Gervaise A Williams

Popular author to launch walking and literary festival

AUTHOR Gervase Phinn is to host a pre-launch event for a popular literary and walking festival by reading excerpts of his first novel for adults.

The Alt-Berg Richmond Walking and Book Festival, which is now in its 11th year, will run in venues around the town between September 23 and October 2.

Mr Phinn will attend an event on July 9 at the Zetland Centre, in Richmond, to help raise funds for the running of the 2011 festival, which includes 36 guided walks in the dales around Richmond and a number of literary events.

A former Speaker’s Club Speaker of the Year, Mr Phinn will be talking about his new novel , The Little Village School.

Event organizer Anne Wicks said, "Gervase is one not to miss and we are delighted to have secured his attendance at the event. He personifies Yorkshire and is one of the most entertaining speakers you are ever likely to hear."

The festival was first started by Mike Sheehan, the owner of walking bootmakers Alt-Berg, which is based in Richmond, in September 2000.

To celebrate the continued support of the company the festival has now been renamed the Altberg Richmond Walking and Book Festival.

Among the speakers for the event are Peter Robinson, an award winning novelist and creator of the popular DCI Banks series, Baroness Williams of Crosby, a senior member of the Liberal Democrat party, and poet and broadcaster Pam Ayres.

The pre-launch event on July 9 will start at 8pm. Tickets are available from Castle Hill Bookshop for £10 and can also be booked by calling 01748-824243 or online at www.booksandboots.

Ugly Betty on Channel 4

The latest hit comedy show to make its way to channel 4 from America is ‘Ugly Betty’. This heavily promoted fictional series is set in the world of the high flying fashion industry with the most unlikely of lead stars! Betty Suarez (played by America Ferrera) becomes assistant to Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius), the manager of the top fashion magazine ‘Mode’ and soon realises that the only reason she has been taken on is because his father (the owner of the company) wanted him to hire an assistant who he would not be tempted to sleep with.

Betty’s unconventional look, garish braces on her teeth and drastic sense of style mean that she is soon made an outcast in the Mode office but as Daniel and Betty work together they find that they actually make a pretty good team, and for once Daniel Meade may have finally found an assistant that he can truly trust.

And let’s face it, with tough opposition from fellow colleague Wilhelmina Slater and a mystery woman determined to see him fail, Daniel really does need all the help he can get!

Having seen the first two episodes of Ugly Betty I must say that I am pleasantly surprised with the series so far. Actress Salma Hayek is one of the producers on the show, and also has a hilarious cameo role in the soap opera that is always playing in the background on the TV at Betty’s house.

You can tell that Hayek really wants us to like the lovable Betty and you really get the feeling that no matter how much flack this character takes from her fictional workmates she is always going to take the moral high ground and become a much loved asset to the ‘Mode’ team.

I love the way that the show is obviously based around real life magazines like ‘Vogue’ and such, and it does make you wonder if the work environments in the fashion industry actually do have similarities to the world of Ugly Betty.

Another thing that makes the show great for us brits is that there are two of our much loved British actresses starring as key figures in Ugly Betty. Both just happen to have been co stars of the brilliant Ricky Gervaise and have probably been hired due to the popularity of shows like ‘Extras’ and ‘The Office’ in the states currently.

I am curious as to how they are going to keep the show’s fresh and unique appeal without resorting to ridiculous or over the top storylines, as after all, there are only so many laughs to be had at Betty’s expense and hopefully we will see some key plot developments over the next few week to keep us entertained throughout the whole series.

A history of the New York stage from the first performance in 1732 to 1901

Annals of Nottinghamshire

Historical Records of the Buffs, East Kent Regiment, 3red Foot, Formerly Designated the Holland Regiment and Prince George of Denmarks Regiment. Vol. 1 1572-1704

Vaughan Williams essays

Charles Williams, a celebration