Like Something From A War Film...

At this time of year, I always look forward to the change in seasons.

As much as I love summertime, I am not sad about saying goodbye to the longer warmer days.

Instead I like the cold dark nights, bringing out the winter wardrobe and hearing the crunch of the fallen autumn leaves underfoot. For this is the time of year that we know that Christmas is just around the corner; bringing with it, the anticipation for the annual Christmas advertising campaigns to start on TV, the classic Christmas songs to play on the radio, for Ant & Dec to bring back ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Outta Here’ and to see if we will have any snow as the temperatures drop.

But to get to that stage, you need to either embrace or tolerate the days leading up to and shortly after November 5^th - Fireworks Night.

As a kid, I loved Fireworks Night. Friends of the family would always have a huge party, where the entire neighbourhood would be invited. We would wave sparklers, roast marshmallows, and as we got older were allowed to drink and act more grown up! Some great memories were made.

Where I live, I have a great panoramic view of the local sky line. On Fireworks night and New Year’s Eve, I have the best seat in the house to watch the displays overhead. But the problem now in my current situation of being a parent with a baby under the age of two, it is no fun at all.

For my neighbourhood this weekend was like a re-enactment of The Blitz. It seemed like every property in the immediate vicinity were having Bonfire Night parties, with fireworks exploding from around 5:30 pm through til gone midnight.

The noise generated from these modern fireworks is reminiscent of scenes in documentaries from war-zones. The whistle effect before the huge explosion was like something from a World War Two film. I do not remember the fireworks from my childhood being anywhere near as ferocious as what I observed this weekend.

I am not one to complain about the actions of others. I believe everyone has the right to act the way that they want on their property (within reason) in accordance with the laws of the land. The problem I had was trying to keep my baby boy calm enough to settle down and go to sleep, with the explosions outside our windows. And I am sure I was not alone in feeling this frustration.

So much so, that at the time of writing, over 119,000 people have signed an official petition to ban the sale of fireworks to members of the public, and only approve organised displays. 

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/168663

I believe this petition has been set up and signed by so many, not only for the inconvenience it causes to young children, but also the traumatic effect it has on pets& animals, the fact that people let the fireworks off at unregulated times of the day or night, and how unorganised displays can lead to accidents including burns and fire, or induce PTSD in people who have suffered from conflicts.

Throughout the country, there are a huge number of organised displays, usually with a small entry fee, which people and families can attend, to enjoy that night of the year. Without argument,  this is a far safer way to enjoy the spectacle in the night sky.

Fireworks night aka Bonfire Night, aka Guy Fawkes Night has been going for hundreds of years, since 1605, where the King allowed the public to celebrate his survival with bonfires, after a plot to assassinate him and blow up the House of Lords. Over the centuries since, local children would collect and burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes (the man caught with the explosives under the House of Lords), and people would come together to let off the fireworks.

I wonder of all of the people who decided to host a firework party this passed weekend, how many remember the reason for that event, or whether it is just something fun to do at this time of the year, before the lead up to Christmas kicks in.

Happy Retirement Day Dad!

Today marks a monumental day for my family. 

After 35 plus years of hard graft, manual work, long hours and torturous commutes to work, my Dad is finally retiring. And I am completely delighted and immensely proud of him as he reaches the end of his working life.

For as long as I have known, my Dad has left for work before the day breaks, and has returned after nightfall. Most days have seen him stuck in traffic for hours on the horrific M25 motorway, travelling to film studios located on the other side of London. Often throughout our childhood, Dad would get a job which resulted in many weeks and months working abroad. Ireland, Turkey, Russia, Kenya, Tenerife to name just a few locations. Dad sacrificed spending time with us in order to bring home as much as he could, to provide a great life for my mum, my sister and I.

As a father myself, I understand the sacrifice. He could have had an easy life and worked the 9-5, but he wanted more for us. And I am eternally grateful. As I mentioned in a post from a few months back, A Letter To My Dad we have wanted him to slow down for some time.

When people have asked over the years, what my Dad does for work, my response was always that he worked in Films and Television. This would usually lead to the person I am talking to thinking that it was a very glamorous role. But Dad’s part in the industry certainly wasn’t the glitz and glamour others assume it to be. A carpenter by trade, my Dad has been a Construction Manager on many huge film and tv blockbusters over the years. Often, Dad and his team are the first people to arrive to start work and are the last to leave. They are there on the project long before the cameras start rolling, and then long after to strike the set. Often they are not credited for the work they have completed on the film, and often neglected from screening invitations. At times in his career he might have felt underappreciated, but as a family, we hugely appreciate what he has done.

That is not to say that he hasn’t enjoyed his career. He will no doubt look back and smile, as he had some really good times and worked with a good group of people. He had a core group who he would hire whenever he was chosen to lead a new project. His two brothers, his best friend, and a core group of reliable guys that he could trust to get the job done to a high standard. But for him, losing his best friend to cancer last year had a real knock on effect. The enjoyment he had from his best friends company was no longer with him at work. Dad’s tiredness had started to show, but now he can look forward to the rest of his life without having to work. But there is no doubt, and knowing the man he is, he will be working non stop in and around the home, and will be looking for a short term job back in the film game in the months to come.

I hope he can use this time to relax and enjoy spending time with mum. They should go on holiday to their dream locations, do all the things which were not possible during the past 35+ years, and enjoy each other.  Enjoy their retirement years and make memories. Today is the day you stop working and start living!

A small selection of some of the movies / TV programmes that my Dad has worked on over his long career.

Why I wanted to be Chris Chambers...

I must have been around 10years old when I first watched the movie that would be a backbone in my Top10 of all time.

Stand By Me from 1986, is defined as a ‘coming of age’ film, typical of the 80s, based on the short novel 'The Body' by Stephen King.

I immediately identified with Will Wheaton’s character ‘Gordie Lachance’, and yet aspired to be like River Phoenix’s character ‘Chris Chambers’. I certainly wanted to have an adventure similar to the one that that they encountered. 

My sister and I watched this film countless times as kids, so much so, that we can still recall quotes instantly to this day. 

 To quickly summarise, even though I don’t think there are many people around who haven’t seen it.. A grown up Gordie (Richard Dreyfuss), writes the story about the summer where he and his buddies went looking for the body of a missing boy. It was the last summer before they were interested in girls, the last summer before the group drifted apart as life started getting complicated.

The young, shy, sensitive Gordie finds comfort in his friends, especially Chris, as his parents are struggling to come to terms with the loss of Gordie’s older brother. Each of Gordie’s friends have their flaws, whether it be Chris, where is criminal family have a bad name, or Teddy (Corey Feldman) who has an abusive father, or Vern (Jerry O’Connell) who is overweight and goofy, making him the target for the groups abuse.

Although I hadn’t lost a big brother like Gordie, I had just encountered a bereavement in the family, and I guess I could relate with that sense of loss. Outwardly I may have seemed confident, but there was a definite sensitivity to my childhood. There was a hole in our family, which we didn’t really speak about. I wanted acceptance from my peers that I was normal like they were. All things which made me identify with Gordie.

Chris was from the other side of the tracks so to speak. From a family of criminals, he yearned to be better, but his surname dragged him back. He leads the group, he is passionate and brave, but opens up to show his sensitive side. He takes Gordie under his wing and acts as the older brother/ father figure missing from Gordie’s life. Gordie was creative and would clearly exceed his peers in life the movie, but he wanted acceptance from his best friend Chris. The relationship between the two is a driving factor in the movie.

Wheaton, once stated that the Director casted four young boys who were basically already the character they would be playing. Wheaton described himself as awkward and nerdy, that Phoenix was cool, smart and seemed like a father figure, that O’Connell was funny, and Feldman was an angry lost boy. This certainly must have helped the film’s authenticity, as these emotions and characteristics clearly come across on screen.

I had nothing in common with the background of Chris Chambers’ character. But I looked up to him. He was respected, he was courageous, and he was real. I loved the way he was on his feet to confront the knife wielding leader of the older gang ‘Ace’ – protecting and standing up for his friends, risking it all. I loved the way he urged Gordie to not ignore his talents. How he wouldn’t allow Teddy to risk his life playing chicken with the train, instead risking his own to save him from the tracks. I respected him for being a a leader, but always having time for his friends.

Ultimatley, I admired him for wanting to better himself.  

 One of the he final scenes in the film is Chris opening up to Gordie:

Chris:   I'm never gonna get out of this town am I, Gordie?
Gordie:   You can do anything you want, man.
Chris:   Yeah, sure. Give me some skin.
Gordie:   I'll see ya.
Chris:   Not if I see you first.

 

We then learn that he did get out of the town, and made a success of his life. But in typical Chris Chambers, he stood up for someone and was killed in the altercation. It is a humbling and heartbreaking moment, as Chris’s character fades from screen. You have belived in Chris for the whole movie. You had hoped he would make it out. His death in the plot felt like a death in real life to me when I was ten years old. To this day I feel real grief when I watch that scene.

 

The movie made River Phoenix a house hold name. I think the fact that Phoenix died not long after my sister and I had discovered this film in 1993 made things even more real, it was if River Phoenix was Chris Chambers in real life. He was a huge talent, and it would have been amazing to see the type of films he would have made in the years to come.

Stand By Me is the type of film I will watch again many times in my lifetime. The comical parts will make me laugh, the deeper aspects will make me reflect. I will watch it with my son when he is older, and I will be interested to see which character he resonates with. I hope it is a mix of Gordie and Chris, with a hint of Vern's good nature thrown in. Ultimately, I hope he finds friendship that will last lifetime, just like Gordie and Chris.