American Dream
This series on BBC 2 has been fascinating.
One particular interview was with a black American fighter pilot, who after being shot down over Germany was sent to Colditz.
Brian Cant has Parkinson’s
There is sad news that Brian Cant, the former BBC children’s presenter has Parkinson’s Disease. But he is also to get a richly-deserved Children’s Bafta.
Ann is Still There!
Isn’t it about time that Ann Widdecombe was voted off Strictly Come Dancing! I suppose the cost of the viewers’ votes help to support Children in Need, but surely we’ve had our and she should go!
At least my bet on Pamela Stephenson is still running and her odds are showing her as third fvourite after Matt Baker and Scott Maslen.
I live in hope, but is Ann going to beat them all? I hope not!
Gluten-Free Television
I don’t ever take my television with adverts, unless I actually really want to watch the program. So of the major programs on ITV like X-Factor, Downton Abbey and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, I’ve not seen a single episode.
Today my son came up the M11 and he was watching a channel showing endless repeats of Frazier, which is a series of which I’ve never watched a single minute. Nearly all of the adverts were for products that I couldn’t eat, except for one for the Halifax Bank, for which I have no need.
I actually wonder whether these adverts have any positive effect for the companies involved as many households would actually be turned off by them. There was one advert for Iceland, that really convinced never to go near the shop, if all their customers were like those shown.
It’s Gibbon Time
It was good to see the Goodies in all their glory on Saturday. C used to like them and was always amused by the references to gibbons, as were the children.
Spider-Man has Trouble with Health and Safety
Apparently the Broadway musucal about Spider-Man is in trouble with Health and Safety according to the Daily Mail.
He’s obviously not a real superhero! Now Dan Dare wouldn’t have had that sort of problem!
The Elephant Man
This fascinating tale about the war in Burma has just been saved for posterity. It is now safe in the hands of Cambridge University.
They had the widow of one of the men he saved on the television last night, who filled in a few more details.
I can see a film being made of this tale. It’s the lure of the elephants! After all isn’t the most loved film made by Michael Winner, Hannibal Brooks?
And after all we haven’t had a film starring elephants for many years!
Made In Dagenham
I’ve not been to the cinema alone much, but as I had a day to fill, I went to see Made in Dagenham at the 11:30 showing in the Arts Picture House in Cambridge. I thought that it would be rather empty, but there were a total of sixteen in one of the smaller screens. I think the last time, I was in front of that screen, was when I saw the films of Mitchell and Kenyon with C, about six years ago.
It was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. I remember the strike in 1968, that the film is all about and they catch the period well. Miranda Richardson gets Barbara Castle well and in some ways steals a lot of the film.
If you’ve seen the poster for the film, you’ll see Sally Hawkins in an iconic red Biba dress. C had one like that but her’s was shorter and came from Through the Looking Glass in Mount Pleasant in Liverpool. This was a boutique that had been started by a member of the Scaffold. I can’t find any references to the boutique on the Internet.
Pamela Survives Another Week
She has now been in the top three of the judges voting on Strictly Come Dancing for the first four weeks.
And she’s still there, which makes my four pounds safe for another week!
If you think she can’t dance, then look at this video, where she takes off Kate Bush.
My so also remembered that we saw her in Pirates of Penzance with others including George Cole, Peter Noone, Paul Nicholas and Tim Curry.
The Tunnel Road Cinema in Liverpool
Despite always being an avid filmgoer, I never got to go to Liverpool’s most infamous cinema. But as they were talking about horror movies on the radio I remembered this story about the place.
On Sunday nights, they used to show bad horror films with little on no merit at all. The audience then generally had a good time and often made everybody laugh, by being much funnier than the film.
On one particular night, the following conversation ensued between a couple of blokes in the cinema, according to a friend of mine at the time.
Aggressive male voice: “Get em off”
Squeaky female voice: “No!”
AMV: “Come on! It won’t hurt!”
SFV: “No! I’m still a virgin!”
AMV: “Alright then!”
At which point, he ripped his handkerchief in two and the audience collapsed in laughter.
The Anonymous Widower 