Roxie Reviews: 'Land Girls'

L-R: Joyce, Iris and Connie

Now in it's third series 'Land Girls' has been quite a success story for afternoon television on the BBC. As with all afternoon television there has to be a little more drama than real life, and series three had the familiar threat of murder surrounding it. I was an avid fan of the first series of 'Land Girls' which showed the four newcomers to the farm go through the seasons; after the birth of an illegitimate baby and the murder of the lord of the manor (after an affair, no less) it looked as though the series was going to be a one off. Now, I won't lie to you, I can't really remember the second series as I didn't think it was that good. Something about the illegitimate baby being kidnapped by the whole of the American army I think...

Maybe I am biased to preferring the third series to the other two because I am a teensy weensy bit in love with one of the new characters. Meet Danny Sparks...

Played by Joe Armstrong (son of Alun Armstrong) the character is basically just Joe's character of Allan A Dale of Robin Hood fame in a suit and with a gun, although I'm pretty sure Allan wouldn't slap around his ex fiance and try to kill her!

Each series sees a few more girls to replace the ones who left. This series the newcomer was Iris; in my opinion I don't think she had enough screen time at all as the series remained focussed on the old girls Connie and Joyce. Ironically none of the land girls are my favourite characters although their leader (I'm not sure if there is a correct term for her historically, please correct me in a comment if you do know) Esther remained top of my leader board. Part mother hen, part boss Esther has a ethical storyline that modern woman often take for granted: she fell pregnant by the village baddie and had the agonising decision to make whether to abort it or face the shame of having to leave the service and bring up a baby as a single mother.

Esther Reeves, played by Susan Cookson

There were two main storylines this series, one concerning Joyce and another surrounding Connie and her shady east end past (gangsters in a little northern village? Really?). The Joyce one was much more realistic whilst the other brought the drama everyone craves in a afternoon viewing. We had met Joyce's husband in the second series (maybe first too, I forget these things) as he departed back to the war with the RAF bombing command, and in this series the couple must fight their own battle through what, sadly, happened to so many men when they returned from war as John suffers from servere shell shock. Connie, Danny and Rev. Henry were the drama for the show. Would Connie choose a new life with vicar Henry, make scones and do all those new wifey things? Or would she go back Danny and an exciting but dangerous life of crime? Personally I couldn't choose, both men are very handsome! (Oh hush, I'm not that fickle! But really, very handsome men.)

So, what do I think of 'Land Girls' in the end? To be honest, absolutely loved it! The fashions (check out the dresses in the end photo!), the hairstyles, the over-the-top-soap-style storylines all added up to a brilliant show. One thing though, Mr BBC, please put it back to a better time of half five because it really didn't deserve to be put at the awkward time of ten past two if it comes back for a fourth series (oh please say it will!).

Bon Anniversaire!

Today my blog is one whole year old! This is fourty second blog entry since my very first one which introduced who I am and what not. I hope you're not expecting anything special from this entry but I am merely writing to proclaim this landmark event, and thank the thirty eight followers I have collected in the last twelve months for taking an interest in my life and my ravings!

Here's to the next twelve months and the many posts to come!

Oh and a very happy birthday to my friend, Ashleigh Gayter xx

Pumpkins Scream In The Dead of Night...

This Hallowe'en was definitely one of the best I've ever had!

This Saturday (as everyone knows from this blog) it was my birthday and so some of the Ferny girls and I went to Garlands to celebrate after eating too many of the delicious cakes that Rosie and Faye made for me.

I was supposed to be dressed as a Zombie Bride but my lack of anything but a kinda-white dress (£5 in the H&M sale - can't go wrong!) made me more of just a zombie, but hey! That's cool! Fake blood is fake blood, right? And yes, my hair took half an hour and a large bottle of conditioner to get back to normal. My make up was done by a Mac make up artist, which was great - I bought the two eyeshadows with my birthday spendies.

Me? Posing? Never.

On the 31st we had a little gathering around our's with the boys we lived with last year and then hit Medication which was so much fun! The Ferny girls wore the same outfits as Saturday night; Rosie & Anna as 118 blokes, Faye as the elegant Black Swan, and Ashleigh and Rachel as wicked she-devils.

Some of the boys were raving skeletons - but I'm not quite sure what Sam and Josh were...

Me and Faye found some really cool glasses...and a hat =P

I hope you all had a brilliant Hallowe'en whatever you did and however you celebrated! 'Til next year!