My friend Antony sent me another of the You Tube videos of Joolz presenting one of his very informative walks.
This time, he is walking around some very famous Central London tourist areas, and giving a detailed history in his inimitable style.
(The film is just under 30 minutes long.)
If you have ever wandered around the same places, you may well be interested in the background to them.
We all need something to cheer us up, and this worked for me.
My friend Antony sent me this clip of a cat watching a horror film. The cat’s reactions are great, and prove beyond doubt that it knows something bad is going on.
This may be old news to some of you, but if you haven’t seen it, it’s only one minute long.
My friend Antony sent me this short video of a ‘House-Kangarooo’ named Rufus.
Just the sort of thing to cheer up yet another pandemic lockdown Sunday.
My friend Antony sent me a link to a short (16 minute) film on You Tube.
Two photographers travel to London to experience the city when it is almost deserted during lockdown.
They video themselves, and explain the ideas and the process, also the camera settings and equipment used.
Some of the resulting stills are shown alongside the original video footage.
For me, it was fascinating to see this area of Central London almost empty of people. Soho, Seven Dials, and Covent Garden, places where I worked and walked every day for the last twelve years I spent in that city. Even if you have no interest in cameras or photography, you might enjoy seeing the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the capital city of England.
(There are some short advertisements dring the video, but they can be skipped.)
My friend Antony sent me this delightful short film, starring one of Britain’s foremost actors, Tim Spall.
Set in the near future, Spall plays Nigel, a lonely and bitter widower. Retreating into a life of alcolholism, and determined to be alone, Nigel happens across a small robot that befriends him.
With a short running time of just thirteen minutes, and a delightful twist at the end, this is high-quality film-making that will leave everyone feeling better for watching it.
My friend Antony sent me a link to this 6-minute long sci-fi film on You Tube.
It is beautifully filmed; with some eye-popping visuals, and excellent special effects.
I am sure all the photographers out there will appreciate it too.
I recommend viewing it in ‘Full Screen’ mode.
Over the past year, I have seen many song parodies relating to either President Trump, or the Pandemic lockdowns.
My friend Antony recently sent me this one, a clever alternative version of the Simon and Garfunkel classic, ‘The Sound of Silence’.
One of my greatest and oldest friends is Roland Kemp. Photographer, video artist, and musician, he has spent most of his life in one band or another. The first time I met him when I was just 17, it was when a friend took me to see his band play in a small hall in Eltham, South London.
Over fifty-one years ago.
His latest project is this song, called ‘The New Blues’. This is right up my street musically, and comes with an excellent video showcasing the female vocalist, Molly Alro, and many images relevant to the lyrics. If you enjoyed it, please give the video a ‘Like’ on You Tube.
Here is something for you to watch and digest while I am away. My friend Antony sent me this 10-minute You Tube film that gives an easy to understand history of British currency since the time of Queen Victoria, to the modern day. It covers the change to decimal currency in 1971, and explains very clearly why all our coins are the size, shape, and colour they are.
If you are writing historical fiction, you may well find this to be a valuable resource.
And it also explains why I still use terms like ‘A quid’, ‘Ten bob’, and ‘Three half-crowns’.
And if you ever intend to visit Britain as a tourist, it will help you understand the coins in your pocket.
I should state from the outset that I am not a fan of tattoos and body piercings. In most cases, they are permanent things that cannot be undone, so should not be taken lightly. I have never had one, and never would, but I respect the fact that it is everyone’s right to choose what to do with their own body.
However, I do admire tradition, and my friend Antony sent me the link to this short film about a remarkable lady in The Philippines who is doing her best to ensure that her own ancient ways are continued on through her family.
So if you ever fancy having a coal tattoo hammered onto your body using a thorn from a plant, you now know where to go.
