Thoughts after Easter and this and that
7 April 2010
I heard something on the radio this morning which made me laugh out loud. The programme was about space travel and 2 luminaries were talking about space stations and a third luminary who thought we would have space stations by 2011. One luminary commented that he thought this man had considered how easy it would be by then to take people out, but had not given a lot of thought on how we would get them back! I wondered if this person was thinking of all the people he wanted to take out to space and leave there.
I am sure we can all think of plenty, indeed so many that we would have a perfect first space station population - if they all survived the journey, would they survive each other!
I always think of interesting things to write and chat about, but often when I get to the writing, I’ve forgotten them. I often write these thoughts down on yellow post-its and my little office looks a mess with yellow bits of paper everywhere and since they also include things-to-do reminders, I cant find anything and should not have bothered. I know I can keep it all organised on the computer, but then forget to look at the computer reminders (my diary on the computer is a waste of time for me), so what to do?
I was thrilled to see that the Hadron Collider worked at last - a rather prosaic phrase for such a work of wonder. I think I told you that when I was running my family recruitment business for so long, I won us a contract to supply CERN (home and inventor) of the Hadron Collider, with multilingual administrative staff, which ran for ten years. So I was able to descend into the tunnel which ran for 8 miles underground under Geneva and see the Collider. I really didn’t understand a word as it was explained to me, but was amazed and overawed, as were all visitors. As for the lovely people at CERN, they were really more interested in me as actress, than as MD of one of their suppliers.
I saw “The Ghost” yesterday and really enjoyed it. I was glad to see that Ewan McGregor had a chance again at last to “strut his stuff” - he was excellent and completely believable. I dont like making negative comments about other actors, but I have always liked and admired Olivia Williams. However in this, I didn’t believe a word that she said - I began to wonder in the end whether it was her or Roman Polanski, who directed her. And she is a very attractive woman and there seemed to be a movement to make her appear as unattractive in the film as possible, with little or no make-up and dreary costumes. Physical appearance is important in film, as something just doesn’t look right, can be distracting. I found the same thing in “Wonderland”, with the appearance of Anne Hathaway as “The White Queen”. I found her makeup and costume completely off putting: I know it was in line with the look of the film, but as the Good Queen, it started her very good performance off with a handicap, as far as I was concerned. Surely her look could have been softened and made more appealing, it would have been a much better contrast to the wonderful look of Helena Bonham Carter.
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I am off to a special evening dedicated to the new “Prisoner” series next week, which should be fun. I cant wait to see it and learn whether they have got inside Patrick McGoohan’s mind, any better than we were able. I know I never did when doing the show. Sometimes you do have to just to go with the flow and play the part.
 To prove this point - I had good fun and some angst doing a voice over for a documentary for the upcoming “Prisoner” convention at Portmeirion. As it proved impossible to get to a proper recording session, I did it on my own. The recording was fine, once I had figured out that I could record on my digital HD video camera and not have to use an old fashioned tape machine that I had. The real challenge was getting the audio files off the camera and send them in via the internet and I had my “red flag” of bloody mindedness out, so I concentrated hard over on and off over the Easter Holiday, to learn how to to this. I nearly got there and my files were uploading nicely and I went off for an hour, only to return, to get to the end of the upload, with a message saying” there was an error, transferring this file”. So another hour wasted. Actually it really has to do with the Broadband I think, not the computer, we do need proper Broadband in this country, we are miles behind Europe with this protocol. The UK is usually so good with technical applications, soI don’t understand. Maybe it’s because only one company, namely BT owns all the phone wires and cables!
I am off to the US again in ten days, for a good reality check, baby sitting and generally running around after my grandchildren. Children and grandchildren are really good at bringing you back to earth, when your head is in the stars, in and around show biz. My son was very laid back when he met the Incredible Hulk, Green one, not Bill Bixby and Tom Selleck, when I was in Magnum.
Tom Selleck : Hey Tom we have the same name!”
My son Tom: So?
Fortunately Tom S is another lovely man (I have been lucky with my co-stars) with no evident ego, was slightly taken aback, but took the rebuff in good spirit. My son maintains he was just shy and I think he was, he was only 7 or 8.
Till next time!
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