Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas Everyone I hope you are all having a brilliant day.  Where ever you are, and whoever your with.  I have had a good Christmas spent with Kevin and 2 of my 4 kids. We opened our pressies watched lots of TV and listened to Robbie Swing Both Ways.  Such a lovely relaxing day, no work, no hassles, just doing what you want for a few days, absolute heaven.  I hope to do a little more blogging during the next year, and try not to leave it to long between blogs.

Sir Colin The Fourth

A Happy birthday to Colin Firth, the above is a nickname Kevin uses for him.

Colin was born in Grayshott Hampshire to Shirley Jean Rolles a lecturer in Winchester University, and David Norman Lewis Firth a History lecturer also at Winchester. Colin has a sister Kate an actress and voice coach and brother Jonathan who is an actor.  

Their early years where spent travelling over seas both sets of grandparents where over seas missionaries, and they spent time in Nigeria and St Louis.  When they came back to the UK he went to Alamein Secondary School in Winchester, he was an outside and was a target for bullies so he adopted the local accent and showed a disinterest to schoolwork.  At fourteen Colin wanted to become an actor, after attending acting workshops.  At sixteen he went to Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in Eastleigh, where he fell in love with English Literature. These two years where the happiest of his life.

Colin moved to London and joined the National Youth Theatre, where he got a job in the wardrobe department at the National Theatre, and studied at the Drama Centre London.

After leaving the Drama Centre Colin's first play was as Tommy Judd in Another Country, by playwright Julian Mitchell. His film debut was in 1984 he played Tommy Judd in the film adaptation playing opposite Rupert Everett.

In just under 30 years, Colin has starred in over 70 films, television films, and mini series not forgetting the wonderful Pride and Prejudice or PaP as my irreverent Kevin would call it.  I have many of his films, and have enjoyed Another  Country, Tumbledown, Trauma, Shakespeare in Love, Mama Mia, Relative Values, Easy Virtue, The English Patient, Fever Pitch, A Single Man and The Kings Speech Genoa and others.  Yes my favourite is and always will be Pride and Prejudice but then it is also my most favourite book and Jane Austin my favourite Authoress enough said.

Front cover of the 1997 Radio Times

Happy Birthday Colin

A Blast From The Past

Peter and Gordon, a photo by Dunstabelle

Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, comprising Peter Asher and Gordon Waller, who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling transatlantic No.1 smash "A World Without Love". Started in 1964 split up then came back together in 2005, until the death of: Gordon in 2009 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_and_Gordon Photograph from photoplay August 1964.

Ollie Vee's

Ollie Vees is a vintage and Retro emporium in Leighton Buzzard.  It is a lovely little shop which I love going in. It's popularity I feel is because it doesn't just sell clothes like some retro shops in the areas, it sells anything and everything vintage, it is a mini emporium.  You can rummage through draws of buttons, lace, stockings, bags, belts, records, newspapers and magazines, etc you get the picture I am sure.  They have a juke box in the corner of the room playing all the hits of the day. They have recently put in a little counter and table and chairs, so while your browsing you can stop for a cup of tea and some cake.  Kev and I often go in and while he looks at the old records and Magazines, I enjoy looking at the dresses.  They do sell new ready made retro dresses, as well as some original items.  It is not just a shop, and they don't just have an interest in the past, It is a real labour of love and you know it from the minute you walk through the doors and get a warm welcome from the owners.  They also have a basement where they have started playing life music. There is always something different happening there, and I wish them all the best for the future.  If your ever in Leighton Buzzard, then pop in and say hi.  Make sure you take some money with you because you will not leave empty handed,  have fun browsing this delightful little shop. They are on Facebook and they have their own web address  http://www.ollievees.com/.

Quick Catch Up

Hi again haven't been around for a while been busy with life. I have taken lots of pics and picked up a few more interests during this time away, so will hopefully start sharing them with you.  I had my son's wedding in April, and met up with my brothers and sisters who I haven't seen for years.  We had a brilliant time, although I will not be putting up pictures of the wedding it was in Leek Staffordshire and I have some wonderful pictures of the surrounding areas, not forgetting leek itself. 

 

I have started researching my family tree I have actually been doing it for sometime now, but since last year we have started to travel to key places, and visit cemeteries and buildings if they are still there. I have started contact with a few distant cousins who I didn't know existed so it  has been great fun.  This photograph is the family of my Great Grandfather born in Ireland in 1854.  His parents John Hill and Johanna Brennan where married in Cork in February 1854, it is virtually impossible to go further back.  However they moved to Oxford, and had 5 more children there.  Robert married Jane Sophia griffin and this is their family portrait. They ran a book shop for the Jesuit priests in Woodstock Road Oxford, the shop was partially in front of the Catholic Church St Aloysius.

Standing: Francis, Kathleen, my Grandfather Ernest William,
Sitting: Mary Ellen My Great Grandfather Robert,
 My Great Grandmother Jane Sophia Griffin, Celia Jane and
Agnes Winifred dated early 20th century.

Flickr is going well and I am now also on Ipernity  another photo sharing site.  While trawling around graveyards I decided to put some up on Flickr and was introduced to an American based web site called find a grave, the numbed  of graves and graveyards there have listed on there is amazing so I have joined that as well and I am putting up gravestones. We have several churches with graveyards and a large cemetery.  

Most graveyards seem to be ignoring the older and more interesting graves and keeping the newer graves tidy, which is fair enough, I suppose, but it is sad to see them turned into a nature reserve, or just ignored.  There are large expanses of green in between where the headstones have gone and over the years the grass has grown even, some stones are worn and damaged, but it is still interesting to read them, as you have to remember when they where laid to rest they where somebodies loved ones, and the headstone would have cost them a lot of money, to buy at the time.  

I am still hard at work, feeling old and achy, and being told that my retirement age is 66, it is a bitter pill to swallow.  I would actually like to spend sometime retired, but giving the hard work and emotional stress that care work can be, I will be surprised if I am in any fit state to enjoy it.  Never mind eh, I still go to the gym a couple of times a week to swim and do some Zumba fitness, I don't do much more than that as I fit it in around work, but it has made a huge difference to me, so I will definitely be keeping it up, and with all the walking I do as well I don't do so bad. Well that's enough for now, will post some more soon.

Me and my family out for a post wedding ramble.

One For The Ladies

Bob Hope

1903-2003

                                                 Bob Hope Film Star Parade 1943, a photo by Dunstabelle on Flickr.

Bob Hope was born in Eltham in Kent, in 1903. he was a comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer, dancer, author, and athlete who appeared on Broadway, in vaudeville, movies, television, and on the radio. 

Over a career spanning 60 years (1934 to 1994), Hope appeared in over 70 films and shorts, including a series of "Road" movies co-starring Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. In addition to hosting the Academy Awards fourteen times, he appeared in many stage productions and television roles, and was the author of fourteen books. He participated in the sports of golf and boxing, and owned a small stake in his hometown baseball team, the Cleveland Indians. He was married to his wife, fellow performer Dolores Hope (née DeFina), for 69 years. he died in 2003 two month's after reaching his 100th birthday.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Hope

The Mini Skirt in Advertising

The Mini Skirt

Dannimac, a photo by Dunstabelle on Flickr. Via Flickr: 

She October 1969

Laird Portch Sportswear, a photo by Dunstabelle on Flickr. 

She October 1969

Mabel Lucie Atwell Postcards

Mabel Lucie Atwell was born in Mile End London, on the 4th June 1879. She went to a private school, and went to Coopers Company School and to the Regent Street School. She studied art at Heatherley's and St Martin's school of Art, but left as she preferred working from her imagination instead of still-life and classical subjects. After she sold work to the Tatler and Bystander, she was taken on by the agents Francis and Mills, and did magazine illustrations. Around 1900 she began receiving commissions for book illustrations.

In 1908, she married painter and illustrator Harold Cecil Earnshaw, with whom she had a daughter Marjorie and two sons. She illustrated children's classic such as Mother Goose (1919), Alice in Wonderland (1911), Hans Anderson Fairy Tales (1914), The Water Babies (1915) and Peter Pan and Wendy. She continued to illustrate magazines, she did advertising, and greeting cards.

In the early days her work was along the same style as other artists ant the time, her friend Hilda Cowham and Jessie Wilcox Smith and others. From 1914 onwards, however, she developed her trademark style of rotund cuddly infants, which became ubiquitous across a wide rang of markets: cards, calenders, nursery equipment and pictures, crockery and dolls.

In 1921 J.M.Barrie personally requested her to illustrate the gift-book edition of Peter Pan. The Lucie Atwell Annual was published from 1922 to 1974, its continuance ten years after her death being possible by extensive re-use of images, a practice established in the 190's picture books of her work.

In 1926 Shelley Potteries commissioned Mabel Lucie Attwell to produce designs for children’s china ware, following the successful sales of china decorated with designs by Hilda Cowham. Atwell’s first six designs portrayed scenes involving children, animals and small green elves in green suits - these were called ‘Boo Boos’ and used on cups, mugs, bowls etc.

She died at her home in Fowey, Cornwall, in 1964, and her business was taken over by Marjorie. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_Lucie_Attwell

                                                 Mabel Lucie Atwell Postcards, a photo by Dunstabelle on Flickr.

Margaret Tempest

His First Suit 


His First Suit, a photo by Dunstabelle on Flickr.

signed by artist Margaret Tempest

One for the ladies.

As you may be aware especially those that follow Kevin and I on Flickr, that Kevin's blog and some of his flickr tend to be vintage advertising and ephemera.  So over the last few month's some of the make up, toys, clothes, plus the hunks, have come my way so I am hoping to do some blogs around these.  So I thought I would start with 'One for the Ladies'

Micheal Craig, was born Micheal Francis Gregson on the 27th February 1928 in Maharashtra India, to Scottish parents.  At the age of 3 his family came back to England, before going to Canada at the age of ten, where he acquired his North American Accent.  Micheal joined the British Merchant Navy at 16. 

In the late 1940's Micheal started working in the theatre as a stage hand but soon started obtaining small roles. It took a few years before he had a major role. When Peter Hall of the Oxford Playhouse cast him in Man about the House in 1954.  When he signed up with Rank he changed his name to Gregson.  He made twenty films with them, but in 1961 changed to Columbia Pictures but only made two films.

Micheal has appeared on stage many times and some of his notable films are the 1960 The Angry Silence, which he co-wrote, a 1961 adaptation of Jules Verne's Mysterious Island where he played the lead role, and 1966's Modesty Blaise. By the mid 70's Micheal lived and worked in Australia, and he played both comedic and dramatic roles. As a screen writer he has written for and created several British TV series. He has always worked and is familiar in both London and New York Theatre.

A face we all know  and love, but I bet, not many people could tell you what films he had been in.  I reckon he would be pointless, in Pointless Hee Hee. 

      

The Smallest Giant 'an actors life'

A town called hell

     Drop dead gorgeous when he was younger and is still a good looking man in his mature years. 

Micheal Craig                             

                  

Here Comes The Snow

I have my lap top back and I am back in business, thank goodness!  Just in time for the snow as well.  As I was fortunate to be off work this weekend, I was able to get out and about to take some pics.  So Kev Nic and I went up Dunstable Downs.  It is always fun up there when it snows as all the children will be out with their sledges.  As you can see by my pics all ages love the snow and enjoy being out and playing in it.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone.  A bit late but my beloved laptop has had to go into repair.  Unfortunately it is not the only one, so there is a back log and a wait, could be 4-6 weeks. Aaggghhhh!!!! Never mind eh, so I am using kev's computer, and as he uses it for work, I can have it only for a short time.

Back in September I was quite poorly, after visiting my favourite coffee shop, and it was decided that I could be lactose intolerance, and should give it a few weeks to see if it helps.  So I did, and it did, I felt so much better for it, so a new regime began.  I lost a few pounds almost straight away, although it wasn't the intention, but black coffee is a lot lighter than a Latte or a Hot Chocolate with Cream and Chocolate sprinkles. Much to my surprise I haven't even missed it.  I have always been able to drink black coffee if I have needed to, if I have milk then I like sugar, and it has to be Hot Hot Hot!!! as you know from my moans.  So, if hot or sugar is not available then I have it black.  So it has been no hardship, to revert to black coffee. 

I always as a child loved to swim, and when my children where at school, being a stay at home mum, I used to swim.  The leisure centre in Dunstable, like every where else, have to do classes to keep open, so it is difficult when you work shifts  to fit it in on a regular basis.  When you do however it is relatively busy and there are children using you to hide, from their mates, which makes  lane swimming for health difficult. So I bit the bullet and joined DW Gym as they have a swimming pool.  Everyone is so friendly, and I soon got talking to people, and gradually over the last few month's I have gone to several fitness classes, along with my swim which I can do at any time seven day's a week, so I can go after work, and on my day's off. Hurrah!!

So this morning I am off to do some Zumba Gold, and Aqua Pilates, and tomorrow is Pilates which is my favourite so far, but the classes fill up very quickly.  I have also been to a spin class but that books out very quickly to and I have only been for a few, hard work but you feel good afterwards. 

I don't make New years Resolutions, on the whole because it is the wrong time of year for me to making changes, I am better making them in April or May, so that I am in a better frame of mind for it, and as you can see from above if a change is needed then no problem, if there is no need then I have no will power what so ever. Strange isn't it?