Amy Winehouse

Today the troubled singer's father-in-law suggested on Radio 5 Live that her fans should stop buying her tracks as an incentive towards getting her into rehab. I find this totally bizarre and unsupportive. She's never going to say 'yes' if she's pressurised into the decision. What do you all think?
I have to say I wasn't much of a fan but could appreciate her talent. And then her latest song 'Tears Dry On Their Own' began to get regular airings and I'm hooked. She is remarkable - but really does need to get her head together. I could see how troubled she was during an appearance on the terrific TV programme 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks'.

Ladies of Letters

I'm so pleased that a new series of the great comedy 'Ladies of Letters' is featuring on Radio 4 this week. This time the series is called 'Ladies of Letters say NO!' Starring those great treasures Prunella Scales and Patricia Routledge it can be heard at 10.45am and 7.45pm. If you hear just one episode you will become an addict - just as I am! This couple of 'friends' have been through so much together over the years - imprisonment, love affairs, the pain and delights of children, and always falling out and making up throufh correspondence - first by letters, then through the Internet and emails. Go listen!

Mandela Statue

The statue of Nelson Mandela will finally be unveiled on 29th August. There was a great deal of controvery about where this sculpture would be placed. Ken Livingstone (and me too I have to admit) wanted it in Trafalgar Square. The most appropriate place would have been outside South Africa House. Westminster Council disagreed - and they had the final veto. So, it will now be placed in Parliament Square - close to that of another South African leader, Jan Smuts. I suppose there is a logic to this siting and Nelson Mandela will be present at the unveiling.
By the way this is my 240th posting.

Vicky Malin

I'm posting this article from today's 'Guardian'. It is about the stepdaughter of a friend of mine. If you're in London on Saturday - go see the entertainment!!!
A good head for heights
When Vicky Malin decided she wanted to be an acrobat, nothing got in her way - not even her cerebral palsy. Julie Bindel meets her Monday August 27, 2007The Guardian
Vicky Malin's speciality is aerial acrobatics. She begins on a mat and, using a body harness suspended from the ceiling, she emerges cocoon-like into the air, portraying the emotions of being born and "flying" into life, the joys of discovering the world. Her ambition is to be a fully fledged trapeze artist, and she is determined to let nothing stop her - including the fact that she has cerebral palsy.
On Saturday, Malin, 23, will perform in Trafalgar Square as part of Liberty, London's disability rights festival, which gives a platform to artists and entertainers who are often vulnerable to discrimination and prejudice in the mainstream entertainment world. The emphasis is on a high standard of performance. "With my act, people might see things they have never seen before," says Malin. "I want to really test my skills."


Article continues
On stage with Albert & Friends Instant Circus (A&F), Malin will be working alongside people taking part in activities such as unicycling, tightrope walking, juggling, hula-hoop and diabolo (a juggling prop consisting of a spool that is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks, one held in each hand).
Malin's speciality is doing acrobatics with a rope, which supports her. "It's a wonderful feeling," she says. "My mum says to me, 'I always knew you would end up doing something like this,' because when she took me to see Peter Pan as a child, I told her I wanted to fly."
Born in West Sussex, Malin attended an inclusive school, and was encouraged from an early age to join the drama and musical productions. "I was really lucky. I had teachers who pushed me to explore my creativity. For them, my disability was not, nor should have been, an obstacle."
On leaving university, Malin became a learning support assistant in schools before going to Thailand to volunteer in an orphanage. It was there, while working with a nine-year-old girl who also had cerebral palsy, that she realised she was not fulfilling her potential. "I noticed that people were seriously underestimating her abilities, so I began to work with her more intensively, helping her become more mobile, and realised that I had been underestimating my potential, too." While in Thailand, Malin found out about a course in dance for disabled people, run by the CandoCo company, some of whose dancers are disabled. "It was then that I admitted to myself that I really wanted to do dance and performance, and thought, why not?"
Malin decided to pursue the performing arts as a career. She learned to play the guitar to strengthen her arms, and joined a gym. "It was very hard work; I had to achieve peak physical fitness to develop the right-hand side of my body, since my cerebral palsy only affects that side."
As well as performing, Malin is involved in drama, dance and music workshops with children and young adults, and is now planning to learn trapeze. Does she identify herself as a disabled artist? "Yes, but I am far more than that. First and foremost, I want to entertain people with my performance, whether they are disabled or able-bodied."
When she connected with Albert & Friends - a dance group that teaches performance art to young people, no matter what their circumstances or the limits of their physical abilities - Malin learned a whole new set of skills. "The companies I work with focus on what performers can do, rather than what they can't," she says, and the results can be surprising: last year, 55 members of Albert & Friends achieved a Guinness Book of World Records attempt for the most people on stilts in an egg-and-spoon race.
When we met, Malin had just returned from Edinburgh, where Albert & Friends was well received. What did she see at the festival? "I was tempted to go and see the Crippendales," she laughs, referring to the group of toned, young male strippers with various disabilities. Does she ever worry about disabled artists feeding into able-bodied people's prejudices? "Some might assume their act is a bit of a freak show, but I think it can be just good fun."
Any self-consciousness Malin may have had in the past as a result of attitudes to her disability has disappeared, and the Liberty festival is a landmark event for her - one she's very much looking forward to. "This is an unbelievable platform to show off my work," she says. "People will actually be stopping and watching me perform. That is exactly what I want from my work - to entertain."
What ambition does Malin have for the future? Would she like to be talent-spotted at the festival? "Oh yes," she says, without hesitation. "I would love to be up there on a tightrope, and learn juggling. I don't mean to scare my mum, but I can't wait"
· Liberty: London's Disability Rights Festival takes place in Trafalgar Square on Saturday from 1-6pm. No admission charge. Details: london.gov.uk

1600 Visitors

Welcome to the extra 100 visitors to my profile in the past ten days. I'll need to keep posting to keep your interest up!

Best British Views?

Now there is a programme on ITV1 tonight where celebrities pick their favourite views in Britain. I have two contenders. One is Canary Wharf - seen at sunset, preferably in the autumn or winter travelling in a westerly direction from Gallions Reach. The sun hangs behind the highest tower and the sky is a brilliant orange colour. All the skyscrapers are back lit by this enormous disc. It just makes my heart miss a beat. Just by way of contrast my other choice is Blythburgh Church seen from the A12 travelling towards Lowestoft. This is a wonderful, almost mystical view at any time of day - but especially early in the morning with mist drifting from the river, or again at twilight. This has the atmosphere that is medieval and so satisfying.

Tell me your favourite views.

The Breakdown of Society?

David Cameron has recently announced that society is on the point (if not entirely beyond the point) of dissolving in the United Kingdom. My question really is: How do these incredibly young children get hold of the guns that they are using with such impunity at the moment? Is it so easy for someone to text a mate who will rent them an adapted gun to take out an enemy or if they are in need of protection? Where do they get the money from as well? Now as to the manors or zones that these young children are frightened to leave - they can't get on a bus that goes into the 'wrong' area.

Parents need to be providing a much more secure and structured environment for their children - they need to make sure that they know where their children are, who they are with and what they are doing.

I live in London, and so far I've not seen any trouble or evidence of it - but I'm assured it is out there.

Are we really anti-American?

Now I was drifting through some other blogs and came across one from an American visiting London who was complaining how aggressively anti-American the Londoners they were meeting turned out to be. Perhaps the arrangement of flags shown above has something to do with it. I think during the Blair years many people in Britain were appalled by the devoted way our Prime Minister followed George W in every aspect of his policies - especially in the Middle East. The way British forces were sucked into conflict has coloured the views of many Brits about Americans. As usual though perhaps we are confusing the people with the government.

I do think though that American Imperialism is at the back of some of the prejudices about Americans. Alot of Britons think American imperialism extends to every aspect of their lives - films, books, music, commerce, finance, business and politics. But then the British cannot really decide where they are - an independent country or part of Europe or the 51st state on the United States!

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1500 Visitors

Thank you and welcome to the over 1500 people who have visited my profile since I started blogging.

Is it time I did my Top Ten books & films for 2007?

Foot & Mouth

It would seem that the latest outbreak of Foot & Mouth disease in Surrey stems from a nearby animal experimentation and research facility. I bet the farming community will get very worked up if that turns out to be the case. Five years ago things were very different. Maybe it is a feature of the new Prime Minister but the government seems so much more on the case - Gordon Brown & Hilary Benn returned from holidays, instant action about movements and isolation, and the farming community seem impressed. Just an aside - interesting that Gordon Brown was on holiday in Dorset - no trips to visit the Bee Gees or Cliff Richard for him! In 2002 some of the problems were down to farmers themselves moving animals around, continuing with markets and farm shows, and generally ignoring advice. Lets hope it doesn't come to huge pyres of burning animals this time.