A George Orwell quotation sums up the current media firestorm perfectly
We at The Steeple Times thought this image of a lady holding up a piece of cardboard summed up the events of the weekend perfectly.
As a debate rages about the future of the BBC and the role of social media in the “outing” of personalities in connection to alleged stories of abuse, the words of George Orwell ring utterly true:
“Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations.”
For this simple reason, we make it our picture of the week. This scandal should not be brushed under the carpet.
This echolaliac prodigy has absolute pitch and has been described as “the human iPod.” His abilities as a musician are amazing given that he’s both blind and autistic. The cousin of The Duchess of Cornwall’s children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, Paravicini unexpectedly played Big Spender to the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, in 2009 and made legal history when The Court of Protection was opened for the first time in 2010 to discuss his future care. He captivates audiences throughout the land.
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
Those who don’t have, it dream of it; those who have it, often put it to good use. Sadly, however, money doesn’t always necessarily bring happiness.
Eva Rausing (1964 – 2012)
Lottery winners often go off the rails as they spend like silly because they simply are not used to wealth. Those who opt for publicity find they are inundated with begging letters from friends and even those they don’t know. If they give in, they fall into a vicious downward spiral and in many cases the money runs out. If they don’t, the guilt sets in and they lose their friends. The curse of the lottery winner is well documented but equally sad is the tale of Hans Kristian and Eva Rausing.
An inherited fortune, to the majority of us who are potless, sounds like a joy to behold but with such inevitably comes many pitfalls. The likes of Tamara Ecclestone and Anna Abramovich, daughters of first generation self-made wealth, seem to spend their time buying multi-million pound homes and £1 million bathtubs, but does that make them happy? I think not but perhaps I could be wrong. These young ladies seem to bathe in publicity and love the limelight and maybe that even satisfies them.
Eva Rausing’s story, though, is an especially sad case. This daughter of the charming former Pepsi executive Tom Kemeny and his wife Nancy grew up with great privilege and married into an even wealthier family, that of Hans K. Rausing. A posting on her MySpace page sums up the thoughts of this 49-year old Tetra Pak heir’s wife:
“I don’t work, but probably should. Or at least think of a constructive way of using my time, enlarging my life. I fell back into the same hole as before and have been there for nearly 7 years.”
Invitations no doubt flowed through her door on a daily basis and Rausing plainly was not limited by the troubles of an overdraft, a mortgage or credit card debts. For her, it was heroin that blighted her life. The drug of choice of the super-elite, the Rausings met in rehab and their life together continued in the same vein. Though many good friends tried to help them and though they used their very own foundation to try to help others battle addiction, Mrs Rausing sadly is the latest victim of the curse of being wealthy and bored.
Brideshead Revisited has nothing on this dynasty. My most sincere condolences to Tom and Nancy Kemeny and the Rausing family.
He is said to have come up with the Bond family motto: “The World is Not Enough” and in real life was laird of the Hebridean island of Great Bernera. Mirrlees collaborated with Ian Fleming extensively and is considered to have been one of his greatest influences. This Buddhist was also interested in mystic philosophy, had a violent dislike of the Prince of Wales and led a campaign against doctors’ ties after contracting MRSA at Hammersmith Hospital. They sadly don’t create characters like this one anymore.
The “Steel Magnolia” is described as having “charm and resoluteness.” The cousin of Nigella Lawson and George Monbiot is one of the country’s finest solicitors but also trained as a cordon bleu chef. Heather Mills threw a jug of water over her head at the final settlement hearing of her divorce from Sir Paul McCartney and other well known clients have included The Prince of Wales and Alyce Faye Eichelberger, the former wife of John Cleese.
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.
Gary Barlow pictured with Prince Harry on the tambourine working on Sing
Both Sing and Like A Diamond capture the feelings of our nation brilliantly. Be sure to sing along tonight.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II governed as constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states and headed the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations. Supported by her gaffe prone husband, “Brenda,” as Private Eye nicknamed her, served steadfast through good times and bad. She liked to drive a little quickly when given control of the wheel of a Range Rover and also found washing up relaxing. This monarch like no other will never be forgotten.
The launch of The Steeple TIMES today, 1st June 2012, coincides with a weekend that celebrates something far more significant.
Tomorrow, 2nd June, marks the 60th year of The Queen’s reign and over an extended weekend, the nation will gloriously raise their glasses to this amazing lady. The Queen, herself, begins by attending the Epsom Derby whilst the nation will participate in The Big Jubilee Lunch, sharing food and conversation with neighbours and friends. Laughter and joy will undoubtedly be the focus of the day.
Elizabeth II, Queen of the Commonwealth realms (1926 – )
On Sunday 3rd June, the highlight will be a pageant of 1,000 boats assembled from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world. Organised under the patronage of The Prince of Wales, the boats will sail from Battersea to Tower Bridge and The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family will travel in a Royal Barge, the Spirit of Chartwell.
The main event for Monday 4th June will be a Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace directed by Take That’s Gary Barlow. 10,000 members of the public will attend and performing artists include Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Cliff Richard, JLS, Ed Sheeran, Annie Lennox, Kylie Minogue and Sir Paul McCartney.
On the same day, a network of over 4,000 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom. The Queen will light the National Beacon at the end of the Diamond Jubilee Concert and other key beacons will be the ones on the country’s four highest mountains: Ben Nevis, Mount Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Slieve Donard.
Tuesday 5th June is marked by a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral where a special prayer will be read. This is to be followed by receptions at Mansion House and Guildhall and a Diamond Jubilee lunch at Westminster Hall. Following the lunch, The Queen, and The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Henry of Wales will depart the Palace of Westminster for Buckingham Palace, travelling by carriage. A 60-gun salute will be fired during the procession and personnel from all three military services will line the route. Shortly after, The Royal Family will appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch an RAF Flypast and Feu de Joie given as a salute by The Queen’s Guard and this will conclude a truly spectacular celebration.
‘God Save The Queen’ by Keith Haynes. Presented in a Perspex box frame, 350mm x 350mm. Vinyl and Perspex. Edition of 10. Signed and numbered.
Meanwhile, I was lucky to attend a Jubilee Party at the Belgravia Gallery in Mayfair last night that featured artworks celebrating The Queen’s reign. Featuring works by Prince Albert, The Prince of Wales and Lord Snowdon, here was a true celebration of all things connected to the Monarchy.
The highlight, however, for me were the works of Keith Haynes. Like The Queen, who undoubtedly has prospered as Monarch because of the support of her steadfast husband, Keith Haynes is an artist inspired by the encouragement of his wife, Kim Clayton-Jones. A graduate of the Harrow School of Art, Haynes exhibited a series of works inspired by both The Queen and the Sex Pistols that were kitsch and collectable. Priced at £350 each and limited to editions of 100, these brilliant pieces represent a great way to remember this historic weekend.
‘God Save The Queen’ by Keith Haynes. Presented in white box frame, 250mm x 250mm. Vinyl, paper and board. Edition of 100. Signed and numbered.
Comments Keith Haynes:
“Since it’s release in the Silver Jubilee year of 1977 the Sex Pistols seminal punk single has been indelibly linked to the history of The Royal Family. This Diamond Jubilee year sees the 35th anniversary of the single’s release and to commemorate this event I have produced a limited edition portrait of The Queen made from original vinyl copies of the single; my tribute to the extreme ends of British culture.”
May I thank you all for your support for The Steeple TIMES to date and more importantly, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Jubilee Weekend.
The youngest editor of a British national newspaper and a former wife of Eastender Ross Kemp. Educated in Warrington but now more likely to be found enjoying a day trip on a private jet to Venice. A true survivor who should not yet be written off.
