http://media.libsyn.com/media/parkylondon/TWIL_Xmas_-_Xmas_Shout_Out.mp3

And a special video link to my favourite Christmas song. Evar!!!!!

Here's a quick one for you. Send me an @parkylondon message on Twitter and give me a 140 letter or less reason why you should have it. The best Tweet (IMHO) will get a copy of the above DVD which has two films on it. "The London Nobody Knows" is particularly interesting as it shows London in the early sixties. It's a Region 2 (Europe) DVD but that shouldn't stop anyone with skillz from watching it! I'll let the competition run for 3 days from today so get cracking.

I was going to set up a competition in the show but have something else in mind - so here's a freebie.

Here's a review of the disk from Amazon. I couldn't say it better:

"This DVD consists of two films, 'The London Nobody Knows' and 'Les Bicyclettes De Belsize'. There are similarities in both films: both are short, the first 45 minutes, the second 30. Both were filmed in London, in colour, in the 1960's. And both are collector's items.

'The London Nobody Knows' is, as the title suggests, a look at some lesser known sights of London and is narrated by James Mason. We begin in an old music hall in Camden which is almost literally falling down. There is a sense of eery seediness here; one of the singers who performed here was the wife of the notorious Dr. Crippen. It was clearly a beautiful hall in its heyday, but was caught on film just before the very final curtain fell. We move through some street markets, and to an extraordinary sight in Holborn. Here we see a gas-lit gent's toilet, with, above the urinals, a fish tank- complete with living fish! Apparently some goldfish suffered the indignity of being moved into this tank (which really did house fish once) for the cameras, and were then safely taken back to a better place afterwards. Another old gents' toilet is shown down an alleyway, and it's in the style of the classic French pissoir- completely unexpected in London. We see an ornate gas lamp near the Savoy theatre which acts as a ventilation system for the sewer underneath. Is that still there I wonder? But this film is about people more than things, and we see a number of, mostly, men who are down on their luck. The Salvation Army Hostel provides a home for many, and Mason is seen chatting with a number of the men, all of whom seem quietly resigned to their lot. But this is not a film where the presenter intercedes too often; most of the time the director allows the camera itself to tell the tale. We can let our own minds decide what life journeys these men have experienced. There are true London characters too, the sort who seem to have disappeared off the streets altogether now. A couple of true street entertainers are shown, flamboyantly dressed. And one of the delights is seeing little incidentals; these entertainers take a break in the pub, and a pump on the bar is clearly visible- the dreaded Watney's Red Barrel! The Salvation Army band is seen marching the car-free streets, children in tow; remember that sight? And there is a really moving moment where a man, poor but obviously proud, sings a sad lament (in Hebrew or Yiddish, I think) whilst the demolition ball is seen crashing into walls, bringing them crumbling down. This is not a morose film though, far from it. A sense of community was just about hanging on in there in the sixties, and we see crowds of people everywhere. In the streets, in a huge family shop where all the staff wear white coats, in markets. And children actually lark around in the streets. This is all wonderful stuff, and is professionally filmed and edited.

The second film, 'Les Bicyclettes De Belsize', is a real oddity. It is more in the French style than the British, from the very opening which features a long continuous pan across the roofs of Hampstead Village. A very French-sounding song plays in the background. A man in underpants is seen escaping through an open window. Another man in underpants is seen, through a window, shaving. Then we see another chap, not in underpants, cycling across the roofs. As you do. This ultimately leads to him chasing a blonde beauty. Will there be a happy ending? Watch it and see. This film was photographed by Wolfgang Suschitsky, the father of the distinguished cinematographer Peter Suschitsky, incidentally, so again we are seeing a high quality production. It may not be your cup of tea, but you must see it.

Two outstanding and original films then. The picture and sound quality is excellent in both. There are no extras. You don't need them. I had just read that day's listings in Radio Times and seen what dross was on T.V, watched this DVD, then watched it all over again.

This is a collector's item; buy it while you can. "

I am sending replies - I sent a quick one today. Can you check your spam bin and see if my emails are in there? Could you let me know via email (so I know it's okay)

And yes, if it's possible I'd be happy to do that!

Thanks

Paul

Thanks for visiting me again - it's always good to see you here! I've got another show for you today. It's the long-awaited HMS Belfast show. I've been going on about it for a while so here it is. Discover some history, some visiting information and a "special guest" take on the ship.

Remember you can contact me on Twitter and Facebook as well as here or by mail. I am "parkylondon" on Twitter and you can search for This Week In London on Facebook.

You can listen by pressing the player button at the top or by pressing play or by pressing this here. See? It's easy!

Finally, if you like you can subscribe by email. Just pop your email addy in the box above and we'll make sure you never miss an update. If you're "au fait" with RSS you can use that too!

If you haven't already done it can I ask you to complete the survey? Just click the multi-colored box above!

Music in this show is from Jamie Cullum, Adrienne Pierce and Ehren Stark - links below!

The piece at the end is from Diamond Geezer - you can check his site out here but the piece he wrote about HMS Belfast is here

Ehren Starks can be found here and on Magnatunes here

Jamie Cullum
"I Want To Be A Popstar" (mp3)
from "Pointless Nostalgic"
(Candid Productions)
Amazingly it's exactly a year since I played this track last. To the day... Weird.

And finally, Adrienne Pierce can be found here

There you have it. Another show is in the can.. Have fun and keep in touch.

Before I get into the show notes proper I completely forgot to mention the survey up there on the top left of the web site. If you have already completed it thank you - I really appreciate the feedback. What I am trying to do is understand how I can improve the show, what I can do to make it better for you my loyal listeners! I have no idea who says what (it's totally anonymous) but it does tell me what you think is good and bad. SO thanks if you can find the time to fill it in.

Right.

This show is about the rivers of London. Most people know that the Thames flows through London. But what about The Lea? Or The Quaggy? Or the Ravensbourne? Listen and join in!

You can listen to the show from the player below or by clicking here

All the music in this show is from Ingrid Michaelson. You can get her album from Amazon here or from her website here

This is interesting from an historical perspective but quite horrifying to these 21st Century eyes and ears. The film was designed to "educate" newly arrived foreigners in London in the intricacies of bus-riding. The films unravels the mysteries with helpful advice like, "Be sure to board a bus headed to your destination," and explaining that drivers aren't allowed to run over school-children.

1950 was a long time ago...

A lot of people get confused by the number of ways we here in Her Majesty's lands refer to ourselves. You could be talking to someone who is from any of the following:

England
Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Great Britain
Britain
United Kingdom

So I thought I'd try to clarify things a bit for you.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is formed of two bits - Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain itself, is England, Scotland and Wales.

We English were an aggressive bunch back in the day (some would say we still are but thats a different story) and we essentially invaded and subjugated Wales and Scotland. Wales is now a "Principality" - as in the Prince of Wales and Scotland is a country in its own right. The Scots would argue that they merged with us and not us with them - but that's them rewriting history IMHO. We lost the King (James I and James VI) but we won the war. As for Ireland - where do you start? England treated the Irish like dirt for several hundred years. In the end they fought for and won their independence in 1921 when The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed which created the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland or Ulster.

So to summarise:

Great Britain is comprised of England, Scotland and Wales plus a number of smaller islands such as the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, the Scilly Isles, the Hebrides, and the island groups of Orkney and Shetland. It doesn't include the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands who form a Federacy with the UK as "The Crown Dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man".

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island is Great Britain plus Northern Ireland plus the 14 overseas territories we still own[1].

So there you have it. We're a bunch of small islands with a lot of history, a few chips on the shoulder, and the ability to be the best and worst of things.

I love my country. British by birth, English by the Grace of God.

And in the words of Bill Shakespeare:

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'"

[1] (British Antarctic Territory / South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
/ British Indian Ocean Territory / Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia / Pitcairn Islands / Falkland Islands / Saint Helena / Anguilla / British Virgin Islands / Cayman Islands / Montserrat / Gibraltar / Bermuda
/ Turks and Caicos Islands)