Monkey's Blog - with a little help from Alice

Winter is coming ... back

No, we don't mean the current weather in Scotland, even though the forecasts have been for yet more snow, and it's not at all Spring-like. Alice had some brave bulbs sprouting in her window boxes, but they all got buried and almost frozen to death. Happily, when it thawed, most of them seem to have recovered and are still doing their best to come into flower. Brrrrr... It's been right old two-hot-water-bottle nights for us lately! As you can see, I've got my furs ready too...

No, we're talking about the return of HBO's marvellous Game of Thrones, a superbly produced serialisation of G R R Martin's fantasy epic, A Song of Ice and Fire. In all senses of epic, too, at five books in seven volumes, with another one or two still to be written! We've mentioned it before, as we're both great fans.

Series Three is about to hit the TV screens accross the globe.  That's if you've got yourself a satellite dish and subscription to Sky, of course. We don't, but rely on babysitting the grandchildren in a fully equipped household. (The haunting background music to the trailer above is Bones by MS MR.)

Winter is Coming is the motto (or "Words") of House Stark, and the winter they're talking about might last for more than a generation. Jon Snow (right), a bastard Stark, is properly kitted out as a member of the Night's Watch in the far North - filmed in Iceland. HBO spares no expense!

King Monkey on the Iron Throne

The series is all about seven rival Houses warring for the Iron Throne. A bit like Wars of the Roses, but with magic involved as well. It's a terrific story, full of twists and turns, with fascinating characters who are all complex in their own way. (Just like me!)

If you Google it, you'll find umpteen more sites and videos to give you the idea.

Alice lent her box set of Season One to a friend, who was so taken with it she watched it twice over, and then sent off for her own copy, plus Season Two. We're catching up on that one now, in preparation. So watch out, you might get hooked too.

Don't forget to click on the images to see larger, or open in a new tab for full size.