Thursday, February 03, 2011

Six of the Best 127

John Hemming considers his options over the sale of Forestry Commission land: "Personally I think the idea of organisations such as the RSPB and National Trust being more involved in managing forests is a good idea. The RSPB, for example, have a lot of experience in managing land for the benefit of biodiversity. However, I think the government should strengthen this part of their policy which is why I rebelled on this occasion and will lobby them to strengthen this policy."

Cornwall County Council's online video are defended against BBC sniping by A Lanson Boy.

"In the world of the mega-city, the kind of rural life that remains open to Estonians is becoming rarer - indeed it might almost be regarded as a luxury to have so much space. The roads are quite, the forests silent and yet teeming with wildlife. As I walk through the medieval city walls and into the centre of Tallinn I breath the clean sea air- and I am very thankful for it," writes Cicero's Songs

Simon Perry is Leicester's answer to Ben Goldacre. On his blog Adventures in Nonsense he reveals that Boots is continuing to sell and promote homeopathic remedies.

Ignoring the propaganda, I am pleased to learn from Swindon Labour that a) the town has a Richard Jefferies Adventure Playground and b) it is to be refurbished and reopened.

Bear Alley tells us about Hugh Gladwish, who directed The Ghost Goes Gear - the Spencer Davis Group's only movie.

2 comments:

Simon Titley said...

Your report of 'The Ghost Goes Gear' neglects to mention that one of the film's actors is Jack Haig, who went on to play Leclerc ("It is I, Leclerc!") in 'Allo 'Allo. Thus we can get from Steve Winwood to Herr Flick is only one move.

Meanwhile, given that the Spencer Davis Group doesn't actually perform much in 'The Ghost Goes Gear', there's a useful video montage of their appearances on YouTube, which saves you the trouble of sitting through the whole film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ODwlK0K-U

Jonathan Calder said...

I fear you have been sold a pup. While this is footage from The Ghost Goes Gear, sadly neither Somebody Help Me nor Keep on Running appears on the soundtrack of the film.

Besides, doesn't every right-thinking Englishman own a DVD of this film, complete with commentary from Spencer Davis? I know I do.

Nicholas Parsons' memoirs say that the weather was so awful while they were filming that he assumed the film would not be released at all. That probably explains while the plot stops halfway through: those early shots of the river are rather lovely.

You are right that most of the other songs in the film are rubbish. I can recommend the St Louis Union though. Note the reference to Jack Haigh there.

The young Richard Gibson (Herr Flick) played Leo's friend in The Go Between, which gets you to many great names in British acting.