The Steeple Times

Tag: BBC

  • Redefining Rachman

    Redefining Rachman

    A different side to Peter Rachman is revealed

     

    Whenever the name Rachman is mentioned, the first things that come to mind are greed, extortion and intimidation. The word is so engrained in such that “Rachmanism” now features in the dictionary, defined as:

     

    “The exploitation of tenants of slum properties by unscrupulous landlords.”

     

    “Notorious slum landlord” Peter Rachman (1920 – 1962)

    Perec “Peter” Rachman (1920 – 1962) was born in Poland and the son of a Jewish dentist. He is best known for having built up a property empire of over 100 mansion blocks in London’s Westbourne Grove and Notting Hill areas in the 1950s where he evicted longstanding sitting tenants and replaced them with prostitutes and immigrants from the West Indies. Due to the relaxation of rent controls by the Conservative government in 1957 and as no other landlord was prepared to take them, he was able to charge these unfortunates whatever he wished.

     

    Rachman came to public attention after the Labour MP for Paddington North, Ben Parkin (1906 – 1969), became vocal about the poor housing conditions of his tenants. Parkin coined the phrase “Rachnamism” in his quest to put a stop to the activities of “rent racketeers” and highlighted him as someone who used violence to maintain control of “his manor.” The MP even went as far as to suggest that Peter Rachman’s death was merely a ploy to distract from his activities and the result was to leave the public engrained with a belief that this landlord was a “manipulative, grasping Jew” who symbolised the moral decay of Great Britain.

     

    Ben Parkin MP (1906 – 1969) on a CND march

    A Radio 4 programme this week, however, highlighted an entirely different side to Rachman. In The Real Rachman – Lord of the Slums, a “barrister turned investigative reporter” named Joshua Levine suggested that those who believe Peter Rachman just to be a sordid intimidator fail to see the true persona of the man.

     

    Levine’s witnesses, who number former tenants and Rachman’s biographer Shirley Green, do describe him as a “chancer” who was prepared to use the system to make money, but they also portray another side of this supposed “figure of evil’s” character.

     

    Nicholas van Hoogstraten (born 1945)

    One immigrant tenant stated: “He was the only one who ever did anything for us” whilst others added that Rachman was “well-liked” and “too soft to be a landlord.” He was a “benefactor” and “jolly” commented others who’d rented from him and a truly notorious modern-day landlord, Nicholas van Hoogstraten, failed to see the opportunist in Rachman at all: “It’s laughable. He had no wealth. It’s an invented moral [mission].” Rachman, equally, was defined as a man “affected” by his imprisonment in a Soviet labour camp in the Second World War by his former lover Mandy Rice-Davis and as someone who suffered true sorrow over the deaths of his family there.

     

    Levine’s examination recounts how Rachman, who drove a navy blue Rolls-Royce with a white interior, was built into a symbol of corruption and moral decay. Rachman, like so many other mythical scapegoats, it turns out only died with only one conviction: parking without lights. The truth, indeed, is often stranger than fiction.

     

    Listen to BBC Radio 4’s The Real Rachman – Lord of the Slums at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ng4h3

     

    Follow Joshua Levine on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/Joshua_Levine

  • Video of the Week: The Queen morphs

    Video of the Week: The Queen morphs

    The Queen’s life in 3 minutes and 24 seconds

     

    This week we must thank Dan Large for having alerted us to an amazing YouTube video showing Her Majesty The Queen’s life in 3 minutes and 24 seconds.

     

    Elizabeth II

    Created by “an old retired guy who likes to play with computers” named “HerBunk” and using the technological wizardy of FantaMorph, the video has attracted nearly 6,000 likes and 300 dislikes. We look forward to hearing what readers of The Steeple Times make of it.

     

    Watch the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8nJhG1xE5o&feature=share

  • Where Dibnah mucked around

    Where Dibnah mucked around

    As Fred Dibnah’s former home comes to the market, Matthew Steeples is reminded of a true BBC legend

     

    As the nation continues to cringe in horror every time the name “Savile” is mentioned, memories of another BBC relic of the 1980s resurfaced when it was revealed that Fred Dibnah’s former home is for sale.

     

    Dr. Frederick “Fred” Dibnah MBE (1938 – 2004)
    121 Radcliffe Road, The Haulgh, Bolton, Lancashire, BL2 1NU (originally known as Park Cottage)

    For those of our readers who weren’t fortunate enough to be alive when Dibnah graced our screens, he, unlike Savile, was a legend who truly deserves the accolade of such a title. This thrice-married Lancastrian was a steeplejack who became a television personality just as his breed died out. He didn’t understand why he’d become famous and of it commented:

     

    “It’s a funny thing, this celebrity. If you don’t wave back you’re a miserable bugger, if you do wave back you’re a big-headed bugger. I don’t know.”

     

    Fred Dibnah in his garden
    A view of the “garden”

    Fred Dibnah preferred to think of himself as “just a bum who climbs chimneys” but he ought instead be remembered for his forthright manner. Amongst the legendary comments this “chimney feller” came out with were remarks like:

     

    “The modern world stinks… We’ve become a nation of con men, living by selling double-glazing to each other… Teaching boys to bake cakes? That’s no way to maintain an industrial empire… Them fancy London types don’t know the pleasure of eating chips with fingers… I prefer the past to the present. Because life today, with all its modern technology, isn’t very good, is it? And the future looks even worse.”

     

    Dibnah bought 121 Radcliffe Road in Bolton in 1967 for £5,000. A Grade II listed former park keeper’s lodge, the building is known as “Two Cats” locally because of the coat of arms of the Earl of Bradford on one of the gables features two leopards and is said to have been built in 1854.

     

    The cottage was the setting of the filming of many scenes from Dibnah’s shows and it was here also in 2003, whilst undergoing chemotherapy, that Dibnah decided to embark on the construction of a replica coal mine with his friend Alf Molyneux. His rationale for this was simple: “It’s not everyone who has a coal mine in their back garden.”

     

    An attempt to auction the house with a guide price of £300,000 to £350,000 in 2007 failed because of a boundary dispute
    A Bolton & District Civic Trust plaque commemorates Dibnah having lived there from 1967 until 2004

    Leon and Jeanette Powsney purchased the derelict property in 2009 for £185,000 and set about turning part of it into a 5-bedroomed home for themselves and the remainder into The Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre.

     

    Visitors, who come by the coachload, are able to tour the yard and see Dibnah’s machinery. Amongst that on show are steam-powered workshop with a circular saw, a band saw and a hydraulic hammer. The 70ft mine shaft remains and in addition there is a 50ft chimney, a gift shop and a small tearoom. The venture turns over about £100,000 per annum and is now for sale through agents Intelligent Business Transfer.

     

    Mr Powsney, who is planning to move abroad, commented:

     

    “We’re selling it as a going concern. It was a business set up against all the odds, we saved it from being flattened and from being redeveloped. We have worked hard to make the centre what it is, and have invested a lot of money in it. We think there’s potential for a buyer to make a tidy profit from it, but we’re looking to relax a bit more now.”

     

    If the asking price of £1,250,000 sought by Mr & Mrs Powsney is achieved, I’m sure the legendary steeplejack wouldn’t disagree that here is a case of: “Where there’s muck, there’s brass.”

     

    For further details about 121 Radcliffe Road, The Haulgh, Bolton, Lancashire, BL2 1NU contact Intelligent Business Transfer on +44 800 612 7718 or go to: http://www.intelligentbusinesstransfer.com/index.php/heritage-centre-meseum.html

     

    To visit the museum contact Leon Pownsey on +44 (0) 1204 531303 or via email at: [email protected]

     

    Watch a video of Fred Dibnah in his garden: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFJq2zayy1s

  • Delia Smith CBE

    Delia Smith CBE

    “The Delia Effect” is well known and when this English cook taught her viewers how to cook an egg in 1998, sales rocketed by 10% overnight. Worth some £23 million, she’s also endorsed Aunt Bessie’s mashed potatoes and supported the Labour Party. Smith was baptised into the Church of England but attended a Methodist Sunday School. She later joined a Congregationalist Brownie Group but converted to the Roman Catholic Church at the age of 22. Together with her husband, Michael Wynn-Jones, she is a majority shareholder in Norwich City Football Club and it is here whilst supporting “The Canaries,” that’s she’s known to get a little carried away with her use of the English language.

  • Phoebe Lapine: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Phoebe Lapine: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times asks the chef, author and BBC America “Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S.” contestant Phoebe Lapine: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?

    Food. Friends. Fun.

     

    “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    “Be the heroine of your own life, not the victim.” The quote is courtesy of the late but brilliant Nora Ephron.

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?

    Had to Google that one. Um, onesies (or as we call them in America, “footie pajamas”)… Just kidding, those are timeless.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    Horses: I can’t seem to find space for one in my New York City apartment.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    An iron and a bottomless stomach. Or an invisibility cloak.

     

    Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank.” What’s your view on the banking crisis?

    Greed is not good. Sorry, Gordo.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    “No.”

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    I feed a revolving door of twenty-something’s who don’t think they’re capable of roasting a chicken. If only someone had taught them what it takes to prepare real food when they were young. My causes include culinary education for kids and also pediatric cancer research via The Valerie Fund.

     

    The judge in “Law Abiding Citizen” states: “I can pretty do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

    You don’t need to shout for the person on the other end to hear you. It’s an iPhone, not a tin can on a string.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Julia Child, Jamie Oliver, Ruth Reichl and Nora Ephron for the first half. Just me and ten clones of Ryan Gosling for the second.

     

    Chef and author Phoebe Lapine

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    Sole meunière, frites, haricots vert, strong strong strong French mustard and a vat of mayonnaise. Warm chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I’d eat it on a hillside in Provence surrounded by horses. So, I guess, there should be a bucket of apples too.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, right?

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    Campari soda.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    My own. I love feeding my friends and having a ball and going to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. Plus, I never have to put on shoes.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    Debbie Phillips: Every woman’s spiritual mother.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Trashy magazines.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    A heart shaped spoon.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    I can’t think of an answer that’s not vaguely sexual.

     

    Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I’m very social, but also I’m a closet introvert. I need a lot of “me” time to recharge.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    I wish I had one. On the ledge of my sleeping loft I have a candle, an empty water glass and a novel.

     

     

    Phoebe Lapine is a chef, author and food personality. The daughter of Tony Award winning American stage director and librettist James Lapine, she is a co-founder of the blog Big Girls Small Kitchen and co-author of the cookbook In the Small Kitchen: 100 Recipes From Our Year of Cooking in the Real World.

     

    Phoebe Lapine’s website can be viewed at: http://phoebelapine.com and she shares her recipes at: http://feedmephoebe.com

     

    Follow Phoebe Lapine on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/PhoebeLapine

  • Twittering S-Pam

    Twittering S-Pam

    Pam Ayres makes a poem of Matthew Steeples

     

    Yesterday, I found myself listening to a self-proclaimed “writer, broadcaster and entertainer” named Pam Ayres on BBC Radio 4.

     

    Pam Ayres

    An example of her style numbers:

     

    “I am sittin’ on the sofa. By the fire and stayin’ in. Me head is free of comfort. And me nose is free of skin. Me friends have run for cover, They have left me pale and sick. With me pockets full of tissues. And me nostrils full of Vick.”

     

    I recall having first encountered the supposed “humour “of Ms Ayres, whom the Daily Telegraph once described as “the doyenne of doggerel,” at a dinner hosted by The Lady Taverners at The Savoy some years ago. As Ayres droned on, an American lady at my table tapped me on the shoulder and said: “What the hell is this strange woman on about?” Having never heard of this “poet,” I shrugged and simply responded: “I haven’t got a clue.” When, in desperation, it was suggested we vacate to the bar, I embraced the idea with gusto. Sat there with an extremely strong martini, I felt well again.

     

    That, I assumed, would be the last my poor ears heard from Ayres but sadly it was not to be. Radio 4, which I listen to throughout the day, have chosen to give her airtime and yesterday, when she came on, the first comment from my friend Charles was: “Oh God, not her, she terrified me even when I was a kid.” The unwelcome ghostly voice of an evening past had returned to my life.

     

    Having had my fill, I thought I’d share my thoughts with my Twitter followers and posted the following:

     

    “I have to say @PamAyres is quite possibly the most tedious person on @BBCRadio4. Her attempt at “humour” is cringeworthy and annoying.”

     

    Within minutes, I’d been bombarded with hatemail from furious fans of Ayres. Most curiously amongst them were missives from the former game show panelist Annabel Giles (@Annabel_Giles) and “Britain’s premiere [sic] Nazi hunter” Alan Stoob (@nazihunteralan). Plainly Ayres is “much loved” in all manner of circles.

     

    Later, a poem came from the woman herself. It reads as follows:

     

    This geezer Matthew Steeples (May he rot in K & C)

    Has posted on his twitterfeed a photograph of me

    And with my blameless heifers he has held us up to shame,

    I may heal in time. The cows will NEVER be the same.

     

    “Blummin’ ‘ell:” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Never could I have imagined that I’d find myself immortalised in a poem by Pam Ayres.

     

    Learn more about Pam Ayres at: http://www.pamayres.com or follow her on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ayrespam She might even pen a verse in your honour if you’re, erm, lucky.

  • Frankel: The Best

    Frankel: The Best

    The Tout says a fond farewell to Frankel

     

    It must have taken some restraint from Sir Henry Cecil, the trainer of many of the greatest horses of the last 40 years, to wait until after Frankel’s last race on Saturday to state: “Frankel is the best I have trained, the best I have seen and the best horse ever.” Frankel was simply incredible in his final race and gave the huge crowd a real reason to be glad, proud and happy to be at Ascot for his swansong performance.

     

    Frankel and his rider Tom Queally at Ascot on 20th October 2012
    Frankel’s trainer Sir Henry Cecil

    In hardcore racing terms, Frankel is officially rated by The Jockey Club handicapper as the highest rated of all time but for the memory it was the sheer style of his demolition of other high class horses that will stand out. His pace in the middle of a race was so brutal that before he even switched to top gear from his cruising speed he had dismissed every rival that ever showed up. At one point it was thought that his skills would be restricted to racing over a mile but as has he subsequently showed he was equally efficient and possibly more settled over a mile and a quarter.

     

    The key to his success as he got older was the fact that he settled so much better in his races. The 2000 Guineas was madly impressive and Frankie Dettori was still struggling to believe the way he ran away from the field when he was interviewed a week later and stated that it would normally be impossible to send a horse away from the field at the halfway stage of a classic race. In the role of honour we also have to be grateful to Frankel’s pacemaker, Bullet Train, who did so much to help him in his races by ensuring that the early pace was fast enough.

     

    We salute Frankel and are certain that during our life we will never see his like again. There is now the intrigue of his performance at stud as it seems impossible that he will replicate himself so his first runner in 2016 will be eagerly anticipated and sure to be out of an equally blue blooded mare. Thank goodness he has retired safely from the track and we can all say that we saw Frankel when any other pretenders appear and someone tells you that a certain horse is the best they have seen. Goodbye Frankel, but only for three years. We shall look forward to seeing your progeny appear on the same turf that you bestrode so magnificently.

     

    The Tout.

  • Pam Ayres MBE

    Pam Ayres MBE

    This supposed “First Lady of Comedy” spouts lines like: “He had a bull name Floyd, but he was unemployed.” How long did it take her to come up with that? Her appearances on Radio 4 and elsewhere are peppered with references to “blummin’ people” and how she’s “stuck all [she] can stick.” Could someone please put her out to pasture before all our eardrums burst?

  • Bravo the Beeb

    Bravo the Beeb

    Matthew Steeples reacts to the BBC quietly dropping the “Sir”

     

    This morning when I turned on Radio 4’s Today programme, as has become customary in the last weeks, the first item on the news was about a man who will forever be associated with abuse and paedophilia, Jimmy Savile.

     

    In recent days, as more and more allegations have surfaced against the Jim’ll Fix It presenter, politicians like David Cameron have looked to make hay by calling for Savile to posthumously lose his knighthood. They talk twaddle as such a title cannot be taken from you once you are dead as that very title actually dies with you. To actually “remove” the title would involve a costly change in the law and frankly, as disgusting as this pervert now appears to have plainly been, is it really worth the expense and parliamentary time during these times of austerity?

     

    Plain old Jimmy Savile

    When Jeffrey Archer was jailed, calls were made to strip him of his seat in the Lords. In, my humble opinion, rightly, nothing was done. Since leaving prison, Lord Archer has righted his wrongs by doing much good. Archer’s situation and crimes, I admit, were different to those of Savile but his and that of Lord Lucan should be a guide.

     

    If Jimmy Savile were to lose his title now, should the hereditary title of Lord Lucan also be removed? Should his son lose a title because, even though never convicted, his presumed deceased father stands accused of the murder of his children’s nanny? This area of law could indeed become very complex and frankly the exploration of it is pointless.

     

    The Today programme, however, have found a far simpler and cheaper solution. This morning, they did what we should all do. They now simply refer to this revolting individual as plain old “Jimmy Savile.” Let’s all follow this lead, drop the “Sir” and leave it at that.

  • Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times asks the chef, author and television personality Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force? 

    “Independence and the life choices that come with it.”

     

     “Never regret, never explain, never apologise” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    As Virginia Woolf once said: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

     

    Kerry Katona was unacceptable in 2007. Who is unacceptable in 2012?

    Samantha Brick: She gave women a bad name by writing so many self-serving articles implying that all women are as shallow and as vacuous as she, and that we as a gender make judgements solely on looks.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    Friends and family who I have loved and lost.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    A simple life living by the sea and working in a job that involved the ocean and it’s stunning environment and creatures.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    I hate the abbreviated text language that people use,  it makes people sound very moronic

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    I try and support charities as much as possible within my means and I think we should all do the same. Time is also as worth as much as money in many cases. I generally support Breakthrough Breast Cancer, but I am very keen to get involved in a charity that works for abused women and children. It’s a bigger issue than people think, routinely ignored and sadly it’s on our doorstep.

     

    Have you ever been arrested and if so, for what?

    Hahaha, nope! But that could just mean that I’ve never been caught… Only joking.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Definitely Marie Antoinette as she knew how to party and I love the clothes of that era. Cleopatra was a glamorous and formidable woman so she must come too. I’d also like Gregory Peck as he seemed like a real gentleman and my great grandfather Admiral Godfrey, who was head of Naval Intelligence in World War II. Ian Fleming was his PA and apparently the James Bond books were based on Ian Fleming’s time working with him. In fact, the character ‘M’ was based on my great grandfather and I would just love to hear the stories in person. There are many more people too, but those four would make an interesting start.

     

    Sophie Michell

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    It would be a classic seafood platter by the sea somewhere possibly on the French Riviera. I suggest this mainly because with all the shells you have to crack open to extract the tasty morsels taking such a long time to get through, it would give me time to plan my escape.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    Any time after noon if on holiday. Any time after 6pm if at home. Failing those terms, you can always bend the rules by proclaiming loudly that it is always cocktail hour somewhere in the world at any given time. This works for me.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    A dirty martini every time.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    I love private house parties as they are personal and always great fun. I entertain a lot when I can for both work and pleasure. I think it enables one to be quite creative and I love seeing an event come off well. I also love really chilled out beach parties, when everyone is glowing from a day in the sunshine and you can hear the sea.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    My darling friend Miss Emma Nettleton. Nothing seems so serious after some dancing and giggles with her.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Ha ha ha: Guilt is a pointless emotion, so a pleasure should be left at that and basically if you feel guilt creeping in, then just don’t do it.

     

    What was the first bone that you broke?

    An ankle bone due to my first foray into ridiculously large platform shoes, aged 14. I haven’t stopped wearing large heels, but I have since mastered the art.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    Probably a dolphin. I am happier in the sea than anywhere else. Although for the record I think tattoos are vile.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    God knows. I don’t drive and have never tried. I am not adverse to beautiful cars, but also not attached to them either.

     

    Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I am actually quite shy and have faint OCD according to my friends. I think it’s otherwise known as being tidy.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    A French antique mirror, a beautiful fluorite crystal, a Dyptique blackberry leaf candle and a couple of out of date invites that will soon be removed.

     

    Sophie Michell is a chef with a true passion for nutrition and healthy eating. She was the private chef for Claudia Schiffer for two years and has cooked for various other famous names including Leonardo DiCaprio and David Cameron. She has presented and appeared on a number of television shows including Cook Yourself Thin, Market Kitchen and Ready Steady Cook.

     

    Sophie Michell’s official website can be viewed at: http://www.sophiemichell.com and information about her latest show, BBC America’s Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S., can be seen at: http://www.bbcamerica.com/chef-race

     

    Purchase Sophie Michell’s latest book, Love Good Food, at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Good-Food-Sophie-Michell/dp/1848990103/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3