Those Who Live in Grass Houses

House of Black & White, Door 6

House of Black and White, Door 6

Tell us a little about yourself

Born in Coventry, England, in 1948, I consider myself more English than the English, mainly because I grew up in Africa, where the only defence against the heat was to imagine oneself designed for a much cooler climate. The result was a romantic view of the island of my birth that was outdated even as it took root in my head at a very early age.

When I left Africa in 1976 and returned “home” (as we called England in the colonies), my eyes were opened in unexpected ways. It was indeed steeped in history and the physical evidence of events going back thousands of years. The countryside was greener than I had thought possible (in Africa, grass is a dirty yellow) and the towns were absolutely filled with people just like me - slightly withdrawn and mindful of their privacy, long-suffering but ferocious when finally goaded to action, and utterly convinced that their sense of humour was better than anyone else’s.

It was also a land of incredibly pointless strikes by the workers, politics that centred on the price of a pint of beer, and the famous class system. On this last, I found that I fitted none of the definitions of class and so was acceptable to all the various shades and nuances of British society. My accent, the product of the vast mixture of tongues in southern Africa, years of elocution lessons insisted upon by my parents (who were horrified to realise that I was “going native”), and time spent in different countries, was unplaceable to the Brits (I had one guess at Antarctica, which I thought pretty imaginative) and so I had a free pass to anywhere.

But it also meant that, in some ways, I was a stranger in my own land. It saddened me at times that, in spite of my fierce love for the land of my birth, I did not really fit in. I was happiest in the company of working class people but even then, there were things I had to hold back for fear of distancing myself from them. Not that it was difficult - we Brits are trained to keep ourselves to ourselves.

I ramble on too long. You wanted to know about goals and aspirations and that’s easily dealt with, since I’m far too old to have any truck with such things. I have practised to be content all my life and I’m pretty good at it now. And I should shut up now since you said, “tell us a little.”

2. Pick a member from your team and tell us about them.

I chose Lornda , House Martell leader and the one I call capting, my capting. That’s just my little joke - I only know her a little through WdC and now GoT, but we get on very well. She has been endlessly patient with my stumbling around in the mists of GoT, explaining the complex and cheerfully encouraging the troops.

Before GoT, I saw Lornda around and about in WdC but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I knew her well. Just by watching her, I knew that she was a tireless worker, dedicated to the task of helping others. She is, of course, a leader of the WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group, for which I have done all my reviewing over the last few years. In that role too, she is indefatigable and encouraging.

What more can I say? She is indeed a worthy capting of House Martell! Oh, and I found out she’s Canadian. No wonder she’s so nice, eh.

3. Pick a member from an opposing team.

Another Canadian! It’s Jayne ’s turn for the spotlight. Applause, please.

I first came to know Jaeyne through the live videos of the Quill Awards Ceremony when she and her fellow officials would sit in front of their monitors, dispensing justice and results to all and sundry. How we hung upon their words with anticipation!

Jaeyne was, of course, quite dazzling in her finery, often changing during the breaks so that we were always impressed with her expression of haute couture as well as erudition. Since those days, I have come to know Jaeyne for her wit and intelligence, as well as her acknowledged talent as a writer. It is indeed an honour when she visits my humble blog to make a comment or two.

Finally, I have to mention that her bio says she watches WILTY. That fact alone is enough to convince me of her excellent taste and insight. Bob Mortimer is the finest Englishman alive!


House Martell

Word count: 768
For "Game of Thrones"  House of Black & White, Door 6