Please excuse the cross-post, but IMHO this also belongs in this section. I have always enjoyed the film, Hope and Glory, for it very much captures the spirit of the WW2 British Homefront the way I remember it. In some ways the experiences of the young boy featured in the film are eerily similar to my own (although he is depicted as living in the London area and I lived in the Manchester area). He appears to be about the same age I was when the war started and his middle class background, the house he lived in and his attitudes & outlook on life were very similar to mine. Another coincidental similarity is his learning how to bowl cricket "googlies" (his father teaches him in the film) -- I taught myself by bowling at a clothesline post in our back garden. My great sports passion was (and still is) cricket. There is much made about googly bowling in the film -- of course I really enjoyed those scenes! There are some nice authentic touches of nostalgia in the film -- some highlights for me: The great introductory music - "In the mood"; the depiction of the impact of Sunday, 3 September, 1939 (war outbreak day) on a typical British family (I was returning home from Sunday school when I found out that war had been declared); putting the car up on blocks for the duration (my father did that with our Standard); installing an Anderson shelter in the back garden; evacuation of children scenes; taking shelter under the stairs during an air raid (I used to do that at my auntie Clara's house); harvesting shrapnel after an air raid; gas mask drill in the school air raid shelter; the boy drawing eye brow pencil seams down the back of the (tinted) legs of his sister to simulate silk/nylon stockings (I used to do that for one of my cousins); some great jitterbugging; the wartime Christmas party which was very similar to the ones we used to have at our house; the beautiful music throughout the film (a little Mozart and including a take-off of the legendary Myra Hess lunchtime piano recitals) and a nice touch in concluding the film with "Land of Hope and Glory". We didn't have martinet school teachers as depicted although some of mine were "Victorian severe"; Our school was not bombed; My own grandfather Pickering was a far better sport than the grandfather in the film (although he was quite a character); the main boy character does not seem to age as the war progresses in the film; the kids in the Saturday morning movie matinee (Mickey Mouse club?) scene were wilder than we were ever allowed to be -- but not a whole lot. Overall, though, a pretty faithful depiction of life on the British Homefront in WW2 -- and, IMHO, a very good film!
Originally posted by jamesicus@Jun 3 2005, 12:28 AM IMHO, a very good film! [post=34979]Quoted post[/post] James. I like this film too. Especially the bit where the kid's have the 303 round clamped in the vice, and he's got the nail and a brick. Oh... And the bit where one of them swears. When he says the word "F**K" and the others go... "Umm, you said the Special Word". I sat and listened to my Dads stories, telling of the youngsters in 1940's London being exactly like that. Kid's... Superb. Mark.
Originally posted by spidge@Jun 3 2005, 03:10 AM ..... Look forward to the first test at the Oval July 21st. Should be a good series. [post=34981]Quoted post[/post] I am indeed, Geoff. James
Originally posted by Pte1643@Jun 3 2005, 11:33 AM ..... Especially the bit where the kid's have the 303 round clamped in the vice, and he's got the nail and a brick ..... I have (almost) done that, Mark! Oh... And the bit where one of them swears. When he says the word "F**K" and the others go... "Umm, you said the Special Word". But in those days (at our ages) only among the boys -- never in public -- and not in front of girls. James
I've always enjoyed the movie. My Mum passed long before it was made, so I never got to ask her about it, but I'll bet she would have loved it. I liked the bit about the "German Jam."
For Spidge and others: I have always been a great admirer of Shane Warne -- IMO every bit as great a leg spin bowler as W. J. (Bill ) O'Reilly (maybe better(?)). As you can probably discern by now, many of my cricket heroes wore the "Baggy Green". James
Hi James, As you would know, Keith Miller was a Mosquito Pilot during the War. Asked a question about pressure he replied. "I'll tell you what pressure is. Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse. Playing cricket is not." Miller on the modern game. The invincibles are getting old - 4 of the last 6 in this photo. View attachment 823 Our women are doing alright too! View attachment 824 Regards Geoff
Hi, Geoff, I am afraid I am going off-topic, but I simply can't help myself! You wrote: The invincibles are getting old - 4 of the last 6 in this photo. Thanks for that photo -- could you identify them please? Best regards, James The Lancashire Cricket League always had very high standards of play and individual Teams retained the services of some of the greatest test players as their Professionals (one per team). I don't remember too much about the pre-WW2 Professionals except that the outstanding one was Leary Constantine -- the great West Indies all-rounder -- and that the Burnley professional in 1938-1939 was Manny Martindale the outstanding West Indies fast bowler. I also remember that Don Bradman almost signed on as the Professional with Rochdale -- now that would have been something! As I mentioned previously, I was an avid follower and supporter of Burnley CC in the immediate post WWII years during the glory days of (Burnley Professionals) Ellis Achong, Sid Barnes and Cecil Pepper. I earned some of my spending money working the scoreboard at (Burnley CC) Turf Moor and was therefor able to meet some of the great pros in the Pavilion. Aside from the Burnley Professionals, the ones I readily recall are the West Indians Manny Martindale (pre-war Burnley -- postwar Lowerhouse), Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell and Clyde Wolcott and the Australians Bill Alley and Ken Grieves. Accrington signed up the great Australian all-rounder, Keith Miller, but the deal didn't go through. Many other top flight Test Cricket Professionals (including one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time -- Ray Lindwall) joined the League after I left England -- and I eventually lost track of them. Some of my more vivid Lancashire League memories from that era (mostly at Turf Moor): * The sheer beauty of Sid Barnes batting -- especially his onside strokes. I got to know him pretty well for he was always friendly to me when I went to the Pavilion to get sandwiches and drinks for the scoreboard crew between innings (I volunteered for that job just so I could drop into the player's rooms). Sid Barnes was regarded by the British Press to be one of the greatest batsmen in the world at that time and it was a thrill for me to meet him. He was a mercurial and flamboyant character -- certainly one of the best dressed of all cricketers. He was the Burnley Professional for only one season (1947) but I will never forget his glorious batting. * The extreme, super-closeup, fielding of Sid Barnes -- he was renowned as being one of the greatest close-up fielders of all time -- but it made me nervous to watch him. * The run scoring ability of Everton Weekes -- he was the first batter in the League to score a double century (he did it at Turf Moor) beating the previous (pre-war) record of 198 by Learie Constantine. * The great all-round ability of Worrell. * The batting power of Cecil Pepper -- he hit some prodigious sixes at Turf Moor and was the first batter to hit the ball out of the ground and on to the roof of the Turf Moor Football Stand. * The baffling spin of Pepper's bowling. Old-timers who liked to sit by the sighting boards in order to watch the ball movement said his was the best they had ever seen. * The fast bowling of Manny Martindale -- he was indeed a superb fast bowler who could be devastating with the new ball. He lived just four doors down from my grandpa and grandma Pickering in Burnley and not far from our house. He had two sons, Fred and Colin, who used to be part of our group that for a while played informal cricket after school on the top of Healey Heights. Fred (who was one year younger than me) was a good fast bowler and Colin (one year younger than Fred) was a graceful batsman. I often wonder what happened to Fred and Colin -- I know Mr. Martindale returned to the West Indies where he died. __________________
Hi Jamesicus, From L to R Bill Brown (92) Flight Lieutenant in the RAAF in New Guinea, Bill Johnston, Neil Harvey and Sam Loxton Ron Hamence & Arthur Morris are the other two. Loxton, Harvey & Morris will be travelling to the UK so I understand. Regards Geoff
My mother said that "Hope and Glory" was very accurate, but the older sister was self-centered and annoying. I suspect my mother was describing herself.
Great film, I thought the Grandfather was very funny as he reminded me of my own, who was from a small town in southern England called Myrtle.
