ORIGINAL 
MESSAGE
.jpg "James Cowen gallery")
Then & NowDATE: 23 September 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 1956-63
In tribute to that great broadcaster Terry Wogan I am suggesting a new thread: "is it me?" To begin this theme, is it me or have others never been to a favourite caramel shop like me nor even any caramel shop? Perhaps I should enquire of Werther's for more details. Is it me or do others dislike a show being called Britain's Got Talent when there are competitors from oversees such as Hungary, who even go on to win the show? Is it me or do others get irritated by the question master of Eggheads asking "The Eggheads - Can anyone beat them?" when they quite often get beaten. Is it me or do others find themselves in sympathy with those Grumpy Old Men and Grumpy Old Women on TV?
Then & NowDATE: 24 October 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-59
Is it me, or is anyone else appalled by the vandalism wrought on our skies by aircraft with their con-trails? This was the view from my kitchen window as dawn was breaking over the ridge of Mynydd Carn-y-Cefn the other day.
2nd REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 24 October 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
Is it me or do others think that someone should have checked that there was nothing provocative to the Argentinian nation in regard to the Top Gear team visit to Argentina? Maybe there should have been a female presence about on the basis of Charles Dicken's character's observation that ladies/women are great observers to see that a Porsche car did not appear with the number plate H982FKL. As for the number plate BE11 END that should certainly have been left at home even if it was going to be put on one of Jeremy Clarkson's cars at a later date. It may have been an innocent coincidence as maintained by the team rather than a deliberate provocation, though of course many doubt this, but it should certainly have been avoided to avoid any damage that occurred.
DATE: 25 October 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: inmate 1957-64
Having witnessed the Argentine 'rent-a-mob' first hand on numerous occasions during our visits, believe me it takes little to provoke a demo in Buenos Aires. In fact I understand there is a website which provides 'demo of the day' details. Such demos are often State Sponsored, and encouraged by the current president, who by all accounts is mad as a hatter!!
4th REPLY
NAME: Nigel Wood.jpg "Nigel Wood")
DATE: 25 October 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1957-64
Is it me, or do others prefer railway stations, goods trains and aeroplanes to train stations, freight trains and airplanes? [not to mention flats to apartments, and aerials to antennas].
... or standard to regular, shop to store, etc, etc. But at least we still have taps, lifts and fridges - for the time being.
5th REPLY
NAME: Nick Dean
.JPG "Nick Dean gallery")
DATE: 27 October 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Not just you, Nigel - the only one on which we differ is 'freight train', which got embedded in my mind at a very early age because of the song. Does anyone else still say Post Office Tower? It wasn't that many years ago that I stopped saying Empire Pool (Blondie concert c1999, I think).
6th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 15 March 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
Is it me or do others find it incredible that the police gave letters to the three ex-schoolgirls, who have left apparently to join the Islamic State, to give to their parents rather than directly to the parents themselves (and why not talk to them as well)? It reminds me of the story in Just William (William's Happy Days) when William was given his usually really bad report to take home and shredded it with the envelope for his Aunt Augusta, whom he met in the local wood on his way home, claiming he needed to lay a trail as they were surely lost. "Was it a bad report?" his Dad asked. To this William replied truthfully that he was told to take it straight home and not to look at it. As she was a rich relative, whom William had pleased, he was given the benefit of the doubt, though with some misgivings.
Then & NowDATE: 15 March 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-59
Well, well - a fellow Richmal Crompton fan: the first I've come across in the 60-odd years since devouring every single William book avidly! I was certainly guilty of 'losing' one or two end-of-term reports myself whilst at QE. Oddly enough my parents didn't think of asking the school to send replacements through the post.
As regards the starting-point of your reply, Jas, I would imagine most people find the police action incomprehensible but, alas, the police don't always act with the intelligence one might expect of them. I remember when a young woman of my acquaintance reported a neighbour for suspected cocaine dealing. Having found, in the ensuing raid, no coke in his flat they actually revealed to the villain (who definitely was dealing in that and various other drugs, by the way) the identity of the person who had reported him. After they'd gone he tried to smash his way into her flat in a psychotic rage but fortunately the door held. She of course called the police again but they declined to come - they'd got her down as a time-waster.
Anyway, the thought of what those poor naïve schoolgirls may be going through at the moment and what state of mind they could be in if and when they return is enought to make anyone pretty angry with the police for incompetence and indeed with other agencies for not having any protocol in place for liaising immediately with the Turkish authorities.
8th REPLY
NAME: Nick Dean DATE: 18 March 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
My recollection is that, in general, we were handed our reports on the last day of term and had to put them in envelopes and address them ourselves. The exception was when Sam C0cks was our form master in 4-something and he gave them to us sealed. There were also termly 'house interviews' at which, in my case, Bernie Pinnock or Derek Fry provided an insight into one's overall performance, sometimes peppered with negative tittle tattle that emerged from common room discussions. For example, I was reminded at one interview that several weeks previously I had supposedly been behaving inappropriately with a length of magnesium ribbon at a bus stop. Then, in my final term, my less than regular attendance at lessons conducted by the senior classics master was drawn to my attention. (I did however run into him in the Black Horse from time to time - sometimes the easiest, and most congenial, place to find him.)
9th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 21 March 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
It is good that you too are a Just William by Richmal Crompton fan, Vic. You must truly be a kindred spirit in the words of Anne of Green Gables, the stories of which I also enjoy and that includes that wonderful TV adaption of them. Do you also enjoy these? I am also a fan of John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey stories and the TV adaptions with Leo McKern. Do you like these also? I do not have all the William books but have most of them. I was first given one by a housekeeper my Dad got for our house at 5 Oakwood Avenue in Borehamwood, though she did not stay very long after gossiping about our business to others.
In regard to Richmal Crompton I looked the lady up on Wikipedia. I found it very interesting. The lady's full name was Richmal Crompton Lamburn (15 November 1890-11 January 1969) and her photo is quite different from what I imagined her to look like. Is that not often the case? Her last 'William' book was published posthumously in 1970 (William the Lawless) and there were 41 William books, a lot of which I have. My daughter when she comes to stay often likes re-reading them. She is 42 years old now but I still hear her chuckling whilst reading one. I do not recall my other children reading them, certainly not now. I read some of the stories yesterday and laughed a lot. I also have one of the 'Jimmy' books and was surprised at the number of other books she also wrote, for an adult readership.
Then & NowDATE: 22 March 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-59
I long ago lost all my William books somewhere along the rocky road and certainly haven't read any since I was about 12. I did, however, enjoy the TV series in the 1970s, with Adrian Dannatt (whatever became of him?) as William and Bonnie Langford as Violet Elizabeth Bott. I believe there was a much more recent series but I didn't see any of it. I'm afraid Anne of Green Gables, whether in print or on the screen has eludud me entirely. As for Rumpole of the Bailey, I've only seen a few of the TV adaptations, which is strange, because not only did I enjoy them, but I'm also a fan of Leo McKern. By coincidence Angela suggested to me the other day that we should watch A Man for all Seasons again, which stars McKern as Thomas Cromwell. Of course, the idea was triggered by our having just watched the excellent Wolf Hall, the best TV production I've seen for many a year. But then, I was already a great fan of Mark Rylance. Must read the book!
Other productions I've enjoyed recently have been The Missing, Broadchurch (the first series more than the sequel), Hinterland (of which two versions were made with the same actors - one in Welsh and one in a mixture of Welsh and English), various other S4C productions in Welsh, and absolutely all the Scandi-noir. Doctor Who can sometimes be pretty good, too, especially now it has a deeper and darker Doctor in Peter Capaldi.
11th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 24 March 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
I found it interesting that there were 'house interviews', Nick,in your time and after I left. I still recall EHJ and TBE making their overall comments on reports and EHJ coming round the classrooms to comment on particularly good and bad results for a few boys. This is perhaps reported on the Main Board elsewhere. I do still have my primary and grammar school reports on a file. Occasionally my own children used to laugh about them. It was a bit like the TV programme where the mother read out the father's reports and after his indignation said "Well this is your son's report. It is a lot better." My grandaughter, Wendy, gets such good comments and marks on every subject that I sometimes wonder if it is all a forgery.
12th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 02 April 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
I am afraid, Vic, we are not kindred spirits in regard to the thriller type programmes you mention [reply 10]. I am not in favour of deep dark series. I avoid them like the plague. Perhaps others may weigh in with their views on such programmes. I was interested in watching Wolf Hall but they were on at a time when my wife also watches TV with me and I switched it over when she said "This is really boring." I did watch all the Tudors series, which ran for many episodes about Henry VIII, his wives, family, court etc. They were certainly not at all boring, though I believe I watched some at a later hour when my wife had gone to bed.
13th REPLY
NAME: Nigel WoodDATE: 04 April 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1957-64
I'd like to put in a word for the Paul Temple mysteries. Nothing on the radio (not even Hancock or Kenneth Horne) bring back pleasant memories of childhood so vividly for me. The 'mysteries' are set in a world that never quite existed, where the distinction between toff and working man, and between the place of a man and of a woman in society were crystal clear, and never challenged. They are, of course, utter tripe. Peter Coke takes the part of the ludicrously suave Temple, generally affable but also able to muster a slightly menacing vocal register helping to pin us to the cliff between episodes. In the repeat of Paul Temple and the Alex Affair, from 1968, just started on Radio 4 extra (catch up on iPlayer!), the Temples' slightly cheeky but utterly loyal cockneyish manservant, Charlie is replaced by a - foreigner! There's daring for you! But Marjory Westbury's Steve (Temple's wife) has a lovely fluty voice ...
14th REPLY
NAME: Nick Dean DATE: 07 April 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Does anyone else remember the TV adaptations of Paul Temple in the early '70s which starred Francis Matthews, with the rather chic Ros Drinkwater as Steve? There was a widespread assumption at the time that Ros Drinkwater and Carol Drinkwater, who was in All Creatures Great and Small, were sisters, but I read recently that this was not the case and that the latter's sister was Linda Regan, who played a rather gooey Yellowcoat called April in Hi-de-Hi.
15th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 10 April 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
I find these 13th and 14th replies from you both, Nigel and Nick, very interesting. We are kindred spirits in our loving adaptions of the Paul Temple mysteries. I hope I am not being inconsistent when I say I have liked both the TV and radio versions, whilst avoiding programmes such as The Missing, Broadchurch, Hinterland and the recent Dr Who series like the plague. I abhor all sci-fi productions and am not a Startrek follower (a 'trekkie' I think the term is). You mention the 1968 repeat on radio 4 extra, Nigel. On radio 4 on Good Friday there was a start of a repeat of the story Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair with the later actors to take the roles of Paul and Steve i.e. Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson. I recall these best and especially the remakes of PT and the Madison Mystery and PT and the Sullivan Mystery, the repeats of which I looked forward to in the many episodes in 2005/6.
In respect of the 2 series of Paul Temple that are on the radio at present there is a choice if any wish to listen. The more recent series (PT and the Gregory Affair) is on once a week on Fridays on Radio 4. The earlier series (PT and the Alex Affair) is on Radio 4 Extra every day at 3 different times in the day. Reference to a 'What's On' guide gives all the relevant times.
16th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 16 April 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
Is it me or do others find themselves amazed at the wrong answers to current affairs questions that you would think everyone knows? A case in point was on the penultimate Saturday Night Takeaway with Ant and Dec. The lady on the spot was asked "Was the death of Richard III 530 or 550 years ago?" The reply "550" lost the poor lady all the vast amount of prizes. Maybe her maths was very poor but with all the publicity surrounding the events at Leicester Cathedral and all about there I would have thought none would forget 1485 and the Battle of Bosworth Field. By the way did others marvel at the mixture of pantomime and so called solemn occasion? The people of Leicester and many visitors seemed to enjoy it all anyhow.
17th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 10 June 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
Is it me or do others think it strange that the BBC had a BBC's Music Day (Friday 5th June)? Katie Derham, no doubt along with others, says that we need to celebrate how great a quantity of music is being composed and played in this country. Why? Surely if it is so plentiful we don't need to proclaim it. Commemoration days would be more appropriate for causes that do not get such public prominence. I am not anti music altogether and have recently listened a lot to Classic FM whilst driving my camper van around, especially when reception for Radio 4 is poor, but one of my pet hates worthy I think of its going in Room 101 is those so imbued in music they think it should be played either prominently or as background all the time. A case in point is music played in church as background when people are speaking or publicly praying. I have protested, so far to no avail but I will press on still hoping for a change.
Then & NowDATE: 10 June 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-59
Well, I agree with you about compulsory music fascism, Jas. but it appears that I arrive at my opposition to it from a rather different direction - that of a music-lover who has Radio 3 on in the house a lot of the time and items from our rather extensive CD collection for much of the rest of the time. I've been railing for decades against enforced music in the workplace, shops, shopping malls, Tube staions (do they still inflict it on passengers waiting for trains?) and every kind of public event, from firework displays and air displays to sporting events. Oh, and don't get me started on intrusive and inappropriate musical accompaniment to just about everything on television! My objection is on several grounds: aesthetic (i.e it's mostly abominable drivel), invasion of privacy (obliteration of the music that's often going round in my head) and principle (the assumption that 'They' have a right to force their usually dire taste on me). I try to boycott shops with music, although that's often impossible. I bought shares in Wetherspoon's immediately upon flotation, despite strong advice in the newspapers not to do so, solely in appreciation of their invaluable provision of pubs with a total ban on music. In the event, the shares did brilliantly well, to the astonishment of the 'experts', who had insisted that the concept of music-free pubs was insane. To this day I will patronise only Wetherspoons pubs, except on rare occasions when left high and dry in a JDW-free area. I have been known to nobble radios in the workplace (by removing valves!), in the days when the menace came from individual radios rather than the more sinister public address systems. Later I even walked out of jobs over it. A long time ago, I thought that those of us who opposed compulsory music were beginning to get the upper hand, especially when Wetherspoons started up but on the whole I think things have got worse in recent years.
19th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 25 June 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
Is it me or do others think that the note left in the Treasury [by Liam Byrne in 2010] that there was no money left was a genuine joke made and not a relic of the Labour government that should not have been so shamelessly touted around at the election by David Cameron? My wife agrees with those who think that the fact that no money was set aside for a rainy day was too serious a matter to be joked about but I disagree. I thought it a perfectly valid note to leave behind in a light-hearted manner. Similarly is it me or do others think that Sir Tim Hunt's remarks about girls in science laboratories a valiant attempt to make jocular comments about love at work and the reaction of some ladies/ girls to criticism, though it was received in silence as many comedians have also experienced, especially at the Glasgow Empire? My wife this time is in agreement with the fact that she has been known to burst into tears at words of criticism. I try to avoid such situations.
20th REPLY
NAME: Nick Dean DATE: 27 June 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
In response to reply 19, I don't blame the Prime Minister for waving the Byrne note around: it was too good a political gift. Even so, I've little doubt it was intended as a joke, reminiscent of Reggie Maudling's alleged genial remark to James Callaghan, his successor as Chancellor in 1964, along the lines "Sorry to leave such a mess, old c0ck". The difference is that Maudling, for all his frailties, wasn't stupid enough to put it in writing. Worth recalling also that Byrne's note was addressed to the Liberal Democrat, David Laws, whose book about the formation of the coalition government (22 Days In May) claims that he [Laws] "was naive not to realise how much would be made of this letter". Yes, and the rest. Still, he got his comeuppance a few days later when the story about his expenses broke and he became one of the shortest serving Cabinet Ministers of all time..