Club Treasurer), Lady Liberty (Club Secretary) Lady Sebright, Colonel Pyncheon. Incredibly, given the pathos of the occasion, The Agent and Sir Plym have elected to spend tonight at The Ox and Moose. Lady Egality reported that Sir P, like Digby D and The Agent, watched the episode last Sunday.
Venue: Castle Coop.
Announcements:
1. As we shall be watching the last episode of the Foyle’s War, the Committee considered whether or not black armbands would be appropriate. Lady Sebright pointed out that since the series has given us all so many hours of pleasure and interest, a celebratory atmosphere would be far more fitting than a funereal one and we were all delighted to concur. To this end, Colonel Pyncheon will be pouring out the fizz for one last time.
2. Here is our Foyle’s War picture for tonight: (photo source: www.foyleswar.com )
Elise: the last ever episode:
Tonight we shall be watching: Episode 3 , Series 9: ‘Elise’
Plot:
A young man tries to kill Hilda Pierce, saying “This is for Elise.” Visiting her in hospital Foyle meets over-bearing Sir Ian Woodhead, now head of MI6, who, during the war, ran SOE with Hilda, sending undercover agents into occupied France. Foyle learns that Elise was the codename of Sophie Corrigan, an agent killed by the Nazis and that the young man is her brother Miles, out to take revenge on those who sent her to die. At the same time Foyle’s department is investigating high powered black marketer Damian White, who has dealings with a Russian diplomat and has corrupt policemen on his payroll. A recovering Hilda tells Foyle that nine agents died in France and the SOE believed that a spy, code-named Plato, was responsible. There are three suspects – one of whom is being blackmailed by White into giving him government papers that he sells to the Soviets. Together Foyle and Hilda make a terrible discovery – with terrible consequences for two people.
Source: www.imdb.com
As Hilda Pierce is a V.I.P. in this episode, here is a quick low-down on her, (courtesy of www.foyleswar.com)
Hilda Pierce:
Hilda Pierce (Ellie Haddington) makes her first appearance in the Series 2 episode “War Games.” During the war, Pierce ran the Special Operations Executive, where her path crosses with Foyle in Series 3 and 5 in the episodes “The French Drop” and “All Clear.” After the end of the war, Pierce joined MI5. Although officially under the command of Sir Alec Myerson, Pierce wields considerable influence at the agency.
Smart, tough, ambitious, and secretive, Pierce is adept at using backhanded and sometimes amoral means to achieve her ends. She has what Foyle calls “the requisite capacity for deceit” to work for MI5. Although Piece and Foyle use different means, they are on the same side and generally get along. Pierce and Foyle had a disagreement in “Sunflower” (Series 8) regarding a former Nazi officer now working for the British against the Soviets.
Yours sure that a glass of bubbly near to hand will help us all to bear up manfully tonight,
Foyle’s War: Trespass!
The Friday Night Foyle’s War Club: Trespass!
‘Trespass’, the second episode of series 9 was shown on Sunday night, here in the UK. The Friday Night Club (virtual members) met up at Lady Egality and Sir Plym’s house for our Foyle’s War session. However, this particular episode is rather brutal watching. For any virtual member who hasn’t been able to view it, here are 2 of Anthony Horowitz’s tweets which explain why we found it harrowing . While sitting on the sofa cosily looking at a TV drama, suddenly one gets to see what can happen all too easily, when extreme views are taken too far.
.
Anthony HorowitzVerified account@AnthonyHorowitz
ITV did consider postponing last night’s Foyle’s War. Brave – and right – of them not to (12/01/15)
Quite shocking – and moving – watching Foyle tonight in the light of events in Paris. (11/01/15)
Series 9, Episode 2
Trespass!
The son of a high-profile Jewish businessman is attacked in the grounds of a university, leaving Foyle to consider the possibility that the attack was racially motivated…
…At one point in this story, Foyle is called on to resign. And being Foyle, he does so with all the pomp and melodrama of someone announcing they’re popping out to buy a pint of milk. It’s a marvellous scene and typical of the show, which every now and then captures a clipped decency and general stiffness of lip that feels thoroughly 1940s.
Then again, decency is in short supply as an assortment of storylines branch off from an attack on a Jewish student. He’s the son of a shipping magnate, who for some reason doesn’t want Foyle to interfere. There’s a slippery fish at the FO (Alex Jennings); a rabble-rousing politician in Peckham whose rallying cry is “Britain for the British!” (Ukip, basically); and Sam takes pity on a sick boy for whom the NHS can’t arrive soon enough. The complex circuitry of the plot needs a bit more voltage early on, but it builds to a tense climax.
Going Out versus Staying In!
Saturday Night Entertainment in Castle Coop!
Going out:
On Saturday nights, the Agent, Sir Plym, the Chairman of the Village Hall, Colonel Pyncheon, the Graf and Sir Burford Brown go out. Propping up the bar at the Ox and Moose, they have weighty discussions & a thoroughly enjoyable evening putting the world to rights.
Staying in:
On Saturday nights, Lady Egality & I stay in.
Playing vingt-et-un in front of a log fire, we have a cozy tête à tête & a thoroughly enjoyable evening putting the world to rights.
Where is your favourite port of call for putting the world to rights? Do you prefer to go out or stay in?
Yours looking for some matches to use as my stake during my Saturday night’s entertainment!
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Welcome to The Awesome Hen - Castle Coop's virtual village newsletter! Strictly speaking, absolutely nothing newsworthy ever happens in Castle Coop where the only village amenities are a tiny church, a pub, a village hall & a defunct telephone box. None of us consider this to be a disadvantage and The Awesome Hen is written to keep villagers up to date with anything that actually does go on. Make a cup of tea and catch up with us all in Castle Coop - become a Virtual Villager and read The Awesome Hen! 
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