RA FRIDAY - MOODY ME & BROODING MR THORNTON : WHAT ABOUT THE THIRD WISH FOR CHRISTMAS?

My mood these days? Festive, you say? Since Christmas is near?!? Not a bit. As usual at this time of the year I'm rather stressed (end of term) and melancholic. My mind is in fervent prayer that it passes soon with me unhurt. The older I grow the more ardently I wish I can skip Christmas and all the related duties. I can't explain why and when it started but here I am bluntly confessing  my awful sin with no sign of repentance or regret. What does RA with his sorrowful  piercing stare (above) have to do with that?  Mmm, actually, not much. Though, as soon as Spooks 9 finished , I started experiencing a sense of loss as if I was mourning someone. I reacted bravely and strongly at first, but once the initial shock vanished I started  feeling a terrible sense of void. The idea of waiting for months (many!) to see RA at work again and in something I'm not interested in  very much ( Captain America, The Hobbit) makes me incredibly sad (withdrawal symptoms?). Is this why I chose these bleak  images from North and South ep. 3? No, actually no. Truth is  my RA post today should focus on my latest trip to Hamsptead (London) to visit St John's. It is the church where they shot Mrs Hale's funeral and Fanny Thornton's wedding. You can see RA/JT sitting on the grey bench staring at Margaret on the left above and silly me smiling blissedly because I was sitting on the same bench ( below ).

 In my hands I've got our notes taken from Annette's site,  since we wanted to be sure we found the church and the right seat inside it of course! We immediately recognized the facade though the doors had been painted in red and entering it was impossible not to recognize the odd shape and colour of the benches. The light and colours were less stern than I had imagined , there was someone playing the organ   and the place was so peaceful.

From the TV series

 

From our London trip

 

 We spent some time inside trying to notice every little detail we could and then walked outside in the churchyard where we knew there was one of Jane Austen's aunts buried as well as  English Romantic painter John Constable. There was a stage in front of the altar, the parish drama club was going to stage "An Ideal Husband " by Oscar Wilde.

Mr Bell: "Can you see those ladies down there?
Do you think they are looking for you , Mr Thornton?"

"Who? Italian ladies? What are they doing here?"

"Oh! Miss Hale!
Could you save me from those Italian ladies, please?
Could you shield me as you did at Marlborough Mills?"

LOL! I needed to exorcize  my blue mood with a good laugh! Come on, silly me! It's true,  Christmas is coming and  I don't like most of the stuff connected to the upcoming  holiday time but ... I might .. ask Santa for a special gift!  A very special one!
No! No, no, no! What are you giggling at or  thinking of? No naughty wishes! I swear! Mine  is simple, plain and ... innocent. LOL!

Since I've read this lovely report of a magic night on Feigned Mischief blog,  I've started longing for seeing this  with my own eyes: " ... prancing on stage, lifting his long lithe legs effortlessly, swirling his lustrous thick jet black hair as if he was the star of a new Pantene male advert! Didn’t know RA can do comedy! He was hilarious! He then goes to Debbie and they start a dance routine that left the audience practically in stitches. I remember reading that he studied dance in LAMDA so this must be all second nature to him". 

This would be the perfect Christmas gift to me! I might even forget or bear the fact that it was  Christmas! Who might  have recorded those magic moments, “The 24 Hour Plays” at the Old Vic on 21 November?  Do you think the organizers at the theatre did any recording of the event? Let's start a campaign to ask them to distribute a DVD of the plays to raise money for charity. They said they got £121,395! What about getting more then by selling a DVD of the event? I was thinking of something like  the "Bring North and South to PBS" campaign. Are you ready? Can we have any chance to be satisfied? I'd give any sum to get a copy. What about you?

Suggestions for a perfect RA weekend:

1. Read the awesome Gisborne fan fiction at Mesmered's Blog :  The Sheriff's Collector.  (I love it!)

2. Start thinking about a Christmas RA gift to ask from your friends ( The lovely man in person is too much, believe me! But dreams cost nothing... ) 

3. Find a way to support MG in the campaign to get a DVD of "The 24 Hours Plays". She needs help!

4. Look at the picture below from time to time, cuddle yourself a bit and try to forget troubles and pains. Grant yourself the sweetest daydreams!

Have a very lovely weekend, you all!