Charlotte Bruce - Sales and Marketing Coordinator at Blyth Tall Ship
Here she tells us her favourite pieces from the world of culture.
Who is your favourite author and why?
I read more cookbooks than anything else, I love cooking Nigella Lawson’s recipes, or Ottolenghi. After a day of looking at screens, my eyes often feel a little too tired to whip out a book, but I am slowly reading The Dinner Guest by P.B. Walter which is perfect for picking up after a little break.
What would be your three Desert Island Discs?
I love jazz, I feel like I do best in confusing and unexpected situations and jazz feels like the musical equivalent of this; as soon as you think you know where it’s going, there’s always a twist. I like to go for a little old and a little more modern so:
“Wonderful life” – Louis Armstrong,
“Feeling Good” – Nina Simone and “Valerie” – Amy Winehouse.
Who is your favourite film star and why?
Angelina Jolie because anyone that can go from Girl Interrupted to Disney villain has such an incredible talent. She’s had an incredible career that has spanned nearly every genre, she was even in Kung Fu Panda, which seems like a questionable choice – but she was great even in that!
What are your top three films?
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – when my family was living in Turkey, my dad went out of his way to find a version in the local cinema that wasn’t dubbed over in Turkish, which took him quite a while and I love that he spent time doing that for my sister and I. The film did scare the life out of my sister, but that also brought me a bit of joy too.
Wanted – It’s strange from top to end, and the concept is so weird it shouldn’t work, but I think the incredible cast manage to make it entertaining.
Pride and Prejudice – It helped me understand the book and realise that I do not have the temperament nor patience to have survived in that era.
Which poem left a lasting impression on you?
The Odyssey by Homer – The classics hold a special place in my heart, and this story created so many famous literary themes and terrifying mythical villains that are still used in literature now.
What box sets have you enjoyed?
I love Dinner Ladies, I feel like that’s a Victoria Wood classic that never fails to make me laugh. I don’t watch much TV now, so I tend to watch more podcasts than anything else.
Who is your favourite artist or performer?
I love Lewis Capaldi, he’s always hilarious and able to bring his humour into his shows and his singing is second to none.
What is your favourite venue?
At the risk of sounding like a recluse, I don’t go to venues very often!
I started working on the weekends at 14, so I’ve never had much time. I’ve been to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle and it’s a pretty venue.
Which musical instrument do you particularly enjoy?
The trumpet improves any song, without a doubt.
From the world of Arts and Culture who would be your ideal dinner party guests?
I would invite William Smith, the sailor from Blyth that discovered the Antarctic as so much of his story after the discovery is lost – he’s such an important cultural icon in Blyth!
I would also invite Dawn French, because she seems like such a lovely funny person and Lewis Capaldi too.
www.blythtallship.co.uk
