This protest is form a few years ago now but I find it to be one of the most moving and it also illustrates, just how long the people of Bradford, have been caring and campaigning to have the Odeon, restored to form of it's former glory.
In recent days, there has been talk that the Odeon could become the John Peel centre for creative arts. This would be a great boost for our city, which has suffered at the hands of others, for far too long.
Over recent weeks, I have seen some rather amazing and annoying comments on other blogs, regarding the Odean. It would seem that some people think, that a centre for creative arts right next door to the Alhambra would create to much competition and one or the other would struggle.
Now here's my little rant. Haven't these people heard of the West End, the one in London that is. Or Broadway, where theatres are back to back! Let's have music in the city, theatre in the city, Street theatre in City Park, Street performers in City Park, let's have dance in the city. Let's bring people into the city and show them, what Bradford could and can be.
This is Roberts Park in Saltaire, near Bradford. I took this photo a few weeks ago when the weather was really good. It's a place I like to go to and get my head together, chill out and think about things, in a relaxed environment. I've got a little story about this park but that's further down the line.
This is Salts Mill on the same day. A place, to get a coffee, read a book and watch the world go by.
Three of the best, books I have read in a long time. The "Millennium Trilogy" written by Stieg Larsson, sadly no longer with us. I came to these books very late. The Lisbeth Salander character is so compelling. I read all three books back to back and was spell bound. There are some great scandi novels out there at the moment, written by such authors as Jo Nesbo, Liza Marklund and Sissel-Jo Gazan. If you like thrillers, with complex characters and great plots, then these are well worth looking at. They are certainly a cut above the rest.
As it says in my profile, I'm a keen fan of film and theatre musicals. This is a little story about a mixture of the two and one of my favourite films ever. "West Side Story"
When it was released in America, in sixty one I think, it seemed an eternity before it reached our shores. Some of my friends, were lucky enough to see it before I did down in London. I was a pain and used question them, in great detail about the film and what it was like. They told me, that one of the most striking things about the film, was the opening overture and how it was presented.
They explained to me that, as the house lights go down, you hear a faint whistle, followed by a little louder whistle, the curtains open to reveal only the middle section of the screen, a loud whistle and the overture begins. On screen there are what, seems to be small black, random, vertical lines, the background is a deep, vivid yellow. As the overture goes on the colours constantly change. Almost at the end of the overture and at the end of what I call the Mambo section, the curtains open fully, West Side Story comes up across the screen, the camera pans back and the vertical lines turn into the Manhattan skyline.
So, the Theatre Royal, Manningham Lane in Bradford is refurbished and is renamed the Royal. Lot of imagination there and is too show films in 70mm format. They opened with "My Fair Lady" After what seemed a very long time and many other films, yes! "West Side Story" was coming to the Royal and in 70mm too.
I couldn't wait. The day came, got to the theatre, bought my ticket and found what I thought was the best seat in he house, centre circle. The house lights go down, I wait for the first whistle. Nothing.The curtains open fully and we go straight into the film. They'd cut the bleeping overture!
Here is what I should have seen and heard written by the late great Leonard Bernstein.
My name is Steve, known in some circles as Wickermansteve. This has got nothing to do with the film "The Wickerman" which came out in 1973. My youngest son, gave me this name, as he thinks I'm too thin and must be made of wicker. Simple as that. My excuse is, that I'm just small boned and have never been able to put on weight, no matter what I eat.
So, let me explain to you, what the purpose of this blog is. To tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure as yet. I have many interest and concerns.
Just recently I have become, very interested in citizen journalism and the community around me. My city is Bradford yes, Bradford I have a particular fondness for Saltaire and Roberts Park. Last year, my eldest son and myself ran a comedy club in Saltaire Village. Unfortunately we had to stop as we were paying for the whole night out of our own pockets, didn't have any sponsors and the venue couldn't help out.
Here goes, this is what I'm aiming for. A few weeks ago, on You Tube, I saw a little Syrian boy been treated after being injured in the conflict there. I couldn't understand a word he was saying as there were no subtitles but what I did hear in his voice, was the pain and what's more, the bewilderment. "Why was this happening to him" He must have been around, four, or five years old and he hasn't been far from my mind since. You see, I'm the grandfather of two lovely young children.
What I would like to attempt, is to raise money and awareness about children who are caught up in these conflict by staging a large comedy and music event within my community. I know this sounds rather grandiose, but there I've said it.
I love my Family, love books real, books. Also love New York City.
This is where I spent a great deal of my time, in the sixties and seventies. I new it as the Bradford Playhouse. I appeared in a lot of productions here. It was formerly the Civic Theatre, then became the Bradford Playhouse, then became The Priestly Centre. It was run on a very professional basis. All the plays had a six weeks rehearsal time frame and were staged for a full, weeks run from Monday to Saturday. I miss this place very much and have done for many years. This is what it looks like now, a run down shell of it's former vibrant past. Going back here and taking these photos, I slowly came to a decision, I would try my hand at acting again. I don't care how old I am, how long I've been out of acting, or even if I make a fool of myself. So I've started going to acting classes again. I'm the oldie in the class but who cares I'm having a good time!
