Ty Canol, in west Wales, is a prehistoric woodland, with living trees that are 800 years old. It’s full of lichen varieties and is mossy and very green, especially in late May, when I made my visit. There’s a nearby neolithic burial site (not pictured); it is sobering to think that the wood was there when the burial took place. The place has a special atmosphere that I’ve tried to capture.
White Queen: Theses on the Meaning of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’

I’m not going to recount the plot of the miniseries, as you can get that from Wikipedia or plenty of other places. But: spoiler alerts. The Queens Gambit‘s success has been enormous and I want to offer a few initial thoughts about it which may help explain this, as it has somehow reached a lot of people. The acting and ‘look’ of the lead -Anya Joy-Taylor – is clearly an important part of it. She even looks on occasion like some elegant chess piece come to life in a Lewis Carroll kind of way. The production values and the way the plot steers away from … Continue reading