Three awards for Symi Film

I can tell you that ‘The 13^th’, the film filmed on Symi in 2013, picked up three awards at The London Greek Film Festival on Saturday night. Best actress for the lovely Rebecca Grant, Best Music for Michael Bishop (the play-out music at the end of the film includes the sound of Symi bells, recorded on the island) and a ‘special mention’ award for Chris Hastings, director, producer and co-writer. Congratulations all round. I expect there will be another Kickstarter update for backers soon, giving all the details.

Meanwhile, the good people of Romney Marsh, in Kent, have been rallying around to supply towels and toiletries for the Symi football teams that are arriving there on Friday for the tournament. Due to finance and luggage restrictions, the boys aren’t able to take more than hand luggage, and the Pontins they are staying at doesn’t supply towels to its guests, which are heavy things to pack when over 40 people are travelling. Some of the Marsh football mums with children in the competition are arranging donations, with others, to be taken to the holiday park and then donated to charity afterwards. That’s a wonderful gesture, and I hope it all works out and the boys can have a shower when they arrive on Friday night, and after the games. It’s going to be a long day so they will need it.

While all that has been going on, a strong wind has cooled the temperature here down a little, but today (Sunday as I write this), the sky is blue, and the wind has dropped, so we should be warming up again very soon. And when I say ‘warming up’, it’s not cold, it’s perfect walking weather, and I am in t-shirt and shorts at 7.30 in the morning, so there is no need to panic.

People have been asking about the taxi boats. I have seen one going in and out of Yialos as I watch from up here, and I expect the others will be up and running soon. We are having one of those gaps between Easter and the start of school holidays when things really start to pick up, so it’s probably not worth running the boats just yet. The day trip boats that are coming in every day are bringing lots of visitors for the day, so things must be pretty busy over on Rhodes.

So, a few good pieces of news to start the week off there.

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Saturday Symi photos

Here are your ten random Symi photos for today, to keep you going over the weekend. The weather’s been a bit odd these last couple of days, I was back in long trousers last night, but so far today (Saturday) the rain has not come back. Tonight sees the awards at the Greek Film Festival in London so there may be some news on that next week, and later this week the Symi football teams (under 12/11) are off to play in their football tournament in the UK. I have a weekend of writing planned and, apart from some shopping, that’s all I have planned. Enjoy the photos, and I’ll be back next week.

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Saddling five-star times three

Here on Symi, yesterday started a little damp, but by half ten the rain had gone and the sun was back, with a few clouds around. There’s a strike going on and so the Blue Star will not be in this week, I heard. This doesn’t affect the day boats or the Dodekanisos though, so if you’re coming this way with them, you should be okay.

I’m pleased to report that my latest novel, ‘The Saddling’ has received its third five-star review in a week. I’ve done a little tidying up on the Kindle version as there were some odd things happening there – as there often are with Kindle – and we’ve changed a couple of stray typos that got through my various and many readings of the manuscript, the editor, the beta readers and the edit-check programme we use. Thanks to Penny for finding them; there were only a few. We’ll change the interior files over at the weekend. If you have a Kindle version of the book and want the new one (without the odd typo – everything else is the same), then once it’s up there, you can go to your Kindle library and download/replace it for free. I’ll let you know when that’s ready. If you haven’t bought a copy yet, don’t worry, there are only a couple of these odd words and they should be gone by Monday. It’s a ‘me’ thing, you know how badly I type and spell. Anyway: Here’s the link to the book, please do leave an Amazon review if you can, I only need another 96 to start registering in their publicity lists! Lol. And after the link is a couple more random photos from the files. My camera is currently having a day off in Lincoln ahead of being on call for a wedding tomorrow, so these will have to do as your ‘Symi fix’ for today.

The Saddling – paperback and Kindle

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Quick catch up

A grey and quiet day yesterday; some cloud around, no wind to speak of so warm, a ferry strike for a few hours, but the day boats came in. I saw a taxi boat coming back from Nimborio direction, not sure if they are running yet or if that was just a sea trial, but otherwise, not a lot going on up here.

Our landlord popped across the road to let me know he needed to fill his sterna. I am not surprised. He last did it two years ago. I wonder what he has been doing for water all this time? I know he collects it when it rains and uses bottled water a lot of the time. His mains water feed is in our courtyard, as he owns both houses. It only means me turning it on for him when he needs to take it in, and us having to turn ours off. I can’t pretend to understand the plumbing in the house, but if we don’t turn our pump and water taps off and on when it’s time to fill up, the pump starts to pump back the water that’s trying to come in, or something. So, I filled the kettle early and then turned it all off. Once the supply stops, usually around midday, we’ll be back to normal. Nothing’s ever straightforward, which is just how I like it.

Some more old photos today as my camera is currently in Essex, yUK, on its tour around the country. It’s been to London, Lincoln, Newark, London again and now Chelmsford, and later today, Wednesday, it’s heading back to Lincoln. I look forward to getting it back so I can take some new images for the blog.

As for news of the film, the backers have been sent a couple of Kickstarter updates to keep them up to speed. Apparently, the film festival had some technical issues with their projector at the screening (and at the screenings of other films), and so it wasn’t the best reproduction. But the judging is not done at the screening, but the judges have digital copies to view so it won’t affect any of that. Peter V has arranged with the Mayor of Symi that there will be an official Greek premiere at some time during the Symi Festival later this year. It’s going to be held in the sports hall, and it will be free to everyone to come and see. He also aims to have Greek subtitles ready for it. That’s great news, and there will be more on that over time. The distribution deal is also going ahead, last I heard, so it will soon be up to them to sell the film and get it shown around. Again, more news to follow.

Now I have to go and do things with taps, pay the rent, feed the cat (again) and think about feeding myself…

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Vegetables and other tourists

I expect you’ll be wanting to know how the showing of the Symi film, ‘The 13^th’ went on Monday night. Well, at the moment I am not sure. I’m writing this early on Tuesday as I have a lot of jobs on today. When I know more I’ll let you know.

Those jobs include a complete clear-out of the cat litter tray (joy!), and I can’t wait for that. There are pleasanter things to be done though, I am planning a vegetable stew for lunch. Oh, the excitement of my life. Now that the boats are more regular here on Symi, there are more fresh vegetables in the shops, not that we do too badly during the winter months. Then, it’s a problem with weather and the supplies getting to the island; there’s not so much of an issue in the summer. But we do now have to compete with the tavernas and businesses, who have to make sure they get the best of the deliveries, of course. Up in the village, we have various outlets for fruit and veg, it’s a case of finding what you want, where you can, and at the best price. Anyway, the cat litter and the carrots won’t be mixed up in today’s concoction (I hope), and whatever I make up should last me the whole day and into tomorrow.

That was a bit domestic wasn’t it? I have also been to Yialos, and there were loads of people getting off the day-boat when I was there on Monday; a good sign? Well, many of them had their all-inclusive armbands on, and I expect were carrying packed lunches. Others were being herded to certain shops for talks, and tavernas for set meals. A few made it up to Horio, I saw them up here later, and maybe some will choose to come back and stay for longer one day. That’s the best way to see Symi, you can’t do it justice in three hours on a day-trip.

Anyway, must get on and sort the you-know-what before making my much talked about vegetable thing for later. More news on the film will follow if/when I get it.

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