The Steeple Times asks matchmaker Deborah Walker: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
‘The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible”. (more…)
The Steeple Times asks musician and architectural historian Oliver Gerrish: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
My guiding force is optimism.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“Wealth and fame”! Just joking, I think that “I’ll sing for my supper” would be a good one!
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
Bad architecture.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
Singing in The London Oratory Schola, which I enjoyed so much. I also miss my grandfather, who died recently. He was a constant source of fun, support and love.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
I would swap all my wealth (maybe “paltry savings” would be a better phrase) for a chance to present a TV show exploring the history of architecture and music in Britain. It would be great if it became a great success and made me lots of money and educated people about the wonderful heritage we take so for granted.
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?
I don’t like to borrow money and I think it is utterly wrong for the banks to be supporting peoples’ misadventures with borrowing at the expense of other non-borrowing clients who can ill afford to bail out the former with their hard earned savings.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“Babe”.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
I believe that by supporting smaller charities with far reaching ideals one can make a real difference. I run a charity music series called the Chelsea Concerts with soprano Alexandra Kennedy and we have now raised over £15,000 for various charities, including The Cystic Fibrosis Trust, SSAFA, The Rhinology and Laryngology Fund, The Rifles’ Care for Casualties and others. Each time, along with raising money for the charities, I have felt enlightened about these causes and educated about the extraordinary people and causes that are helped by these charities. I am also a Trustee of The Georgian Group and started The Young Georgians. We are the UK’s major architectural preservation charity. I was also recently involved with The Lady R Foundation and it’s fundraising for Veteran’s Aid.
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?
Never use a mobile phone or have it on at a concert. It’s always the people with the worst and loudest ring tones that leave them on.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
Wowzers! Boris Johnson, Britney Spears, Rosamund Pike, the composer James MacMillan, my Grandmother Molly Lefebure, Henry Conway and my other closest friends, a pretty new girlfriend, The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, Jenny Agutter, Lady Lucinda Lambton and The Queen.
If I could have a few spectral guests too they would be Edith Sitwell, Winston Churchill, Georgian architect Robert Adam, Grace Kelly, Sir John Vanbrugh, M. R. James, Cecil Beaton and The Queen Mother.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Smoked salmon and smoked mackerel pate with a very cold Diet Coke.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
A glass or two at lunch if with friends and then after 6pm otherwise.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
Negroni or a cup of tea, depending on the weather. I hate martinis.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
Older friends because they love to mix the generations and one comes back feeling full of information and also the food and drink is mostly better.
Who is the most positive person you know?
My mother.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Burger King XL bacon double cheeseburger.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
A well-proportioned Palladian house.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
Make? Probably an old VW Golf as mine works well, isn’t at all showy and gets me from A to B.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I am a total country bumpkin at heart and like nothing more than being back in Derbyshire at The Barley Mow pub catching up with my friends there.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
A punk rocker shaped scrubbing brush, a model of The Queen who waves her hand when the sun touches her bag (so not very often), my flatmate’s invitations (mine are on the shelf opposite since we are very competitive!) and some photographs of our mad garden in Derbyshire.
Oliver Gerrish is an architectural historian, countertenor and founder of the Young Georgian Society.
Read Oliver Gerrish’s blog ArchMusicMan at: http://archmusicman.blogspot.co.uk/
Watch his show reel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LRXboRYT3fs
For information on The Georgian Group go to: http://www.georgiangroup.org.uk
For information on the Chelsea Concerts: http://www.chelseaconcerts.com
Follow him on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/oligerrish
The Steeple Times asks model and personality Nicholas Gruber: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
I try to learn something from everyone I meet.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
Life is short so enjoy a part of every day, even the shitty ones.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
Picking on anyone less fortunate than you. That’s why the Republicans lost the election in the US.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
My grandmother, Judy Bolduc. She was the first lesbian in California to adopt a child, my dad.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
Honey, pick up a paper: I did that already for some freedom.
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 never good in any way, shape or form.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“Thank you so much.” It seems insincere whereas just “thank you” seems genuine.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Toys for Tots because I know first hand what it feels like to be a kid with nothing under the tree.
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?
It is only appropriate to blow up terrorists.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
My new boyfriend, John Luciano, and my former one, Calvin Klein. Now, that would be one hell of a ride.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Pasta from Bar Pitti. Two helpings. Plus a slice of German chocolate cake.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
I’m sober so for me that would be noon. Joking. I don’t drink but I also don’t judge.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
None of the above. I will take a coconut water please.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
Calvin Klein. He might be three times my age but he can party like a rock star.
Who is the most positive person you know?
A tie between Calvin and John. They both believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Having a mob related boyfriend who allows me to have girlfriends.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
A glass that was half full because that’s how I roll.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A smiley face.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I’m straight but bang guys.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
Nothing. It’s all about no clutter.
Follow Nicholas Gruber on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/NicholasGruber
The story of a 1929 bi-plane with a truly fascinating pedigree
Britain’s best-known wartime Prime Minister piloted a Gipsy Moth aeroplane that will be sold by auctioneers Bonhams in February 2013 at a guide of £120,000. The same craft was also featured in an iconic 1980s film and was also supposedly flown by a member of the Fiennes family who mysteriously disappeared in 1998.
Piloted several times by Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965) and used in the Oscar award winning Out of Africa, this 1929 De Havilland Gipsy Moth bi-plane is 24-foot long and has a 30-foot wingspan. It is capable of a maximum speed of 105mph and “wears” a yellow and black livery. It’s registration is G-AAMY in homage to the pioneering English aviatrix Amy Johnson (1903 – 1941).
In the film, the plane was flown by Robert Redford but though the life of the big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton he played is intriguing; the exploits of Redford’s aviator double are just as fascinating a story.
Few outside of the aviation world will have heard of Tom Danaher (1929 – ) but aside from Out of Africa, he’s pretty much done it all. After graduating from a high school in Dallas in 1941, he became a Marine Corps fighter pilot. Stationed on Okiwana in August 1945, he shot down the last Japanese bomber on the final night of the Second World War and also made history, aged 21, for downing three other Japanese “Betty” bombers in the eight nights before the ceasefire.
Recalled to active service in 1951, Danaher flew one of the earliest jets, the F3D Skynight, with the Marines in Korea on night combat patrols and then was part of the last combat mission on a high altitude bombing strike over Pyongyang, North Korea in July 1953.
Danaher’s passion for flying continued after the war and in 1954 he flew his own plane, a 1948 Bonanza, to England to visit friends he’d made from the RAF whilst in Korea. To make the journey, he built a 109-gallon auxiliary fuel tank so that he could fly straight across the Atlantic. On the way home he called in for an audience with Pope Pius XII in Rome.
Danaher’s visits to England led to him becoming involved in a pirate radio station in from 1944 to 1967 named Wonderful Radio London. Like many others, Danaher was not impressed by the BBC’s monopolistic attitude to radio programming and so helped build a 17,000-watt station on a surplus Second World War minesweeper. It was anchored three and a half miles off the English coast and outside of Britain’s territorial limit. Of the experience, Danaher told Airport Journals:
“We had someone in Dallas who would record KLIF, a top 40 station, and we put it right on the air… The Englishmen over there just ate it up… The station programmed news and top 40 music and was very successful. It had the largest listening audience of any of any commercial broadcast station at the time.”
Back in America, Danaher owned three car dealerships in Wichita Falls, Texas but sold them in 1972 to open his own airport, the Tom Danaher Airport. Lake Wichita Airport (7TXO), as it was also known, kept the aviator busy but he has also piloted in films numbering Empire of the Sun, Sky Bandits, Air America, Bad Medicine, The Pleasure of Love, White Hunter Black Heart, Cliffhanger and Goldeneye.
In 1985, Danaher was recruited to fly Gipsy Moth G-AAMY by Sydney Pollack (1934 – 2008), the American director of Out of Africa. He recounted his six week experience on set in Masai Mara, Kenya in an interview for his local Texan newspaper, the TimesRecordNews, in 2008. Here, he highlighted the problems of trying to film with a vintage plane that “has no brakes and is difficult to steer”:
“Robert Redford couldn’t make the thing turn. It took considerable finesse to turn it on the ground… The third time, he gave it full throttle… The left wing contacted a thick thorn bush and it tore some of the fabric off the lower left wing of the plane. We couldn’t fly it the rest of the day.”
Other dramas arose with G-AAMY in terms of Meryl Streep’s body double refusing to fly in it and the craft struggling to reach the high altitudes necessary to film a sweeping shot of the plane flying past a waterfall. Danaher took charge stating: “If I can get a piece of string and a ruler, I can fix this.” He found just such, cleverly installed them and Pollack: “got every single shot he wanted.”
Another person to have piloted the Gipsy Moth G-AAMY, according to a comment left in the PPRuNe Professional Pilots Rumour Network forum, was a man named Roger Fiennes. Whether this “rumour” is true or not, the cousin of the actor Ralph Fiennes and the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, is another character with a flying history as fascinating as his true family name – which turns out to be “Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes” when presented in full. Of why he did not use this lengthy and historic surname, Fiennes is said to have once commented:
“You try writing that signature on a 6 foot long cheque book.”
Fiennes flew many hours in a variety of planes and one of the best documented was an expedition supported by the Daily Mail from White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire to Sheremetyevo Airport in the Soviet Union in April 1989 and back. He flew one of three Tiger Moth bi-planes with a Russian navigator named Alexy Zaitov. The journey took three weeks to complete, involved 33 perilous stops and covered 5,000 miles.
On 19th April 1998, Fiennes was piloting a 1941 DH82A Tiger Moth, G-BALX, from Dieppe to Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent but he failed to reach his destination. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report into the disappearance concluded:
“Although the pilot contacted Paris Information by radio, in the absence of a specific request, the flight plan was not activated. Lashenden was therefore unaware of the flight’s departure and ETA. When the aircraft was reported missing overdue action, and the subsequent Search and Rescue operation, which was activated on the morning of 21 April 1998. Since then there has been no sign of the aircraft or pilot.”
Articles at the time and forums since are sparse in detail but several forum posters and articles suggest that Mr Fiennes had “mounting debts and a string of business collapses.” Whilst some go as far as to suggest a “Lord Lucan” style disappearance and make references to “paddling canoes” and “check[ing] the Panamanian register,” others remember a “nice guy, sadly missed.” Whatever really happened that fateful day, though, will probably never be solved.
G-AAMY, which was marked G-AAMT for the filming of Out of Africa, is a plane with a remarkable past. We suspect there’ll be a few more dramas for this craft yet.
The 1929 De Havilland DH 60 GMW Gipsy Moth bi-plane G-AAMY will be sold by Bonhams at the Grand Palais in Paris, France sale during Rétromobile week (6th to 7th February 2013). For more information telephone +33 1 42 61 10 11 or go to: http://www.bonhams.com
To learn more about Tom Danaher’s experience flying G-AAMY in Out of Africa, read the full TimesRecordNews report by Lara K. Richards at: http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2008/jun/08/fly/?print=1
To read the AAIB account of the disappearance of Roger Fiennes and DH82A Tiger Moth, G-BALX, go to: http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/dft_avsafety_pdf_502449.pdf
The Steeple Times asks the magician and musician Daniel Rosenfeldt: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
Stephen Fry.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
Madonna has a great one: “Don’t cheat”. You can do what you like in life but you have to put in the work.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
The fighting happening in the Middle East. People in this day and age killing each other over religious beliefs. How thick do you have to be to kill another person because they choose to believe in something different to you? It blows my mind.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
Tony Blair being Prime Minister… Not. ”Me?” Nothing at all. I’m rocking a fairy tale. Great childhood, great friends and family, I live in Copenhagen and I play guitar and perform magic for a living. What’s to miss?
What might you swap all your wealth for?
Peace of mind is priceless stuff.
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?
If this is the case, then the Greeks would be laughing, but they don’t look so happy to me so maybe Donald got it wrong. And it wouldn’t be the first time: he also backed Romney.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
When people say: “To be honest”. It implies that they lie most other times.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
I think we should help where we can. I perform magic in hospitals and for charity events. Everyone loves magic. Please look on my website to book me for this. I do it for free and it’s a big part of the reason I do what I do. I’m planning a tour through the hospitals in Copenhagen which starts in February.
The judge in “Law Abiding Citizen” states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
That judge had it coming. Anyone against Gerard Butler is toast! Have you seen 300?
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
The entire cast of QI, Rune Klan and his dog Balthazar, Benjamin Earl, Klaus Mulbjerg and Roland Rudd who would naturally start the speeches.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Steak béarnaise at home with my parents and brothers.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
I put beer in pancake batter and it’s never too early for pancakes 🙂
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
An ice cold beer, please.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
I like the ones that sneak up on you, you’re busy having fun and then all of a sudden Dario is dancing on the couch with a sheepskin and a lampshade on his head, air drumming.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
I don’t feel guilty about things that please me. Except maybe Dario dancing on the couch with a sheep skin and a lamp shade on his head…
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
Dario dancing on the couch… Nah!
Who is the most positive person you know?
Rune Klan.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
I would like to imagine myself as a vintage Rolls but I think I’m more of a husky drawn sledge.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I’m constantly surprised that I surprise people for a living. My parents are even more surprised!
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
I look forward to having my own mantelpiece.
Daniel Rosenfeldt is a magician and musician. His website can be viewed at: http://www.danielrosenfeldt.com Follow him on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/danielrrosenfeldt?ref=ts&fref=ts
Watch a YouTube video of Daniel Roesenfeldt’s “A Christmas in South Africa” at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxvK7ZYn69I and an example of his magical talents at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUydpcbb_lo
The Steeple Times asks the financier turned fashion designer Jax Martin: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
Love.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.”
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
Reality TV personalities are unacceptable in any year (but to be clear Kerry Katona is still unacceptable).
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
Sleep.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
High quality education for all children.
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?
Bankers who created complex financial instruments should not receive the brunt of the blame. Let us not forget the inept regulators who permitted these activities to flourish, causing the crisis to become much worse than it might have been.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“Reaching out.”
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” Plato. I anonymously support several charitable causes related to: education, medical research, the arts and women’s and children’s issues.
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 can’t live with them and you can’t live without them. But, I have no interest in listening to other people’s loud conversations on their mobiles.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
Oscar de La Renta, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mao Tse Tung, Madonna and Ronald McDonald.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
I LOVE to eat; I would have a very large meal comprised of chateaubriand with shallot sauce, Cajun chicken and fries from Le Bilboquet and a bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions from Corner Bistro. All of the aforementioned would be served with a bottle of Gevrey-Chambertin. For dessert, I would have a slice of mille-feuille with fresh cut strawberries on the side. If I were allowed to dine outside of death row, I would have the meal served in either Trancoso in Bahia, Brazil or José Ignacio in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
This question makes the assumption that somehow one has stopped partying from the previous evening.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
A martini.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
It doesn’t matter who throws the party, it’s the company you carry that makes the party.
Who is the most positive person you know?
Lucy.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Can’t say.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
A phoenix.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A Koenigsegg Agera R.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
While I was in engineering school, I was also a professional dancer.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
An antique Buddha, candles and a couple of black and white family photographs.
British designer Jax Martin is a former financier and professional dancer. A graduate of Columbia University, Martin also has an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and began her career in the hedge fund business. She now creates “chic clothing for today’s woman” and states: “I live to make women feel great and look fabulous”.
For more information about Jax Martin, go to: http://jaxmartin.co.uk
The Steeple Times asks the journalist and equestrian expert Victoria Spicer: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
Sat nav, usually.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
I’m stealing my motto from someone else – “Don’t gamble with what you can’t afford to lose.” Wise words, and not just applicable to my fairly lamentable betting technique.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
Animal suit onesies.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
I’m in the process of moving to the Surrey countryside so I dare say I’ll miss London, easy commutes, a plethora of restaurants, twice weekly trips to the cinema and the Canary Wharf skyline.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
I’d gladly swap my wealth for somebody else’s. I doubt they’d be delighted with the deal though.
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?
I blame Kerry Katona.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“At the end of the day.” Ghastly.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
I ran the London Marathon in 2008 in aid of World Horse Welfare so that’s a biggie.
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?
As my friends will tell you, I never look at my phone, and I certainly don’t pounce on it the second I see that little red flashing light.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
Scotland’s rugby team, Andy Murray, Daniel Craig, Elbow, Ross Noble, Ryan Gosling, and a handful of my closest female friends to redress the balance.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Fillet steak, on the run.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
12.01.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
Can’t I have a cold glass of Pinot Grigio instead?
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
The post-show parties during Olympia Horse Show are usually pretty memorable.
Who is the most positive person you know?
Not sure I know many – or if they start off positive, I soon drag them back down to earth with a healthy dose of cynicism.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Made in Chelsea.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
Snow Fairy. Class mare. Unfortunately for her, I can’t stand pain and have no desire to get a tattoo.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
I’m quite like my own car – an MX5. Looks like it could be fun to drive but is actually rubbish at getting up hills and handles terribly. Plus it’s either boiling hot or freezing cold, never in between.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I’m related to Cilla Black… And I’m a compulsive liar.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
I’m about to move house so I currently have no mantelpiece – but I’m working on it.
Victoria Spicer is a freelance journalist. She is also press officer for the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead and web editor for Horse & Country TV.
View Victoria Spicer’s website at: http://www.victoriaspicer.co.uk
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.
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
SIR – I watched the Olympic closing ceremony and was astounded by how well executed it was. I began as a cynic of the Games and in fact I was very much of the belief of: “The Olympics… Give them to the Scots, they take everything else from us” but I must admit I got it utterly wrong. Frankly, I should heed the words of Boris Johnson and “eat my hat.”
James Donaldson
London, SW6
SIR – I quite disagree with your take on the Olympic closing ceremony. Where were Elton John and Mick Hucknall? To have Jessie J perform three times was simply beyond the pale.
Anne Smith
Gloucester
SIR – Boris Johnson dancing to the Spice Girls was the highlight of the closing ceremony of the Games for me. If BoJo doesn’t become PM, perhaps he could become audition to become a dancer for Madonna.
Hannah Johnson
Cobham, Surrey
Music fit for The Queen
In recent days, Gary Barlow’s albumn Sing has topped the UK album charts with sales of 40,000 copies.
Two hundred and ten musicians, including the African Children’s Choir and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Band, helped record this special tribute to The Queen. Produced by Barlow with the assistance of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gareth Malone, Sing also features Prince Harry on the tambourine, Hayley Westenra, Alfie Boe and the Military Wives choir. Sing will be performed this evening at a special concert at Buckingham Palace in the presence of Her Majesty.
Another tribute I was alerted to came from a singer named Anton Lorien who contacted me via Twitter. He was approached in 2011 by the British Monarchist League who asked him to produce a song for a lady he describes as having: “Given her life selflessly to the people of Britain and the Commonwealth.”
Mr Lorien’s song, Like A Diamond, is available to download on iTunes but I wholeheartedly recommend that you watch the video clip available above. It contains some wonderful footage of The Queen and the clip at 3:33 where our Monarch runs to watch her racehorse is especially worth seeing.
Both Sing and Like A Diamond capture the feelings of our nation brilliantly. Be sure to sing along tonight.
For more information about Anton Lorien’s Like A Diamond, go to: http://www.antonlorien.com
For more information on Gary Barlow & The Commonwealth Band’s Sing, got to: http://www.jubileesing.com