Watched the new Ricky Gervais programme Derek last night and couldn't make my mind up whether it was being kind to disabled people or a bit of a p--s take. I sincerely hope it was the former. It's a tricky subject to attempt and a fine line between success and failure. Basically Gervais played the part of Derek, a worker in a care home for the elderly.. Derek would be classed as educationally sub normal (not sure whether this in itself is an acceptable phrase in our ever changing world). Certainly it is a difficult part to play and Gervais does it well - portraying a rather shambling individual who is both annoying but at the same time has a heart of gold.
Whether he strays across the thin line into the realms of bad taste is open to debate and I will be very interested to read the reviews. I will be charitable and stay on the side of the fact that it was a decent drama, handled reasonably well. I hope, however, that it isn't classed as a comedy as I saw in one of the preview pieces. That in itself would rather suggest a too light-hearted portrayal of very difficult subject matter. Essentially this was a one off drama, but I think it will turn into a series. Whether Gervais has the skill to keep things fresh over six or more episodes remains to be seen as developing his character will take some doing.
Spent last night booking and organising a coming trip to Liverpool - my favourite English City. Visiting Liverpool is to me like stepping straight into a history book. There is history at every turn whether it be the slavery museum, the Liver Building, The Mersey, Lime Street Station, the two cathedrals or everything to do with Merseybeat and the Beatles. I am particularly looking forward to visiting the new Liverpool Museum which wasn't open last time we visited.
Have already booked to go on the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour for the second time and today will be booking with the National Trust to go inside the former homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. "Nowhere Boy," the biopic of a young John Lennon, is one of my favourite films and portrays Liverpool of the last fifties and early sixties brilliantly. Even today it is impossible to walk down Penny Lane or stand outside the gates of Strawberry Fields without feeling the pulse of music history. Be interesting to see what has been done with the former home of Ringo Starr in Madryn Street.in the Toxteth area. Last time I went past it was boarded up ready for demolition. I think that is probably still the situation. It is important for Liverpool's heritage that Ringo's home is saved for the nation, even if the remainder of the street is ripped down and replaced by new buildings. It might feel a bit incongruous to have an old style terraced building remaining, but Ringo Starr has done more for the image of Liverpool than any builders or City planners. Interestingly a search on the Internet shows that a group called SAVE have bought a property in Madryn Street close to the former home of Ringo Starr with the idea of renovating it to prevent it being torn down. This is a campaign I can fully support.
If you have half an hour and want to read a very thought provoking article visit the official web site of author Roger Ellory and read his blogs about the potential breakdown of parts of society, how badly we are served by politicians with their vested interests and particularly how educational standards have gone to the dogs. I share many of Roger's concerns about literacy and the dumbing down of reading where we have created a throwaway society which spends its life on mobile phones and glued to such over the top glitz as X Factor. Sadly youngsters feel that this is the real world - it isn't. The real world is about paying bills, making ends meet and living from day to day.
I have a phrase for the kind of society described by Roger. I call it the Michelangelo Concept. Basically that's a concept whereby the majority of people recognise Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rather than Italian Renaissance artists!!!!
Whether he strays across the thin line into the realms of bad taste is open to debate and I will be very interested to read the reviews. I will be charitable and stay on the side of the fact that it was a decent drama, handled reasonably well. I hope, however, that it isn't classed as a comedy as I saw in one of the preview pieces. That in itself would rather suggest a too light-hearted portrayal of very difficult subject matter. Essentially this was a one off drama, but I think it will turn into a series. Whether Gervais has the skill to keep things fresh over six or more episodes remains to be seen as developing his character will take some doing.
Spent last night booking and organising a coming trip to Liverpool - my favourite English City. Visiting Liverpool is to me like stepping straight into a history book. There is history at every turn whether it be the slavery museum, the Liver Building, The Mersey, Lime Street Station, the two cathedrals or everything to do with Merseybeat and the Beatles. I am particularly looking forward to visiting the new Liverpool Museum which wasn't open last time we visited.
Have already booked to go on the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour for the second time and today will be booking with the National Trust to go inside the former homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. "Nowhere Boy," the biopic of a young John Lennon, is one of my favourite films and portrays Liverpool of the last fifties and early sixties brilliantly. Even today it is impossible to walk down Penny Lane or stand outside the gates of Strawberry Fields without feeling the pulse of music history. Be interesting to see what has been done with the former home of Ringo Starr in Madryn Street.in the Toxteth area. Last time I went past it was boarded up ready for demolition. I think that is probably still the situation. It is important for Liverpool's heritage that Ringo's home is saved for the nation, even if the remainder of the street is ripped down and replaced by new buildings. It might feel a bit incongruous to have an old style terraced building remaining, but Ringo Starr has done more for the image of Liverpool than any builders or City planners. Interestingly a search on the Internet shows that a group called SAVE have bought a property in Madryn Street close to the former home of Ringo Starr with the idea of renovating it to prevent it being torn down. This is a campaign I can fully support.
If you have half an hour and want to read a very thought provoking article visit the official web site of author Roger Ellory and read his blogs about the potential breakdown of parts of society, how badly we are served by politicians with their vested interests and particularly how educational standards have gone to the dogs. I share many of Roger's concerns about literacy and the dumbing down of reading where we have created a throwaway society which spends its life on mobile phones and glued to such over the top glitz as X Factor. Sadly youngsters feel that this is the real world - it isn't. The real world is about paying bills, making ends meet and living from day to day.
I have a phrase for the kind of society described by Roger. I call it the Michelangelo Concept. Basically that's a concept whereby the majority of people recognise Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rather than Italian Renaissance artists!!!!
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