(no subject)

I meant to post about this yesterday but didn't get around to it - and then I saw kathyh's post and it reminded me.

I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett's books - I can't quote from them verbatim (well, not much!) but Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes et al have entertained me for years and I'm always waiting desperately for the next book to come out and then 'hoarding' it because I know I'll have to wait a year for the next one.

So I was very upset to hear that he's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

I know it's a truly terrible illness whoever is afflicted - but when I consider exactly what has come from that wonderful mind of his - well, it just seems even worse.

On the Today programme yesterday morning, he talked a little about his condition and also pointed out that Alzheimer's doesn't have the profile or the funding that some other illnesses do - and went on to say that people with cancer are often described as "battling" it, and people who do recover are called "survivors", and how that sort of language conveys some kind of heroic image - and he was obviously not having a go at anyone with cancer, but just drawing those comparisons as to descriptions and terminology, which are valid ones.

He's donated just under half a million pounds to an Alzheimer's reseatch and I discovered today via kathyh's LJ that fans of his are undertaking to try to match that donation.

I don't think there's anything "organised" as such - or not yet, but below is a link to the Alzheimer's Research Society, and anyone who wants to make a donation can just click on the "donate" button there. There's a box where you can add a comment, so it might be nice to say that the donation comes from a Pratchett fan.



Link to: http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/

(thanks to gillo)

Sky One is broadcasting an adaptation of The Colour of Magic (the first of the Discworld books) over Easter. I have no idea what it'll be like, but hey, David Jason's in it, so it's got to be worth a look, right?

In Defence of Frinton...

I missed Wonderland - The Curious World of Frinton-on-Sea on Wednesday, but I caught up with it earlier on the iPlayer.

What a load of bollocks.

Of course, I expected that the filmmakers would have chosen to feature the oddest people they could find - that's what they do; it's not good telly unless there's something weird or contentious is it?

But to entitle a programme the Curious WORLD of Frinton and then not to show a single person under the age of about seventy and then put across the idea that this is a place that nobody intended to live in, but somewhere that people have somehow ended up living by default is just insulting.

It's not as though I'm intensely attached to where I live. And actually, I was laughing at the people who made the film for falling for the obvious stereotyping that's bound to go on about a place like this. But there were some points I thought they were just cruel. It doesn't matter that the people they chose to film would have given their consent for their interviews to be used - I bet most of them had no idea what could potentially happen when the film was edited together.

At one point they filmed a scene in one of the local church halls. I took both my kids to "mums and toddlers" groups in that hall, and there was absolutely nothing in this to indicate that anyone other than OAPs used it. Opposite that church are two pre-schools. Again, not shown. They filmed at the top of Connaught Avenue (in effect the "high" street) which is within spitting distance of THREE schools (one of which I used to work at, another where I currently work) - they filmed people using the "gates" (the level crossing gates) again, plenty of people of all ages walk up and down that road, but no, the only ones shown were older people.

Sure, the place is known as a "retirement area" - but even in the (almost) eight years I've lived here, there's been a huge change as more new developments spring up and families with children move into the area - evidenced by the fact that most of the schools here are full or oversubscribed.

The programme was ostensibly about the local residents' campaign to save "The Gates" - which are the manually operated level crossing gates which lead into Frinton "proper". There were continual shots of the (empty) beach, and (empty) benches on the greensward overlooking the beach. All I can say is they should have had the bloody cameras there on a Summer Sunday when you can't park for love nor money - and when you can, it's FREE. Show me many seaside resorts where that's the case.

I'm sure the Essex Tourist Board is extremely grateful.