Black Mirror

Review by Alex Wilkinson

It’s a cool morning in London the cabinet gathers. In the early hours of the morning the senior figures from the government have assembled to discuss an imminent threat to the country. Just a few hours prior a member of the royal family was kidnapped and the government held to ransom. This is however no normal act of terrorism for the kidnapper only asks one thing, for the Prime Minster to perform lewd acts live on television. Welcome to the strange surreal world of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror.

On the coattails of the science fiction greats, such as George Orwell and Aldous Huxley Charlie Brooker manages to create a series of shorts that tackle Sci-Fi horrors of a digital age. From deranged artists to a society that solely exists to serve reality shows the dystopian societies painted in Black Mirror are perhaps all the more disturbing due to their eerily realistic nature.

Black Mirror is a truly creative Sci-Fi series that introspectively looks at our society, and like any good science fiction writer he takes the concepts to their inevitable and grim endings. Each episode follows a different short story, each of which with their own unique setting and scenario.

The stories always start out setting the scene in a standard, none extraordinary manner where all is not quite as it seems. After just a few moments the audience is slowly introduced to the core plot mechanics and the episodes premise slowly draws into focus.

One of the strongest qualities of the show is the way it manages to tightly weave these science fiction ideas into a world very recognisable to us in the now. The setting is never absurd and feels grounded in every way making the concepts all the more unnerving. Even though Black Mirror held a strong story and invokes much thought, for some reason I was left perplexed as to how much I actually enjoyed the series.

It’s hard to place it but for some reason after watching through this short series of only three roughly hour long episodes I felt the stories had something missing. Black Mirror has glimpses of brilliance littered throughout and is deeply thought-provoking.

Charlie Brooker continues to enthral and entertain with Black Mirror it just does not quite make the leap to go toe-to-toe with the science fiction greats, at least not yet. But no one does ever make their first jump after all. As Black Mirror returns on Monday we wait to see if this new series can continue the compelling stories and cerement Brooker as a science fiction contemporary.

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Nothing More

Nothing More

At the centre of my chest

I can feel your heart beat from within my breast

Our love so entwined, and equally as divine

Forever, what is yours is mine

Nothing more than a hollow cavity within my chest

From your heart once beating, I now detest

A love once so wild and free

Nothing more than a distant memory

For all the long walks in the sand

For all the times we wondered hand in hand

When those red bells chimed

I knew we would be forever locked in time

Blood dripped out from within my chest

A heart once whole, now in arrest

A scarlet letter found upon your floor

I am nothing more

Than a blood stain at your door

By Alex Wilkinson

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Mrs Brown's Boys

 by Anne Ward

It's  the  best  laugh  on  T.V.,  full  of  adult  humour   and  innuendo,  written by Brendon O`Carroll  a  Dublin writer and actor,  who  also  plays the main part  of  Mammy  (Mrs Brown).

An interfering mother with a disjointed family  of  three  boys, one girl  and  a long  suffering granddad  who sits in arm chair.              A  series  of  half  hour sitcoms  shown on Monday night  on  BBC  one at  9 30pm. Performed  in  front  of  a live  audience .

                There  is a certain amount of bad language but some how the show wouldn’t be right without it.   There is a great deal of family warmth and some modern day issues are addressed,  like one son and his family considered going to Australia to find work, in the last  episode they decided to leaflet the area were they lived and the husband got more work than he had imagined so they stayed.

     Then  there is the favourite son who has  triplets, they had a christening and the party guest after was a hypnotist who used Mammy and her  friend as his subjects,  Mammy was a randy dog when the trigger word Triplets was said and  with the  word Baptism she became a  stripper, which was made even funnier  as the happened in front of the priest who was sat at the kitchen table having tea.

In another episode her daughter (played by O`Caroll’s wife), is going out with a policeman, Mammy discovers Brendon (a family friend, not the brightest button in the box)  has left an illegal mobile phone in the kitchen so she puts on silent and hides it in her Knickers, meanwhile in the pub Brendon is trying to find the phone so he keeps ringing it which causes it to vibrate in Mammy’s knickers and make her eyes water.

    For me this show is the best laugh on T.V. I  have seen in a long time, there are so many  repeats  on day after day it becomes boring and I hit the off button quite frequently.   Its a shame we won’t see Mrs Browns Boy’s again till Christmas, soon as I find out when its back that will be a date I will circle on my calendar.

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Last Tango in Halifax

 by Pamela Winning

       Just when we thought romantic comedy/drama had been done to death, along came ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ with a fresh and funny take on wrinkly romance.

       It’s written by the much acclaimed, BAFTA nominated playwright and TV writer, Sally Wainwright. She based this story on her widowed mother, Dorothy, who, after learning some computer skills from a grandson, found her childhood sweetheart, Alec, on Friends Reunited. Alec is also widowed. They meet, fall in love and get married. It’s not so straight forward for Sally’s characters, Celia and Alan.

       Anne Reid, who’s acting CV overflows with success; Coronation Street, Dinnerladies, Ladies of Letters and many more, plays fun-loving Celia, widowed from a controlling husband in a loveless marriage. Celia is enjoying her new-found freedom and she wants to do everything, and do it right now, before it’s too late.

“What’s the point in waiting at our age?” She explains to her concerned daughter after announcing her engagement within days of meeting Alan for the first time since they were teenagers.

Derek Jacobi, who’s acting career spans decades and many guises, slips out of Shakespearean serious stuff and makes the character of Alan his own with professional ease. His Yorkshire accent is perfect. Alan’s late wife was an old school-friend of Celia’s.

There’s lots of humour in the parent-child role reversal situations that run through every episode. Alan and Celia both have daughters and families who keep a watchful eye over them. Alan stays at his daughter’s farm a lot, helping out by doing nothing in particular. She worries about his heart condition and reminds him to take his medication. Celia’s daughter, a head teacher in an exclusive high school, gets annoyed when her mother keeps doing her own thing without telling her. Everyone was frantic with worry when Alan and Celia failed to come home all night. They had become locked in at a stately home they had gone to visit and spent the night by candlelight in a four-poster bed, with some ghostly activity going on.

 Sally Wainwright created characters I cared about and put them in some hilarious but believable situations. There are plenty of sub-plots involving Alan and Celia’s families. Alan’s daughter has a secret about how her husband really died. Celia’s daughter, who’s parted from her cheating husband, is having a same-sex relationship which isn’t easily accepted by her family.

 When great writing is brought to life with equally great acting, it becomes something extra and this is what I loved about Last Tango in Halifax.

      

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Waterloo Road

by Dorothy Gibbons

'Waterloo Road' is a British television school drama series screened on BBC1. It started on 9^th March 2006. Filmed in Rochdale in Manchester for series 1 – 7 it had a dramatic end to series 7 seeing one of my favourite characters Kyle Stack played by George Sampson (winner of Britain Got Talent ) sent to prison for a brutal attack!

Was that the end to this character? No. He returns to Waterloo Road which is now filmed in Greenock, Scotland. This school always offers help to everyone and, why I like it so much: they don’t give up on pupils but look for qualities in them to help them out of bad situations.

Looking forward to his return will this bad boy turn good? Only time will tell. I will be tuned in. Will you?

It is very true to life like many secondary schools in Britain, teachers overloaded with work and some pupils driving them to the brink.

It highlights many social issues in every episode and has me gripped to chair each Thursday evening. The programme covers issues including gangs, teen pregnancy, alcoholism, divorce, child abuse and suicide. Further, Waterloo Road is always offering help for anyone watching who can relate to issues portrayed.

Another reason I like the show is that it doesn’t show teachers as being perfect. Recently, one of my favourite story lines included Christine Mulgrew, played by Laurie Brett (Jane from EastEnders), teaching English at Waterloo Road. Looking like a woman in control of her life as a single mum with son Connor, she has a deep secret. She is an alcoholic who turns into a manipulative bully.

Her son tries to cover up for his mum in many ways. She gets out of control with her drinking not so much a secret now as teachers and pupils see it for themselves. I wonder what the future holds for Christine at Waterloo Road? Only time will tell.

Benji Wilson, writing for the Telegraph on 23^rd February 2012 said: “For the older viewer, however, there is a pleasure to be had in Waterloo Road that is something like a visit to an Oxfam Shop – you never know what bizarre gems you might find there.”

This made me chuckle but it's true. I love to watch it weekly. I can recommend you take the time to check it out or visit the two good websites http://www.waterlooroad.co.uk/ and a fan site http://www.waterlooroadtv.com/. These sites reveal so much information on the episodes, cast and story lines coming up. Who knows, if you visit regularly maybe you will become gripped on the series like me?

The cast are getting involved in Comic Relief this year 'Let’s Dance 2013'. They are tuned into helping and encouraging others to get involved in projects to help the community showing love, care and respect to all no matter colour or creed or social status. Because they show equality to all is why Waterloo Road is one of my favourite programmes: I believe in equality for all too.

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Casualty

by Ailsa Osborne

Casualty is a medical drama based on fact.  Or is it all fiction.? That's for the viewer to decide.
It appears to be factually correct due in part to Medical Advisers who check the synopsis of each incident, and to the close research done by its writers.

Casualty started in September 1986 with an episode entitled ‘Gas’
The story is based on the everyday lives of the people who frequent the Accident and Emergency department of the fictional Holby City hospital, both staff and patients. It was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin and has run for 27 series.It is very different to earlier medical programmes such as Dr Kildare and Emergency Ward 10 in that the action isn’t always kept to the hospital.

The storylines focus as much on the lives of the staff as the patients. There are some very interesting characters whose backgrounds have slowly filtered into the programme giving it a sense of continuity and stability. Although the incidents and injuries vary each week, each episode leaves the viewer wanting to know what happens next. The incidents that the staff  face amongst themselves include abortion, domestic violence, alcoholism and excessive drug use resulting in the near death of a character. These stories were all tastefully and respectfully handled with the show admirably offering information onscreen after the show ended on accessing help for any viewers who identify with the problems shown.

 There have been the expected changes in staff during the last 28 years since Casualty first opened its door but Charlie Fairhead, played by Derek Thompson, has been in over 580 episodes . We have watched him rise through the ranks and face the death of his ‘wife’ and the distressing agonies of seeing his son go off to California to live with his stepfather. This is a situation that many viewers could identify with and also the news that he was going to be a granddad to a baby whose mother had drink problems throughout her pregnancy. From this you can see that the storylines are very creative, such as a plane crash in the area and the derailing of a train at the nearby station, the programme never fails to impress with its stunts and pyrotechnics.

Ian Bleasedale who plays the character Josh Griffiths has been in 428 episodes since he joined the cast in 1989 and leaving in 2007. Suzanne Packer has played the part of Tess Bateman in 399 episodes since 1996 and is still wiping brows and checking pulses even now.

There have been many writers during this time including Michael Owen Morris who wrote 30 episodes from 1988 to 2000 almost matched by Alan Wareing who wrote 24 of the shows between 1987 and 2001. Casualty has been nominated for various show awards such as the Bafta awards which it won in 2007 and the National Television Awards from 1997 to 2010. The Writers Guild of Great Britain called it the ‘best continuing drama’ in 2011 and it was nominated by them in 1996 for ‘The best Original TV Drama series’.

I believe that the storylines are in the main likely and conceivable and have characters who are believable. Sometimes it would appear that there is a casual, almost nonchalant, regard for some of the patients who are there because of relatively minor injuries but this is augmented by the dedication of the majority of the team which mainly consists of adequately competent staff facing realistic situations.

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The Spa

First episode Saturday evening, then on Thursdays

By Alan Wilkinson

A ‘Sky Living’ comedy series, set in a Hertfordshire Spa that boasts it can cure anyone; the fat, the thin and the lazy. Created by Derren Litten clearly a name to forget.  The main character is Spa manager Alison played by the usually excellent Rebecca Friend-and I think she needs a friend on this one!.  She plays a character promoted to her level of incompetence and can only get away with it because her staff are equally incompetent, each in a supposedly memorable or funny way

When it started I thought, oh, this might be a sort of Britta’s Spa, with Alison an older female Mr Britta’s.

The Brittas Empire had plots and semi believable characters. Brittas was a classic comedy character who blind to his faults, believed his way was only way. Creating mayhem around him with the people around him who were stereotypically normal,

But, the Spa is just a string of near the knuckle cheap and easy postcard sketches In Spa all the characters wear an oddity on their sleeve and have a short sketch built round it

It starts in Allison’s office, an angry new clinically obese spa member has received a letter from the Spa, saying she is clinically a beast

Next to a fitness class run by an overweight man in a wheelchair, he has a class of fit ladies except for one fat exhausted lady who predictably collapses at the end of the scene.

Meanwhile Alison keeps ignoring the cleaner who wants to talk about something-important.

Alison then goes into the staff room and berates Eric the Spa handyman who has a big tool –which becomes obvious when he stands up yes it’s not subtle. She has had complaints about his tight overfilled shorts

His father, Eric tells us, was similarly endowed and his nickname was Moby

The cleaner comes in The Spa manager says not now

Eric says to Rose “you’ll not believe this Iva just been –chastised by a woman for having a big nob what’s the world coming too cos I don’t know?”

Next scene Alison behind her desk a voice comes from under the desk

“Quite dark in here, I can’t see anything Thing is it’s such a small hole there a build-up of dust from it not being used.”

Alison replies “I’ve definitely shoved things in there this year.”

Then Eric stands up he was talking about a jammed drawer beneath counter, as he stands up and Alison’s secretary Sally comes in and his eel drops out of his shorts!

Sally interrupts Alison

“Alison, Rose is on the roof.”

“What do you mean?”

“The top part of the building.“

Rose is threatening to throw herself off the roof –her best friend died last Monday And shed tried to get Friday off for the funeral but Alison had been too busy, to speak to her.

Somebody puts a player on in car to relax Alice. Its Kate Bush’s “Don’t give up.”

Then  Alison says, “Everyone back inside it’s  the only way to calm the situation and I’ve got things to do” They go in The music changes to “Jump” And Alice jumps landing in a bush.

That’s pretty much it, It’s rubbish. Alison doesn’t help by regularly saying-as one unfunny incident follows an unbelievable one. “This is ridiculous,” or, ”This is unbelievable,” she just echoes what we’re thinking.

At the end I hoped she’d say ”This is so bad I’m outta here,” and walk off set Pythonesque style. She didn’t and unfortunately it’ll be back next Thursday.

Why did Rebecca sign up for this? Was it money or was she drunk?

There’s one good thing about the next episode, it just couldn’t be worse. Could it? Maybe watch it and see!

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Forgotten Password

 by Anne Ward

Forgotten  password

How  absurd

You  are  a  word  known  only  to  me,

Not  one  to  be  shared

Wait , did  I  write  you  down?, I rummage,  no  sign

My  face  assumes  a  frown,

Memory  deserted me,

Darting  thoughts, like  metal  sparks

Oh, Password  you  have  escaped!

Were  you  a  number  and  a  word?

Were  you  my  birthday,? Or  a  phrase

My  mind  in  a whirl a maze

I  need  a  trigger,  a  prompt,

Were  you  a  size  of  font?

Ah!   I  know  “Password”  that’s what you  are, I  remember  what  a  star.

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Love is a Window

 by Anne Ward                         

             Love is  a  window

            To   watch   life  go  by

         Kids   play   in  the  street

        Mother   cuddles   the  one  that  cries

          Love   is  a  window

           Lovers  meet,  hold  hands,

            Dream of wedding rings

           Rain   trickles  down the  pane

               Like tight heart strings

            Love is a window to rush to,   see what the postman brings

              News of peace.  Tommy  coming  home

              Jenny   has  a  baby  boy,

                   Billy’s   gone to Rome

                   Love is a window of light

                  From the open fire’s  glow

                        When all surrounding  is  snow

                  Love is a window, an ever open latch

                  Seeping through the tasty smell of pie

                        Sneak in a hand and a piece snatch

                          Love is a window, the everlasting sort

                                  Unconditional, no holes barred

                                 To  be freely given and by all  shared

                                    Love is a window,  it  can be  broken

Hugged ,   Mended  and  Repaired.

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Dappled Afternoon

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Poetry Night

Pamela Winning

       I’m always enthusiastic about the Blackpool Dead Good Poets open mic events. That’s because they are, well, dead good; offering an evening of entertainment from the clever, the witty, the humorous, the serious and the daft. It’s an immense amount of talent to fit inside the four walls of the Number 5 Café. It’s a cosy, friendly gathering where all are welcome. Sometimes, I share my own efforts if I have something to say on the chosen topic, or I’ll dust off the words of a famous poet if I find something that fits the theme.

       Last Friday the theme was ‘love’. I had written a poem in a simple style, based on something I’d begun in writing class. It was honest, realistic and I thought, carried a romantic thread. The more I wrote, the more personal it became and I wondered if I would be comfortable throwing it into the open forum. It had my husband’s approval, but just in case I might change my mind, I took another of my poems out with me. I was going to the mic with something.

       I was early, as I always liked to be, and sipped a pot of strong tea while looking over my two poems, but I was preoccupied. During the afternoon, I had been told some shocking news and before coming into the café, I’d heard it officially on the car radio. I left revising the poems and instead, scribbled my thoughts down in the back of my note book in an attempt to ‘self-help’.

       During the next half hour, people began to arrive, friends and acquaintances all in good spirits and making a party atmosphere. My husband had joined me and our table filled up with some friends of ours and other regular Dead Good Poets fans. My name was added to the list of readers and that’s when the nerves would normally begin to kick in, but nothing happened. In fact, nothing happened to me until after I’d done my bit and sat down again with feelings of great relief. People clapped. Those nearby whispered encouragement and praise to me and no negative remarks were said. Except in the inner me.

       I wish I could develop the confident delivery that most of the others have, but I can never find the strength in my voice. Neither dare I raise my eyes from my poem. Standing at the mic with an adult audience is very different to performing ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ with actions, to a class of four to five year olds. That’s something I haven’t done for ages but it’s given me an idea for next time.

       And from the back of my notebook:

       “Someone weeps for their daughter, as my daughter weeps for her friend.

        Forever lost, life taken, no words can mend

        Hearts forever shattered.”

For Sasha, with love.

       

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This is What I Know to be Love

Pamela Winning

Where was I when you first found me?

I shunned you and sent you away

To keep to yourself and stay free.

I was miserable still, that day.

Much later, greyness diminished

And sunshine returned to my life.

We came back to things unfinished

Which grew to me being your wife.

Now married for so many years,

We’ve pulled through the thick and the thin;

Staying strong through all of our fears

And desperate times we’ve been in.

For each other, all things to share,

United with nothing to prove.

Friendship, respect, belief and care

This is what I know to be love.

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That Loving Feeling

 by Dorothy Gibbons

 Walking hand in hand

Along the deserted sand

Gazing out to sea

My lover stares at me

Time stood still or so it seemed

Alas the sun beamed

Oh our faces, getting warm

Sheltering us from any storm

Protected we both felt

Yes like the snow would melt

Into each other's arms linked

Cherished, rescued, treasured she winked

Majestic waves crashed on the sand

Strumming up like any band

Serenades my lover’s ear

Good feeling to have no fear

Secure in love we all want to be

Is this our constant plea?

What is the meaning of love to you?

Or does this poem cause you to spew?

It's how I evaluate romance

Moves me to that seductive dance

A romantic at heart forever I'll be

That’s why some call me sweet pea

I love to write poetry and experiment with words.

Writing 'That Loving Feeling' was fun but soul searching too. The topic was: What is Love?

The poem represents what love means to me!

Although I couldn't make it to the open mic poetry night at the no 5 Café in Blackpool town centre, I shared this poem with my friend Linda in Canada.

It was harder I think than any poems I've shared at poetry nights. She broke the ice for me when I called her up, we talked about college and how I was enjoying classes again. She knows my love to get deeper into writing. I shared that I had to write a poem on the theme of “What is love?”

She then said: “I'd like to hear that, read it to me.” So I did, and started off slowly, but then got into the flow of my stanzas and felt comfortable.

Linda enjoyed my poem and gave me encouraging feedback. So it was like an open mic sharing my poem over the ocean to Canada by telephone. :0)

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I Love You Buddy

by Ailsa Osborne

 I love you, of that there is no doubt. I enjoy spending time with you
You are in my thoughts even when we are apart
I see something that reminds me of you
And I have to go buy it.

We cuddle together with the lights down low,
I whisper my innermost dreams into your ear
I’m sure that you hear every word
And I know that they will remain secret.

I know that no matter what wrongs I may do
I can rely on you, you will always be true.
Each day you show your appreciation of all I do for you.
I am certain of your loyalty and trust.

You are always so pleased to spend time with me.
We sit in companionable silence and share a hug or three.
I stroke your belly and laugh when your leg starts to shake
You wag your tail and I laugh till I ache.

You are my best friend, my buddy, my mate
There’s nothing about you that I could hate.
We will be friends, eternal and true.
You love me Buddy and I love you.

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Ashley Lister

Ashley Lister has always been passionate about writing, which will be of no surprise to those that know him. His first publication was a short story back in ’97, after the success of the short he set about getting his first novel published. After a year of hard work he managed to get his first novel from print to press. The book was titled The Black Room. This accomplishment provided Ashley with the momentum to propel him forward as an author, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Over Ashley’s time writing he has had 30 novels published, with the vast majority of them falling into the Erotic Fiction category. Ashley was drawn into writing Erotic Fiction after noticing the genre lacked strong and compelling stories. Stories he felt he could deliver, and quickly he became engrossed in the genre.

Ashley of course is much more than just a writer and over his life time has worked as an IT manager for a construction company, and has even been a bingo caller. Now he has put these past professions behind him to focus much more on writing, teaching, and community arts projects.

Ashley enjoys sharing his knowledge of English with others and finds that teaching has provided him with a powerful tool to connect with other like-minded people. As a published author Ashley has a few key insights into the industry and would like to say to any aspiring writers they should; Write every day, Read something different when possible, and always remember that not everyone will enjoy you writing. Just make sure that you enjoy it.

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