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18 January 2001
Nearly three weeks into the new year and the importance of Mistral's
curiosity has been temporarily overshadowed by other events of a 'fractured
collarbone' nature. Not, thankfully, Mistral's own collarbone (at his
advanced age that does not bear thinking about!). The clavicle in question
belongs to a slightly less ancient relative (Tamzin and Jaco's Gran, if you
really must know) and it is now healing nicely and only causing a moderate
amount of inconvenience and mild pain as opposed to the previous huge amount
of inconvenience and excruciating pain! Not just for the victim, either!!
Never mind, " all's well that ends well", as the wise old saying
goes? Don't you just love these wise old sayings? Mistral does, so look out
for more to come and if you know of any others, please send them to Mistral
at the usual address?
30 January 2001
An e-mail arrived today from Vicky Scott -
Dear Mistral, me and my friend greatly enjoyed your website and
think you are very cute! (I think my friend is smitten with you! Aren't you
lucky!) We especially enjoyed the pictures from Italy. We think you are a
very special little stuffed horse and should be proud of yourself.
What's with
all this 'cute' business? Why does no one ever take me seriously?
16 March 2001
An e-mail from a guy called Dave about Bud Neill (the creator of Lobey Dosser), who Mistral mentions in his favourite
web pages.
Don't know if you know this, but you probably do. Bud lived in
Dunfermline region, his children went to Dunfermline High School (circa 1960)
and he had his studio in Halbeath ( across the road from the chip shop, about
50 metres towards Crossgates)
Thanks for the information, Dave - it is news to me!! I only came across Bud
Neill by accident so it is very interesting to know of the local connection.
10 June 2001
Well, the general election is over at last and what a damp squib that turned
out to be! Where was everyone? A few hailstones and some freezing rain should
not deter a determined voter but there were not many of those around on
Thursday when it came to the crunch. Does anyone agree that voting should be
compulsory?
25 June 2001
Puzzling e-mail came yesterday from katiemaybrown@btinternet.com
Hello Mistral
Just wondered what taste in music you have.
Your favourite album wouldn't be "What Fish?" by those hippies,
James & Jim?
The Institute for the Musically Challenged
Mistral's
reply -
Dear Institute for the Musically Challenged
Well, I'll eat my saddle! I suppose that give-away "cebula" name
may just have given you a clue as to my supposed taste in music but that
album you mention is just one of many by those two! As they have yet to
dedicate a song exclusively to me I am reserving my decision as to what may
or may not be my exact favourite!
Would it be too much to ask how you discovered my modest website?
Or, more pertinently, how you ever came across "those hippies" aka
James and Jim?
Mistral.
Followed by this today from KMB -
How did I discover your website?
Well, if you use the "Google" search engine and go to
REGIONAL-EUROPE-UK-SCOTLAND-FIFE-CULTURE&SOCIETY and instead of going to
MUSEUMS (the intended destination) you click on PERSONAL HOMEPAGES -
curiosity gets the better of you.
Who puts together a personal webpage that reflects Fife culture &
society? A toy horse belonging to an art teacher from Dunfermline by the
looks of it.
As for "What Fish?" by James and Jim (and for that matter "The
Year of the Palindrome" by Ozo) - these are tapes that have gathered a
bit of dust over the years and live in a box in a cupboard in Kirkcaldy
beside a book about "Failism"...
Nice website by the way.
KMB
PS Do you think voting should be compulsory? I reckon the "Nun of the
Above Party" was a pretty sound way of addressing voter apathy
Mistral would like to make it quite clear once and for all that his website
is (almost) entirely his own creation! He may share an abode with the above
mentioned art teacher/musician person but the only person who helps him with
his website is not that one, OK?
7 July 2001
Like a great many people, Mistral is awaiting the Harry Potter film with keen
anticipation, but he was somewhat taken aback (not for long!) by the
following communication which arrived the other day.
Hi
Don't know if you can help, but you seem to know a lot about a lot!
Where can I buy Tickets for the Premiere of Harry Potter in November 2001?
Many Thanks
Sue Hampshire
Mistral's
reply -
Hi Sue
Glad you noticed that I seem to know a lot - you are not the first person to
have remarked upon that!
Unfortunately for you, I am not quite infallible and cannot come up with an
immediate source of tickets for the Harry Potter premiere. I have put out a
few feelers but don't hold your breath!
You could always ask at your local cinema, perhaps they may be in the know?
I do have an awful feeling however, that tickets may not be generally
available to the likes of you, me and the general public!
Sorry to be not much help!
Mistral
Naturally,
Mistral pulled out all stops to try to find out what was required - to no
avail!
Although the people at Popcorn (Carlton's film website, now defunct!) did
send a very nice reply, it only confirmed what Mistral had suspected all
along!
Dear Mistral,
Thanks for your enquiry. At this point nothing's been confirmed regarding the
premiere of the Harry Potter film. It's being distributed by Warner Bros. and
will be organised nearer the time.
You could try getting in touch with Warner, but to be honest most premieres
are invite-only, meaning they're extremely difficult to get tickets for.
Sorry if this sounds negative, but it's not simply a matter of stumping up
the cash...
Kind regards - and good luck,
Popcorn Feedback
Well,
that's that, unless anyone out there knows anything different? For the latest
information on the forthcoming film go to the Harry Potter Website at Warner Brothers.
It's quite slow to load but worth the wait! And if you want to know more
about the Harry Potter books, go to the Bloomsbury website. Or what the heck, why not read
one? Or even all of them?
21 September 2001
Mistral has been most remiss of late in not updating his website but
circumstances beyond human control have combined to take up a great deal of
his loyal assistant's time dealing with other more pressing matters. What
could be more important one struggles to imagine but there you are! Hope to
amend the situation ASAP!
9 October 2001
Quite a few good films out at the moment - Mistral's has braved all weathers
and endless cinema queues to bring you the following reviews!
Enigma gets 4 stars as it's just a real old fashioned no nonsense sort
of film - pity about the oil seed rape fields which surely were not around
during the second world war? Kate Winslet is a jolly hockey sticks sort of
gal and Dougray Scott is a sort of smouldering, sulky boffin type. Nice
ending.
Moulin Rouge merits 5 stars as it's such an amazing extravaganza and
very funny but sad as well with surprisingly good singing from Nicole Kidman
and Ewan McGregor!
A I rates 3 stars as the storyline - Pinocchio to all intents and
purposes - quite quickly deteriorates into disappointing. The effects are
brilliant however and the little boy is very appealing. Jude Law is great as
a robot. It has a very sad ending so take some tissues!
The Knight's Tale is a bit of a romp through medieval times - quite
entertaining but nothing to write home about. Not even a stark naked Geoffrey
Chaucer can drag it out of the mediocre. Gets better as it goes along but
only worth 2 stars.
31 October 2001
This e-mail arrived on 24 October.
Dear Mistral
Is the new photograph on your home page demonstrative of the essential
dichotomy in human (and equine) nature?
Yours sincerely
Miss Marple
Mistral's
succinct reply -
Dear Miss Marple
Undoubtedly!
Respectfully yours, Mistral
12 November 2001
This from Tamzin -
Lovely horse that Bisto!! Love the new photo.
OK, Tamzin, that's quite enough about Bisto for now!
27 November 2001
The film version of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone is probably as
good as it possibly could be! Only a nasty old spoilsport would dare to
criticise it or suggest that the books were perhaps a tad more enjoyable
before the whole world was taken over by Harry Potter mania?
go back to idle curiosity
continue on to
2002
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