Year in Numbers

My 2015

* Some numbers are approximations

 

2015 Awards

From the books I have read, films I have seen and songs I have heard for the first time this year, here are my number 1s!

Book of the year:
I have read twelve books for the first time this year, plus I finally finished Les Miserables, hooray! There has been something of a dour theme too, with other books about war and death, and my choice of the best book I have read is in some ways no less positive. The novel is a discussion of people, their choices and misunderstandings, and particularly what happens when they get it wrong, but the detail and care with which the story is written sets it far above any other book I have read this year. It is East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

 

 

 

 

Film of the year:

I have only been to the cinema three times this year, despite there being several films I would have liked to see, however I have discovered many other films that I have enjoyed (if that is the right word), including Twelve Years a Slave and Tracks. However, my top film this year is a small budget movie, released in 2013, and featuring a superb performance by Brie Larson (who is currently being tipped for an Oscar nomination for her new movie Room, which will be released in the new year). In this movie Brie's character, Grace, works with a tough group of young people, and brings out inspiring, amusing and heart warming moments. It is called Short Term 12.

 

 



Song of the year:

This year I have gained a greater interest in songs (pop and not) than ever before, I think, including new tunes and old. My top track comes from yet another Swedish artist and was released in August 2014. I find the song inspiring and particularly the lyrics: "Every day people do everyday things but I can't be one of them... we can do anything". I think I connected with it given my perhaps unusual job with PGL and I also liked the idea of being, as the song says, a hero, if in an unconventional, small but personal way. This is Heroes (We could be) Alesso -feat. Tove Lo

 

 

 

 

Story of Grace

She looked at me, but I could not hold her gaze. “It’s alright,” she said, “you don’t have to be afraid.”

   “Am I afraid?” I replied. She just smiled.

   She reached out a hand, I hesitated, then took it and she helped me up. She was small, I suppose, but somehow I didn’t seem to be any taller.
   “What’s your name?” I asked.
   “I’m called Grace,” she answered.

At school no-one liked her. They made fun of her. Whispered comments came her way, or sniggered suggestions. She sat quietly and smiled, her small, quiet smile. No-one knew why.

   When she was eleven she became ill, of what, the doctors could not say at first. At school they said she faked it, that she was scared of them. She smiled.
   One day she arrived in a wheel chair. Some just laughed, others tried to push her the wrong way. In PE she took shots at the netball hoop, at one point scoring five in a row. Everyone pretended not to notice.

She looked at me, her eyes shining brightly.

   “Why are you so kind?” I said aloud, by mistake.
   “It brings me life.”
   “Don’t you mean joy?”
   “That too.”
   “But why are you so nice to all the others, at school I mean?”
   “I’m called Grace,” she reminded me.


Story of Grace was inspired by the picture above, sketched by Naomi Saunders. There might be more to tell.

For we are Living

“Does anybody know what we are living for?” Says Queen. “Does anybody know what we are looking for… Another hero, another mindless crime. Inside my heart is breaking, my make-up may be flaking, but my smile still stays on.”  [From The Show Must Go On]

It has struck me recently that we have no idea what other people are thinking or feeling, what is really going on behind their smile. I believe this may be particularly true of people in the UK, though I imagine it is applicable for many other places too, and it is probably due to two things: we are bad at sharing our thoughts and our feelings, and possibly even worse at noticing, or caring, about those of others, at least until it is too late. Instead we seek an outlet for our thoughts, desires and emotions in often unhelpful places, which can lead to disastrous consequences.

Recently I saw a performance of We Will Rock You, the musical based on songs by Queen, updated slightly since its first release, and with a youthful twist (it was a school production). The musical is written as a comedy, and yet I couldn’t help being provoked by the themes of media frenzy and fitting in with the crowd, of immersing yourself in the internet and not looking at anyone beside you. These themes have been discussed in many mediums, and often in more serious ways than this play, but still this had an effect on me, reminding me what we all do too much, removing ourselves from the real world for the virtual.

Sometimes we realise that people do still live and breathe but mostly only when they stop living.

Having been reminded recently by news stories of how short life can be, the poignancy of the song No One But You, also known as Only The Good Die Young, was clearly felt by everyone in the theatre. (It may not technically be true, but who can say who is good and who is bad? That is a discussion best left for another time). Equally the song Who Wants To Live Forever struck me. We try to extend our lives, but why? Why do we want to live forever? Is it because we are afraid of what comes next, or that nothing comes next?

Under Pressure, a Queen classic, does remind me that there are things worth living for. The people on the street, families split in two, lifting the pressure that is on all of us. Pressure to perform, to conform, to survive, to do things because we should rather than because we need to, or because they’re good things to do. There is love, that ‘old-fashioned word’ which dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night (everyone), to stop being so consumed with your life that you notice someone else, that you listen to someone else and realise that they’re missing something and perhaps lead them to safety.

That may take courage, but as Ernest Hemingway said, "Courage is grace under pressure." It is a test of our ability to put others first, a good pressure to be under.

So, while the show must go on (and yes it must; we must not stop living and bringing life to others) it should go on for a good reason. It should go on because we want it to go on in others, because we don’t want them to stop going on. It must go on because there are great things to do and to believe in. We are all looking for another hero, a personal hero. May we find them, or they us, before it is too late.

 

 

 

How to avoid punishment for driving offenses (according to my Great Grandfather)

On the 7th of December 1981 my Great-Grandfather, then aged 81, appeared in court to answer for some misdemeanour while driving. He was due to be fined, and possibly lose his driving license, but he had a plan. The court was in Leicester, while he was living, some 50 miles away, in Milton Keynes, and my Great-Grandfather decided he would cycle to the court room as a sign of humility. He duly arrived, to much amazement at his feat, and some time later was dismissed without charge; his plan had worked (apparently).
     Outside a reporter, who had heard the story, decided to follow him as he began his return journey. At this point my Great-Grandfather became worried, because he had not cycled 50 miles at all. He had simply driven to Leicester with his bicycle, parked at a suitable distance from the court and then cycled the remainder of the journey. Now cycling away with a reporter on his tail he could not simply return to his car but had to cycle for many miles until the reporter left him, which eventually he did.
     Two days later my Great-Grandfather received a letter from a solicitor in Leicester, which I have in front of me and now quote; "I must say that it was not my eloquence which persuaded the court to be so reasonable about the fine, it was your achievement in cycling to and from Milton Keynes which spoke for itself, with an eloquence I could not match."

I AM SIGNIFICANT

Peter is 10. He lives with his Mum and Dad and three older brothers. When asked what is interesting about himself, he just shrugs his shoulders.

 

Daisy is 12. She went to a disco the other night where she sat at the side with her friend all evening. She was actually asked by a boy if she would go with him but she said no, even though she liked him.

 

Dan is 9. He has been through four foster homes in four years. He is short with a cute face and makes everyone laugh. Everything seems fine with Dan, except in the few moments he doesn’t smile.

 

Joseph is Dan’s older brother. While everyone is making a fuss of Dan, Joseph sits by himself and plays repetitive games on his phone.

 

Millie likes playing football and trains twice a week with a local team. She admires her team mates who are more naturally skilled than her but she berates herself when the opposition score.

 

Jess is 16. She received vocal training when she was younger because her Mum loved to her hear sing. Now she has a beautifully clear voice and recently she joined an a cappella group. The others in the group are amazed by her talent and tell her how good she is, but she’s heard it many times before and now it doesn’t sink in.

 

 

Every young person is unique. Some have lives that are perceived by the world to be difficult and some to be easy, but in my experience very few ever feel like they are important, or that they are making a difference.

 

Peter has a quick wit that often helps to diffuse tension at home, his siblings all secretly consider him as their favourite brother. Daisy is clever and often helps out her classmates at school when they don’t understand something, it is this attention, rather than her looks, that attracts the boys. Joseph feels the weight of responsibility for his brother, but Dan keeps him from worrying with his winning smile. Dan appreciates all the attention he gets from other people, but the only person he really loves is his brother, because Joseph is the one constant left in his life. Millie’s team mates are always challenged by her commitment and persistence, something the coach has spotted, so he ensures that she plays in every game. Jess’ Mum suffers from bouts of depression but she gets through the worst times when she listens to Jess singing. When she’s older Jess will get involved in music therapy and use her voice to help other children who struggle for one reason or another.

 

 

I may have invented these children and their lives, but they are not so very different from millions of real young people. When I talk to children I make it my intention to discover something interesting about them and show them that they are important.

 

It is my desire for every child to be able to say

 

I AM SIGNIFICANT

 

 

Autumn at Winmarleigh

Sadly a small monsoon has been sat over north Lancashire (and I think much of the UK) for the past week, so there hasn't been a chance for many autumnal snaps but here are some of my best pictures of Winmarleigh over the past month.