At last I can post some Vincent!

Blogger has been an absolute nightmare tonight! It's taken 3 hours to get to the stage where I can do a fun post following the ones I'd planned. It's just some random Bobby from Season 4. What do I mean "just"? Can something ever be "just" Bobby? LIps and hands seem to be an accidental theme. Can never have too much of THEM!

Royal Arsenal and Woolwich Barracks

So here is a glimpse of some of the places the lovely Vincent would have seen when filming FMJ in Woolwich.



The Royal Arsenal was established about 400 years ago. Obviously these buildings are a couple of hundred years younger than that. Much of the area was bombed during WW2 because of the arsenal. Arsenal Football Club (famous worldwide among footie/soccer fans) was originally based in Woolwich. They are still known as The Gunners.

Britain has so much pride in her heritage these buildings are now converted into apartments.

The Royal Artillery were based at Woolwich Barracks. It is a truly stunning building, on a grand scale, and is also being sold off for development.

I'm pretty sure there are glimpses from hereabouts in the training scenes from FMJ.

Not a bad office to work in

So here I am, at work after nearly 3 months' rest, and to my surprise I have a most spectacular view from my 8th floor office windows. Actually, it's better than these photos, but I didn't have my camera with me today. There is a view directly over the River Thames. If this were an apartment, it would be worth a fortune with such views.

The Woolwich ferry.

This leaves from just up the road. It is a free ferry that takes cars across between South and North Woolwich. There is also a foot tunnel nearby, and one a few miles the road at Greenwich.

This is a probably a part of my view, but it's difficult to pin it down. The river is very wide by the time it gets to Woolwich.

The Thames Flood Barrier is to the east of Woolwich. This picture shows it raised against potential flooding. I don't know the official names for its parts, but the piers are a permanent fixture, the walls between roll up when the water is high. The Thames is a tidal river, and exceptionally high tides are a constant danger - and a more frequent one these days. It may not be enough for much longer.

From closer up you can see the boat-shaped piers, which look a bit like those of an old-style bridge. You can go on boat trips to the Barrier and there are also guided tours. (I never took one).

Of course, Woolwich is where they filmed Full Metal Jacket, creating what they needed at an old gasworks. There are also glimpses in the film of the Royal Artillery Barracks, which will be in my next post.

I have to WORK tomorrow!!!

Since the school holidays started at the end of July I have had about 2 day's work. It's true I'm beginning to fear for the loss of my savings, as my pension doesn't cover my expenses (VDO films, gadgets and gizmos, home repairs, fripperies and vet bills), so I'm actually glad to have a few weeks' full-time work to top up my funds. It isn't as if I actually have to go and teach any children tomorrow, I'm going to be working for a local education autority as a reintegration support officer, getting little darlings who've been excluded back into school. But it's every day for WEEKS, and no chance to skive off early. And I can actually pay for Mitzi's vet care now, but getting her back to have the stitches out is going to be a challenge. 

They Nearly Got Me!

Hallmark usually shows the missing Season 4 episodes on a Saturday at 9pm. This week they slipped in an extra - Shibboleth. Good news, you might think. But they put it in all unheralded at midnight on Sunday, and I for one nearly missed it. I wonder how many other LOCI fans in the UK were short-changed by this Hallmark mallarkey.




 

A Glorious Day in Edenbridge

As usual Mair and David laid on a great spread for the party, which was a goodbye-and-thanks to Pam, who has run the opera group they are members of (and I used to be in it, too) for many years. It also doubled as a fundraiser for the group. They've been sharing their beautiful house with us all since they moved in during the 1980s. They also open the gardens several times every summer for charity.

The house from the main lawn.

The house, oast, hedges and nursery garden.

The house from the far end of the main lawn.

A 2000-year-old Roman well-head is the focal point at the end of the lawn.

The house from the rose garden.

My friend Pat, opera-lover extraordinaire.

Pat goes to almost every performance the opera group gives, even though she lives many miles from where they perform and doesn't drive. She's a radiographer, and before the powers-that-be saw fit to move her department from the small specialist neuro unit where it used to be and install it in a large general hospital, she worked close to Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club. Her department used to x-ray and scan injuries to the likes of Pete Sampras.

Off To Edenbridge Tomorrow

A while back I did a post about my friends' house in Kent. It is extremely beautiful, with 5 acres of gardens, a swimming pool (you change for a swim in the oast house* on the right), greenhouses, an orchard, a rose garden and so on and on and on.

Tomorrow they are having a party ( presumably a garden party if the fantastic weather holds) so I am unlikely to find a moment to go online. I'll take lots of pictures and give you the low-down on Monday.

*For those who don't know, an oast house is a building where hops used to be dried prior to making beer with them. Kent was famous for growing hops, and apples, but you hardly ever see a commercial orchard there now.

I've Seen It!

Thanks to Eliza, I have now seen Season 6 Episode 1, Blind Spot. What an emotionally draining experience!

As everyone has said, the arm out of the lift (elevator) door is a great piece of cinematic effects, and I bet it was Vincent's idea. Yes, he's carrying some extra weight round the middle, but he's a big man, he should have some girth as well as height or the wind might carry him away! He is every bit as handsome as ever, and his acting - wow!





Thanks for the pictures to everyone who's posted and I copied them from. I'm hopeless at recalling unless they are watermarked. You are all wonderful for sharing your amazing talents with us.

Men in Black

Showing this Saturday on BBC. It's one of the few of Vincent's films they ever show on non-subscription channels, others being FMJ and The Thirteenth Floor. An occasional Mystic Pizza or TWWW may show up, but otherwise it's over to ebay and buy them for an inflated price.

We get so little chance to appreciate Edgar before he's sucked dry then filled with giant insect. (Sucking Vincent dry, now there's a thought...)

Thanks to Frogger for the chance to see the man without the insect.

So Brave

Little Mitzi is being so brave about her situation. Can you imagine having your eyelids stitched together and a big plastic collar fixed round your neck? I'd go mad within minutes. How could you sleep? How could you wash - especially if you wash by licking yourself all over? But she is being amazingly tolerant, and I just hope this is doing the trick.

 

What's this about the lift?

All you privileged US ladies have seen this and keep mentioning the scene with the lift. WHAT HAPPENED? I can only beg someone to put me out of my misery. Will someone please cap it quick and show-and-tell?

I love Bobby Goren - True!

 

S6 - Blind Spot

Thanks to thereelblog for getting out some caps from Season 6 so fast. You absolutely must have a look at Vincent at his best. Here's a taster.




 

I found a problem with Picasa

Either it will only let me post 4 of the many photos I selected from the Australian interview (2005) capped by Frogger - or Blogger will only accept 4 at a time.