Review of 1996-1999
Let's see what the high points of the past four years have been.
The Arts
Best Film
The nominations are
- 1996 - the 1924 silent version of The Phantom of the Opera
- 1997 - Romeo and Juliet
- 1998 - Elizabeth
- 1999 - Shakespeare in Love
And the award goes to...
The Phantom of the Opera
because it takes a special film to be breathtaking after three quarters of a century.
However, it's interesting to note how much events of the late 1500s dominate the
rest of that list.
Best Theatrical Event
The nominations are
- 1998 - Life is A Dream by Calderòn at the Edinburgh Festival
- 1999 - Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre
And the award goes to...
Julius Caesar
because seeing the play at The Globe gave so much to the overall performance.
Best TV Show
The nominations are
- 1996 - This Life - series 1
- 1997 - This Life - series 2
- 1998 - Vanity Fair
- 1999 - Who Wants to be a Millionaire
And the award goes to...
This Life
which produced the most memorable television of the past four years.
Best Book
The nominations are
- 1996 - The Man who Fell in Love with the Moon by Tom Spanbauer
- 1997 - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
- 1998 - Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling
- 1999 - No Award
And the award goes to...
The Man who Fell in Love with the Moon
despite strong competition from internationally renowned authors because it lives
in my imagination for its humanity.
Best Operatic Event
The nominations are
- 1996 - Verdi's Alzira given in the Covent Garden Verdi Festival
- 1997 - Mascagni's Iris given as part of the Holland Park Festival
- 1998 - Verdi's La Traviata from ENO
- 1999 - Verdi's La Traviata from Opera North
- 1999 - Tippett's King Priam from ENO
And the award goes to...
Opera North's La Traviata
for making me weep buckets despite knowing the score inside out.
Best Dance Event
The nominations are
- 1997 - Swan Lake performed by Adventures in Motion Pictures
- 1998 - The Nutcracker from English National Ballet
- 1999 - No Award
And the award goes to...
Swan Lake
because it was thrilling and sexy.
Best Music Event
The nominations are
- 1999 - World Music Event including music from the African Equatorial
rain forest, Copland's Appalachian Spring, Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame
and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.
And the award cannot be given because there is only one contender.
Best Exhibition
The nominations are
- 1998 - Anish Kapoor
- 1999 - Impressions in Winter: Effets de Neige at the Yerba Buena Centre for
the Arts in San Francisco which included landscapes by Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, Gaugin,
Caillebotte and Renoir.
And the award goes to...
Anish Kapoor
for producing images I can still recall.
Social
Best Peak Experience
The nominations are
And the award goes to...
because Mary is one of the bestest of best,
best things to have happened in the past four years.
Best Thing Round the House
The nominations are
- 1997 - the plumbing in of the washing machine which I did myself
- 1998 - growing my own food in the form of runner beans in the back garden
- 1999 - painting the bathroom
And the award goes to...
growing my own food
because growing and then eating your own food just has to be one of the most
satisfying things anyone can do.
Best Nookie
The nominations are
- 1996 - the quickie Ross and I had in the toilets of a Pizza Hut at the end of
the Pride March
- 1997 - the shag Ross and I had on holiday in Sitges during a thunderstorm
- 1998 - continuing close and loving sex with Ross
- 1999 - No Award
And the award goes to...
that 1996 quickie
because I still know how good it felt.
Best Meal
The nominations are
- 1996 - a meal with my cousin Trevor and
his then partner, Florie, in Victoria BC
- 1997 - the local restaurant Trattoria La Ruga where I have had lots
of meals with friends
- 1998 - No Award
- 1999 - the Christmas Eve meal I cooked for
my parents
And the award goes to...
the Christmas Eve meal
because I don't get to cook that often for my folks and this meal was a success
at just the right moment.
Best New Friend
The nominations are
- 1996 - Colin from Lowestoft
- 1997 - No Award
- 1998 - Margaret for her healing powers
- 1999 - Chris
And the award goes to...
All Three
because how can you chose between people who give so much in different ways.
Special Award
The nominations are
- 1996 - Ross
- 1997 - Ross
- 1998 - Ross
- 1999 - Me
And the award goes to...
Ross and David
because we are still making that journey together - even if we are on different tracks
that sometimes appear to be divergent.