Blogs

63 UP, ITV, directed by Michael Apted.

Posted by celticman on Sun, 09 Jun 2019

https://www.itv.com/hub/7-63-up-uk/2a1866a0001 ‘Give me a child and I will show you the man.’ That old Jesuit or ancient Greek aphorism is alive and well. I’m at 56 and UPward myself and one of my classmates, George Devine’s funeral, was on Wednesday. Arthritis creeps around my bones, but I’m still gloriously alive. When I went to school Mrs Boyle taught us that 9 x 7 = 63 (UP). My life has been in eight instalments, but I’ve followed the nine...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 07 Jun 2019

Posted by airyfairy on Fri, 07 Jun 2019 There's been some brilliant writing on the site this week, lots of marvellous pieces which I've read and re-read trying to decide the Picks. In the end, Story of the Week goes to The Lost Children by harveyjoseph. This one has haunted me since I read it. It harks back to a dark past and also offers a plausible vision of an uncertain future: https://www.abctales.com/story/harveyjoseph/lost-children Poem of...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by airyfairy on Fri, 07 Jun 2019

There's been some brilliant writing on the site this week, lots of marvellous pieces which I've read and re-read trying to decide the Picks. In the end, Story of the Week goes to The Lost Children by harveyjoseph. This one has haunted me since I read it. It harks back to a dark past and also offers a plausible vision of an uncertain future: https://www.abctales.com/story/harveyjoseph/lost-children Poem of Week is The Stew by socialeaf...

63 up ITV

Posted by elsie katz on Fri, 07 Jun 2019

I had to follow this - I'm in the same age bracket, sort of identify with them. I guess it shows 2 things, how a person's life is influenced by their environment and also by their individual character. Perhaps being in the series has been an influence on them too...Several people said they found jumping back in to the public eye every 7 years was painful and yet they wante to stay involved. I think perhaps the series should stop now. Death and...

Taksi!

Posted by philwhiteland on Wed, 05 Jun 2019

Being the second part of The Moscow ChroniclesI Follow the link for Part 1 - Moscow Calling I'm not a big fan of flying. If I could manage it on my own, I might probably be just about alright, just as long as I didn't go too high. Terry Wogan used to have a correspondent (Willie Gofar, I think) who aimed to circumnavigate the world by hot-air balloon, the only problem was that he didn't like heights, so he had to keep one foot on the floor at...

STORY AND POEM OF THE MONTH

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Sun, 02 Jun 2019

Our Story and Poem of the Month for May, very kindly picked by Alex Smith (london_calling79): With summer on the doorstep and the football season’s dying embers giving rise to summer sports, of course I’ve gone for something suitably dichotomous for the poem of the month. Di_hard’s sumptuous and sure-footed paean to bluebells: https://www.abctales.com/story/dihard/bluebells For the story of the month it had to be johnshade’s towering and ominous...

The Wheat and The Chaff

Posted by Baker Street on Fri, 31 May 2019

The Cut-Off Point

Celtic’s Treble Treble.

Posted by celticman on Tue, 28 May 2019

There have been disappointing times as a Celtic supporter, but this era isn't one of them. Celtic defeated Hearts on Saturday to complete a clean sweep of Scottish trophies for the third season running. Out of nine competitions, in three years, Celtic have won all nine. Yet, amid the joy there was a bubble and babble of discontent. Neil Lennon had been appointed the new Celtic manager. I remember him when he was the old Celtic manager. I...

Moscow Calling

Posted by philwhiteland on Tue, 28 May 2019

Part 1 of The Moscow Chronicles The darkening skies all around the aircraft rather match my mood. It’s only 15.00 GMT but it’s already as black as night out there. This, I suppose, is only to be expected as it is November and I’m flying eastward, away from the setting sun. I’m on a flight from Heathrow to Moscow - Domodedovo Airport to be precise. It’s the year 2005 and I’m not doing this for fun, as you will have probably guessed, it’s part of...

Death of a Child (2017) directed by FRIDA & LASSE BARKFORS

Posted by celticman on Mon, 27 May 2019

‘I feel that I deserved to die…I’m worthless.’ There are no happy endings here. The crimes these fathers and mothers have committed are against themselves. An infant son or daughter died, slowly cooked, strapped in the backseat of their car, because the father or mother got distracted and forgot they were there. It happens in the United States around 30 to 40 times a year and the number is growing. I’m reminded of another statistic from a bygone...

Pages