<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lady-in-the-vannov15.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2882 alignright" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lady-in-the-vannov15-300x272.jpg" alt="lady-in-the-van(nov15)" width="300" height="272" /></a>Another wet and windy Tuesday afternoon and we're heading up to Cleethorpes to the cinema to see <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/15/lady-in-van-review-maggie-smith-alan-bennett" target="_blank">The Lady in the Van</a>. We expected the cinema to be quiet as this film is not a blockbuster but on entering the foyer there is a queue - no worries they must be going to see Spectre, now that is a blockbuster. No! We're wrong, everyone is going to see the Lady in the Van and the theatre is nearly full - thankfully we find a couple of seats towards the back which is our preference. We cannot recall the last time we sat in such a crowded film auditorium especially at 3.30 in the afternoon.

What a delightful story. This is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Bennett" target="_blank">Alan Bennet</a> at his most brilliant and the translation from book/stage play to film is superb (or so Jane tells me as I haven't read the book). It is very gentle in the telling - no sex or violence as is the norm in films today however Maggie's Smith's portrayal of the Lady in the Van is full of vitriol, stubbornness and unique character one rarely finds in life. We loved the warmth of the film and the acting is totally transparent which means it must have been brilliant.

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