Brenda de Banzie

            On Thursday morning I finished memorizing “Flash Forward" by Serge Gainsbourg. I didn't look for the chords yet. It's another song in which Gainsbourg talks rather than sings but there is eerie music in the background.

            Around midday I finished categorizing according to the U of T library system the contents of the upper book shelves in my bedroom. I still have to organize the papers that are piled up on the southern shelf and then wash both of them before putting the books back.

I was going to go to Freshco today but I was running late for lunch and besides it started raining.

            For lunch I mixed Campbell’s bean and bacon soup with salsa and had it with kettle chips.

            In the afternoon I did my exercises while listening to Amos and Andy. The story was a rehash of an older one about Kingfish cheating Andy by selling him an old and useless racehorse. But with the help of Amos, Andy tricks Kingfish into thinking the horse had just won a big race because he thinks he’s listening to the race on the radio, but it was actually a recording. The result is that Kingfish buys what he thinks is a winning horse back from Andy. 

            Because of the rain I didn't take a bike ride. I got caught up on my journal.

            I made a video of my practice of my song “Sixteen Tons of Dogma” from my July 26, 2017 rehearsal and then deleted the rest of the session. I was still struggling with the lyrics and the chords back then so it’s interesting to chart my progress. I’ve still got six sessions to go through and once I’m done with those I’ll probably start recording some new ones.

            I went through the papers on the upper southern shelf in my bedroom. I threw away most of them and most of the rest were tossed into a drawer for scrap paper. The only thing I saved for the shelf was a Philosophy of Sex notebook, a Knowledge and reality exam and a Canadian Short Stories essay. It feels good to de-clutter my space.

            I cut up a whole chicken and rubbed the parts with olive oil, seasoned salt and cayenne and roasted it. I had a leg with a potato, a carrot and some gravy while watching two episodes of Robin Hood.

           In the first story Sir Richard of the Lea believes his financial troubles are over when he hires an alchemist to make gold for him. A demonstration is staged with Robin, Marian and Richard's goldsmith present. After a small amount of gold is produced the goldsmith confirms that it is gold and then leaves. The alchemist tells Richard that in order to make the precious metal on a larger scale he requires a large amount of money to buy certain alchemical ingredients. Richard gives him three hundred crowns. The goldsmith goes directly to the sheriff to tell him that Richard plans to send some of the gold he makes to King Richard, which would be treason against Prince John. That night Robin catches the alchemist sneaking away. He sends Will to inform Richard but then the sheriff arrives. The sheriff arrests Will. Robin shoots a message tied to an arrow with a golden head offering the sheriff the alchemist in exchange for Will. Another demonstration takes place and the sheriff is satisfied enough to make the exchange. Later Robin shows Richard that he's learned how the alchemist produced gold. It was a trick using a hollow stirring stick with a little gold inside, stopped up with wax. When the stick was placed in the hot liquid the wax melted and the piece of gold slipped into the cauldron.

            In the second story, as Robin’s camp always needs a guest for dinner Little John stops a lord and lady riding on the road. The man abandons Lady Pomfret and rides away in fear. Lady Pomfret comes for dinner at the camp and explains that the man that ran away was Percival, whom she had hired to pose as her husband who has been in the Holy Land but is now in France and on his way home. Norman law states that if a wife’s husband has been away from home for seven years then he is officially declared dead even if he has sent word indicating that he is alive. Also under Norman law a wife does not inherit her husband’s estate but it is rather passed on to the crown. The next day the seven years would be up and Le Blond the Earl of Braxton will take possession of her estate. Robin decides to pose as Lord Pomfret. But while they are on their way there Le Blond is already preparing to claim the castle. Percival shows up claiming to be Lord Pomfret but Le Blond does not believe him since he doesn’t even know where his own bedroom is. Robin is more convincing but Le Blond is still suspicious. He goes to fetch the Sheriff of Nottingham, who knows Lord Pomfret. Meanwhile the real Clarence Pomfret returns and seeing Robin playing the role of lord of the manner, draws his sword. Robin easily defeats Pomfret and then convinces him that he’s been trying to help. The sheriff arrives and recognizes Pomfret. He leaves, calling Le Blond an idiot.    

            Lady Pomfret was played by Brenda de Banzie, who was an award winning actor in the British theatre. She was also critically acclaimed for her film performances, including “The Entertainer” and David Lean’s “Hobson’s Choice”. Her father was an orchestra conductor who played before Queen Victoria on several occasions.