Tonight many places will have clear skies and good views of the annual Perseid meteor showers. In the north-east of the sky from 10pm tonight till sunrise tomorrow we should be getting a dazzling display as particles from the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
I might watch, if I'm not to frightened.
You see as an 8 year old I was scared witless by the BBC adaption of The Day of the Triffids. Oh forget about the 60's sanitised Howard Keel film version. No the BBC did a far grittier adaption truer to John Wyndham's novel. It petrified me and was the highlight of my viewing week, and along with The Martian Chronicles is one of the TV experiences I remember most vividly and with excitement.
BBC4 have just repeated the series and I watched it again. Okay so the Triffids may be a little clunky but the overall premise still gave me the heeby-jeebies! I mean just look at the opening credits:
I was stood out in the garden at about 1 in the morning and for long enough that the dogs started to get anxious about what I was doing.
Did I see a single, solitary meteor? I did not. Maybe they were busy somewhere else.
Posted by: Stegbeetle | 13 August 2007 at 07:28 AM
OI so unfair, my blog today was going to be about Wyndham!!
Posted by: Pete | 13 August 2007 at 07:40 AM
Woohoo I saw at least 16 before losing count, some really good ones too.
Plus I'm not blind and haven't been devoured by a daffodil!
Posted by: Beki | 13 August 2007 at 01:53 PM
Thanks for reminding me of John Wyndham - The Midwich Cuckoos is one of my favourite books. I read Chocky a few months ago for the first time - a bit weird but a little gem.
Posted by: Kit | 14 August 2007 at 09:55 PM