#also thank you Charles Thomson

[raccoon-eyed-rebel]

Part 25 - Marshall

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 24 -- Part 26

Pairing: Marshall x ofc (Vivienne)

Summary: The guys throw a New Years Eve party at 179th Crescent Street...

Warnings: Drinking, blood, violence (sounds like a party, right?), angst...

Word count: 2.4k

A/N: Alright! Thank you @deandoesthingstome for gently bullying me into posting this right away (I love you for that!) Here's all there is to know for now on the Marshall situation... It's not a long chapter, but still... I'm excited about this one. I hope you all like some unresolved angst!

@geralts-yenn @summersong69 @peaches1958 @fvckinghenrycavill @keanureevesisbae @livisss @sillyrabbit81 @ellethespaceunicorn @ylva-syverson @poledancingdinos

“Listen,” I snap at Mike and Dani, who have clearly decided that the hallway is a completely appropriate place to suck the skin off each other’s faces, “you’re not the only people on the planet. Get a fucking room.” 

“Marshall,” Dani answers, “go find yourself someone to suck your dick, and leave us alone.” That girl is getting way too comfortable around here. I swear to God; one more happy couple and I’m going to throw up. Of course Sherlock and Elena appear right on cue, also fairly firmly attached to each other. I can’t believe I’m actually jealous of them, actively wishing I had my arms wrapped around… her… I’ve checked the whole house twice at this point; she’s a no-show. That’s probably for the best; I have to get over her, and seeing her will only make things worse. 

Maybe Dani is right, maybe I should… I have to forget about her one way or another. It’s been over a week since it happened, and at first I thought it was just another one time thing. Now, I’m praying to every god I can think of that it was just a hookup, but the more I beg the universe to have it be exactly that, the less I believe it actually was. Thing is: I can’t actually afford to fall in love with my best friend’s sister. If Peter ever found out about this, he’d have my nuts, and I honestly couldn’t blame him. Ironically, he’s also the only person with whom I can actually talk about this shit. Except in this case, that talk isn’t going to go over well. What the fuck would I tell him? ‘Sorry, mate, I shagged your sister, and now I’m in love. With your sister.’ I might as well break my nose myself, that would save me both time and embarrassment. 

It’s time for another beer. Maybe two or three. In the living room, all of my roommates are really busy, and I just can’t help but roll my eyes.

“Not having a great night?” I recognize the voice; it’s Vivienne Chase, Marine Biology major and certified puck bunny. I’m fairly sure she’s made her way through well over half of my hockey team at this point. Not that I care. 

“Not really,” I answer. Dani’s words echo in my head, and it doesn’t help that she walks by right that second, sticking her tongue into her cheek. The whole gesture leaves very little room for interpretation. Mike notices - for a change - and nudges her in the arm while stifling a laugh. 

Vivienne stays. We drink, we talk, I even find myself laughing at some point. 

“I think it’s time to get the fuck out of here.” Great. Charles just decked Tony Bates. He had it coming - from Mike, but he was busy rolling a joint, so someone had to step up to the plate. I’d say it’s not like Charles to stand up for someone else’s girl like that, but it really is. He can be a prick, but he’s fiercely loyal to his friends, and as far as he is concerned, that includes their girlfriends. I’m almost sure he’d never actually make good on any threats he makes about going after one of them. Almost. 

“Alright, folks, nothin’ to see here, back to your business,” Sy says from another corner of the room, tearing his eyes away from Alicia Thomson. 

Tony actually leaves without making a fuss, which saves me a whole lot of trouble. I’d have hated to have to toss him out. From the corner of my eye, I look at Viv. It’s a good thing Charles was already busy talking up Dani’s roommate, because if he hadn’t been, I’m pretty sure Vivienne would have walked out on me. These hockey girls are way into a couple of guys throwing punches. I scoff at the thought. 

“Hm?” Her smile screams mischief and her eyes scream sex. This girl is throwing herself at me so glaringly obviously I’m even getting a strange look from Sy, who’s all the way across the room from me.

“Nothing,” I say, and I try to continue my conversation with her as naturally as possible. School, the holidays, hobbies, the usual. She’s clearly not planning on getting to know me - not that I’m hell bent on finding out everything about her. Or anything, even, for that matter. I know her name, which Charles would probably say is already more than I need to know, and to be completely honest, it’s plenty for me, too. At least right now.

Her hands are always on me, she’s leaning in when I talk, giggling, playing with her hair. Serving up the works, really. If this is a good idea, why am I constantly reminding myself that Lexi isn’t an option? Why can’t I get her out of my goddamn head? I vaguely register the rest of the room as they count down to midnight, and two arms snaking around my waist. Fuck, she’s close, pushing me back against the wall even further… And then she kisses me. 

Her lips are soft but extremely demanding, forcing mine apart. Before I can properly register what is happening, her tongue slides into my mouth, and I just give in. Worst case scenario, I get laid tonight and there’ll be plenty of time for pining over a girl I can’t have, later. Vivienne lets go of me only to put her glass down somewhere, and I do the same. Her lips crash against mine again, and I feel her chest press into me. Not to be insensitive, but she has an impressive rack, and I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about them once or twice - in a more or less naked state, that is. I stop her when she tries to slide her hands up my sweater. 

“We’re in a room full of people,” I say softly, without even opening my eyes. I can almost hear her grin. 

“How about we move to a room with less people,” she whispers in my ear before very quickly nipping at my earlobe. 

I look around the room, knowing full well there isn’t a living soul in this house right now who would care if I took this girl upstairs - except for me. A voice in my head screams at me to go for it; she’s throwing herself at me, she’s smoking hot, and I’ve got to forget about Lexi. It doesn’t help that that part of my brain is - apparently - very closely connected to my cock. Another part of me points out that I should really be making this decision with my head, but it’s just not going to happen. 

We barely make it through the door of my room before her sweater is off and her mouth is on mine again. Man, this girl is not wasting any time… Hands slip under my sweater, and before I've even pulled it over my head, her hands are already undoing my jeans. I really should be feeling differently about this. My hands are all over the most spectacular tits I've ever seen, and there's a hot girl trying to get into my pants - and succeeding… God, she works fast. Her hand wraps around my cock and for a few moments, I'm a happy man. Until I'm not. Fuck. 

"Too much to drink?" The answer is 'no', but a) I doubt she'll believe me and b) I don't think the real reason will score me any more points, and if I say no, she's going to ask… And then what am I going to say? ‘Sorry, you’re really hot, I’m just madly in love with my best friend’s sister’? Hardly seems like a good idea to me, so I decide to just shrug. Fuck if I know what to do, it's not like I have a reaction prepared for when my dick refuses service! This has never happened before. Alright, that’s not completely true, but it’s never happened before when it actually mattered.

"Too bad," Vivienne says as she puts her clothes back on, and I do the same. I knew there was nothing between us, but it hurts nonetheless to see her leave like this. My mind wanders to Lex. It never would have happened with her, I'm sure, but if it had… what would she have done? Not this.  

I shove the thought of holding her in my arms down resolutely and turn to Viv. 

"Any chance we can keep this between us?" I’m walking the line between indifferent and absolutely mortified. I honestly didn’t even know that line existed, because those two emotions don’t really feel like they’re immediately adjacent, but here we are. 

"I'm not gonna tell. This isn't exactly great for me, either." And just like that, she's gone. 

I finish getting dressed and lay on my bed until I hear noise in the hall. 

"Where is he?" I know that voice. That's Peter. "Mike, I swear, get the fuck out of my way." I can't let Mike take the heat for my mistakes, I have to get out there. My feet are heavy. I know what's going to happen, and it's not going to be good. For fuck's sake, how did I let it get to this?

"Peter, leave him alone." He's down in the hallway when I walk down the stairs, looking up at me. If looks could kill… 

"Marshall…" Mike doesn’t exactly look prepared to get out of the way, which might be a good thing. I hope to prevent this fight from taking place on the stairs, if at all possible. I’ll take a few punches, but I’d rather not break my neck.

"Mike, it's okay. He's after me, not looking for trouble. It's cool, back off." He lets me squeeze past him on the stairs, but he doesn't move. Dani is standing near the door to the kitchen, looking terrified. It's crowded in the hallway. August is there, although I don't see Ange anywhere right now. Geralt and Sol are right behind Dani. Great. An audience.

As soon as I set foot on the ground floor, I take a punch to the face. Both Mike and August look ready to lunge at Peter.

"Guys," I'm not much of a masochist, but I can't say I didn't deserve that. 

"No, sorry," August says, "what the hell is he doing?" 

"I shagged his sister," I say before a second fist hits me square in the nose. God, I hate the way it sounds when it breaks. The guys don't seem convinced to back off just yet, and I'm fairly sure the blood streaming down my face isn't helping.

"If you think that's what this is about, think again, you fucking bastard!" 

"Hold on." I don't know why I'm opening my mouth, honestly. "You're not mad I slept with Lex?" 

The door to my right opens. 

"Nothing going on here, Leon, just get back inside." There's blood all over my face, so this can't be very believable. He does take my advice, though, which I'm glad about. I don't need the guys to gang up on Peter, especially since I had this coming.

"Listen, pal." He's pissed about something, but if it's not me sleeping with Lexi, then what? "You think you can get with my sister - which I'm not not pissed about, mind you - and take off with the next skank a week later?" 

"Nothing ha-"

"Save it. She saw you two take off together. The fuck else were you doing? You got a coin collection I don't know about that you wanted to show her?" He slams me against the wall. It doesn't hurt. Not more than my face, anyway. It's a shit excuse I'm using. Because I'm fairly sure I would have seen it through, if things had… y'know, cooperated. I can see the next punch coming. Might have to close my eyes for this one, because I just know it's gonna hurt like a bitch. Then his words actually register in my brain. She saw me take off with Vivienne. That hits like a ton of bricks. It hurts me enough to bring me to tears, actually. 

"That's quite enough." Any voice that's this calm in a situation like this is usually Geralt's, but Geralt isn't a girl, and the owner of that voice very clearly is. Ange. "There's four guys in this hallway, ready to jump you. You punched him once for screwing your sister, and once for hurting her. Enough." Lo and behold; Peter actually backs off. Not that I wouldn't have, or anyone else in this house, for that matter. Anjelica can be truly terrifying. Especially because we can't exactly talk back to her; August would kill us. And she knows that.

"The whole family was rooting for you guys," Peter says as he lets go of my shoulders, "what the hell were you thinking?" It takes everything I have to stay on my feet, now that Peter isn’t practically holding me up anymore. I can hear the hurt in his voice, which forces more tears from my eyes. 

"The whole fa- What? You just said you weren't exactly thrilled that she and I…" I shake my head - carefully, because it hurts like hell - as if it’s going to clear anything about this up.

"Yeah, because you just did it to get laid.” Even though I know I deserve that - because I definitely believe why it looks that way - I can’t let it slide. Part of me feels that he should know me better after all these years, another part knows I can’t defend myself against this.

"I didn't, I-" Peter doesn’t let me finish my sentence.

"Can it, Marshall!" I do what he asks and shut up - like I probably should have done from the beginning. "There's no fixing this with me before you fix things with her." 

And in trying not to lose my best friend by staying away from the girl I love, I lost both. Happy fucking new year to me.

#walter marshall #walter marshall x ofc #walter marshall fanfiction #henry cavill characters #179cs #179 crescent street #henrycavill fanfic #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill

[i-like-old-things]

I would just like to say this:

Thank you Charles Thomson for not burning all of your letters so that after I have a whole breakdown over SmartMusic in front of my parents I don’t have to do homework that’s due tomorrow

#what has my life become #I hate SmartMusic with every cell in my body #also thank you Charles Thomson #you’re amazing and I’m sorry that congress isn’t in Philly anymore #blame Hamilton #history #amrev #american history #american revolution #letters #school

[nordleuchten]

Hi! Do you know what Lafayette thought of Charles Thomson?

I’ve tried looking for things from Charles Thomson but haven’t been able to find anything. They most likely met in Congress when Lafayette first came (below are pictures from The Journal which was the published minutes of congress). Although it does not specifically state that Thomson was there, he most likely was because he rarely missed congress

But the journal doesn’t say anything about views.

I also know that Lafayette visited the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia and I remember Thomson talking about it in a letter to Thomas Jefferson but he didn’t go to that meeting

I also know that Charles Thomson died in August 1824, during Lafayette’s tour.

From Charles Thomson’s side, I can’t find anything. Granted, he destroyed all of his papers about the Revolution in his later life, but I was wondering about lafayettes side.

Don’t worry if you can’t find anything about Thomson, he’s not the best remembered person in history.

I also apologize for the length of this ask

Dear @i-like-old-things,

never mind the length, I like long and specific asks! Most of all though, thank you for the ask; I think you put more research and sources into the ask alone than I in my answer. :-)

As you yourself already suspected, there is not too much information that I an offer you with regard to the relationship between Charles Thomson and La Fayette - but that does not mean that there is nothing.

First of all, La Fayette and Thomson exchanged letters. An astonishing number of two letters, both of them unpublished as far as I can tell. Thomson wrote to La Fayette on July 10, 1781, telling him that McKean has been elected as the President of the Continental Congress. On August 15, 1781 La Fayette replied and acknowledged the letter and thanking Thomson for letting him know.

Secondly, I agree with you that La Fayette and Thomson in all likelihood met when La Fayette first came to America. In general, La Fayette was always quite well informed about the proceedings of Congress and about the people serving in official positions. That being said, they also met later, in 1778. The British government has sent the Carlisle Peace Commission to America and La Fayette famously clashed with the head of the Commission, Lord Carlisle, challenging him to a duel. La Fayette spend a considerable amount of time with Congress and in his Memoirs he recollects a breakfast with the members of Congress. It sound as if all members currently in Philadelphia were present for this breakfast and I could imagine that Thomson was also present. Even if the two of them did not met during this particular instance they most certainly met during this time in general.

They also met in August of 1784 when La Fayette had come a third time to America. Thomson wrote to Benjamin Franklin on August 13, 1784:

I need not mention with what marks of cordiality and Affection the Marquis de la Fayette, who came to this place last Monday, was received by all ranks of people. His stay was but short as he was anxious to see general Washington. He left town this Morning and expects to return in three or four Weeks.

From the letters and what I have gathered so far, La Fayette’s and Thomson’s relationship was restricted to business and while by all accounts friendly not too intimate. We find little comments by La Fayette on Thomson’s character save one remark in his Memoirs. La Fayette praised the conduct of Congress as a whole during the negotiations with the Carlisle Peace Commission by writing that “congress remained ever noble, firm and faithful (…)”. He especially includes Thomson in this statement by citing a letter Thomson wrote General Clinton around that time. You could therefor make the argument that La Fayette thought Thomson, at least during this time, noble, firm and faithful.

I hope you have/had a fantastic day!

#ask me anything #i-like-old-things #marquis de lafayette #lafayette #la fayette #french history #american history #american revolution #letter #charles thomson #benjamin franklin #continental congress #1781 #1784 #1777 #1778 #carlisle peace commission

[tfenvs3000]

Nature Interpretation through the Arts

The arts are an important medium through which people can express their interpretation and experiences in nature. For this reason, it can be an important tool in the field of nature interpretation; nature-based art can help people learn not only about natural areas, but also about themselves and how they feel about the idea of wilderness.

In my view, there are two primary forms of art which can be effectively used to help interpret nature. The first is, of course, the visual arts. Painting and drawing different parts of nature, including plants, animals, and natural landscapes, is a practice as old as mankind itself. It is an important shaper of our cultural history, and has had tremendously important impacts in the biological, social, and medical sciences.

(A painting by Charles Darwin's artist-in-residence, Conrad Martens, on his voyage to the Galapagos. From: Smithsonian Magazine)

The visual arts can also demonstrate the power and beauty of nature, by capturing a moment in time; this is how it can be a helpful tool in a nature interpreter’s toolbelt. Creative, colourful works of art depicting natural settings are unique in that they capture a still shot of the ever changing, ever complicated natural world, done in a style which reflects the vision of the artist himself/herself. By doing so, it can evoke feelings of humbleness, graciousness, and connectivity to the natural world for the person viewing it, helping them to connect to nature on a deeper level (which is the whole purpose of nature interpretation!).

This also helps the viewer to appreciate the so-called “gift of beauty” (Beck et al. 2018). Meaning, the next time they are in nature, they will realize that it is an experience different and more meaningful than could ever be captured in a painting or photograph, and they will begin to develop their own vision and idea of nature for themselves.

(Tom Thompson's painting, titled 'In The Northland'. From: Wikipedia)

However, not all artists feel the same way about nature! As with anything else, there is always someone with a different opinion on what they are interpreting:

(A reportedly haunted painting by Edward Landseer, titled 'Man Proposes, God Disposes'. From: WIkipedia)

I think being exposed to all different views (the good, the bad, and the ugly) of nature demonstrates its variety, its complexity, and it's intricacy,  all of which makes it so appealing (at least to me).

The second form of art through which nature can be interpreted is music. I feel as though music doesn’t exactly demonstrate the beauty of nature, per se, but rather the feeling of being in nature. This feeling is multifaceted, of course, but in general I would say that its a feeling of wonder, and of being a part of something greater and grander than yourself. This is expressed through atmospheric, echoeing tones, as well as the lyrics of the songs. People who have not experienced this feeling will probably not recognize it; but those who have felt it will likely know to what I am referring.

One of my favourite albums that gives off these "outdoorsy vibes" is Strange Trails, by the artist Lord Huron. Definitely give it a listen if you have the time - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlHVrYRcPvE

Thanks for reading,

Ty 🐛

References:

1. Tom Thomson. (2021, January 15). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Thomson#/media/File:Tom_Thomson_In_the_Northland.jpg

2. Man Proposes, God Disposes. (2021, January 30). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_Proposes,_God_Disposes#/media/File:Manproposesgoddisposes.jpg

3. Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For a better world. Urbana: Sagamore Publishing.

#nature #wilderness

[yeats-infection]

Hey gen! I’m getting ready to be a freshman at Reed College in Oregon and move into a dorm for the first time, and I want my dorm to convey a Vibe. Any ideas on artists/pieces that I could get a print of that could evoke a very particular (not necessarily pleasant) vibe? Thank you!!

i will suggest:

james ensor

remedios varo 

robert adams 

agnes pelton 

tom thomson 

charles burchfield 

leonora carrington

these are my favorite artists, but i also think you should make your own vibe in your dorm room! take a look around on artnet or wikiart and art museums’ websites for stuff that moves you and captures the energy that you want. this is a really good time to do that research! 

enjoy and good luck at school <3 

[cmcreid-warriorprincess]

Parentdale - - - for plotting ref!

So Lyndsy’s soiree has be thinking about the Havensdale parents a lot and I’d love to plot out some connections with them!! Below’s a list of all my viable parents and their backstories in a compact summary for reference (feel free to message me about connections etc and what it’ll mean for our actual characters!):

Havensdale Natives (they grew up here so high school etc connections like!!)

Karen McReid (single, fc; stana katic) - you know her already! The aunt of Ruby & Carrie, mom of Danny. She was super serious in high school, like ‘class president’ material also with a bit of a wild side but her sis Krystal was the Wild OneTM. Had the weight of the world on her shoulders ALL the time. Eventually dated Daniel Moore (Jenny’s uncle) in high school. Now a businesswomen and all around pillar of the community but keeps an arms length from being too involved in town shenanigans.

Veronica Evans (single) - this is Erica and Rose’s mom! She’s very lovely, a friendly neighbour with a messy ex that no one really knows the real story of (except a select few including neighbours the Wilsons). Close with McReids & Wilsons. Had a lot of friends in high school but lost touch with them when she was married. Is still trying to regain Power over her life and have fun again with friends. Doesn’t date but might want to. Help her.

Chuck and Claire Cooper (married, fc; paul rudd and leslie mann) - the Cooper’s! Christian’s parents and Cam/Callie’s aunt and uncle. Chuck is a teacher at Havens High and Claire owns local baker ‘Claire’s Cakes’. Chuck Cooper was the Ricky Beaumont of his time, total party animal, messy flirt, always up for shots. He’s a bop! Claire is the one who keeps them together, a responsible, very embarrassing mom (they’re both embarrassing tbh). They were BFF since childhood but didn’t get togetherTM until well after high school. ▣ (x)

Victoria Harvelle (married, fc; america ferrera) - Jess’ mom and absolute #dramaQUEEN. She grew up in Havensdale and got the hell out as soon as she turned 18. She’s an ex soap opera star, glamazon and simply #dying over having to be back in Havensdale all these years. Thinks she’s better than everyone - always did. D-I-V-A. Fake friends only probably. Knows her husband is cheating on her. Will not discuss his love child Lua Harvelle thanks bye. Was compelled by Jess to think they’d sent her away for her bad behaviour but tbh won’t bring her up either.

Mitchell and Lacy Morrison (married, fc; alexis denisof and charisma carpenter) - the Morrison parents! Mitch is an absolute dork with really cool socks who owns ‘Morrison Records’. Honestly just...a soft, nerdy Dad who loves his wife more than anything. Lacy is the Bad GirlTM and always was (definitely in love with this nerd all her life tbh). She’s very cool which makes up for how uncool Mitch is. Remember, non-magical people think Mark woke up from his ‘coma’ recently and magicals know he was brought back from the dead. They deserve a nice night, basically.

Aaron and Marie Fairchild (widowed, deceased) - Charlene’s mom/Rachel’s uncle and aunt. Marie died when Charlene was young and Aaron is always on the road for work. Marie was thee Cool MomTM and very involved. They both would have had a TON of friends until Marie died and Aaron became distant. Needless to say, neither are here tonight.

Lyndsy McArthur and Andrew Moore (re-married - fc; , deceased - fc; jason bateman) - Jenny’s parents! We all know Lyndsy of ‘Lyndsy’s café’. She’s an absolute sweetheart with a right hook to match. Another piller of the community TBH, need I say more? The same goes for Andrew who died when Jenny was little (he was a fireman). These two were high school sweethearts, 100% the cutest couple, probably prom king and queen. Lyndsy’s now married to Derek McArthur if y’all remember!

Felicity Montgomery (married, fc; madchen amick) - #icequeen! In high school though she was a punky rebel with a giant attitude problem. Her and Ethan McArthur were also #that couple - don’t remind her. (x)

Maryse Anderson (married) - Effy & Lana’s mom, god help her. Very judgy, very straight laced and god fearin’ - she’s also super involved with the town’s events etc. Probably causes drama at every PTA meeting. Probably has beef with every other parent in town. BIG SECRET: her husband is in jail.

Larry Manning (married, fc; will smith) - Tyler’s dad. Owner of family pub/restaurant ‘The Silver Fox’ and a town treasure. Basically everyone’s dad, always looking out for you and can fix pretty much anything. He’s a settled down, very chill, married man and father. Was literally THE COOLEST guy in high school though, ask anyone!

Fred Porter (married) - the Porter dad! Can you believe there was an original Greg? ‘Cause Fred was breaking hearts, jaws, his own fists and making 1000 mistakes per minute long before his second son was even a thought. He got his act together! He’s a very hard working dad with good, family values who only wants the best for his family. Is so hard on Greg because he sees so much of himself in him tbh. His wife was 100% his saving grace, he loves her so much.

Mr and Mrs Jennings (married) - Isaiah’s parents! Mr Jennings is a member of one of Havensdale founding families so they’re SUPER involved in the town. They’re very fancy, have a big ole house, love to take trips but are friendly with everyone. They’re only snobby on accident. Mr Jennings is very serious and is waiting for Isaiah to stop his nonsense and join the family business. Mrs Jennings is way funner.

Not *from* Havensdale but live here now!!

William ‘Bill’ Tyler (technically, legally still married, fc; mark ruffalo) - Hailie’s dad. He own’s ‘Bill’s Tech Store’ which is a computer store so he’ll fix your WiFi etc. A grumpy loner type with an absolute heart of gold. Everyone who was around at the time knows his wife Grace Laurel Tyler left him and Hailie years ago (her dramatic return is still lowkey on the D.L right now though). Loves his daughter SO MUCH, is stressed to his eyeballs about her having.......a boyfriend. ▣ Was dating Sarah Palmer before she died (Juliette's mom) and honestly, me and Kayleigh figured this out today and I'm still crying.

Joseph Montgomery (married, fc; matthew mcconaughey) - Mr Montgomery! He’s lived here with Felicity since before Elena was born (22+ years). He’s a business man with political ties and always wears a suit. A big ole charmer that you literally can’t help but like!

Mrs Porter - info to follow on Greg, Simon and Annie’s mom but lbr...she’ll be an angel!!!

Penelope ‘Penny’ Manning (married, fc; salma hayek) - Tyler’s mom. The Mannings moved to Havensdale 17+ years ago! Penny’s a high flyer, works in fashion, always has her hands-free in, slightly aloof and very scary when she’s on the phone dealing with a problem. The BossTM. Absolute goals. Loves her son and doesn’t mean to be so absent. Friends with everyone but she never has time.

Joseph Salvatore (married, fc; jared padalecki) - Joey and Keith’s dad (and maybe more). He’s lived in Havensdale full time aroundabout when Keith was born (ISH). Before this, he was a legit rockstar. He toured, he did the whole sex, drugs, drink and rock ‘n roll thing. Now he’s a real pillar of the community, owns the gym, is very involved with the town - which made the arrival of his Secret Son Joey such a SCANDAL. He’s still recovering.

Charles Harvelle (married, MIA, fc; david tennant) - No one has noticed yet or caused a scene about it but Mr Harvelle is currently missing.... Details will follow, for now his wife just believes he’s on another business trip AKA having an affair with his secretary. A mess at being a father and husband. RIP. Has lived in Havensdale aroundabout 18 yrs with his wife and Jess.

Mr & Mrs Thomson (married) - Tessa’s parents. They’re both hunters who’ve been on the road for most of their lives (saving people, hunting things, the family business). Just a fab couple! A supportive, dorky dad and a badass yet super sweet mom. They’re v likable and have been in town for a fair few months now.

#hihrp #hihparent #ooc #is this a good reference or a mess who can say!

[jessicaroy]

7 Unknown Facts You Have Never Heard About Your Tires

As per the Statista research department, “the global auto industry expects to sell 59.5 million automobiles in the year 2020”. This number has been suggested considering the effect of the Corona pandemic.  So, the projection also includes a 20% drop in sales.

If that's the case imagine the mind boggling quantity of tires which will be sold in the same year. But I wonder how many riders give a hood to the car tires until they run flat!  

Tires are an important part of any vehicle. Understanding their importance, I decided to give this important component of our vehicle a deserving write-up. And what could be better than summing up some fun facts about tires?

So here it goes

The bumpy history of commercial tires

Initially, the rubber which is used to make the car tire was not seen as a commercially viable plant since it lost its shape rapidly with the rise of temperature. We need to thank Charles Goodyear for inventing the vulcanization process in 1839 which used sulfur to make rubber more durable and bendable to produce tires. Without Charles Goodyear, we would have been ridding iron wheels even now!

Unfortunately, Charles Goodyear died after going bankrupt. His invention was much ahead of his time and nobody knew how to use these rubber tubes in the vehicles. But his technique of using sulfur to increase the durability of rubber had already caught the imagination of others.

Then came Robert W. Thomson, a Scottish engineer. He was the first person to patent air-filled tires.  It was John Boyd Dunlop who introduced pneumatic tires in the market. These light-weight tires got a better response from consumers. By, 1888, commercial tires as we know them were gaining popularity among consumers due to the invention of bicycles.

What goes into the making of your car tires?

An estimate described that modern car tires contain over two hundred different materials. As already stated, sulfur is added during the vulcanization process. Also, since rubber is a white substance carbon black is added for making the tire durable and reducing hot spots. But that is not all, commercial tires also contain Kevlar, Steel, Nylon which are used during its manufacturing stage. In modern commercial tires, metal like Titanium is also used to help the compound attach to its rim. The list also includes Cobalt, silica, saline, and citrus oil. This is just the tip of the iceberg as the list is extensive. All these materials make tires durable, enhance its performance, and impacts its decelerating ability.

The fact that so much is put into the making of a single tire, it has recently triggered the whole concern about the environment cost and reusability of these tires. Next time when you decide to buy tires online, don't just browse for discount tires, but also look for creative ways to reuse the discarded ones.

The largest wheel

When it comes to creativity and imagination, trust me the tire manufacturers are not far behind in the race. Believe it or not, we do have a list of biggest, smallest, and the most expensive tires ever made. Currently, the biggest tire in the world is placed on display at Motor Town, on the Interstate I-94 Highway which is in Detroit. It is a giant wheel that is 80 feet tall and weighs 12 tons. It was originally built as Uniroyal’s promotion icon for the New York World Fair in the year 1964-65.

The smallest tires

The smallest tires were manufactured by a company that also holds the record of manufacturing the largest number of tires in the world. The name of the company is Lego. Yes, you read this right, I am talking about the Danish toy manufacturing company. In 1969, Lego built the smallest tires for its car and that my friend is no child’s play if you consider the fact that its largest Lego tires have a diameter of only 4.213 inches.

The most expensive tires

The most expensive tires come from Dubai which also holds the record in the Guinness Book. It was designed by Z tyre, a company based in Dubai and manufactured in China. The price quoted by the company was $600,000. The tires are decorated with 24-carat gold leaf and embellished with diamonds which is the reason for its exorbitant price. I doubt with so much of embellishment this wheel will ever touch the surface of our not so exclusive roads. But if you enjoy owning little bling than you should check them out when you decide to buy tires online.

The unusual tire experiments

Goodyear, the USA based tire manufacturing company during the 1960s decided to introduce illuminated commercial tires in the market. It was done by keeping the tire tube transparent and mounting light in the inner rim of the tires. Unfortunately, the whole idea got shelled because the tires look kinda odd during the day as the glow was visible only at the night. Then again, the dust, covered the tire to hide any luminosity that bulbs produced. The  idea hit another roadblock because of the expensive price of the rubber used to manufacture these tires.

That’s not the only unusual experiment that we have heard about. There are claims that the tire giant Michelin is developing an airless tire named ‘Tweel”, which will never go flat. We know that modern commercial tires have a staggering ability to run flat up to 50 miles at 50mph. So, it may not be very unusual to believe that French tire manufacturing company may soon be launching the tire in the market. It is made of recyclable organic material. It is said that Tweel will also be able to collect information about the vehicle and diagnose it.  

These were the seven amazing facts about tires. But before I end this article let me give you some more interesting information about the tire industry around the world. America’s Goodyear is one of the largest tire manufacturing companies, but it comes only in third place after Japan and France. While Japan has the largest tire manufacturing company named Bridgestone, Micheline tires of France is the second. Also, China is the biggest consumer of tires in the world.

#commercial tires #car tires #discount tires #buy tires online

[citizenscreen]

It’s been the practice here to honor notable film-related anniversaries at the onset of every year – Looking back to move forward, if you will. This year there is particular excitement across social media because 2020 brings with it echoes of a century ago, the decade called The Roaring Twenties when youth threw caution to the wind and enjoyed life to its fullest. It was an era of economic prosperity and interesting (to say the least) social and artistic changes, an era of happenings and creativity. Some of that is reflected in films depicting the Roaring Twenties, which – luckily for us – happens to be this month’s theme on TCM.

In all pictures about the Roaring Twenties you’re likely to see the Flapper, perhaps the most familiar symbol of the era. The Flapper helped the decade retain a certain “feel,” one of partying and promiscuity with distinct style and energy. In movie terms you might look to Colleen Moore and Clara Bow to get a sense of what the Flapper was like.

Colleen Moore

Clara Bow

While the flapper enjoyed life throughout the decade, she gained considerable freedoms in 1920. On August 18 of that year the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote. Due to the great economy at the time, millions of women worked in white-collar jobs and could afford to contribute in ways they previously could not. The increased availability of birth-control devices allowed for more personal choice and advances in technology helped the effort as well. Many homes in America, especially in the industrialized cities, were now powered by electricity, and effort-saving devices such as refrigerators, washing machines, irons, and vacuum cleaners, most of which were used by women, made life much easier as well.

Other inventions that came to be in 1920 include the hair dryer, invented by a women who inserted a hose in the exhaust of a vacuum cleaner. Brilliant! The traffic light was also born that year thanks to police officer William Potts who used red, amber, and green lights and $37 worth of wire to make his traffic light in Detroit, Michigan. The Band-Aid was invented by a man called Earle Dickson for his wife Josephine who cut herself often. The final invention worth noting was the automobile with the combustion, probably the most popular invention in the 1920s, which facilitated the Flapper lifestyle and led to many new jobs. The popular, reliable, and inexpensive Ford Model T made it all possible – and made it in the movies.

Harold Lloyd in GET OUT AND GET UNDER 1920

Stan Laurel in a Ford Model T 1920, which appeared in several Laurel and Hardy movies

  While previously mentioned freedoms were expanded, others were curtailed in 1920. The most famous being the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1919, but put into effect in 2020. The Federal Volstead Act, formally the National Prohibition Act, established to carry out the intent of the 18th Amendment, banned the manufacture and sale of “intoxicating liquors,” and at 12 A.M. on January 16, 1920, the Act closed every tavern, bar and saloon in the United States. Tragic as that may seem to some, there was plenty of booze to go around thanks to unseemly types who took control of underground “wet” businesses.

Hollywood’s fascination with Prohibition and the times during which it took place have resulted in fantastic film offerings through the decades. Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition (2002) is one example of a great modern film dealing with the subject. But I am here for the classics and suggest you revisit the following to get a sense of how colorful the world was during the Prohibition era:

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Another right was curtailed on June 13, 1920 when the US Post Office stated that children could not be sent by parcel post. Various instances of this occurrence made the law a necessity.

More interesting facts about 1920:

The average life span in the United States that year was about fifty-four years.

The top ten toys of the 1920s were:

Teddy bears

Erector sets

Lionel trains

Lincoln Logs

Raggedy Ann

Radio Flyer Wagon

Tinker Toys

Crayons

Tin toys

Tiddlywinks

On January 29, 1920 Walt Disney started work as an artist with KC Slide Co. for $40 a week.

On May 1, 1920 legendary slugger Babe Ruth hit his 50th career home run, his first for the NY Yankees in a 6-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. How sweet it was.

On May 16 Joan of Arc (Jeanne D’arc c. 1412 – May 30, 1431) was canonized a saint. Her life has inspired numerous films starting as early as 1900 with Georges Méliès’ Joan of Arc. I must admit I’ve only seen two films on this topic, but can recommend both: Carl Theodor Dreyer’s deeply affecting The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) and Victor Fleming’s visually appealing Joan of Arc (1948).

On June 2 the Pulitzer prize for Drama was awarded to Eugene O’Neill for Beyond the Horizon.

On July 29 rebel leader Pancho Villa surrendered to Mexican authorities. As it turns out Villa who had an interesting connection to movies as this Smithsonian Magazine article explains.

On November 2, 1920 the first commercially licensed radio broadcast was heard, from KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The first broadcast was live results of the presidential election, a transmission of breaking news that was new and unprecedented. The impact of the medium of radio and the importance of this 1920 event cannot be overstated.

1920 in Hollywood

By the early 1920s, the film industry had made its (more or less) permanent move to Hollywood from the East Coast. The face of American cinema was transformed. Hollywood was now the world’s film capital producing virtually all films shown in the United States and 80 percent of the revenue from films shown abroad. Many American towns had a movie theater with over 20,000 movie houses operating in the U.S. by that year. Most Americans went to see the movies at least once a week. The movie industry became a big business. And Hollywood’s position only got stronger as many of Europe’s most talented movie players arrived.

By the end of the decade, the movies claimed to be the nation’s fifth largest industry, attracting 83 cents out of every dollar Americans spent on amusement. It’s only natural then that through this journey Hollywood also became the ideal of many things in the audience’s eyes. In particular the movies excelled at extravagance, fun, and glamour – and they were the primary distraction through tough times. Here’s more…

In 1920, Metro Pictures Corporation (with its already-acquired Goldwyn Pictures Corporation) was purchased by early theater exhibitor Marcus Loew of Loew’s Inc. In another acquisition, Loew merged his Metro-Goldwyn production company with Louis B. Mayer Pictures.

In 1920 C.B.C. Film Sales Corporation was founded in 1920 by brothers Jack and Harry Cohn, and Joseph Brandt. C.B.C. was renamed Columbia in 1924.

On March 28, 1920 the wedding of the century took place when Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford joined in matrimony. Fairbanks bought a lodge for his new bride and it was named Pickfair, a place that soon became the social center of Hollywood. In June 1920 the couple joined fellow newlyweds Frances Marion and Fred Thomson on a European honeymoon.

On April 3, 1920 F. Scott Fitzgerald wed novelist Zelda Sayre at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

Director John Ford wed Mary Smith in 1920.

Charlie Chaplin discovered Jackie Coogan and chose him to play The Kid released in 1921.

Alice Guy, the world’s first female filmmaker and a key figure in the development of narrative film, directed her final film, the feature-length Tarnished Reputations (1920).

Born in 1920

I am astounded by the talent born in 1920. Expect major centennial celebrations for these important people who have given us so much joy through film and television.

Vincent Gardenia

Constance Moore

DeForest Kelley

Federico Fellini

Delbert Mann

James Doohan

Toshiro Mifune

Jack Webb

Denver Pyle

Peggy Lee

Yul Brynner

Maureen O’Hara

Shelley Winters

Ray Bradbury

Jack Warden

Mickey Rooney

William Conrad

Walter Matthau

Laraine Day

Montgomery Clift

Merlina Mercouri

Hy Averback

Nanette Fabray

Gene Tierney

Ricardo Montalban

Noel Neill

Virginia Mayo

Frances Gifford

Jack Lord

Tony Randall

Ray Harryhausen

Deaths in 1920

1920 is relatively early in the life of the movies so it’s not surprising only one stood out as notable…and particularly sad. On or about September 10 of that year actor Olive Thomas ingested bi-chloride of mercury from a French-labeled bottle in a darkened bathroom, believing it to be another medication. Found unconscious, she died five days later. The death made worldwide headlines. Olive was only 25 when she died.

With Olive’s death came a flood of stories linking her to alcohol and drug use and to sexual promiscuity. The evils of “movie people” were spotlighted along with her death by moralists everywhere. Regardless of the circumstances, which I believe have never come to light, this was the tragic death of a 25-year-old woman. Olive was survived by her husband Jack Pickford who was with her in Paris when the tragedy occurred. You can read more about the life and death of Olive Thomas at Silents are Golden.

Olive Thomas c. 1919

Among the notables who made their film debuts in 1920…

Mary Astor made her film debut by way of an uncredited part in Buster Keaton’s The Scarecrow

Madge Bellamy made her debut in Edward José’s The Riddle: Woman.

Charles Boyer in Marcel L’Herbier’s L’homme de Large

Greta Garbo in Ragnar Ring’s How Not to Dress, which according to the New York Times obituary is a short sponsored by the department story where Greta worked as a sales clerk.

Alfred Hitchcock – Hitchcock submitted a portfolio of title cards for The Sorrows of Satan and The Great Day and is hired by Famous Players-Lasky British Producers Limited. (Hitchcock.zone)

Barbara La Marr , the girl who was too beautiful caught everyone’s attention when she co-starred with Douglas Fairbanks in The Nut in 1921, but she made her debut the year prior in Bertram Bracken’s Harriet and the Piper.

Victor McLaglen in A. E. Coleby’s The Call of the Road (1920) he gets a starring role right off the bat as a gambler-turned-boxer.

Nita Naldi – the story goes that her dancing was spotted by John Barrymore, who obtained her debut role for her in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920).

Claude Rains – we see him for a brief moment at the end of the film, but it’s a brilliant turn he delivers in his formal film debut as James Whale’s The Invisible Man in 1933, but as is news to me at this writing, Rains appeared in Fred Goodwins’ Build Thy House in 1920.

Notable Film Releases

Germany’s silent landmark classic, director Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released in the US in 1920.

Douglas Fairbanks’ first swashbuckler, Fred Niblo’s The Mark of Zorro (1920).

Buster Keaton made his first solo film appearance in the comedy short One Week (1920), after co-starring with Roscoe Arbuckle for the three previous years.

Legendary Broadway stage star John Barrymore appeared in the adapted Robert Louis Stevenson tale-horror film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) directed by John. S. Robertson.

Ernst Lubitsch’s Passion was released in the U.S. bringing attention to Polish actress Pola Negri.

Way Down East, a romantic drama directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish was a top grossing movie of the year.

Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton released several shorts each that are worth watching so check out their filmographies and get to it. Roscoe Arbuckle had a slow year given his star status in 1920, but that would all fall apart in 1921 following the Virginia Rappe scandal.

Harry Millarde’s Over the Hill to the Poorhouse or just Over the Hill starring Mary Carr was one of the top grossing films of the decade.

Paul Powell’s Pollyanna starring Mary Pickford was popular despite both screenwriter Frances Marion and Mary Pickford not liking it.

Shipwrecked Among Cannibals, a travelogue/documentary directed by William F. Adler, was the first Universal film to gross $1,000,000.

Cecil B. DeMille’s Something to Think About starring Elliott Dexter, Gloria Swanson and Monte Blue was popular with audiences.

Top Money-making actors

According to Quigley Polls from results of 1919 film releases.

Wallace Reid

Marguerite Clark

Charles Ray

Douglas Fairbanks

Mary Miles Minter

Mary Pickford

Clara Kimball Young

William S. Hart

Norma Talmadge

Theda Bara

Theda Bara in THE LIGHT 1919

◊

I hope you enjoyed these hundred-year-old highlights. I look forward to what I hope will be a stellar, enjoyable year of blogging and wish you and yours the very best. Now, in 1920s lingo, “Go chase yourself!”

HAPPY NEW YEAR…1920, A Centennial Celebration It's been the practice here to honor notable film-related anniversaries at the onset of every year - Looking back to move forward, if you will.

#1920 Centennial #1920 in Hollywood #1920 in Movies #Happy New Year

[hereliesbitches--me]

:V: Fate can be kind: ( with @osteum’s Eddie Brock)

Note : Because of the nature of Eddie’s bonding with the symbiot, it exists even in his DNA. The spawn of the symbiot is also carried into the growing fetus, and all the kids were cultivated and born with their symbiotes already inside them. Because they were born with their hosts, they legitimately cannot be separated without killing the hosts themselves. The symbiotes will not bond, and cannot forcefully be bonded,, to any other host besides their child host. The small symbiotes see Rosie as their mother host they spawned from, just as much as they see Eddie and Venom as the father.

Also, because of the quick development of the symbiotes, the child hosts also tend to mentally develop much faster as well in comparison to their body growth. They are far more advance than their body appearance tells.

- James Edward Charles Allen Brock (Nicknamed: J.)  Symbiot: Rex

The oldest of the Brock kids, James is a near replica of his father in both looks and personality – Temperamental wise, at least. He’s usually fun and easy going, rather cocky in his confidence because of his natural born abilities thanks to his symbiot, and he loves a good challenge. Only downside is he can be easy to anger if you bring up his family in any way, especially because of the stigma against his family name. Taunt him and he won’t hesitate to knock someone out, even if he gets in trouble. He’s trying to uphold his family honor and carry on the Venom mantel like his father, being both his parents are super heroes. He is looking to become either a MMA Fighter, or Join the marines when he’s older. For now, hes a star at sports. James can often be embarrassing with his overconfidence when they’re out as Rex and trying to clear the name of symbiot wearers as something non-malicious. James rather be called J, and only lets his family use his real name. Rex is a more timid symbiot, opposite of his host. He is often the voice of reason in James to keep him from doing something stupid, and the brain that memorizes most vital information that James tends to be too sidetracked to remember. After being forced out of James by the remnants of the life foundation trying to force the symbiot to spawn, and nearly killing James, a blood transfusion from their mother granted them Angel genetics, and later unlocked James’ inner elemental ability of fire. Because of it. Rex and James are immune to super heat and any fire attacks. Rex sports a color scheme much like Toxin and Carnage in appearance, Black and Red.

- Jenna Carmellia Brock (Nicknamed: Jen. )  Symbiot: Inky / Ink

The second oldest of the five, Jenna came along a few years after James. She remains the only one of the children lacking angel genetics because Rosie was still only human when she gave birth to her, however with her symbiot’s inherent powers and her father being a mutate, Jenna is a mutant. She’s social and artistically inclined, very much active along side her brother out in the heroing field. Jenna is gifted in making music, writing songs, and makes use of her inhuman abilities to make her an supernaturally skilled dancer. She’s social herself, sarcastic and casual, and a go with the flow kind of girl. Jenna can go by Jen or Jenna without any qualms. Ink is her symbiot, and their personalities seem to be perfectly aligned.Ink often doesnt show herself like the other symbiotes, and is rather in tuned to Jenna. It likes to perform, it likes the attention, and is spunky just like her host. She sports Venom’s traditional Black and white markings, but the white trimming tends to be constantly shifting.

- Malakaid Brock (Adopted, Nicknamed: Mal.)   No symbiot, but a monster able to mutate himself.

Unlike the other children, Malakaid was adopted as a baby about a year after Jenna. He was found in the lab of a mad scientist( Toruga, see down below) , and taken by Rosie in order to keep him from being weaponized by Toruga or the government. Though he was a year younger than Jenna, he grew at an accelerated rate, and in the course of a year he already looked as old as James. While growing fast, not all his mind is as developed. He learns quickly when it comes to mechanics, but interpersonal/ social relationships are not his strong point. Being artificially made, he finds difficulty speaking, and may seem mute, even if he fully understands multiple languages. He finds it easier to communicate with sign language, or writes down on paper for people to understand him. He is often Fixated on Rosie because she is the one to save him, and his primary teacher in learning emotions and acting normal. He was made to be a weapon, and a hybrid improvement of Nikki ( See below) with better energy management and take in. He can mutate his body into metallic coated plated armor, his hands swell out into massive claws, and his jaw can elongate to accommodate larger prey. He’s incredibly strong, fast, and durable, able to consume any organic material if his blood spills and makes contact with it, and regenerate. His only real weakness is heat. As he gets older, Malakaid must work on being more independent, and is boarded to Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters, being nurtured by the family friend Collosus( Piotr) in the arts and as an Xmen.

- Jaime Anne Brock (Nicknamed: JJ )   Symbiot: Lapis

Jaime is their lucky child, born miraculously healthy despite the fact that her mother nearly died from a virus that made Malakaid. With the help of Rosie becoming an angel, and carrying the symbiot in her, Jaime was spared the illness and came out with abilities thought long lost. Jaime with her symbiot carried remnants of AntiVenom within them, and with that ability they are able to heal all damages just like their father before them. Jaime is a sweet, quiet girl, but she does like her fashion. Very inclined to reading and the field of science. Because of her family’s history of constant injury, near death, and sickness, Jaime wants to use her abilities to become a doctor. Often find her following her older siblings. JJ is a nicknamed only reserved to family use. Lapis is her symbiot, Sporting black with different shades of blue swirling in her body. Lapis is the source of Jaime’s interest in fashion. She likes dresses, she likes wearing wigs, and she likes to strut around and show it all off to her family. Lapis feeds into Jaime’s goal of joining the medical field, and often acts as the family medic alongside their mother.

- Dylan Brock (Human, no symbiot)

Unlike the other siblings, Dylan is not a child birthed from Rosie. Following Eddie's defeat of the Void God, Knull, Eddie is drawn back to San Francisco by an unknown force to face off the place of his childhood traumas; Including facing off with his abusive father, Carl. It was while he was there, Eddie learned of his young brother, Dylan's, existence. After the showdown with the Maker , who had captured and probed Eddie , as well as discredited him from the world knowing that Eddie had defeated Knull, Eddie escaped. After going back to save Dylan from the abusive Carl, Dylan was brought home to join the rest of the Brock family, where he could be safe from any harm.

Older than Jaime and Mal, but younger than Jenna and James, Dylan (9 years old) fits right into the looks department with the family. He still suffers from PTSD after being abused by Carl, flinching and shying away from physical contact, and panicking whenever he does something wrong as he expects to be beaten. Both Rosie and Eddie are working towards getting him comfortable and reworking his association with adults. Although he is Eddie's brother, both Rosie and Eddie treat Dylan like their son. Never having a mom in his life, Rosie tries her best to be a good experience. Despite his circumstances, Dylan has a strong sense of justice. He is meek at first until he gets comfortable, then slowly becomes more outgoing and opens up around the people he likes. His greatest struggle among the family of supers is being the only human, and both his parents( and most of his siblings, namely Jenna ) encourage that there is nothing wrong with being human. Dylan's issue is also with James, who actively feels challenged by Dylan's sudden coming into their lives and getting special attention. James tends to poke and push at Dylan, and its a problem they are trying to work out over time.

- Jackson Eugene Brock ( Nicknamed: Jack or Jack Jack)   Symbiot: Elvis-Mozart (Nicknamed: ElMo )

Jack is the baby of the 5, and the only planned child they intended to have. He was named in honor of the late Flash Thomson.  Much like Jaime, he’s quiet and to himself, with his own mean streak should his buttons be pushed. Like Jenna, he also has an eye for art, in the form of photography and Journalism. Much like his dad, he wants to bring the truth to light, and makes use of his powers to do so. Later in life, he inherits a mild form of his father’s schizophrenia, but its able to be repressed with the help of medication and ElMo. Unlike the other children, he was born with visible tiger feature of his head, much like Rosie’s. The tiger features coming from Eddie’s DNA. He rather be called Jack, Jack Jack only by family, and Jackson is only when things are serious. ElMo is a symbiot sporting the colors much like Antivenom’s white and black, although he’s far less menacing looking and much more sweet. ElMo was named after Jack’s two favorite artist – Elvis Presley and Mozart. Naturally curious, he has his eyes out for a masterpiece just like his host.

#:V: Fate can be kind: #: Children of the Moon : #The offspring of the main verse #Im proud of my symbiot babies..

[annelapedusbrest-blog]

MY MEMORIES OF JOHANNESBURG - City of GOLD.

article published 4 Feb 2009. Written and compiled by Anne Lapedus Brest.

MEMORIES OF JOHANNESBURG,   CITY OF GOLD

Written and Compiled By

©  ANNE LAPEDUS BREST

On the 4th February 1961, when I was 14 years old,  and my brother Robert was 11, our family came to live in Johannesburg.  

 We had left Ireland, land of our birth, leaving behind our beloved Grandparents, family, friends, and a very special and  never-to-be-forgotten little furry friend,  to start a new life in South Africa, land of Sunshine and Golden opportunity…………… The Goldeneh Medina…...

We came out on the “Edinburgh Castle”, arriving  Cape Town 2nd Feb 1961.  We did a day tour of Chapmans Peak Drive,   Muizenberg,  went to somewhere called the “Red Sails”  and visited our Sakinofsky/Yodaiken family in Tamboerskloof.

 We arrived at Park Station (4th Feb 1961), Jhb,  hot and dishevelled after a nightmarish train ride, breaking down in De Aar and dying of heat.

 We lived in Becker Street, Yeoville, Robert went to K.E.S and I went to Barnato Park (aka Johannesburg Girls’ High) in Berea.  Robert was in Cadets , I played hockey, and bunked school (with Gilda Goldblatt!!)  Our next-door neighbours were Michael and Sandra Golding,  Zena and Teddy Cohen lived in Becker Street also and Ronnie and Nigel Baskin lived in Yeo Street near the Richters -  Selma and Charles Richter,.

 Girls at Barnato Park lived in mainly Hillbrow,  Berea, Yeoville, Bellevue,  Houghton, Orchards, Melrose and Dunkeld.  After school, many of us would catch the 19 bus from Tudhope Avenue  Berea to Raleigh Street, Yeoville, but many girls were collected by beautifully coiffed and bee-hived mothers with long painted nails, arriving to collect them in huge fancy Chevrolets, with  big cats’ eye tail-lights.

 ONLY IN SOUTH AFRICA ……………………………. 

Oy, but I had to get used to so many new expressions ……..

“ See you this arvy, Hey? “  and    “See you just now, Annie”    (I learnt the hard way that “Just Now” didn’t mean immediately)

 “There’s the new girl in Form 3, ……..  Shame!!”    “My sister’s baby is so cute, ……  Shame!  

 People would give me directions and tell me to turn at the robot.

 Can I  Lend  your book?

 Whatever I said, the girls would answer “Is it” ?

 The shul is full of KUGELS……………….

 Why did the bus-conductor call us all  “Donkey”  when he collected our tickets????   “Thank you,… Donkey” and the Klippies would say it in a high-pitched voice. “Thank you, donkeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyy”

 You MUST come visit this arvy,   see?     You MUST go and see Cliff Richard at the Collosseum.  You MUST buy the latest Elvis Presley record.     MUST,   MUST,   MUST   (only in South Africa!  Say that “MUST” to people overseas, they think you are a control-freak).  (took me a while to get used to it!!)    

G.C. EMMMMM 

Girls would talk about great talent at a party, and they talked about Chracks , boys talked about  “good stock” .

It’s a blerry gemors!!         Stoep.      Goeie Môre ,    Lekker Bly,      

My skat.     Klop Dissel Boom gaan!      Klappies.      Lappies.    

 Wag ‘n bietjie.      I’m Gatvol !!!!    Deurmekaar.

Yislaaik!     Herrrrrrre  ! (Yurrah)       Magtig!!  …..Maggggggtigggggg  !!!       Vragtig!  …….Vragggggtigggggg !!!!!!   

Where’s the jol tonight, hey?   Do youse know?

 Don’t tune  me  kak, hey?     Ag! Yes  no  fine.     Stovies.    He’s fab - such a doll !!!,      He thinks he’s such a big Bok.      It’s not so lekker.      

 Howzzit, my China.     I smaak you.  

 Don’t chaaf my cherry, hey!     Don’t grip my cherry…

 Who do  you  think you’re  looking at,  China?    

 Don’t  tune me grief, ek sê.       Voetsak!        Sies!       Ag! Siestog, Jong!  

 My bike is buggered.  

 Bugger off !

 He donnered  her.

 She Bliksemed him

 They Revolting!  

 Sommer so …………………..

 Don’t talk to them, they are all such Rubbishes.

 Stiffies.

 It’s Kwaai……..

Well, yes , no fine, Those were the days my friend we thought they’d never end …...   

SUBURBS    

In those days a majority of the Jewish community seemed to be living in Hillbrow,  Berea,   Bellevue,  Yeoville  , Cyrildene,  Observatory,  Dewetshof, Judith’s Paarl,  Highlands North, Houghton,  Dunkeld,  Melrose, Hyde Park.

 Suburbs where a lot of Jews also  lived were Kensington,   Emmarentia,  Greenside, Doornfontein,   Mayfair.  Remember Fordsburg (Fitas). Also a Jewish area once upon a time.  

 Robert and I went to Yeoville Chader (The Bernard Patley), - Mr. SHATCHAN was the  headmaster, and teachers I remember were Miss AARONS (Bella Golubchick) , Mr. Solly GOLDBERG, Rev.  HIMMELSTEIN, and the             Shammas was a  Mr. CHAZEN (His daughters, Gertie and Hannah both went to Barnato park) and  Mrs. MAGID 

Chader Children I can remember the names of some of the “ Chader children”. Colin Koransky,     Dorian Hersch (Shear),    Terroll Hersch (Z”l),   Gilda Goldblatt (Galvad), Brenda Goldblatt (Spitz) (O”h)    Frances Taylor, and her older sister, Sharon (now in Israel),    Carmella Shapiro,     Marsha Furman,     Gerald Pokroy,     Philip Eliason,  Harry Sacks,     Alan Kaye,   Susan Kaye,   Dorothy Lewis,    Harry Sacks,   Philip Sacks,    Ada Freedman,     Ilanah Himmelstein,    Julian (Julie) Kaplan,  Meyer Kaplan,    Brian (now in Oz) and his sister Jewel Rosenthal,     Eugene Klatzko,     Martin Chaitowitz,   Hymie  Symanowitz(Z”l),    Ruth Seeff,     Sandra Katzen (Pokroy)     Robert Hershfield,     Mervyn Gerszt,     Bernard Kromelick, Derek Hammerschlag (I think that was his name)  Wolfie Tepper,   Marlene Tepper,   Stanley Chitiz,   Manny Magid,    Melanie & Beverley Segal.

 I must have been a real “chrack” in those days, coming from Ireland, funny clothes, and even funnier out-of-control curly hair, and an accent nobody could understand.  I found it hard to make friends, but I eventually palled up with Gilda Goldblatt (now Galvad) , (daughter of Leslie (Z”l) and Mona Voloshen Goldblatt (O”h),  from Webb Street.   Leslie (Z”l)  was a Choirester in Wolmarans Street Shul) and Gilda and I have remained friends to this day.

 Girls at Barnato Park whom I remember offhand,    Pam Ginsberg (Melzter)   Pam Gladstone (Nathan),  Denise Seeff,     Ruth Seeff,    Susan Simon,     Molly Robinson,    Rhona Shroder (aka Rhondie Shrondie)  (Ullman) ,    Phyliss Goldblatt (Rubin),   Geraldine Blumberg,  Debbie Rabinowitz,  Jacqui Hotz,  Sharon Rafel (Rubin),    Leah Smith,   Ann Kaiser,  Ann Moscow, Barbara Diane Levy,   Barbara Levy,    Lynette and Jennifer Margolis,   Carol and Margaret Kowalsky ,  Gloria (Gola) Levine (Ash),  Gilda and Brenda Goldblatt,   Eugene Klatzko, ,   René Mazelle,  Jill Gonski, Felicity Nathanson,   Avril Kaye,  Jackie Susman (Woolf) (her sisters Helen and Andy went to Athlone) .   Pam Kohn,   Lydia Burstein,   Ada Folb,   Sharon Cooperman (Fehrer)  Beryl Andrews,   Heather Round (Levy),  Joan Gracie, Merriel Pratt, Hilda and Charlotte Brinkman, Ann Mullins, Susan Simon, Doreen Simon, Marilyn Silansky, Carole Silansky (Sands) Verite Hirshowitz, Ruth Samuel (Segal),    Vivien Alexander,    Renée Kunz,   Lorraine Goldberg,    Marilyn Silansky and her sister Carol Silansky, ,   Yvonne  Shochet,  Janet King,  Pam Kewley,   Adah  Ben Yehuda,   Roslyn Abramovitz,  Joan Cooper,  Bernice Frid (Vunck),  Suzanne Lutrin (Resnick) (O”h),    Helen Rothschild,   Joyce Tischauer,   Helen Leftin,    Maureen Nagel (Ruskin),   Gabriella Albrecht,  Sharon Smith (Munitz),   Pam Levy,  Deborah-Ann Fanaroff,   Jacky Centner (Cannon),  Lydia Burstein, Ronelle Shepherd,  Cynthia Muller,  Marsha Sosnovick, (Jansen)    Karen Israelsohn,  Joan David (Elkon),   Sheina & BatSheva Romm,   Lorraine Nussbaum (Silver),   Susan Hommell,     Kela Saltzer , Barbara Beira,   Shoshanna Kaplan (Kaplan)  , Myrna Katz,  Isobel Strasbourg (Mehl) , Isobel Thomson, Vivienne Lee,  Meryl Michaelmore,  Vivienne Fritz, (Head Girl)     Patsy Coetzee, (Vice Head Girl)  Philla Moller, Gillian Coleman, Sheena Haarhof,  Glen Marshall, Naomi Tabachowich,   Ailsa Bowley, Sheena Hayworth, And  some girls from Mrs. Oppenheimers extra Afrikaans lessons class were, Vasiliky someone from Greece, Daria someone from Italy,  Jean Smith (?)  from Rhodesia, Jacqueline someone from England, Marilyn Patricia Myers from England,  and teachers, Miss Todd, Roberta Evans, Miss Cohen (later Mrs. Gevisser), Miss Miles with DOG - George, Miss Langley (head), Miss Rosewarne, Miss Walmsely ,  Miss Hodkin,  Miss Jones (Vice Head), Miss Horn, Miss Dankwerths, Miss Martin, (later Mrs. Gold), Mrs Morrison, and one or two Barnato Park Dogs, who came along to school with teachers.  I think Miss Evans had a little Muttie trouping along next to her?  

SCHOOLS     Athlone Girls , Athlone Boys,    Waverly girls,  Highland’s North,  Parktown Girls and Parktown Boys,    Northview, Greenside High,    King David Linksfield  (King David Victory Park was to follow later on)  Yeshiva College,     Rodean,     Brescia House,     St. Vincents  (for the hard of hearing).    Helpmekaar,     Damelin College,    Yale College (Marcus (Marky) Luntz) , Regis College,  Princeton College.      Yeoville Boys,   Observatory Girls, ,    Hyde Park,    The Tech.      K.E.S (King Edward School),    St. Johns,     Redhill,       St. Stithians,    Marist brothers,    Yeoville Convent,    Hirsch Lyons,    Yiddish folk,  Jeppe Boys, Jeppe Girls.   H.A  Jack,   Jewish Government.

 SCHOOL UNIFORMS. Mc Cullogh @ Bothwell.

Remember Yeoville?   The Yeoville Post Office in Raleigh Street, C.N.A, the Picadilly Bioscope  the Bug House (Oi) next door to  Yeoville Home Industries (owned by Simon and Leah Kaufman),   Kenmere Pharmacy (owned by the Marams) (next to the fruit shop in Kenmere Rd) and  Yeoville Pharmacy (owned by the Joffes) (diagonally opposite the Yeoville Baths in Raleigh St.,)  Yeoville Fruit and Flowers (Jorge aka George),   Hill Fisheries,   Crystals,   Yeoville Baths, (and a swimming coach there called Bernard  Green) and the Apollo Café across the road where they played pinball and the ducktails always hung around there with their chains, and motor bikes, all the Brekers.   Theo  Hommel (fabrics),   Fitz Bakery where the OK Bazaars in Yeoville built their new shop, corner Raleigh and Bedford, diagonally opposite the Yeoville Library.  And opposite where the 19 bus went into Berea and town), Hub Stores,    Emdins – Haberdashery – (one or two shops down from the Apollo Café,)  Denbo Jewish Bookstore,  Scotch Corner!    Billy’s Hairdresser in Rockey Street (near Raymond St)    Faigels   and the  Dae-nite Pharmacy Rockey Street, cor. Bezuidenhout,   Squires (clothing, school uniforms/shoes)

 Portuguese Fish and Chip shop in Rockey Street, all the Tailor shops going down into Rockey Street, and Jekisons Tailors, and a  guy called Bokkie Jekison who was the Tailor there  (great looking bloke, with a great looking brother, I think his name was Eugene)  both so easy on the eye!). Bokkie recently told someone that on the 7th April he will have been at the shop for 55 years  California Tailors, and the Yeoville Recreation Center in Raleigh St, where Sandra Stein won the “Miss Yeoville” competition in about 1962 .(Bokkie Jekison died before the 7th April, suddenly, whilst out on a walk)

Water Polo at the Yeoville Baths. Richard LEE was a water-polo player, he lived in Yeo Street, Yeoville, I think.  Had a brother Eric LEE.  They were Highlands North school boys.  Lionel GILINSKY, another water-polo player.

 And does anyone remember the Purdy Boys, Neville and Leonard?

Some MORE of the YEOVILLE, CYRILDENE, OBSERVATORY people …… Jeff Wittles ,    Linda Shapiro,     Rex Schwartz,    Sharon  Schwartz ,     Ivan Sabbath,       Arnold Messias,     Ivan Sandler,     Louise Lazersohn ,     Barry Sacks,      Barry Bloch,     Barry Black,    Michael Walldorf (Vorsie),  Sonia Barsol,     Gerald (Jake) Fox (Z”l)  Jonny Grossmark,    Vivian Stillerman,    Charmian Clayton,   Max Gur,   Ruth Margolis,   Elaine Margolis,   Heather Garrun,   Yvette, Esther & Naomi Sofer.    Sharna & Nadja Isaacs (aka Lerman),   Colin Opwald,     Frances Siegenberg,  Nicky & Costa Kapitanopoulos,  Alfie Wood and his sister Margie Wood (now Horn),   Locky Lockstone,  Shirley Shtub  (probably Sztab),  Reuel Kaplan,  Geoff (Geoffrey)  Landsman (Z”l) ,  Reina Cohen (O’h),   Sandra Stein (Ezra) ,  Nola Stein (Fox),  Charmion Clayton,   Ivor Cohen,   Sandra Deitz ,   Spencer Hodgson,     Heather Garrun,    Linda Chitiz or Chitters ,  Marlene Teper,   Leonard Kahn  & his sister Maureen Kahn. (now Puterman)  Maureen and her husband were one of the first people to move into a new block of flats called “La Contessa”,  in Yeo & Bedford St. Yeoville)   Arnie  Jones,   Jennifer Jones,   Bernard James,    Abel de Freitas,   Sandra Tucker.  The Griffith Girls (Virg, Bernice (Bunny) and  Diane –still great friends of mine) and their brother Cedric) The Matthews Girls Hazel, and Norma, there were more sisters but I can’t remember the names) .   

GREENSIDE/EMMARENTIA   People, -   Clifford Price,    Howard Price,    Brian Ruskin, and I think Barry Pillemar ,  Suzie  & Gaby Henshel, (de Groen),  June and Yalta Gervis,   Suzanne & Linda Myers,  Aubrey Gamsu    Ada Gamsu,   Maurice Hockman, Margo and Peter Philips,

HOUGHTON people. Michael, Brian & Jennifer Lever,    Molly Robinson,  Harry & Philip Sacks,    Sharon Smith (Munitz)  

HIGHLANDS NORTH  People. -   Brian, Stanley & Karen Feinstein (Joseph),   Max Schiff (O”h)

WHO REMEMBERS   -  Hymie Brest,  (Mayfair/ Kensington)  and his friend (to this day) Alec Ross   (Bez Valley).  Certainly part of the  “Main Manne” crowd.  

 ONLY IN SOUTH AFRICA …………………………………

Where’re you okes jolling to?       Jollers.     Lekker Jol.

 Where are your folks tonight.

 Volkspeeler.     The Sakkie sakkie

 I’m only chaafing, man?     Sweet Obeet.!!     Lekker soos ‘n krekker (cracker)

 Wat ‘s goedkoop is duur koop.       Stille water – Diepe grond,

 Eina!     Skyfies.   Veldskoene.    Breekers.

 Don’t tune me Chandies

 Check that little lightie, he’s  two bricks and a tickey high

 Ever since Pa fell off the bus.

 Give me a bell, hey?       Bell me.    Love you stax.     I’ll  fetch you just now

 African women sitting on the street corners calling out   HEY Mielieeeeee -  Tickey Mielieeeeeeeee.    

 Vrystaat!  

 Vat hom Fluffy.

 I’ve got Sut.

 They’re so larnie!

 My ou’ man is giving me uphill

 My Skattebol.

 I feel up to Paw-Paw.  I feel up to Maggots.

 ‘Strue’s Bob…??       No….. You LIE !!!

 SHOT !!!!!!!!   (SHOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT)

 Skit ‘n donner (donder) (the movies)

  And Observatory café where boys played pinball and they had ‘Pennyline Sweets’ where you could buy 2 for a penny  and cafés had Jukeboxes . Remember the old 78 records (those were in the fifties though) and then the LPs - wow, and when those came out we thought we’d died and gone to Heaven, and the 45 speed records.   Cassettes, and tape recorders,   reel-to-reel tape-recorders (I still have one).

Boys had a way of walking, hands in pockets, only the thumbs visable and rolled from side to side with a sort of rolling gait, and the more they rolled as they walked, the more macho they felt!  

Who remembers ????……     Debras  (Schmaltz), and  when a tub of Yoghurt cost 8c, and an Appleltizer cost the same, a bar of Cadburys chocolate cost 5c and there was a chocolate bar called “Honeycrisp” also for 5c, and you could get a Toasted Cheese  for 15c.    Stamps cost 2½ cents .  If you left the envelope open, it was cheaper…     Airletter forms in green,   airmail writing paper, airmail envelopes and Basildon Bond writing paper.

STREETS in Yeoville/ Bellevue,    -   Raleigh St,   Rockey St,   Bezuidenhout St.,  Isipingo St., Raymond St , Hopkins St,  Yeo St,    Kenmere Rd,  Fortèsque Rd,    Becker St,   Cavendish Rd,    Bedford Rd,   Webb St,   Natal St, Isipingo,   St. Georges Rd,   Ellis St.,

 YEOVILLE BOXING CLUB  - Sammy Samson  and his son Cedric who sang as a child, and he had a group at some stage called “the FireFlies”   I think Alan Goldstein who was also a child singer may well have been part of that band ( later known as Alan Gold) .

How many people remember……. The Black Steer in Yeoville   - fab apple crumble and double thick cream and  in the 1960s the price of a Steerburger, with Pickled Cucumber, fried onions and salad was 45c ……….but at the Golden Spur,  the Burger would cost you 50c and the Yeoville crowd felt that was too expensive!)  Norman’s Grill (for Prawns!) in the Jeppe Hotel.    East Africa Pavilion (well known for it’s curries, where the waiters wore a red “fez”,  The 252 Tavern.   His  Majesty’s Cellars,   69 Grill.

 and Kosher -  Connoisseur Hotel,(Gloria Rootshtain) (long gone)

 And remember-   The Rosenkowitz 6   from Cape Town, first surviving Sextuplets in the World

 And when Arcadia (Jewish Orphanage and Home for Jewish children) was in Forestown

 DAENITE Pharmacy, Orange Grove.  Owned by  Chookie BRENNER .  and the okes that worked there, Mervin  Rappoport, Issy Peimer, Cecil Chweidan (O”h), Ivan Dorff, Solly Branstein, and a girl called Lola but I can’t remember her surname.   And     Dr. Chris Barnard, (Heart Transplants Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town)

 And the …… the motor racing at   Kyalami Race Track

 And the Motor Rallys?. Anyone remember  Lionel Gilinsky?    He raced something called “Production cars” in “Endurance Races” at Old Grand Central Circuit ( Halfway House, now called Midrand) in the late 60’s and 70’s  -   and later “Historic” Cars at Kyalami Race Track.  He was known to be amongst  South Africa’s Top 3 Racing and Motor rally drivers in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.   Not bad for a boy from Welkom!!

Attorneys. -   Moss Morris & Ettlinger, (Lennie Ettlinger,   Max Levenberg,   Selwyn Cohen,   Hilliard Gordon,  articled clerks then - Rodney Berman and John Gilbert,  Also a Selwyn someone articled clerk).     Routlege Douglas   Wilson   Auret  & Wimble,      Wides , Chain & Berman  (Cyril Wides, Inky (Ian) Chain and Rodney Berman),     Edward Nathan.      Israel, During & Kossuth

Tour Operators - Springbok (Atlas) Safaris,  (Julie Lapedus).

Accountants.   Sussman and Lange (Trevor Sussman and David Lange)  (cousin of Myron Lange, the Surgeon) later known as Sussman Goddard.

HILLBROW.  We always went to The  Curzon and  Clarendon for 7/6- , ( later 75c,)  and then a Bioscope called the International (owned by Herman and Maxwell Youngelson) was opened at the top of Pretoria Street and there it would cost you between 90c and R1.00, but the seats were so comfy and the whole bioscope was so plush, that the Yeovillites felt it was well worth the extra.  

Anyone remember The  French Hairdressing Saloon    (a Mrs. Sher was the manageress) and the  OK  Bazaars and Carnival Novelty.

ONLY IN SOUTH AFRICA  ………………………….

I’m going for a goof this arvy.       ‘Scopes,   Flicks, Flik,     What’s the “Aggie”?     

Hy het  haar uitgeskop, verstaan jy my?

Check my new jammy!

 We going to Durbs with the car,  probably see lots of ‘Vaalies there, all the ou toppies,   tannies  and   ooms,  nie waar nie?

My ol’ lady!       My ol’ man.    

My broer !    My sussie.    My Ouma,    My Oupa

 Knobkerrie.   Sjambok

 It’s so hot, I’m vrekking off   here.

 D’is Baie Mooi

 He lives in the Gramadoelas….

 She lives in the Bundu…

 The Dingas

 I was with Ruth, Heather and them

 Drink your SUP !!     there’s a plate on the Zinc

 Let’s make a plan…..

 Cows give us MULK!

 My one aunt    My one leg,    My one arm,    My one finger   My one toe

 Broekies

 The word “THE.  ” I learned in school that before a consonant we say “THE” .   “THE” bed,  “THE” table,  “THE” book. And before a vowel the have to prounce the “the” as “THEE”…………….  “THEE”  Apple,   “THEE” elephant,  “THEE” egg.

 So why then, do we hear (only in South Africa) people saying   “THUH” apple,  “THUH” Elephant,  “THUH” egg.  Please hold for “THUH” Operator.   And why do some of us say  “the PHOTA” when it is clearly “PHOTO”.

FOLKSINGING Era .   Who remembers the  Nite beat, run by Abe (who ran the tuck shop at the Yeoville Swimming Pool), and the folk-singers Ian & Ritchie ( Ian Lawrence and Ritchie Morris),    Des and Dawn (Lindberg)(“And the Seagull’s name was Nelson”) (Dawn wore her hair in two pigtails then) Colin Shamley,   Dave Marks (“Mountains of Men”  and “Master Jack”) Cornelia, And  The Troubador,  The College Set - Andy Levy,  Hugh Solomon,  Norman Cohen)     Keith Blundell and the Baladeers,     Aubrey and Beryl Ellis.     Mervyn and Jocelyn Miller (from Potch).   Mel, Mel and Julian (Mel Miller, Mel Green, and Julian Laxton.

BIKERS and the Hell’s Angels, wearing black leather jackets, chains and the peace sign often around their necks,  roaring down Pretoria St and Kotze St on Harley Davidsons making a helluva racket, some of the more nervous  Biker girls precariously hanging  onto their boyfriend’s backs,  but “the in girls” didn’t hold on, they somehow balanced themselves by placing their hands nonchelantly behind the seat, looking around, throwing their hair back, with a  “don’t- sig–with- me” look, lazer- beam- eyes, -looking–out- through- thick- black- fringes, and a tattoo here and there.  

And nobody did “sig” with them, either.  

 The FLYING SAUCER is where they all met.   Pretoria Street, Hillbrow.

Hillbrow’s Eateries and Coffee Bars   Doney’s coffee bar for the best cappuccino in town (who remembers  Jeftah and George, the Duke)    Café Wien (later on), with the most comfortable seats,   it was like sitting in your own lounge,  Café Krantzler,    Dunk-a-donut, The  Milky Lane,  the Florian (where the bus turned to go down Twist street to Town).    Mi Vami,   Lucky  Luke  (Steak House in the 70s),  Fontana, open 24 hours a day, (famous for their chickens roasted on a spit,)  Pikin-a-chicken,   Porter House (Frulatto and the best Pink Sauce in town) not to mention the steaks (not that I ate them being one of the Kosher Kids, but I was sorely tempted, HA HA HA) and the German Beer Keller,  The Hamburger Hut,  Golden Egg,   Bella Napoli. Kiss-Kiss.

 The CHEZA in Jeppe Street.  Famous for Muesli.

 HAIR STYLES and fashion.  We dyed our hair black with Palette where you dropped a white tablet into some black gunky muck and we all had pitch black hair. The Blacker your hair, the more “sharp” you were.   We teased it and wore it in Wings, and the bigger the Wings were, the more “with it” you were.   And remember the stiff petticoats under your many Flared skirts,   and cat-eye glasses?  Helanca stove-pipes,  in all colours.  Studded Belts, Box Pleated skirts,  and ID Bracelets (with your boyfriend’s name engraved on the inside), Plaid pinafores came later on, and a ridiculous little narrow velvet bow on a clip or hairgrip which we found a space for in the teased bird’s nest, usually just to the back of the fringe. And also a thin chiffon scarf tied around the hair.  White high-heeled shoes  (I wouldn’t be seen dead in half the things we wore then)

My Mom always said that my hair was like a Bird’s Nest at the back, but then I didn’t have eyes at the back of my head,  (just as well).  Boys wore their hair sleeked back with Brylcream and Vitalis and all bought their t-shirts from the Skipper Bar. (Arnie, Mervyn, Earle and Barry Sacks) Black t-shirts with  thin white and red stripes around the neck.   And a corresponding white tee-shirt, with black and red stripes.  If you didn’t have one of those, you were not one of the “in” boys!!!!  

 And then girls started to iron their hair.   I remember my Mother used to plonk my head onto the ironing board, and put a brown paper bag on top of it, and iron away until I had sleek straight hair, but then the minute it rained, I looked at though someone has plugged me into an electric socket….  Durbs did the same to all those who had out-of-control hair -    Frizzed them out in 2 mns flat,  in fact as soon as you got to Van Reenen’s Pass into Natal, you knew you were there because your hair suddenly was on its own mission……..

and who Whirled their hair?????  Oy -  a bittereh gelechter….. We whirled it One way, then the other way, and you had dead straight hair (until you hit the 505 Club and the first thing you’d notice is that your fringe was just “not there” anymore) and the rest of your poor hair style was all moving in different directions.  If it was raining, and you opened your front door, bang went the straight hair.

Remember those little DOEKs we wore on our head when we went to Durbs.  I have a photo of myself wearing one.

COME ON GIRLS  - who used to sleep with curlers/rollers in their hair!! and who remembers using the inside of a TOILET ROLL as an emergency roller???????  And all this lot would be covered over by a hairnet.   Of course morning brought a splitter- of- a- headache from the curlers digging into your head.  Anyone remember?  Bet you do!!!  I DO!! There you are, the big ADMIT……….   What on EARTH did we look like?  I don’t even want to think about it …………………

I always say that if I have to come back in another life, I want to come back as ME but with dead straight hair. Second choice, I wouldn’t mind coming back as one of my spoilt-out-of-control  Dachshunds either (but the  straight haired type, not the wiry haired) (ha ha)

 GYM:    Bodybuilders, weight-lifters and wannabes came strutting out of Gyms such as  Sam Busa  and   Monte Osher  all fit and glistening, with huge shoulder muscles, and killer smiles  - carrying black gym bags.  And  Reg Park’s Gym,  ALSO somewhere in Hillbrow.

YOGA:    Mannie and Alan FINGER,   Nina OBEL

MODEL AGENCIES: .  Stella Grove and Gianna Pizanello

DANCING STUDIOS and DANCERS:    Natalie Stern      the late Mercedes Molina,    Jeffrey Neiman  (Enrique Segovia) & Rhoda Rifkin,    Bernice Hotz , Gitanella   (Spanish, Ballet,) Shirley Klitzner (O”h)  (later in the 70s Hilary Etkind - taught with Rhoda and Jeffrey)    (anyone who ever loved Spanish dancing, will remember Mercedes Molina/ Jeffrey Neiman as a brilliant dance duo)  (and will remember the very sad passing away of Shirley Klitzner (O”h) when she was barely into her twenties).

 PHOTOGRAPHERS.   Maurice,   Kurt Slesinger,    Karklin,  when it was fashionable to stand your wedding photo on an small easel on the floor.  Either carpet or parquet flooring.  Stella Nova .

RUGBY. Alan MENTER   Springbok Flyhalf, and   Sid NOMIS Springbok - Center, and later Wing),   Alan is married to Pam (ex Pretoria) and his Brothers are  Brian, Robert (Robbie) and Mandy (Malcolm (Z”l)) Menter. Their Mom Esmé (O”h)  grew up with mine, in Dublin.  Syd is married to Ann.

 CRICKET.    Dr. Ali BACHER  former South African cricket captain and one of the greastet cricketers in South Africa. Ali BACHER received South Africa’s Sports Merit Award, the country’s HIGHEST athletics honour. Ali is married to Shira (I am friendly with Shira’s sister Marsha KARKLIN,) and I remember their daughter Ann being a Tennis champion when she was just a little kid of 11 in the days of the “Jewish Guild”  Other well known South African Jewish cricketers came later on, Mandy YACHAD , and later Adam BACHER, nephew of Dr. Ali Bacher

TYPEWRITERS.    My first memory of a type writer was that old black thing with with a keyboard with round circular lettering and a typewriter ribbon.   My Mom used one in Dublin,  Then I remember the Olivetti and also a swiss typewriter,  but the ones where you would have to bash a silver thing on the upper  right to go to a new line.  I remember electric typewriters, and using a white powdery Tippex  thing for covering up mistakes, except that they never quite covered them up, particularly on the carbon copies. And remember the carbon copies.. HA HA,  and when I worked for lawyers, they didn’t allow those tippex rub-outs, so one little mistake and you had to start all over again. Remember STENCILS and Roneo-ing various blurb.   I can remember using a bright shocking pink liquid with the stencils, I think.  We wrote to “Messers. So and so”, and we’d end off with “ I remain, Yours Faithfully”

 WEDDINGS  and when the Bride/Kallah would change into her “going away outfit” and the blissful couple would leave the wedding to go off on their honeymoon.  When Bride’s kept their vails on the entire night. When there were only 4 pole-holders and the Bride’s  parents paid for the entire wedding, and the Groom/Chossen’s parents would pay for the booze, the photographer and the flowers.

 THE CIRCUS   Boswell-Wilkie. I hated the circus, terrified of the animals and sorry for them at the same time, a hypnotized crocodile once got out- of- control and strarted climbing out of the ring into the screaming audience. Clowns clowning around were never my scene, and when the trapeze artists or the tight-rope walkers did their act, my heart was always in my mouth, terrified they would fall or something.  One did once, I can never get that memory out of my mind.  

ONLY IN SOUTH AFRICA ……………………………………

 I dopped my exams and my folks are having a cadenza -  *Snot ’n trana  all round ….. (*Yiddish Equivalent is Vainin ‘n Kloggin, well, that is the Yiddish we used in Ireland).  

Chips, here comes the Teacher.

I’ll have a dop of brandy.

Ops me a pencil.  

Baie Dankie…….. hoor!    Aseblieftog!

Plaasjapie.

Safe my mate !!!!   (and the hand movement – very important) -   forefinger/little finger pointed up while thumb was holding middle/ ring finger down) - done with a wag-type-movement, like fast- mode windscreen wipers.

We’re Chommies  

Cheers!  

There’s a Miggie in my room.  

Kyk  daai (Daardie) Goggoh (as in insect, not as in “GOGO” -  Zulu for Granny)

Boeremeisie.     Mevrou,     Mejuffrou/Juffrou,     Meneer

Kyk na daardie lelike ding………………

 Kombi

 Gooi

 Waneer u die syn hoor, is dit agtien uur, twee en vyftig minute en dertig sekondes…………..

 Around 1964 came the Beatles, (“8 days a week”, “Love Love me do” and later, “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s club Band” “Hey Jude”)  The Rolling Stones, (Angie)  the Mini Skirt era and  Mary Quant and the birth of the Discothèque .    Op Art earings in gaudy colours and the skirts continued to get shorter.  Girls wore double breasted Pin stripe suits which made a come back.  The Boutiques were born.  I remember the  BENATER family had a great boutique “Carnabies”, at the top of Rissik Street, or near there.  It was, I think, the first shop of it’s kind.  Very modern, trendy and for the young (20s and 30s).  And the Pink Panther was in Hillbrow - Also very trendy gear.

 Remember Twiggy?……….  She was on every Magazine cover, often holding her Teddy Bear, feet pidgeon-toed, with beautiful big brown eyes, and a body so thin, she could fit through a crack in the wall.   She started a trend, her, and “the Shrimp” -  (Jean Shrimpton),  and Mary Quant.

 AND   Op Art Earings     in strange shapes and gaudy colours, shorter skirts, and flattie shoes.  

 The First Disco was at the Summit Club, Marrakech,  (around 1966) with Go-Go dancers Dixie,  Felicity Fouché, and  Christine all dancing away in the micro-est of Mini-Skirts.   Johnny Martin (previously known as Martin Raff) was the owner, and I heard he also owned a club called 007.

Someone called Neville Peacock was the Marrakech DJ and there were psychdelic and ultra violet lights and if you stood under the latter, all your “klein-goed” shone like a beacon for all to see.  

And   the 505 also in Hillbrow.  Eddie Eckstein and Paul Ditchfield - The Bats played there on a Sunday ),  and the Diamonds  and  Gene Rockwell (Heart!”) as did the Basemen (Ronnie Cline on Keyboard, Ralph Simon – Singer, Rodney Caines – Bass Guitar, Leon Bilewitz – drummer and Irwin Kalis – Lead Guitar) and Clive Calder,  (Les Markowitz on drums) also played at “Club-a-go-go” and also they toured around the countryside and played at various venues.

Also Johnny Congos (“Sealed with a Kiss”),  Johnny and the G-Men,  and Johnny Sharp,   4 Jacks and a Jill.   The Staccatos.  Did I mention Manfred Mann? (“pretty Flamingo”)

 MORE CLUBS   - TJ’s  (town) and The Yellow Submarine (Hillbrow) (owned by Martin HART) and the Boat (Buccleuch) were in the latter part of the sixties  and the Downstairs later called The Purple Marmalade somewhere in Hillbrow.  Another Disco was owned by George McCauley, brother of  Ray, opposite Joubert Park (Club-A-Go-Go),  His Granny worked in the tuckshop and was always so nice to everyone.  The Band there was the “Falling Leaves” and George was in the Band.   The Electric Circus,  And  Raffles , a very fancy disco/restaurant but that was in the late 70s. Owned by Dave Kerney. (I think).  The Stable in Jan Smuts Avenue. The Out of Town Club

 And who remembers the other Bioscopes -  The   Colosseum with the twinkling lights,  Cliff Richard sang there once, and a few girls from Barnato Park were expelled for bunking school and going to his concerts.    His Majestys,   Monte Carlo (French Movies),  The  Empire,   20th Cen. Fox - Pritchard Street,  Cinerama (Claim and Noord)  In those days there was an interval after the News and the Cartoons, and Usherettes would be standing at each exit with a tray with all the Munchies and Chocolates, cold-drinks, etc. The  Apollo  in Doornfontein.  I’ve already mentioned the Yeoville Bioscopes earlier on. Who remembers the “Midnight Shows”   the Astra and the Victory in Orange Grove, The Rex in Greenside. The Plaza, the Bijou in town and some flea-bitten run down Café Bio which no decent self-respecting girl would touch with a barge-pole, but I can’t remember it.  A lot of the Yale College boys went there. But not the girls!!!!

People smoked in the bioscopes (“scopes”) then and when you looked up, you saw it all swirling around in smoke from the projector.  Nice and healthy!!   but nobody ever noticed it.  It was just a part of life in the sixties.

REMEMBER WHEN ……….  we went to Bioscope on a Saturday night, dressed up in your A-line dress, or a Box- Pleated skirt, or tiny hound’s-tooth straight skirt in black/white and your black patent high-heeled shoes, with a Black Patent leather bag to match, and your gloves (which you carried in your hand).  And later you wore your Dress with the shorter hemline, Mini-Skirts, and  your “A-line evening coat” (Jackie Kennedy), just on the knee,  and your flattie shoes, the hair teased up to the high heavens and lacquered so heavily that if it rained, you looked like glue. (Boys hated teased and lacquered hair)

And the boys wore jarmins and Elvis Presley hair-styles with thin ties made of nylon or similar in a machine-crochet style.    (Later when the Beatles came in, boys’ hairstyles changed forever, and no boy would be seen dead with Brylcream or Vitalis plastered on his head).  Boys would never  previously been seen in pastel colours, but the Beatles changed all those dark shirts for pink, mauve and lemon, with a pin collar near the tie. 

Boys would buy you a 75c box of Black Magic chocolate at Interval.  If you put it into your black patent leather handbag and never offered him one, then your name was mud, and girls judged boys by whether they opened the car door for you …. or not!

 AND SOME OF THE MOVIE STARS ….,   Natalie Wood,    Kathryn Hepburn,  Rock Hudson,   Doris Day,   Steve McQueen,   Sohia Loren,    Alain Delon (the heart-throb of the 60’s) (who remembers him in “Purple noon”) Gina Lollobridgida,   Raquel Welsh,    Bridgitte Bardot,   Ursula Andress,   Warren Beatty,  Jack Nicholson (One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest),   Shirley McLaine,     Julie Christie,    Michael Caine,  Elizabeth Taylor,   Richard Burton,    Paul Newman,    Sal Mineo,    Suzanne Pleshette,   Richard Burton,    Sean Connery,    Omar Sharif,    Charlton Heston,   Gregory Peck (to die for?) James Dean

 POPULAR MOVIES.   West side story,   King Kong,  Gone with the Wind,   Exodus,   Dr. No,   *From Russia with Love,   * (Remember in that movie, the Russian woman (was her name someone KREBBS?) who had a knife come out of her boot and it shot straight into poor Sean Connery’s shin bone. EINA!     Just thinking about it, hurts me)   Bridge on the River Kwai,    Dr. Zhivago,    Goldfinger,   (it had a great theme song in it  by I think Shirley Bassey) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,   Annie Get your Gun,    Dingaka.

 And the DRIVE INs     Old Pta Road -   Jhb Drive in,   The 5-Star (Eloff St.Ext),  The Velskoen  (If a girl was seen at the drive in with a boy, she got a “bad name” and the same for the Café Bio’s.  It was just not for a nice Jewish girl!!

 REMEMBER WHEN ….. there was NO Bioscope on Sunday nights

 THEATRES.  Alhambra (Doornfontein) ,   Brian Brooke (Braamfontein),     Market Theatre ( Newtown),     Alexander theater ,    Jacques Brel,     Apollo (Doornfontein).

 Remember the Adverts for all the Cigarettes,  Players,  Craven "A", Dunhill (remember the maroon Rolls Royce?)  Benson & Hedges (Gold) ,   Lexington (That’s the one!),   Gunston (remember him on a raft, all macho,manly, unshaven and rough and ready tumbling through impossible rivers?)   Horseshoe Tobacco,     Gold Dollar,    Texan, (which the boys would hold between their thumb and middle finger)   Lucky Strike,   Gauloise and Peter Stuyvesant (for the fun lovers, remember the wonderful places they went to and the great clothes they wore, swimming in glorious lagoons, skiing down snow-capped mountains, all the beautiful people,all  having wonderful fun?)  I never smoked,(well, I have to say that, in case my family read this article, ha ha) but after I watched the Peter Stuyvesant adverts, I really felt like buying a packet , so that I too, could go to all those magical places, and I’d look glamerous too,  HA HA   - (the power of advertising!) (A Bittereh Gelechter!!)

But it just looked so “in” to see people smoking, and girls would hold the cigarettes at the tips of their fingers, and waved their hands for effect as they spoke, shaking their fringes out of their eyes.   People who didn’t smoke, were “squares”.  

I remember Celeste GREENBLATT, taught me how to apply black pencil inside my eyelids, and ‘base” onto my face and to wear white lipstick and I taught Sandra STEIN (later Ezra) to dye her hair black, and the blacker the better, (her  Mother had a FIT)  - Golda (née Kaufman)  (O”h) whom I saw yearly in LA and she never failed to remind me ! 

FLORA and FAUNA in South Africa.  I remember once being enthralled by the most magnificent yellow creeper we had growing on the fence in Becker Street.  I took photos of it, and sent it to my friends in Dublin to show the exotic flora and fauna is this beautiful sunny South Africa, until Michael GOLDING next door, laughed his head off and said “but that’s only Canary Creeper, it’s not much better than a common garden weed”!!     African Violets,  Jasmin, Golden Shower,   Begonia Sherera,   Bougainvillea,    Pointsettia,   Birds of Paradise,  Cycads?. Maybe they do grow overseas too.

 PARTIES   in   Observatory,   Cyrildene and   Dewetshof.  We rock ‘n rolled to Elvis Presley’s   “Jail house rock” & “Don’t step on my blue suede shoes”, “Rock around the Clock”   in our flared skirts with stiff petticoats underneath, the more the better, and huge belts around our waists, and we wore flat shoes (75c at Maram’s chemist, and 95c for the leopard skin ones).   And later we twisted with Chubby Checker (Let’s Twist again, like we did last summer )   We also did a dance called the Shake – anyone remember the song “I’ll do the Shake, the hippy- hippy shake” and also a dance called the Madison.

 The Bez Valley Ou’s, on a Sat night Jol, and the Lebs  would sometimes gatecrash. Usually a Scuffle and the girl’s father would have to ask them to leave.  Sometimes, in stubborn cases the police would have to be called in to skop them all out.  And then the party continued on,    Little Richard,   Cliff Richard,   -   sometimes a few of the kids would have a bit of “dagga”, (a zol), on the stoep or in the back garden when they thought nobody was looking, and the only way anyone kopped on was because they would come back to the party with a manic laugh, and red eyes. (and of course the smell, but if you admitted to knowing the smell, then it meant you were a dagga smoker yourself!)    Trini Lopez. “If I had a hammer”

 SOCIALS at   Oxford Shul,  The Vrede Hall,    Yeoville Recreation Center,    Temple Shalom,   and Bands like “Dinkie and the Deans” - Jake (Gerald) Fox  (Z”l) (rhythm Guitar),  Barry Sacks (Lead Guitar),  Spencer Hodgson (Bass guitar)  and Errol Sack on the drums, would play, they also played at the Club 505 in “the Brow”.   Peter Lotus well known Jhb Disc Jockey,  I think he sang as well.  Lots of singers used to go to Margo’s on a Sunday Afternoon, and the crowd would all hot-foot it out there after them to hear music. I think it was Bapsfontein, or near there).    There was little else to do on a Sunday, so many places were closed.  Just remembered another band, Dave Levine and the Swinging Angels.   Les Gutfreund was one of the band and  made a name for himself as Les Goode. “Dickie Loader and the Blue Jeans”  Gene Rockwell – Heart.

NIGHT CLUBS and Bands.  Bennie Michaels,    Archie Silansky and his daughter Carole Sands     The Coconut Grove  at the Orange Grove Hotel,    Dan Hill (Ichilchik),     The Colony at the Hyde Park Hotel,    Sardi’s,    The  Mediteranean (I Cinque di Roma),  Diamond Horseshoe,   The Greek Taverna,     Ciro’s (Kruis Street)

 STORES.   John Orrs,     The Belfast,     Greatermans,     ABC Shoes, Dodo’s,   Barnes Shoes,   Ackermans,     Ansteys later Garlics,      Katz & Lourie,     Mr. Man,      Man about Town,    Stuttafords,      Woolworths,     Deans Mans’ shop,     Skipper Bar,       O.K Bazaars,     Cuthberts,     Markhams,      Millews,       K. Marks ( curtains),    Juta's,     Bothner & Polliack (records,   Henri Lidji Gallery,   Derbers Furs,     FDF (Fruit & Dried Fruits)   Vanité (Ladies clothes)     Bradlows,      Geen & Richards,     Shepherd & Barker (Furniture),    CAN,     Jaffs (Fabrics),   Mosenthals,    Dicks (Sweets) - Rissik Street, and later on  Morkels, your two year guarantee store!   Putzys.    McCullogh & Bothwell (School Uniforms).

 REMEMBER WHEN we would get all dressed up to go to town, to have tea at Ansteys sitting alongside Ladies in beautiful outfits, white gloves, smart, elegant, men in suits, with white shirts and ties

 MUSIC  Soul music was popular in the 60s,   Aretha Franklin,   Jimi Hendrix,    Carla Thomas,    Otis Redding (“sitting on the Dock of the Bay”),  Percy Sledge (“ Midnight Hour”, and Music from Brasil, Sérgio Mendes,  Herb Alpert and the Tijuana brass.

And of course, Johnny Mathis,  Charles Aznavour,  Simon and Garfunkel, José Feliciano

And ….  REMEMBER WHEN , our Mothers would ring a little bell at suppertime, and the “servant” (oi, how COULD we have??) would come in with the next course. And when your “boy” did the garden and the “girl” cooked.  

 SHULS   Lions Shul (Doornfontein),   Wolmarans street ( Rabbi Rabinowitz 50’s and 60’s, then Chief Rabbi Casper)    Yeoville Shul (Rabbi Lapin),   Adas Yeshuran (Yeoville) ,   The Bnei Akiva Shul (Raleigh Street),  Greenside Shul,    Emmerentia,     Fordsburg,   Sydenham Highlands North,  Mayfair (Rabbi Zagenov) , Kensington Shul (Rabbi Rabinowitz),   The Curve  (Observatory),   Berea Shul (Rabbi Bender and Rabbi Aloy),    Oxford Shul (Rabbi Bernhard),   Chassidic Shul (Rabbi Lipskar)     Cyrildene,    Temple Emanuel (? and  Rabbi Assabi),  Temple Israel (Rabbi Super), Temple Shalom,   Temple Beth-El (Rabbi Ben Isaacson)   Sandton Shul (BHH) Rabbi ZS Suchard (but that was in the 70’s) Yeo Street Shul.  Reverend Symanovitz from Yeoville Beth Din.  The Beth Din was in Raleigh Street then.

 CHAZONIM. Chazen Hass,   Chazen Bagley,   Chazen Dudu Fisher (1970s early 80’s),   Chazen Johnny Glück (Wolmarans) in the eighties (Choirmaster Prof. David Cohen). Chazen Hasdan, (Warmbaths) Chazen Badash, (Yeoville, Choirmaster *Malovany) Chazan Mandel (Berea Shul) – Gus Levy choirmaster.  (* a world reknowned Chazen - I did attend a concert of his here in Jhb a number of years ago), Chazen Berele Chagy

 Yeoville Shul Choir,   Lionel Levin,   Kenny and Colin Koransky  and their father, Natie Koransky, Martin Harris, Len Bobroff,  Stanley Feinstein,  Brian Feinstein,  Robert Lapedus, David Shapiro.   The Choirmaster was Mr. Himmelstein,  I think his son Lior, was in the Choir too.  Colin Opwald.   Benny Lipchick (Z”l)

 KIDS at the Yeoville Shul…. Percy Suntup,   Fivie (Phillip) and Hymie (Z”l) Symanowitz,   Olga Berelowitz,   Joan Morris,   Karen Feinstein,   Linda and Stanley Chitiz,   Wolfie and Marlene Teper,   me and my Boet,  Robert Lapedus, Gillian Erster and her brother Moishe Erster,   Naomi Shapiro,   Marilyn & Sheila Atkins,  David Shapiro,  Rhoda Shapiro,  Jenny Winnick,    Alan Kaye,   Philip Eliason,   Sheila Hahn and Irma Keifer   I remember David and Daniel Lapin, ( Rabbi Lapin’s sons) being at the Shul  .

 Beni Akiva and Habonim Camps.   Betar.  Hashomer Ha’tza-ir (spelling, whoops!!)

 AND REMEMBER WHEN the only children at a barmitzvah function were the Barmitzvah boy and his siblings, who were allowed to stay up for the night.  The entire Simcha was for adults and the only time you heard the Barmi boy, was when he made his speech.    Robert’s Barmitzvah was a Kiddush at home after Shul, and a “tea” that evening for a few friends of my Parents.  Many kids had that kind of Barmi.  Who knew then from Theme  Barmitzvahs.  

 AND …..When Children were children, and played snakes and ladders, and ludo, dominoes, monopoly, yo-yo’s, and they read out of the Local Libraries and they played Cowboys and Indians, ( just entertained themselves.  No Video games, computers, cell phones, I-pods, Electronic everything… and No TV then either.  

BANKS and Building Societies.  Barclays,   Volkskas Bank,   Allied Building Society,  SA Perm(inent)   The UBS (United Building Society)  SA Perm,    NBS (Natal Building Society)   Trust Bank  

 ONLY IN SOUTH AFRICA ……………………………….

 J’’’’enesburg!

Ag Shame, man, were you home stokkies aleen??

Wikkel.   Sikkel.    I’ve got no tom, hey?

Koeksusters.      Konfyt.       Biltong.        Vet-koek.        Braaivleis.

Boerevors en Pap.        Poitjiekos.     Mielie.   Rooibos Tea.    

Grondboontjiebotter

Ouma se Rusks.       Fanny Farmers

“Hau”

The Tokoloshe is coming…      Dorp !   Pandotjie!  

 He rocked up in an old  Skedonk.

Question.     Hallo Meneer………. Hoe Gaan Dit met jou vandag?.     

Answer.       Ag , No…..  Fine ….Jaaaaa,……….   Kan nie Klaar Nie !

My Oom se Bakkie

My Gran did the “Charlston”, but that was back in Nineteen voetsak

Why are you still Gaan-ing on?   you  Poepal !!  

He is so Grotty….. A real Dweet …….A Drip.

It’s …Kwaai.   It’s …. Skarm.

 HOTELS : The Carlton (original Carlton) ,  Moulin Rouge,  The Chelsea Hotel (Hillbrow) (I think this is where the Jacques BREL theatre was)  Casa Mia,    Langham ,    Gresham,    the Jeppe Hotel (Norman’s Grill)     Victoria ( Plein Street near Station),  Criterion ,   Landrost hotel (Anabelles nightclub).    Tollman Towers – (next to Jeppe Street Post Office),    The President Hotel (Eloff Street),   Anlar Hotel (Hillbrow),   Courtleigh Hotel (Berea),   Jocelyn Residential Hotel (Claim Street Joubert Park),    the Quirinal,   Waldorf ,  and Balalaika which was then way out in the “country” - Sandown,  which is today, a hub of activity. The Skyline,   The Capri  and The Park Royal

 SQUAD CARS.   HOT RODS and the name Buddy Fuller comes into my head for some reason.

MOTORTOWN. Remember when all the motor dealerships were in Eloff Street, Ext.  Motortown.   And names like  Rillstone Motors (Agents for the Simca),   Lawson Motors, (Agents for Volvo),    Lucy’s Motors  (Katz) (Agents for Fiat),  Curries Motors,   Grosvenor Motors ( Agents for Ford),    Sydney Clow  (Agents for Peugeot),     and a dealeship in Anderson Street called T.A.K. Motors, (Agents for Lancia and Ferrari), Ronnie Bass,  (Sigma)

 And then Main Street became the used car center for Jhb.   Austin ,   Chevrolet,    Mercury,     Buick,    Dodge,     Morris Minor,     Mini Minor,     Hillman Minx,     Ford Fairlane,     Vauxhall Victor,     Ford Cortina,     (Ford) Zeyphyr,     Sunbeam.  Killarney Toyota.   Lionel Gilinsky (Pilot, Motor Rally Driver/Racer) Brenner Toyota in Braamfontein,        Chookie Brenner  

PETROL     Shell,    BP,   Mobil (Engen),   Sasol,    Trek,   Caltex,    Total,  

 REMEMBER WHEN Milk was delivered to the house????, in proper Milkbottles with red tinfoil caps, and the cream would be all at the top of the bottle? And Nel’s Rust Dairy in Victory Park.

 DOORNFONTEIN. – Apollo Cinema  near Crystals,  Crystals, Beit Street (who later moved to Yeoville)   Wachenheimers, Goldenbergs,  and  Nussbaums, all in Beit Street, and Dairy Alhambra (Zama Levine) - opposite the Alhambra Theatre in Beit Street. Zama Levine had the shop for about 40 years (according to his daughter Gloria Levine Ash).  Gloria’s mom was from the ICHILCHIK family (Dan Hill and Gloria’s Mom, Emma Ichilchik Levine (a cellist)  were siblings.  Dembo’s in Beit Street.   The famous sculptor Anton Von Wouw lived next door to the Alhambra and opposite Gloria Levine’s (Ash) Grandfather, Mr. Ichilchik in Doornfontein. American Café for ice-cream, Sour Kraut, Hot Dogs, Millers Antiques on Simert Road.  Campbells.  Cohen’s Café.   And Ellis Park.

Doornfontein Streets   Beit Street,   Siemert Road,   Siveright Avenue.  

And Segall’s Sausages (Alf Segall) (spelling?). Kerk Street, York House.

 ROADHOUSES.   Dolls House (Highlands North), Casablanca (Nugget Hilll) Dakota (Crown Mines), and Uncle Charlies.

Ice CREAM.  Papagallo.

 WITS RAG   Down Eloff Street, with the floats, remember?    and the Rag Queens and Princesses.   I remember one particular Jewish Rag Princess of 1971, and still a beautiful girl to this day - Blond hair, gorgeous and looks like she just stepped out of vogue magazine -   June Gervis  ( - two sons, Grant and Richard Reichlin, both  of whom were at school with my children, Angela and Gregory Brest)

 ONLY IN SOUTH AFRICA ………………………………..

“She took me around”   Around where?

And what about   “See that ou??  -   he threw me with (wif) a stone”  

The Spanspek is Vrot!

Takkies.

Ag Dame! …………………..

Listen, Lady ………………

And how many South.Africans when they first arrived in America, England, Australia, Israel etc talked about taking their “costume” or “Cozzie” to the Beach.

She’s the   most prettiest   girl.

My ou’ man caught me smoking dagga, hey, and I got such a  SKRIK.

I bumped her on the corner of Cavendish and Becker Streets 

I didn’t scale anything

*Spek and Eiers   ( *Just because I know the name, doesn’t mean I’ve eaten it, see !)

Ek is a Ware Suid Afrikaaner.

Melktert!   Guavas,   Grenadilsh!!     Marmite,   Anchovette Paste,    Jungle Oats.

Comment - That bike is Kwaai, so lekker….   Answering comment  - MOH-SELFFFFFFF

YIDDISH/Jewish sayings -   In alle Schvartze Yohren,    He lives in  Alle Drerderin,    Meerskeit,  Fahrpackt,   Fahrkakte,    Fahrkrimpt,    Fahrbrempt,   Fahrshtunkender,  Farrible (Litvak word, in other countries they talk about a “Broigas”)   He’s a Shlemazzel,   He’s a Hundt,   He’s a Chaleria,  He’s a Peruvian,  He’s a Shlemiel, …  a Chazzer ….  a Mamzer,    She’s a plapper…. a Yenta,   Gei n Drerd,   Vos  Macht Tzu?,   Shreklich,  Chader (not the Chader where we learned Hebrew or Barmitzvahs) ,  Kitke,  Lax (lox in the USA)  I need that aggravation like a loch in kop?  I’m chalishing for some Petzah (In Dublin, we called it “Calves Foot Jelly”)  Alter Kakkers ,   Bobbe Meises,   Ebberbottled.  She’s such a kochelefel.

  Question  - How are you today Bobba ‘Chuma ???

Bobba’s answer -   Nu, does it do any good to complain???      

RADIO.   LM Radio  who remembers  the signature, “Aqui  Portugal Moçambique, fala-voz do Radio club em Lourenço Marques, transmitindo ondas curtas e médias

(This is (here is) Portugal, Moçambique, the voice of the Radio club in Lourenço Marques, transmitting in short and medium wave) with Evelyn Martin (Martins) .   David Davies and the LM Hit Parade and was it a little prayer ending off at midnight ?   With a sort of mournful depressing music to accompany it. Peter de Nobrega…  not sure which station..Bob Courtney  Eric Egen Springbok Radio , Paddy O’Byrne,  David Gresham (Gruesome Gresh) and Clark MacKay (Clackie MacKay) and Esmé Euverard (not sure if she was Springok Radio or what)  Charles Fortune (Cricket commentator)  Programmes like “Pets’ Parade”, and “the Creaking Door” –skriklig !!!!     David Gresham - Gruesome Gresh - (keep your feet on the ground ,and reach for the Stars)   Everyone remembers “JOHN BERKS” !!    - “Long John Berks” -   I always listened to the Talk shows and one show in particular has stayed in my mind. The Jhb Station Master, complete with an Afrikaans accent, (guess who) called a Yiddishe guy living somewhere in Killarney, to tell him that his consignment of chickens were on their way over.  You could hear what sounded like a few thousand chickens all clucking their heads off and the poor fellow was protesting, saying that it was the wrong number, it wasn’t him, some mistake and besides, he had a small balcony, and he didn’t have room for crates of chickens, but The “Station Master” kept on saying that he has nowhere for them either, the fellows’ name and address were on the crates and the chickens were going to be on their way, shortly..  What a “lag” that was.     Although this article is about the 60s, I can’t help but mention my fellow countryman, John Robbie, and John, if you ever get to read this   “Go mbeanna Dia Duit”   and enjoy L�� na Pádraig.

  AND  the Requests – I think It might have been Esmé Euverard who ran a programme, was it called “Forces Favourites”?   with Messages from girlfriends to their ou’s in the army,  with requests like this   “ Poppie, het jy ‘n boodskap”???   Poppy, are you there?  Speak up Poppie……., Poppie??      Crackle, crackle…..   Hallo,     crackle crackle ………..   Hallo, ja, D’is Poppie wat praat,  Ag, man, I’d like to send a message to my boyfriend at Voortrekker Hoogte??????       Daw-ling, I love you Verrry much???????? ,     ek het jou lief, my skat???      I hope you are orite and I cawnt wait til you are home again awready, Vasbyt  en Baie Liefde, van Poppie, hoor?       En  Frikkie says howwzit.   LOURENÇO MARQUES.   Polana Hotel,    Avenida 24 Julho (July),     o Zambi,    o Cisno Negro (Black Swan),   Xai Xai,    S. Martinho de Bilene (aka San Martino)  wonderful beaches,     prawns to die for (*just because I said that, doesn’t mean I ate them!!!)   “Cerveja” at sidewalk cafés,   Caldo Verde (soup),   wonderful buildings, Pregos.      

BUILDINGS such as    Palace Buildings,    Rand Club,     Old Arcade,   Markhams Technical College, Manners Mansions.     Broadcast House,  Essanby House,     Ponte  -  Harrow Road,     Rissik Street Post Office,     Union Grounds – Twist and Claim,Joubert Park.     The City Hall  -  Rissik Street. And in Jeppe Street the Medical buildings ... Jenner Chambers ,    Lister Buildings,    * Drs. Jacobson,  Broer  and Smith,   later  “and Barnard”, and later still, “and Kaplan”,     Pasteur Chambers ,     Medical Centre ,  Archie Jacobson,   Ivor Broer, Mervyn  Smith.    Michael Barnard  and Neville Kaplan (not all at the same time.)

 HOSPITALS:  the Lady Dudley,     Florence Nightingale,     Princess,   Marymount,      Franklin,     Queen Victoria,     Garden City Clinic     Parklane Clinic.     Fever Hospital,    Jhb Gen. (General Hospital)    The Childrens’ Hospital,     Baragwanath.   The Frangwyn –(Maternity )

 ARMY.   The Drill Hall in Joubert Park!   Voortrekker Hoogte (Pretoria) The first 3 months you were a rookie,  and after you got out 9 months down the drag, you went to Camps for about 3 weeks a few years later. Boys  went meshugah when their hair was cut so short.

And Polio –  two major epidemics in 1947 and 1954/55, when schools were closed, and public swimming pools too, children in iron lungs and leg braces.   Infantile Paralysis, they called it. (I wasn’t here then but I know about it)

Around the late fifties, a movie came out with Danny KAYE and Barbara Bel GEDDES (Miss Ellie in Dallas) , called the “FIVE PENNIES”. Story of Red Nichols, and his young daughter (played by both Susan Gordon and Tuesday Weld)  who contracted polio.   .

And “Interrupted Melody”  Another polio movie about the Opera singer, Eleanor PARKER.  Terrible epidemic, wiped out today, as far as I know .    And then they found an immunization against Polio.

WHO REMEMBERS …...   Gilooly’s farm,    Boksburg Lake,    Zoo Lake,    Florida Lake,    Wemmer Pan - Wembly stadium   Ice rink ,   The Wilds,   The Snake Park,    Melville swimming Pool,    Hillbrow Indoor Pool  (at the Summit Club), and the   Squash courts   there,   Brixton Swimming Pool,    Rand Show/Skou,   Milner Park,  Tower of Life.

THE ELLERINE brothers,   Sidney (O”h) and Eric

RESORTS.   Lover’s  Rock in the Magaliesberg,  Little Roseneath (Ndaba, Fourways).  Margo’s (where the bands all played on a Sunday afternoon. I think it was near Bapsfontein).  And lazy days sitting on top of the Wilds, admiring the Flora and Fauna and watching the world go by (not today!)  Linksfield Ridge.

ADVERTS..   Mac Phails -  Mac won’t phail you

NAMES CHANGES     Jan Smuts Airport – O.R Tambo ,   Halfway House -  Midrand,   Verwoerdburg – Centurion,.   Hendrik Verwoerd Drive -  Bram Fischer Drive,  Hans Strydom Drive  Malibongwe,  DF Malan -   Beyers Naudé,   Harrow Rd - Joe Slovo Drive - , Sandown Square  - Nelson Mandela Square.  Transvaal – Gauteng,    Eastern Transvaal – Mapumelanga.   Warmbaths - Bela Bela,   Pietersburg - Polakwane

 NEWSPAPERS/magazines   Rand Daily Mail.   Die  Vaderland,   Die Beeld,  The Star (still going strong) Sunday Express, Sunday Times AND  Back Page of the Sunday Times…  Scope Magazine

 I thought I’d end off with a little song …………………..  anyone want to sing along?  You all know Sarie Marais?  Here we go. Een,  twee,  drie……..

My Sarie Marais is so ver van my hart,

Maar’k hoop om haar weer te sien,

Sy het in die wyk die Mooirivier gewoon,

Nog voor die oorlog het begin.

O bring my t’rug na die ou Transvaal,

daar waar my Sarie woon

daar onder in die mielies by die groen doringboom

Daar woon my Sarie Marais.

 Lekker Bly Skatties, and Alles van die Beste.  

 Anne Lapedus  (Brest)

one of the  “SIXTIES  ROCKERS” … still  ROCKING ON  !!!!

Uitlander, no more

!!!!  

 © Anne Lapedus Brest,   (Ex Dublin, Ireland)  Sandton, South Africa.

Contact details.  

[email protected]  or  [email protected]  

082.452.7166 .

 DISCLAIMER.  This article has been written from my memories of S.Africa from 48 years ago, and if a Shul, or Hotel, or a Club is not mentioned, it doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist, it means, simply, that I don’t remember them.  I can’t add them in, either, because then the article would not be “My Memories” any more.    

more.    

[drnikolatesla]

Hi, I m from Serbia(country of big scientist) and recently I had a chance to see an amazing exibition dedicated, first of all to Michael Pupin, but also to Tesla and Milutin Milankovic. And its well know(at least they represent it like that in my country) that people say that Pupin and Tesla werent in a good relationship. And at that exibition they actually proved it otherwise.So, my question is what do you know about Tesla's relationship with Pupin, and also with Milutin Milankovic?

Thanks for the great question! I’ll try my best to answer.

So to my understanding, Tesla and Pupin had a bitter relationship. The grudge between the two started in the early 1890s revolving around Tesla’s AC Polyphase system. Pupin admired Tesla early, but made friends with Elihu Thomson, who was a rival of Tesla’s. Thomson had a profitable electric company, but after Tesla introduced his AC system, Thomson realized the advantages of Tesla’s system but was blocked from using it because Tesla held patent rights. So basically Thomson tried to prove that others invented the system before Tesla so his company could profit off it. Pupin was thrown into the mix because he befriended Thomson, so Pupin too tried to disprove Tesla being the true creator of the system. During lectures given in the states, Pupin mentions that two German inventors conceived the system first. This bothered Tesla because Pupin was a fellow countryman and Tesla knew that other’s systems were toys compared to his. It is a fact though that the German inventor, Dolivo Dobrowolsky, admitted that he and C. E. L. Brown (who Pupin refered to) got their idea from Tesla’s patent. Also, Charles Steinmetz, a German and a later friend of Pupin, refuted Pupin and said in a lecture that the Germans system is based off Tesla’s patent. Even so, Pupin still gave Tesla no credit or respect. And to add insult to injury, later Pupin developed his Pupin coils for telecommunications and pretty much copied Tesla’s oscillator patents. Pupin was continually denied by the U.S. patent office for years because he was using Tesla’s work until Pupin finally found a way to bipass Tesla’s invention. When Tesla heard this he just shrugged it off. And to add even more insult to injury, later in the 1900s, Pupin made friends with Guglielomo Marconi, and there was a huge lawsuit against Marconi and Tesla over wireless transmission patent rights. In a testimony Pupin denied Tesla being the true father of radio, claiming that he himself invented wireless before both Marconi and Tesla, even though Tesla’s lecture in 1891 proved he was ahead of the two by over 5 years. After Tesla’s death the U.S government ruled Marconi’s patents invalid and awarded Tesla the patents to radio because of his lectures in the early 1890s.

But… When Pupin became ill and was on his death bed, he called for Tesla to visit him. Tesla, still extremely upset with Pupin, finally decided to visit him. This I believe, is where they made amends.

I apologize, but I do not know of any relationship between Tesla and Milutin Milankovic, but I’m sure they had much respect for each other. Milankovic was a genius!

[i-like-old-things]

Do you know any facts about Charles Thomson? And if you do, please share.

You don’t know what you just released *mwhahahahaha*

But all jokes aside, I know a lot (probably too much) about Charles Thomson

First I’ll direct you to this post that I made decades ago which has some general stuff

I also have a source list post that’s pinned but I’ll also link it here

*under the cut I will add some more information that I’ve picked up or didn’t include from that post*

It will be bulleted

- I’ve figured out that he was about 6 foot 2 inches tall

- Before he moved to Harriton full time, he lived in a house on the corner of 4th Street and Spruce Street

- In one of his many speeches about American Independence, he fainted because he was speaking so passionately

- His tombstone is at the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia (idk if his remains are there). He was originally buried in Harriton’s private cemetery but in the 1800s, people wanted to move him to a public cemetery and his wife’s relatives refused and so people came and dug up some remains but it is unclear if they were actually Thomson’s

- He was generally on good terms with most people except Henry Laurens which I talk about a little bit in this post

- He wrote with John Jay in code during the war

- Some of his closest friends: Benjamin Franklin, John Dickinson, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson

- In congress, his main job was to record what occurred throughout the day. However, he would omit motions that did not pass

- He was featured on a 1975 Bicentennial 7¢ postal card

- He married Ruth Mather in 1758 and they separated in 1769

- After he left teaching, he did a bunch of different things including rum distilling, selling of dry goods, and being a part-owner of an Ironworks company

- He disassociated himself with Benjamin Franklin after the Stamp Act was passed and allied himself with John Dickinson to support anti-importation, specifically from the British East India Company

- His final act as Secretary was to hand over all official documents to the new federal government

I hope this helped! And thank you for the ask

#charles thomson #amrev #history #american revolution

[davewakeman]

Talking Tickets 29 May 2020--Premier League! StubHub! Arts! And More!

Hey There! 

Thanks for being here again this week. If you are enjoying this newsletter, tell your friends and colleagues to sign up by visiting this link.

Don’t forget to visit me and Ken Troupe for a Happy Hour tonight.

I’m going to post this at the top, but a colleague of mine from the UK, Alastair Thomson has put out a book about two weeks ago and he is giving away the Kindle version until the end of the month. Cash Flow Surge-101 Low Cost or No-Cost Fast Action Strategies to Boost Your Business Cash Flow. may be a good read for all of us right now, yeah? So get it while it is free.

Make sure you check out the Slack group if you haven’t already.

To the tickets!

——————————————————————————————— 1. Worst Deal Ever?!

Forbes covered Eric Baker’s acquisition of StubHub with a large piece this week. (As I was writing this up, StubHub’s president steps away as well.)

It is an interesting piece but I think it only reinforces the larger points that most of us have already been thinking about for the past few weeks and months, the secondary market as we know it will change and that it is unlikely that we will see a quick resolution to the return of live events.

The lesson here is that I do think that the business models of brokers, platforms, teams, venues, and organizations should be being thought through and fast.

Demand was a challenge to begin with before the pandemic unless you were certain legacy artists like Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, or Wilco. Sports was challenged for attendance and for every “hot” ticket there were tons that weren’t hot and the twitter feed of Empty Seats Galore was getting a tremendous workout showing off the empty seats at all of the “sold out” events.

I wrote up a blog post a few weeks back about asking the right questions. I had a chance to chat with my friend, Stephen Glicken, again this week and he was all over me about what kinds of questions am I thinking through, independent of my thoughts on the topic…he was selling me on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the punch line of “you have to ask the right question.”

Two ideas I had going through my head as I read this piece and thought through everything that we’ve seen and learned over the last 10 weeks:

* The idea that some light switch is going to go off and we just return to normal, or some new normal, is a myth. We are going to be dealing with a minimum of 3 challenges coming out of the pandemic: a public health crisis brought on by the virus, a financial crisis due to the lockdown, and a mental health crisis brought on by a lot of things.

While I am well aware of the data that shows a lot of things go back to normal pretty quickly, ticketed events will be the last things that get to return to normal and the need to be innovative in our approach, agile in how we approach things, and focus is more important than ever.

* There is a great need to be much more customer-focused in the future. I remember back in the pre-Covid days, chatting with Danny Frank about the idea of the teams needing to be more responsive to premium buyers, but seeing how much of the revenue of leagues and teams is still tied up in the in-game experience begs the question of what exactly have folks been doing that they haven’t been innovating their business models nearly rapidly enough.

I was looking at the typical signs that an industry or a business is ready to be disrupted earlier in the week and the 4 signs are:

Consumers don’t trust the current system

New technology isn’t being utilized

Products and services aren’t affordable to normal folks

Inconvenience is at an all-time high

I don’t know about you, but I see all 4 boxes being checked.

After all the challenges around refunds, cancellations, and postponements, does anyone trust the world of tickets?

How much new technology is available that isn’t just ticket related but private industry related that just never gets used by teams, venues, and other organizations?

Pricing? Anyone?

And, even in the industry, don’t we moan and complain about how we need to shop our own sites to figure out how complicated it is for folks to buy a ticket?

The truth is that we all need to get back in touch with the basics of strategy, sales, marketing, and operations. I think we’ve seen that the biggest opportunities aren’t going to come out of what is different, but likely the trends that were already present and the ability to do the basics very well.

I should also mention, I was going back and forth with folks in the UK and Australia about the piece earlier and the article linked above says nothing about the contempt that the market has for Viagogo in many markets which could lead the long-term health of the combined company to be questioned. Nor, does it touch on what happens to StubHub when events start and they have to unroll all of the things they’ve done so far.

That’s a story for another day.

2. The Premier League Is Back, Baby! 

I’m still on the train of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, but I haven’t really had a chance to read too much about the league so I don’t know nearly enough to claim them as my long term German team, yet.

As Kathryn told me, “I’ve never had a bad time in Munich!”

In the Premier League, well, we know I am a Spurs fan!

But there will be some interesting things that we can learn just like we did from the Bundesliga and as we see the NBA, NHL, and MLB work towards coming back in the States.

Another place to look will be the NRL in Australia where there is a push being made to get fans back into stadiums by 1 July.

This is all very exciting, but we still don’t really know what the next few months of dealing with the virus will look like for any country, sport, or business. But we do know that things could get dicey if we have another wave of coronavirus infections because of lessons learned from the first wave. 

But the NFL is planning on going forward as normal.

Whether or not that is realistic, I don’t know…but I think we would definitely prefer having fans in the stadiums to The Remote Cheerer, though we were talking about this idea at our social distance happy hour with our neighbors on Saturday night. Or, those pumped in noises from Dortmund this week.

What is really interesting to me is that we have had a real-world testing ground to see whether or not fans really do create a home field advantage…and, guess what? They do!

And, Ted Leonsis said in a nice way what I’ve been saying for weeks now, but I’ll say it my way…too many bad ideas are carrying far too much weight right now.

Two points here:

First, it is nice to have sports back and I think this moment where stay-at-home orders are still in effect or are being encouraged is an opportunity to grow the fanbase.

Second, we also need to pay attention to what folks that aren’t engaging with sports now are doing and saying to learn how we can be better at selling and marketing games moving forward.

3. Peter V’landy pulled the NRL back from the edge: 

If I haven’t mentioned yet, sports is big business in Australia and watching how the businesses in Australia have handled themselves has been very informative.

What is interesting here is how quickly and decisively the NRL moved to take action to use the shutdown of their season to set themselves up for success and to secure their future.

Attacking the problem proactively is a smart decision because as Peter Jones mentioned this week, large scale events with crowds are likely out until the first quarter of next year. This mirrors what some doctors I know have said about the States.

This is interesting to watch as we also see Major League Baseball rush towards a challenging situation with their players and having some sort of season this year…things are getting nasty! And, there really should be room for an agreement.

Kids, call me if you need me.

The big takeaway here is that you have to get out on your front foot and attack your challenges. The challenges between MLB and their players’ union have been festering and worsening for years and baseball has often been slower to move and innovate compared to other leagues.

This is now coming up and causing a challenge now.

That applies to all of us in our businesses now. If we aren’t the ones disrupting ourselves and stress testing our businesses, someone else will.

4. How will cultural events recover?

Organizations around the world are being decimated by the impact of the coronavirus on their businesses.

And, for a lot of folks, there is no end in sight.

On Wednesday, the District of Columbia announced a four-stage opening process for the District and you won’t see events with over 250 people until we enter stage 4. That puts many businesses just in the District in danger, now multiply that by cities around the world and you get a sector under tremendous pressure.

In the UK alone, the arts employ over 400,000 folks and generates over 23 billion pounds in revenue.

While I’m sure that everyone reading this has a professional connection to the arts and tickets, Prince Charles gave an interview this week where he talked about the importance of art as a teaching piece and as a way to connect families. For me, I still vividly remember the excitement of my first Broadway show, A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.

The arts are powerful and they provide economic, intellectual, and spiritual value to our lives.

Don’t believe me on this, tell me about your favorite live event experience. I’ve shared a few of them over the months here, but that Pearl Jam concert on July 8, 2003 when the floor at the Garden started rocking was something I’ll never forget…there was a feeling in the air that you couldn’t explain like it was going to be a special night.

Or, the night I went to see the Yankees and the Red Sox with Schilling pitching with a bloody sock.

Finally, the first time I saw The Producers on Broadway and almost busted a seem I was laughing so hard.

Why do I bring this up?

Because we have to put ourselves not in the shoes of ourselves as benefiting financially off of events to convince legislators and folks to support the arts and events to help everyone get back to normal, that’s talking to someone’s head.

That’s not where decisions are made.

You have to talk to folks’ hearts and that little spot in their chest where the butterflies live…that’s where you will get them. So, again, let’s look at what folks are doing in each of our localities, and let’s push and promote and get folks to take action, not for us, but for themselves.

5. A few random stories to share at the end:

A lot of big artists are just writing off the rest of 2020. I’ve still got my Wilco tickets for August! But I’m guessing that won’t go off.

From a risk mitigation standpoint…totally makes sense, but still tough to see in print.

The Saudi takeover of Newcastle might not happen after all. If you’d ask me what Premier League team I was going to follow, I’d have told you Newcastle due to the association with Newcastle brown…all this means is that someone is going to have a chance to build a really great club because there are some strong brand assets in place already.

Sports have been called a modern religion…and there are reasons that this shutdown has made the absence of sports feel different.

——————————————————————————————–

What am I up to this week?

I’ve been doing some strategy work on myself the past few weeks and thinking through how I want to move forward and relaunch out of the coronavirus.

Starting on Monday, June 1st, you’ll start to notice, or not, a bit more of an emphasis on marketing and strategy. As I’ve been testing out the ideas here, I’ve discovered that the biggest and most important thing is typically to understand the environment that we are making decisions in, asking the right questions, and figuring out how to create opportunities in this market, but really in any competitive market.

The podcast stream will start getting a lot of action again as I’m going to try and do two podcasts a week: one with someone that is from the world of entertainment, sports, and ticket business. The second one from someone in the world at large with folks focused on strategy, marketing, and management.

So going forward…this area will be a little more exciting. 

Please follow and like us:

Talking Tickets 29 May 2020–Premier League! StubHub! Arts! And More! was originally published on Wakeman Consulting Group

[moviessilently]

Mary Pickford plays an Italian woman whose brothers have gone off to fight in World War One. Alone and worries, she discovers a sailor washed up on the shore. He tells her that he is an American and they secretly marry but is her husband really who he claims to be?

Home Media Availability: Released on DVD.

Italian dressing.

After co-founding United Artists, the rest of Mary Pickford’s silent career was a balancing act between the child roles and whimsy that her fans had come to love and the heavier, more artistically satisfying parts that Pickford craved.

The Love Light came on the heels of Pollyanna and Suds, the former being a famously sugary child role and the latter a slapstick-and-pathos story of a laundress in love. The Love Light was meant to give Pickford some heavier drama and it was directed by her best friend, noted screenwriter Frances Marion. (By the way, Marion later recalled that both she and Pickford found Pollyanna “nauseating” so a change of pace was needed all around.)

Pickford back in spunky mode.

The Love Light is the story of Angela (Pickford), a young Italian woman whose family operates the local lighthouse. She lives with her two brothers and is being courted by Giovanni (Raymond Bloomer). Of course, the Great War breaks out and her brothers go to fight, as does Giovanni. One brother is killed immediately and Angela waits alone for news of her other loved ones.

One night, Angela finds a man (Fred Thomson, Mr. Frances Marion) washed up on the shore. He says that his name is Joseph and he is an American deserter. Angela feels sorry for him and hides him in her cellar. Naturally, they fall in love and are secretly married. Also, Angela finds out that Germans engrave “Gott mit uns” on just everything. (This coarse exposition is in no way foreshadowing, nope, nope, nope.)

And all I ever find on the beach is a shell or two.

Joseph does have one odd request of his wife: he wants her to give him a “love signal” from the lighthouse at precisely midnight. Angela obeys and, would you believe it, an Italian ship is sunk at precisely that time.

So then Joseph is like, “It’s been real but I have to get back to America, toots.” Angela goes to the village to steal chocolate for him and is nearly caught. When she returns, she finds him asleep in the cellar. She leans closer and…

So THIS is why he kept ordering extra sauerkraut.

In his sleep, Joseph mumbles three words: Gott mit uns.

Sigh. Really, movie? Really? The reveal is silly as silly as an Englishman saying “God save the King!” or an American saying “I pledge allegiance to the flag…” in their sleep. And coming so conveniently on the heels of Angela learning the phrase, it feels artificial and forced.

So, congratulations, Angela. You have married a German spy. And she also discovers that her beloved baby brother was on that ship that was destroyed the night before. Da da DUM!

Angela has some ‘splaining to do.

What will Angela do? Will she give hubby the heave-ho? Watch The Love Light to find out.

Spoiler Because This Really Bugs Me: So, Angela makes her choice and turns her husband over to the villagers, Joseph dies trying to escape, now we just need Giovanni to come home and… What? There’s another half hour remaining? Oh good lord. Basically, we get reel after reel of, “Golly, war sure is awful, isn’t it?” Also, snotty nuns will take your child because they think you’re crazy and will give the infant to a totally random OTHER crazy lady. Yay?

Um, thanks? Signed, Italians

In its review of the picture, Photoplay Magazine stated that “the story is developed without reasonable logic” and I have to agree. Pickford is delightful, especially in the earlier lightweight scenes, but the film jumps around from genre to genre and plot thread to plot thread without sufficiently setting itself up for the transition. Instead, it relies on cheats and old propaganda tricks that were as stale in the 1920s as they are now.

Both silent films and black and white films deserve to be treated as works of art in their own right. Neither sound nor color are missing. That being said, I do get annoyed when the lack of color or sound are used to cheat the viewer of information they could use to solve the mystery.

Don’t mention the war!

For example, the 1947 Bogart and Bacall vehicle Dark Passage hinges on a character adoring the color orange and even having a car in that dramatic shade. Of course, since the film is black and white, we never recognize that distinct car and so the big reveal feels cheap.

The same is the case with The Love Light. To explain his accent, Joseph claims to be an American and Angela believes him. All well and good but we in the audience are denied hearing whether his accent is American or German and so the eventual reveal that he is a German spy feels just as cheap as the Dark Passage finale.

Methinks Gott was not mit anyone during the Great War.

Another problem with the film is that it’s still in Great War Hate the Hun mode when the movies had pretty much moved on. In his review, Carl Sandburg wrote: “It almost looks as though the play was written during the war to be show in Italy to keep alive interest in the war.” The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, which opened two months after The Love Light, showed the way forward for Great War pictures with its themes of divided families, honor and, of course, a some very hot tangos.

(I know that none of you will have trouble with this distinction but for the Hollywood screenwriters who do not seem to understand this: There were no Nazis in the First World War!)

Some patented Pickford shenanigans.

It seems obvious that Frances Marion was stretched too thin by the project. She had written great screenplays before and she would write great screenplays again but the combined task of writing and directing, plus all the personal baggage that came with a cast full of her nearest and dearest, seems to have been too much. Ironically, Marion fares better as a director than a screenwriter in this picture.

As stated above, Pickford is delightful when she engages in slapstick early in the picture. One of the best and most underrated comediennes in film, Pickford capers and prances and tries to beat up her brothers in the best comedy tradition. She does her best with the later dramatic scenes but the setups are so silly that she is undermined. (Of course, Pickford was the producer, so she also shoulders responsibility for the film’s failures.)

Wounded soldier? Meh. Wounded soldier she knows? TRAGEDY!

Further, Angela is not a particularly appealing heroine on paper because she only acts if something affects her personally. She only turns in Joseph upon realizing that he was directly responsible for her brother’s death, she only takes action to save a storm-battered ship when she realizes her baby is aboard. Any charm in the character is due to Pickford’s talents as an actress.

On the plus side, Henry Cronjager and Charles Rosher’s camera work is absolutely gorgeous. Dramatic shots of storms and boats and fires and silhouettes and candlelight, lamplight and, of course, the lighthouse. Moody, gorgeous and warm, this picture is a feast for the eyes.

In the end, this film is an example of a picture made by enormous talents that just does not work. It’s one of the more heartbreaking facts of the film industry but sometimes everyone can be doing the right thing and still end up with a dud.

The Love Light is a plot that would have worked as a dramatic one-reeler but it just doesn’t have the oomph to be stretched out to feature length. The final third of the film feels tacked on and nothing is really very satisfying. The cinematography is an enormous draw, of course, and the film’s lighter moments work but the whole thing is kind of a mess. It’s an interesting bit of film history but not necessarily great entertainment.

Where can I see it?

The Love Light was released on DVD by Milestone but that edition is out of print. I have not yet viewed the Film Detective release.

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The Love Light (1921) A Silent Film Review Mary Pickford plays an Italian woman whose brothers have gone off to fight in World War One.

#1921 #Frances Marion #Fred Thomson #Mary Pickford #Raymond Bloomer #The Love Light #War

[fvaccsite]

Our Winter 2018/2019 Newsletter is out! Here’s a special web preview from our extended e-edition, which is a full 34 pages this month! We normally keep our newsletters for members-only access, but we’re going to do something a bit different this time. Because it’s such a fascinating tale, we’re posting the full text from our cover story here for your enjoyment. Without further ado, here is the story of the Great Vancouver Toy and Doll Fair of 1917:

Treasures from Toyland by Jason Vanderhill

It was the greatest toy show the City of Vancouver had ever seen. The cover image of this issue features an undated photo from the Vancouver Archives depicting a “Dolls’ Fair” at the Hotel Vancouver II. Just imagine what this show would have contained! It seems the tradition came from England, specifically from the diplomat and Liberal politician Henry Labouchère, publisher of the British periodical Truth. The Truth Toy and Doll fair was an annual Christmas fixture from the 1890s to 1913, and it was dedicated to his daughter Dora. The show took place on or around Christmas Day, and afterwards the dolls exhibited were donated to local hospitals and less fortunate children. The event was originally held in hotels before they needed a larger venue, which became none other than the Royal Albert Hall. The Daughters of the Empire in Vancouver adopted the tradition on December 10, 1902, and proceeds were donated to the Vancouver General Hospital Fund. The Vancouver Province reports the inaugural event was held at Parkside, the residence of Sir Charles Tupper at the corner of Barclay and Gilford. Sadly, I cannot find a photo of Sir Tupper’s former residence – the address is now one of the low-rise towers of the West End. Instead, I present to you the two photos [see above], showing the Burns residence and the Templeton residence, which would have been further down the street. Both are also demolished.

Vancouver’s tradition of a Dolls’ Fair continued longer than the British original, which was no doubt cut short due to WWI. By 1917, Mrs. Herbert Drummond had taken up the cause of the war, and proceeds from the fair that year, held at the Hotel Vancouver November 23-24 went to the furnishing of the old Elysium Hotel (repurposed as a temporary residence for returned soldiers), as well as a prisoners of war fund, and other patriotic purposes. I’m not certain how much longer the event continued annually, but 1917 was certainly the year that garnered the most publicity.

[see page 4] Above, the caption that should accompany the cover photo appeared in The Vancouver Sun Sunday, November 25, 1917. The caption points out the success of the event, and describes the scene, including the doll’s pool and bath house designed by Mrs. H.P. Taylor, that appears to be largely cropped from the Stuart Thomson photo. In the centre of the image stands ‘Coronation Lodge’, a wonderful little doll’s house. Below, the O.B. Allan ad for the Dolls’ Fair sought to laud the latest selection of baby gift ideas, From The Province Wednesday, Nov 21, 1917.

[And] from The Vancouver Sun Wednesday, November 14, 1917 a handsome collection of East Indian dolls. A decorated state elephant, and a tiny warrior standing atop a taxidermied baby lion, supposedly the first baby lion born in captivity in North America (cause of death not known). This display was seen in the Birks window Thursday through Saturday, and raffled off at the Dolls’ Fair. Where is that baby lion today?!

By all accounts, the Dolls’ Fair was a smashing success. The Sun and Province both provided no less than four articles each on the event, and flowery descriptions illustrated with photographs appeared in both papers. In addition to all the finely dressed dolls and attendees in costume, there was also an exhibit of British Bulldogs (not known if they were real or stuffed), models of warships, and other machinery of WWI. There was also a bridal scene (above) dressed by Mrs. Herbert Kent. The doll’s wedding was the subject it’s own feature story in the Province on November 10, 1917, and everyone was invited to the wedding. The dolls were displayed in Drysdale’s windows on Granville Street in the days leading up to the Dolls’ Fair. As described in the Province on November 23rd: “The bride’s tulle veil drapes the satin brocade train, and billows over the green plush on which the wedding party is standing: her shower bouquet, the smart bridesmaids, and the little train-bearer in his satin and lace makes a charming picture, while the Highland bridegroom looks his part in every respect. Miss Margery Sherwood in Dresden china costume, assists Mrs. Kent.”

Apparently, the groom represented a wounded Seaforth Highlander, who came home from battle to wed his bride. If the faces on the cover image do not convey the joy of the affair, remember that the stern expressions are a reflection of the event’s time and purpose. It was a charitable rally on the home front for the soldiers of the First Great War—fathers who were not yet home for Christmas—and for the benefit of those children who were less fortunate. The spirit of this cause must have made an indelible impression, as The Vancouver Sun reports on October 16, 1943, another Dolls’ Fair was held at the Trafalgar Day Fair October 31st. This time around, the Hotel Vancouver II had been recruited for military use & barracks, so the event took place at the Hotel Georgia, and proceeds went to the Ladies’ Guild of the British Sailors’ Society funding minesweepers of WWII. These fairs were truly a case of toys to the rescue.

Special thanks to the Vancouver Archives for the photos above, and newspapers.com for the newspaper clippings that accompany this story.

#vancouver #wwi #wwii #seaforthhighlanders #toys #fvacc #newsletter

[magicmenageriestuff]

3am Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.) – The K.L.F.

( The Ancients of Mu Mu )

*

Alien 3  –  Paranoia In Pinewood part 2

The six stages of Film Production : as seen carved into the wall in Pinewood, Studio Five, by someone presumably better-versed in the industry than I :

Wild enthusiasm

Disillusionment

Panic

Search For The Guilty

Punish The Innocent

Reward The Non-Involved 

The above quote from the diary I kept in 1991 while filming Alien 3 in Pinewood Studios.  I released it into the atmosphere as My Pop Life #171 – Praying For Time.  I think it’s time for part 2, don’t you?

*

Somebody send me a clean version of this picture.  thanks.

Things settled down a little after the heart-thumping and deeply paranoid first month recorded in the previous episode.  No one was sacked.  I don’t think.  No one was re-cast.  There was a terrible accident one day when Sigourney’s make-up lady Linda was standing in a doorway on set – one of those science fiction doorways with a sliding panel which goes up and down with a swish.  It was a wooden contraption with a weighted pulley which failed, and it came down suddenly onto her face, right onto her nose. I wasn’t there but it was a nasty accident and she was rushed to hospital.  We never saw Linda again. Later I learned that she didn’t want to claim the medical expenses from the company, but having had a facial reconstruction and various operations I think that she eventually did settle.  Dangerous places film sets.

The cast of Alien 3 with David Fincher on set, 1991

My relationship with Sigourney had subsided into a kind of sulk, and although she would make the odd remark, the earlier fire and brimstone had calmed down a bit.  Not that we’d made up at all.  Sadly we weren’t friends.  I’d confided in other cast members – Niall Buggy thought I was completely bonkers “What are you talking about Ralph, she’s lovely!”  Pete Postlethwaite and Phil Davis felt the same way.  Dhobi Oparei too.  I was happy that they were enjoying working with her, but just as I started feeling cornered, there was Charles Dance asking me how it was all going as we waited for a set-up.  I think I was tentative at first but eventually told him what had been going on.  He confessed that he’d had the same kind of experience. “Is that how you’re going to say it?” and all of the paranoia about how clean he looked, other competitive nonsense.  I felt relieved that I wasn’t going totally mad.  It was only people she had scenes with where the behaviour occurred.  Wait – was Charles Dutton also having this relationship with her?  No.  He was a friend already and he was not the enemy.  Charlie and I have been firm friends ever since.

Charles Dance as Clemens

One day on set Sigourney and I had a scene on a balcony, after the fire. Men had died.  The Alien was trapped, locked in a loading bay. Dutton and his men were praying below us.  The scene wasn’t going well.  But we got it at around 8.00pm and Fincher pulled me aside.  “Dude.  She vampired that scene. Don’t worry I can cut around what you did, we got it.  But you’re letting her get to you.”  I think I said that I was trying to stand my ground.  “If you ever need to leave the set, take five minutes, regain your centre, just say it OK?  I got your back.”  It was another welcome acknowledgement that I wasn’t paranoid.  I went home, cuddled my lady and gritted my teeth for the long haul.  I had to try and protect my performance at the end of the day, that was what mattered.

the balcony scene is in the “director’s cut” on the DVD

As the weeks progressed, all of the actors were called in every day, in case we were needed.  First thing – put through ‘the works’ – costume and make-up – and then sat in our dressing rooms to await the call, often all day.  I often went into the next-door dressing room occupied by the Prison Governor, my boss the legend Brian Glover, who’d memorably played the gym teacher in Ken Loach‘s heartbreaking film Kes.  Brian was from Barnsley and did the voice overs for Tetley Tea Bags : ‘Tetley. Make tea bags. Make Tea.‘

Brian Glover as Andrews

Brian regaled me with stories from his days as a professional wrestler, fighting on the circuit with Giant Haystacks, Big Daddy and Mick McManus. ‘There’s money in ugly Ralph‘ he would announce, his squashed ear a keepsake of his years playing rugby.  Every 45 minutes the lovely 2nd AD Marcia Gay would knock and pop her head around the door – ‘Gentlemen. You won’t be required for the next 45 minutes. Just relax‘.  This became alarmingly irritating until one day Brian swivelled his giant head in her direction and asked ‘Is the money the same?‘  Marcia was puzzled.  ‘Yes‘ she said. ‘Well Fook Off Then!‘ shouted Brian.  Rude and fucking funny.

Fincher on the camera with Alex Thomson alongside him who had taken over as DP when Jordan Cronenweth was too ill to continue

There were eventually four units running at the same time – 1st Unit with David Fincher directing and another legend Chris Carreras as 1st AD.  The eye of any storm, the 1st AD basically runs the set, oversees all of the departments and keeps a keen eye on who is slowing the unit down.  The 1st AD is basically making the film.  Chris had an amazingly calm temperament but I saw him biting his tongue a couple of times.  Years later in 1999 I would contact him and ask him to 1st AD my film New Year’s Day, which he graciously agreed to do.  Without him it wouldn’t have got made. I was going to create a link there to the blog where I talk about the film that I wrote and which actually got made.  So scarred am I from this experience that 220 blog posts later I haven’t even started to think about discussing it.  Watch this space !

Paul McGann as Golic

Meanwhile back in Pinewood, the other 3 units which might or might not need actors for any given day were :  2nd Unit with Martin Brierly directing (and Nick Heckstall-Smith assisting, whom I would also work with later), Action Unit doing Alien Stuff and other SFX, and a Fire Unit which set fire to things and put them out while stunt guys ran around with falmes one their clothes.   We were all required, at one point or another, on all of these units.  But there were interminable days when nothing happened.  Backgammon became institutionalised, with American actors Chris Fields and particularly Holt McCallany relieving us of our wages on a regular basis with ruthless use of the doubling dice. I soon saw the error of this form of time-wasting, likewise poker and other competitive pursuits. 

Clive Mantle as William, Peter Guinness as Gregor

One day when it was clear once again that nothing was going to happen a group of us decided to wander around the studio lot and see what else was going on.  Like a bunch of escaped prisoners escorted by a correction facility officer.  That was me.  We went into one of the bigger studio buildings (Alien 3 had the majority but some were still available for hire) – I can’t remember precisely who was in that gang but I think Peter Guinness, Paul Brennan, Clive Mantle and Danny Webb certainly were. Maybe Niall Buggy and Vincenzo Nicoli too.  And there was a giant pyramid structure with lights on frames around it and people with cloaks wandering about.  We’d asked permission to visit of course, and the producers knew who we were, what we were doing there.  The band was The K.L.F. and they were shooting a video for their single 3am Eternal which had been at Number 1 in the charts that January.  A video it turned out, for the US market. We watched a take with smoke and lights, bleeps and heavy metal guitar chords, acid house beats and rap, capes and cloaks. It was all a bit mental.  Then they took a break.

We wandered into the next studio through a heavy door.  And there was Kylie Minogue, dressed for the Shocked video. We were all introduced and I became suddenly aware of a tiny elfin Australian blonde woman being dwarfed by half a dozen dirty shaven-headed prisoners from outer space.  She shook everyone’s hand then gently wandered away and asked one of her people if they could ask us politely to leave.  Which we did.  Poor love.

Kylie Minogue is Shocked at the power of love in 1991

There’s a curious link here because Bill Drummond, (who with Jimmy Cauty is The K.L.F.) had worked as an A&R man for WEA (now Warners) in London in the mid-80s and had apparently spent half a million pounds on a band called Brilliant who never quite took off.  Stock Aitken & Waterman were writers & producers for Brilliant, and Jimmy Cauty was in the band along with Martin Glover aka Youth from Killing Joke.  And Stock Aitken & Waterman were now writing and producing for Kylie, along with a vast stable of acts including Donna Summer, Mel & Kim and Jason Donovan.  Kylie & Jason had starred together in Aussie soap Neighbours, and to continue the odd waltz between the 2 acts, the K.L.F. had made a single called ‘Kylie Said To Jason‘ which was a hilarious rip-off of ‘Left To My Own Devices‘ by The Pet Shop Boys.  Confused Yet ??

Bill Drummond & Jimmy Cauty

I didn’t make any of these connections at the time.  I was listening to George Michael, Public Enemy, The Breeders. Catching up with Bob Marley and Miles Davis.  Discovering Wagner – again.  Looming on the horizon was Massive Attack. The K.L.F. seemed to me a little like The Tubes, one of my favourite bands to be sure, or the Bonzo Dog Band (see My Pop Life #77), formed by musicians who wanted to lampoon the music and the industry and anything else they could gather into their fiendish net.  Like everything was in quotes. I mean who sang along with the phrase “Ancients of MuMu” without a silly grin on their face?

And of course we were still recovering from the smiley-face rave culture moment from which the K.L.F. appeared to have emerged.  In fact they were rather more like a situationist art project that wanted to burn the whole thing down.  Anarchists.  Their career was inspired partly by the theatre show The Illuminatus Trilogy, written and directed by mad genius Ken Campbell in Liverpool where Bill had been the set designer.  He walked out one day to buy a sandwich and never came back. Later he formed his Pop Group who became The Timelords with big novelty hit Doctoring The Tardis, then The JAMS (Justified Ancients of MuMu) with the single What Time Is Love which got re-issued a number of times from 1988 onward, then The K.L.F.  Their brilliant warped career  peaked a year later in 1992 at the BRIT Awards when Drummond machine-gunned the audience of music industry execs from the stage, and a dead sheep was left at the door of the afterparty with the message “I died for you – bon appetit” attached. A few months later in May 1992 The K.L.F. announced that they had quit the music business and deleted their entire back catalogue.  Other stunts followed such as the infamous burning of a million pounds, the Soup Line, the 17 Choir and other innovative ideas.  Apparently Bill Drummond lived just down the hill from me when I was in Brighton but I never met him, I don’t think.

Niall Buggy as Eric, Danny Webb as Morse

Back on the Alien3 set a few days later it was Valentine’s Day.  I had been sent a card and an AD delivered it to me as we relaxed between shots.  It was of course from Jenny my beloved.  We were not married at that point.  And I could swear Sigourney was looking over my shoulder to see who it was from.  Hahaha.  Fincher was shooting a lot of footage.  “I’m doing long pans & track so they can’t cut into my footage” he explained one day.  It meant that when we had a group scene we could open a book on how many takes it would be.  Anything under five was unpopular.  Over twelve was possible, common even.  I think we did a tenner per set-up.  Someone wrote the names down and the number they’d chosen.  Often no one would win because we went up to Take 17 and no one wanted to put ten of your earth pounds on that.

Here’s an idea…

In fact Sigourney and I had one of our scenes discussing plans regarding telling the company their was an Alien on the planet, and playing a fella who wanted to go home to his wife and kids, rather than perish in some millennial cult group suicide, Aaron ’85’ suggested a plan.  Ripley’s response was tentatively ‘yes maybe‘.  We did a couple of wide shots, then into my single.  Can’t remember how many takes it was – probably around seven or eight.  Then turned round onto Sigourney.  David didn’t like her tone, which suggested that Ripley thought Aaron was a dick.  He didn’t think that was right at that point in the story.  So. One more.  Turn over. Sound Speed. Scene 178 take 17.  Mark it. And….Action! Blah blah blah.  Cut.  Same result.  He’s not your enemy.  Take 22.  Don’t sneer. Take 29.  You think it’s a good idea. Take 34. By which time we were all so exhausted and dizzy from the repetition that Sigourney said the line in a kind of dazed acquiescence and Fincher had the take he wanted.

About a year later in Los Angeles, after the re-shoots, I had two days of ADR in a West LA studio on Olympic Boulevard.  David remembered the scene well, 34 takes.  He’d never done ADR before though – Automated Dialogue Replacement – where you can change the inflexion, emphasis, tone, shade and meaning of a line just by using your voice and matching the lip movements on screen in front of you precisely.  Movie magic.  Some actors hate it, I made friends with the process very early on after I had to voice the whole of my performance as Danny in Withnail & I for the US market. The test screenings had indicated that audience members couldn’t understand what he was saying.  Who could? I did that piece of work at Twickenham Studios in 1987 where the engineer consoled me having to re-do my entire performance at the same speed except more intelligibly by telling me that Michael Caine had done Alfie and Bob Hoskins had also done The Long Good Friday for America.  And yet we were expected to understand Stallone’s mumbles or Pacino’s – hey that’s what it means to be an outlying part of The Empire right?  I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen the US version of Withnail but I suspect it would be a bad idea.  But having said that the experience toughened me up for future sessions.  Especially the Alien 3 session which was two long days – the reason for that was the amount of atmospheric smoke and steam in the design of the film which was very noisy to produce.  Often back in the day on big movies the Sound Department knew that they were recording a guide track only, to be completed and polished in ADR.  So here we were down on W. Olympic and David says – if I’d known about ADR in Pinewood I would never have done 34 takes just for a vocal inflection…

It’s hard to recall now in 2019 how difficult that experience was.  Jenny can remember quite clearly how I would come home every day, full of doubt, full of worry and anguish, just because I was trying to do my best work.  What a fantastic opportunity for me, but you know I was running fast just to stand still.   I remember a visual image I used to produce while trying to explain it to friends, as a learning curve which came from my chest, looped back over my head and stabbed me in the back.  I wondered if, at some point, whether the fact that we were making a horror film in space meant that we had to have a horrible experience in space.  I called Richard E. Grant one day who was shooting Hudson Hawk in Italy – another picnic – and he asked me how much I was getting. I told him. He said

“well – that’s the amount of shit you have to eat then.”

I could almost understand why Bill Drummond had formed The K.L.F.

  My Pop Life #220 : 3am Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.) – The K.L.F. 3am Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.) - The K.L.F. ( The Ancients of Mu Mu )

#Alien 3 #Bill Drummond #Brian Glover #Charles Dance #Chris Carreras #Danny Webb #David Fincher #Jimmy Cauty #Kylie Minogue #Paul McGann #Sigourney Weaver #The Illuminatus Trilogy