It’s been cold and rainy, rainy and cold. [‘Etretat in the Rain’ (1886), Claude Monet] With good timing, though I say so myself, I’m reading the recently published, first biography in English of Claude Monet, the painter of weather and water. He grew up in Le Havre (‘very rainy, Le Havre’, as
Another lovely Sunday piece Jane, thank you. Read, appropriately, as the rain yet again patters against the windows.
I smiled at and agreed with your appreciation of the names Hermione Gingold and Googie Withers. Anyone called Hephzibar also does it for me. Such a lovely mouthful of a name.
Lovely, as usual. Thank you. And now I’m thinking of other rainy film scenes. The first to mind is when it rained frogs in *Magnolia*. And Google Withers is indeed a wonderful name. We enjoyed seeing her recently in *One of Our Aircraft Is Missing* (Powell & Pressburger, 1942): very good as a Dutch resistance leader, not her usual kind of rôle! No rain it however, not that I recall.
I too originally hail from Stockport. My two bus journeys to school in the 60s passed in a cocooned fug which I quite liked, because the windows were so invariably sleeked with rain that I couldn’t see out.
If you have chance to read This is Happiness by Niall Williams you will be treated to the most fulsome and loving descriptions of rain in Ireland as a background to the story. It is written with gentle Irish humour and tolerance of his characters. The sun does come out in the end!
A pure delight to read, as always! And let’s not forget the scene in “Annie Hall,” as Christopher Walken, behind the wheel in a driving night-time rain, relates his visions of suicide-by-automobile to a terrified Woody Allen.
Wonderful, as ever. Many thanks. I tried to get tickets to your Persephone festival events, but they were all fully booked (about 20 mins after booking opened!). Very disappointing!
Wonderful post, wonderful images! I always put on Jimi Hendrix when it's raining--"Rainy day, rain all day, ain't no use in gettin' uptight, just let it groove its own way . . . " Coincidentally, I got caught in the rain just last week. Running for the bus I remembered how much I loved running in the rain when I was a kid and getting thoroughly soaked, a la Clint Eastwood. Made me laugh out loud and forget all about catching the bus.
I also must plead guilty to having been an inverted snob about Monet. I grew up in Chicago where our wonderful art museum is crammed with Impressionist paintings and got thoroughly sick of being dragged through them on school trips. After reading your post, I'm ready to re-evaluate Monet (but maybe not Renoir).
I live in Oregon, in the states, where it rains a lot. Much like England. Since I grew up here, I've always loved the rain. And this piece about it is lovely--thank you. Also, I'm old enough to remember horribly boring Sundays because nothing, and I mean nothing, not even grocery stores, was open.
I've lived my entire life in the western part of the Pacific Northwest in the US, where it rains much more often than not. And now I want to spend my Sunday evening watching an old movie filled with rain. Thank you.
Reading your posts are such a treat. This is especially true today (it’s morning here right now) as I sit in my living room with a little fire going, with a cup of coffee, with the patio door ajar…..listening to the rain ☔️ !, anticipating the oven timer ding telling me my warm croissant is ready. While reading Jane’s brilliant post!! Ahhh. Thank you ever so much for introducing me to, or reminding me about, photographers, artists, movies etc. Your choices are fantabulous!
(PS: I looked up Hitchcock’s Psycho cinematographer,John L. Russell. Wow, he was brilliant. That lead me to Hitch’s other cinematographer, Robert Burks. These guys were amazing.)
Great, stupendous, magnificent, beautiful! - And I'm over-the-top in my praise but what the hell - I'm sitting here writing an opinion on the will of some old fart who died in 1969 and left millions to his heirs in such a nasty, spiteful will that they haven't seen a cent of their money TO THIS VERY DAY, this boiling hot 32°C Sunday in Cape Town, dammit! I needed the relief. Thank you!
Reading your piece about rain as I watch the rain from my window. So cosy! Thank you for this bit of Sunday joy - I always learn something interesting and discover new things to check out!
One of my first reads each Sunday. You throw up so many fascinating ideas for me to pursue & peruse, so many memories to recall.
Googie Withers, Ginger Rogers (another fabulous name) and the scene from Top Hat when she & Fred are sheltering from the thunderstorm - Isn’t this a Lovely Day to be Caught in the Rain.
Fortunately today the sky is blue & cloudless as my garden calls…
Another lovely Sunday piece Jane, thank you. Read, appropriately, as the rain yet again patters against the windows.
I smiled at and agreed with your appreciation of the names Hermione Gingold and Googie Withers. Anyone called Hephzibar also does it for me. Such a lovely mouthful of a name.
Lovely, as usual. Thank you. And now I’m thinking of other rainy film scenes. The first to mind is when it rained frogs in *Magnolia*. And Google Withers is indeed a wonderful name. We enjoyed seeing her recently in *One of Our Aircraft Is Missing* (Powell & Pressburger, 1942): very good as a Dutch resistance leader, not her usual kind of rôle! No rain it however, not that I recall.
I'm reading this on a snowy Maine day, in a small city, where the rain is never very interesting, so thank you for sharing this piece.
Dear Jane
I too originally hail from Stockport. My two bus journeys to school in the 60s passed in a cocooned fug which I quite liked, because the windows were so invariably sleeked with rain that I couldn’t see out.
If you have chance to read This is Happiness by Niall Williams you will be treated to the most fulsome and loving descriptions of rain in Ireland as a background to the story. It is written with gentle Irish humour and tolerance of his characters. The sun does come out in the end!
Lesley
A pure delight to read, as always! And let’s not forget the scene in “Annie Hall,” as Christopher Walken, behind the wheel in a driving night-time rain, relates his visions of suicide-by-automobile to a terrified Woody Allen.
Wonderful, as ever. Many thanks. I tried to get tickets to your Persephone festival events, but they were all fully booked (about 20 mins after booking opened!). Very disappointing!
Wonderful post, wonderful images! I always put on Jimi Hendrix when it's raining--"Rainy day, rain all day, ain't no use in gettin' uptight, just let it groove its own way . . . " Coincidentally, I got caught in the rain just last week. Running for the bus I remembered how much I loved running in the rain when I was a kid and getting thoroughly soaked, a la Clint Eastwood. Made me laugh out loud and forget all about catching the bus.
I also must plead guilty to having been an inverted snob about Monet. I grew up in Chicago where our wonderful art museum is crammed with Impressionist paintings and got thoroughly sick of being dragged through them on school trips. After reading your post, I'm ready to re-evaluate Monet (but maybe not Renoir).
I live in Oregon, in the states, where it rains a lot. Much like England. Since I grew up here, I've always loved the rain. And this piece about it is lovely--thank you. Also, I'm old enough to remember horribly boring Sundays because nothing, and I mean nothing, not even grocery stores, was open.
I've lived my entire life in the western part of the Pacific Northwest in the US, where it rains much more often than not. And now I want to spend my Sunday evening watching an old movie filled with rain. Thank you.
Reading your posts are such a treat. This is especially true today (it’s morning here right now) as I sit in my living room with a little fire going, with a cup of coffee, with the patio door ajar…..listening to the rain ☔️ !, anticipating the oven timer ding telling me my warm croissant is ready. While reading Jane’s brilliant post!! Ahhh. Thank you ever so much for introducing me to, or reminding me about, photographers, artists, movies etc. Your choices are fantabulous!
(PS: I looked up Hitchcock’s Psycho cinematographer,John L. Russell. Wow, he was brilliant. That lead me to Hitch’s other cinematographer, Robert Burks. These guys were amazing.)
Great, stupendous, magnificent, beautiful! - And I'm over-the-top in my praise but what the hell - I'm sitting here writing an opinion on the will of some old fart who died in 1969 and left millions to his heirs in such a nasty, spiteful will that they haven't seen a cent of their money TO THIS VERY DAY, this boiling hot 32°C Sunday in Cape Town, dammit! I needed the relief. Thank you!
Another fabulous start to my Sunday - thank you Jane!
Reading your piece about rain as I watch the rain from my window. So cosy! Thank you for this bit of Sunday joy - I always learn something interesting and discover new things to check out!
*Googie! (Gah!)
Gosh Jane, whatever were you doing working in a Securicor van in the middle of Manchester? A spy? If so, your cover is now blown!
One of my first reads each Sunday. You throw up so many fascinating ideas for me to pursue & peruse, so many memories to recall.
Googie Withers, Ginger Rogers (another fabulous name) and the scene from Top Hat when she & Fred are sheltering from the thunderstorm - Isn’t this a Lovely Day to be Caught in the Rain.
Fortunately today the sky is blue & cloudless as my garden calls…
I wonder what next Sunday will bring?