Made in Britain

[Migmac]

We were on narrow boat holiday. We’d tied up for the night and heading to the pub. Walking along the tow path we spied Fred, he was busy filming. We hurled a bit of banter at him and he came over for a chat. Seemed a decent guy. Think he would have chatted all night, sadly the pub was calling!

 

[bricol]

and got greedy getting paid for most events he went to and opened after fame on tv

Why not? I'd expect to get paid if someone wanted me to go entertain them/do something for them when I could be doing something at home/asleep on the sofa . . .

 

[jimbo84]

I liked his ramblings as he climbed the chimneys, about having a pint at lunch, the best one was about him dieing, saying he didn't want to get ill, just wanted to fall off one day and that would be that.

"one mistake up here and it's half a day out with the undertaker"

This chimney isn't far from me and one of the best in the country, it's a monster, even more so from the bottom looking up.

 

[selectedgrub]

To destroy history must be a hard thing to do I feel.

 

[dobbslc]

There's plenty of that going on over here at the minute! 1984 anyone?

 

[Kayos]

There's plenty of that going on over here at the minute! 1984 anyone?

Having recently reacquainted myself with 1984 (Stephen Fry version on Audible) I think the comparison to modern Britain is ridiculous

 

[dobbslc]

Having recently reacquainted myself with 1984 (Stephen Fry version on Audible) I think the comparison to modern Britain is ridiculous

Not sure what's ridiculous about it ^
Surveillance cameras everywhere, being told what to do and when by the Gubenment etc (pandemic excepted) I bet they love the enforced experiment of seeing how far we can be pushed before going mental, rioting etc etc.

I was taking about the statues being pulled down or vandalised as it doesn't suit the particular fad this week, month, year.
Changing history to suit your own agenda like the book.

 

[Kayos]

Not sure what's ridiculous about it ^
Surveillance cameras everywhere, being told what to do and when by the Gubenment etc (pandemic excepted) I bet they love the enforced experiment of seeing how far we can be pushed before going mental, rioting etc etc.

I was taking about the statues being pulled down or vandalised as it doesn't suit the particular fad this week, month, year.
Changing history to suit your own agenda like the book.

As you say, excepting the pandemic, name one instance the Govt tell you what to do and when

Taxes? Been around since ancient times

I really can't think of any instance of them ordering me around

Pulling down a few statues is not erasing history, it is part of it as times change. We are not destroying all the copies of history books and replacing them with revised versions, the history is still there, just viewed (by some) through a different lens

Try living in Myanmar, China, Syria etc if you want to know what oppression and all all powerful govt is

 

[dobbslc]

It was a fairly light hearted quip about the similarities of our everyday life and the book and it is scarily close in a lot of instances!

Try living in Myanmar, China, Syria etc if you want to know what oppression and all all powerful govt is

I'm not debating the worst of what the world has to offer here.
Chill out!

 

[ronan]

and got greedy getting paid for most events he went to and opened after fame on tv

Fair play to him, work for nothing and people make a pratt of you, or try to. Ask me how i know . I was reading about Anne Robinson, the reanimated corpse they have doing "Countdown", the only programme i watch now really, she is worth over £50 million from doing not much, being horrible to quiz show contestants. Ditto Bradley Walsh, earning millions for his "acting" skills . Ant and Dec, two of the biggest pests i have ever seen, worth £65 million each for annoying the populace.

 

[Miranda]

Not sure what's ridiculous about it ^
Surveillance cameras everywhere, being told what to do and when by the Gubenment etc (pandemic excepted) I bet they love the enforced experiment of seeing how far we can be pushed before going mental, rioting etc etc.

I was taking about the statues being pulled down or vandalised as it doesn't suit the particular fad this week, month, year.
Changing history to suit your own agenda like the book.

As you say, excepting the pandemic, name one instance the Govt tell you what to do and when

Taxes? Been around since ancient times

I really can't think of any instance of them ordering me around

Pulling down a few statues is not erasing history, it is part of it as times change. We are not destroying all the copies of history books and replacing them with revised versions, the history is still there, just viewed (by some) through a different lens

Try living in Myanmar, China, Syria etc if you want to know what oppression and all all powerful govt is

Look closely at 1984 …. My third nearest neighbour is related to Eric Blair ( George Orwell).

he might have got the date a bit ahead of time but we are gradually being stifled as individuals.

I’m a Winston, chafing at every restriction and totally refusing to obey. Up till now I’ve gotten away with it. I wouldn’t cave as did the title character. Personal freedom is just toooooo important and has to take precedence over societal constraints otherwise there is no hope whatsoever.

 

[ronan]

Look closely at 1984 …. My third nearest neighbour is related to Eric Blair ( George Orwell).

he might have got the date a bit ahead of time but we are gradually being stifled as individuals.

I’m a Winston, chafing at every restriction and totally refusing to obey. Up till now I’ve gotten away with it. I wouldn’t cave as did the title character. Personal freedom is just toooooo important and has to take precedence over societal constraints otherwise there is no hope whatsoever.

I liked Orwell, "The Road to Wigan Pier", was good, the first half of it anyway. 1984 was good to, the John Hurt Film was excellent, though its a few years since i seen it. I do read the book every few years. I find all this "Wokeism" and "Cancelling" thing to be very Orwellian, never really believed in it until i seen it in person. A hairy arrised bloke telling everyone that on that particular day, he was identifying as a woman. Not so long ago he would have had a free ride in a van with padded insides for that sort of thing.

 

[Kayos]

Look closely at 1984 …. My third nearest neighbour is related to Eric Blair ( George Orwell).

he might have got the date a bit ahead of time but we are gradually being stifled as individuals.

I’m a Winston, chafing at every restriction and totally refusing to obey. Up till now I’ve gotten away with it. I wouldn’t cave as did the title character. Personal freedom is just toooooo important and has to take precedence over societal constraints otherwise there is no hope whatsoever.

Well my neighbours friends ex wife's stepson once sat next to Orwell on train so im obviously qualified to answer

I have to question those making the comparisons have ever actually read 1984 or indeed understand it

The whole world is at war (well maybe, but the people believe it is)
The inner party live in luxury while even normal party members are left (deliberately) short.
The Proles (an under class) are given more freedom as a way to control them as "freedom is slavery" is a way to control those not fully indoctrinated into the party way
There is open surveillance inside peoples homes
The party alters ALL history to suit its agenda
People are rounded up, tortured and executed for thinking about rising up against the party, people are encouraged to report friends, family, neighbours etc but no reward or protection is offered
The language is bring systematically altered as a way to limit free thought and speech
There are no elections, free or otherwise, the party is all powerful and Big Brother is not an actual person, just a symbol of authority

I could go on, but I would be very grateful if someone could give me an example of anything ive written happening in Britain today or indeed anything else from this work of fiction

 

[selectedgrub]

You should post that in the F1 thread.

 

[cheb]

Having recently reacquainted myself with 1984 (Stephen Fry version on Audible) I think the comparison to modern Britain is ridiculous

One thing that does chime with me is the concept of the 2 minute hate. Once the victim has been identified then everyone can pile on via various social media.

The surveillance cameras are a red herring, in the book they were only in party members' homes, and only in the lower ranks. I don't remember them being in the streets, and certainly not in the homes of the proles. Unless the big IT multinationals can now be considered our de facto government.

 

[RWD3M]

Somebody remind me, what was this thread about? Oh yeah Fred Dibnah!

I visited his house during the (I think) short time it was a sort of museum. Thoroughly enjoyable morning out! I seem to remember posting about it here somewhere.

Hmm... can't find it. Didn't there used to be a section where you could post about places to visit and the like?

 

[Robotstar5]

and got greedy getting paid for most events he went to and opened after fame on tv

We booked him to open the Association of Rover Clubs show at Eastnor in 1993, he turned up in his Landy, said a few words and cut the ribbon, charged us the thick end of £2k!

 

[RWD3M]

We booked him to open the Association of Rover Clubs show at Eastnor in 1993, he turned up in his Landy, said a few words and cut the ribbon, charged us the thick end of £2k!

Presumably you knew what he was charging you before you booked him?

It's not like you didn't have a choice

 

[colnerov]

We booked him to open the Association of Rover Clubs show at Eastnor in 1993, he turned up in his Landy, said a few words and cut the ribbon, charged us the thick end of £2k!

He's got his hourly rate to think of.

 

[Robotstar5]

Presumably you knew what he was charging you before you booked him?

It's not like you didn't have a choice

No issues with his charges, just put it in to give folk an idea of what he did, £2k was pocket change in the cost of putting on what was probably the premier UK Land Rover event at the time.