Saturday 9 July 2011

In Conversation - Mary Hoffman and Anne Rooney

19 comments:

Lucy Coats said...

What are you two mad Italian grannies LIKE!? Wayward cats, coffee product placement for Blackwells, disagreements about the Archers--and, of course, lots of ITALY! Well done to you both!

Rosalind Adam said...

Yes, all that Lucy said and more... I mean, what's all this about luring an elderly Italian Senor into patronage? Love that Italian connection though and a great video.

Only one moan, I didn't get to see enough of the cat.

Rebecca Brown said...

That was brilliant, I was smiling all the way through! I've never been to Italy, France is my Italy (lol, if that makes sense) but your descriptions sound wonderful, and that feeling of how a place grabs you is just how I feel about Brittany. So if your millionaire has anything left over...

Thanks very much!

Wendy Meddour said...

Right. That's it. I'm going to set my next book in Italy and dye my hair a beautiful shade of red!

Unknown said...

Oh this is such fun! So nice to "meet" Mary this way - happily, I've already met Anne! Like Rebecca, I smiled the whole way through this. And have to confess, like these two mad Italophiles :-), I also totally love Italy - and particularly Tuscany.

MC Rogerson said...

Great video. Love Italy, especially Florence. Siena's next on my list.

michelle lovric said...

Hello lovely ladies. That was so much fun that I couldnt tear myself away and so overcooked the carrots for my caponata.

The colour of the wall behind you is the exact shade of the Grand Canal this morning. Wish you were here - AND to eat the caponata -
you forgot to mention that you are not just aspiring mad grannies, successful writers and italophiles, but also vegetarians.

I think that Brian and Jennifer are due a romantic interlude in Venice and Siena in forthcoming episodes of the Archers. Just think how many people would be happy if that happened. And if Brian fell in the Grand Canal and developed a disfiguring skin disease - well, it's just what he deserves.

Miriam Halahmy said...

Terrific video, excellent colour scheme, riveting viewing. Well done both of you!!

Stroppy Author said...

Thank you for your lovely comments, everyone! We're both away - Mary in Italy (of course) and me in West Sussex at the farm of the lovely Kathryn Evans, but I'm dropping into ABBA when I can to enjoy the festivities!

Unknown said...

Lovely! I so enjoyed this. I hope you both find your patrons and if you come across a spare one, do send him/her my way.

Linda Strachan said...

Great fun, Loved it! Hope you will find your patron and will both be Nonnas soon!

Candy Gourlay said...

It's so rare to see Anne Rooney ... brilliant to see you both! Such charming ladies! I like the cat swanning past.

Unknown said...

Mary and Anne you cannot fish for multi-millionaires on a blog fest! I'm scandalised ;)
If you do find the multi-with-millis-to-spare remember to send him my way next ;)

Nicola Morgan said...

Fun! x

Dianne Hofmeyr said...

This was brilliant. It had me smiling throughout...the two of you seemed to be having such fun! Both of you were looking very Titian against the lovely verdegris background! I'm an 'Italian' granny at heart too and have a grandaughter who ate olives before she ate sweets. My most recent Italian experience was bucolic rather than cultural. I woke early one morning to find about 30 cingale with babies snuffling under the olive trees! The babies are stripy with lovely piggy noses. Glad I'm a vegetarian! Thank you for this delightful glimpse into your books and the places you love. A great way to celebrate writing and ABBA.

Unknown said...

Great fun. We're going to Tuscany in a few weeks time, but now I want to go back to Venice as well. Does Ms. Lovric rent her place out?

Katherine Roberts said...

Three questions:

Can we see the cat???

What is that shade of lipstick, Mary?

And what do you use on your hair, (both Anne and Mary). Is it henna? I just tried henna, and mine fell out...

Really enjoyed this - and lovely to meet you at last, Anne!

Stroppy Author said...

I can tell you Mary's lipstick is Chanel Rouge Noir. I can't show you the cat or tell you what Mary puts on her hair. Mine is not henna, but that's all I can tell you as I am not consistent.

I am so glad our video prompted such pertinent, writing-related questions, Katherine!

Diane, that sounds lovely.
Linda, I don't want to be a nonna just yet as the UK's teen pregancy rates are high enough already.

Mary Hoffman said...

Back from Italy last night! I have made a small video of my three cats which I'm going to try to post on YouTube must must not be beguiled yet as I have a deadline 28th July.

And also have a video of husband's half-sister's wedding (2nd July) to edit before they have their first anniversary.

I don't know the name of my hair colour as it is a mixture with a secret recipe passed on from my London hairdresser ten years ago. Will ask when I go to have it re-done this week.

Anne knows the colour of my lipstick because she is my dealer! It seems available only from Robert Sayle in Cambridge now. But it has a generic name of Bats' Blood, because I have been buying the same shade for decades,a former brand being Barry M.

We did have fun making this silly film, my first ever with my birthday videocamera and I'm glad that people seem to have enjoyed it.