Little Italy-Corris. The Hidden Gem.

It is situated in an amazing place and seems to sit in a hidden valley. Surrounded by pine topped hills and mountain crags.

Corris lies between Dolgellau and Machynlleth (try saying that after a few beers).

Its a sharp turn in to the village of Corris if you are coming in from the A487. 

Easy to miss but there is a sign for a railway to remind you where it is.

Of a weekend you will hear the toot of the miniature railway tender that used to pull the valuable slate, from the quarry. Now lovingly restored and manned by volunteers. 

Corris slate is called monumental slate as it was used for the best jobs. 

It was used on the ill fated Titanic for its circuit boards. 

Corris is surrounded by slate quarries some you can visit and back in the day this was a working slate quarry town. 

Bridge street was lined with shops selling their wares. There was even a musical instrument shop if the old label on the harmonium still inside Capel Salem built 1868 is to be read.

As the road dips past the Corris Institute people will be sitting whiling away the hours outside the village cafe, Idris Stores, run by Rob and Hazel.

You will find a friendly welcome from all there.

Everyone says hello as they go about their business.

Just past the historic grade II listed Slaters Arms run by Mike and Charlotte you may wish to stop to have drink in the friendly pub before take a left and tackle the hill that seems to get steeper the further you climb. 

Looking back to the village of Corris the views just seem to get better as the dots of people disappear.

Just past the Corris Hostel you realise, if you check your watch, that this is like the land that time forgot. 

And the views keep getting better.

It is mystical in the rain that feeds the lichen that cover the trees as you rise even further.

When you come to a little branch in the dirt track and take the right hand it seems you are heading towards a secret garden, a fairy glen as the shadows of the pines dapple the light.

Keep going you will not be disappointed.

Suddenly you can hardly believe it, your eyes are feasted by............. an Italian village.

In miniature. 

In Corris. 

In Wales.

Florence Cathedral, in what seems like perfect replica. 

The Colosseum in perfect model size, apparently to scale.

 There's more everywhere you look there are famous Italian landmarks looking as if they have been transported from the Mediterranean to Wales.

It the most amazing sight that is more than worth the hike. 

Wear steady boots.

Looking a little bit further some of the historic landmarks in miniature need a little bit of restoration. 

The Welsh wind and rain has been pounding the magical little gem for several decades now. 

Lets hope it can be restored back to the original plan.

So just who created this wonder of the world of miniature?

Manchester United v Liverpool-The Good Friday Match Fixing Scandal.

 Old Trafford 2nd April 1915.  The Day The Beautiful Game Turned Ugly.

I was recently  asked to look over a very old FA cup runners up medal awarded to a Liverpool player.  Tommy Miller.

Growing up a stones throw from Anfield. I just had to take a closer look. It was a simple gold medal in a presentation box....but there seemed a bit more to this than first met the eye.

Tommy Miller had a habit of borrowing money he couldn’t pay back, so when his brother asked for Tommy to pay a debt, Tommy gave him his gold medal instead. The medal was made by VAUGHTON AND SONS and is hallmarked gold.

This passed down the family and eventually it turned up at a Antiques Roadshow valuation day at Culzean Castle, Scotland.

Tommy Miller was born in Motherwell. 

He played for Larkhill Hearts, Glenivan and Lanark Utd. Then Third Lanark and Hamilton Academicals (I always think they sound more like a University Challenge team than a football team) before moving on to Liverpool in the 1911-12 season. He had two brothers that also played the game.

He was the top scorer for Liverpool  in 1913-14 with 16 goals. He was 5 ft 9 inches, eleven and a half stone and described as a handy player. Tom Miller made 127 appearances scoring 52 goals. 

He played 19 FA cup games scoring 6 goals. He won a Scottish cap while playing for Liverpool.

This is a runners up medal for the FA cup for the season 1913-14. That match was won by Burnley 2-0.

This medal was awarded by King George V. The match was played pre Wembley at CRYSTAL PALACE. 

Ed Mosscrop playing for Burnley received a winners medal and this medal is in the Football Hall of Fame. Should this medal of Tommy Millers be in the Football Hall of Shame.

A man once said that some people think football is a matter of life and death. I can assure you that it is much more serious than that. And during the war.....it was.  If you were playing in the league you were not in the trenches, in France. In 1914 The Christmas truce was called and a football match was played in no mans land. Read More Here Football had become a universal game.

The FA Cup Final of 1915 year was named The Khaki Final as the whole crowd seemed to be in uniform.

While the war was on the top players were encouraged to take a pay cut in a spirit of brotherhood. Those on the maximum wage of £5 took a cut of 15% those earning £3 took a 5% cut.

The FA had written to the war office to ask for official sanction to continue playing the matches, but be prepared to stop at any time. Recruitment for the army was stepped up on match days. People were seen giving out white feathers to those who did not show their patriotic duty and go and fight. For King and Country. Cricket had been cancelled.

Public attacks in the national press especially from Dr Thomas Fry of Lincoln suggested that it was nothing more than financial greed that kept the season going.

He wanted restrictions in place preventing anyone under the age of 40 from entering a football ground.

He even sent a telegram which suggested that the monarch withdraw his patronage of the game.

It was thought that the war would suspend matches, thus ending the career of many players. Many thought this could be the last game they played, before going off to war.

2^nd April 1915 The teams met at Old Trafford. THE GOOD FRIDAY GAME

18,000 people attended Old Trafford. The drop in receipts due to the war had put some clubs in financial peril.

An emergency meeting in Manchester by the football league on 9^th October declared that an extra 2.5% of gross match receipts be made to the war effort.

The Good Friday game, it was said, was played in a uncertain manner and several chances were muddled.

“A more one sided first half would be hard to witness” One local reporter said.

The aptly named Thomas Fairfoul missed a penalty.

At 48 minutes a penalty was conceded against Liverpool after Bob Purcell handled it. 

Patrick O'Connell missed the goal completely. It was more like three points to Wigan as a Rugby kick was sky-ed into the stands. He walked back from the spot laughing to his colleagues.

At one time one Liverpool player, Fred Pagnam hit the crossbar with a shot and was and was chastised by his fellow players.

He was seen running around to get the ball and players from his own side wouldn't give it to him. 

The Manchester Daily Dispatch said “The second half was crammed with lifeless football. United were two up with 22 minutes to play and seemed content with their lead that they apparently never tried to increase it. Liverpool scarcely ever gave the impression that they were going to score.

George Anderson scored both goals for the Manchester United.

When the match ended players were seen to be waving betting slips around as the match finished. Others were seen arguing. The referee ordered an investigation into the match.

Four players were Scottish.

Liverpool had nothing on that season as they could neither win the league, nor be relegated. They were safe in 13^th position in the league.

Bookmakers had laid odds of 8-1 against a 2-0 victory for United and a suspiciously large amount of bets had been placed that the odds shortened to 4-1. Something was wrong. The match was said to be SQUARED.

The bookie known as “The Football King promised a substantial reward for information that would lead to punishment of “the instigators of this reprehensible conspiracy”

The FA interviewed players one by one. The Good Friday commission was set up. The honesty and integrity of the game must be upheld.

It was said that several players held back the truth. It was found that several players had colluded to throw the match.

John McKenna the chairman of Liverpool was also the Chairman of the football league and later admitted he had been in an awkward position. He said "There can only be one decision for those who had been so callous as to bring the game into disrepute". 

He regretted the guilty decision had not come earlier. They had to be ousted from the game of football.

They concluded it had been a conspiracy by the players alone and that no match officials were involved. Neither club were fined or had points dropped.

Billy Merideth denied any knowledge of match fixing but stated that he became suspicious when none of his team mates would pass to him. 

Jackie Sheldon an ex United player was said to be the go between and Man Utd. 

Fred Pagnam said he had been offered £3 on route to the match in a Taxi.

It was Pagnam who threatened to score in the game despite threats from the ringleaders.

The FA said they sympathized with the clubs but they had substantial evidence that a betting scandal had taken place.

left to right.Thomas Fairfoul, Tom Miller, RR Purcell and Jackie Sheldon, of Liverpool

Sandy Turnbull, A Whalley and Enoch J (Knocker) West of Man Utd and L. Cook of Chester where implicated.

In total seven players were charged.

All were permanently suspended from taking part in football or football management, and should not be allowed to enter any football ground in the future. The report stated “There was grave suspicions that others were also involved but we have restricted our findings to those whose offence is beyond reasonable doubt”.

In...apparent patriotic gesture. They left the controversy behind.

Miller along with many of the players involved joined up to fight in the war.

Jackie Sheldon sent a letter to the press published in The Athletic News 10^th April 1916 saying he was fighting in France. He claimed innocence and asked anyone with information about him placing a bet to come forward. Sandy Turnbull was killed.

In September 1916 Sheldon who had been wounded in France whist serving came home on leave. He wanted to go to Anfield to watch Liverpool play Burnley and even though he was banned was granted admittance, as a wounded soldier. He was told to, "stay away from the dressing rooms".

He later confessed his roll. 

Enoch West vociferously denied his innocence and sued the FA for libel in 1917. He lost his case and the ban stood but by this time matches had been stopped for the war.

AFTER THE WAR

2^nd June 1919 the Liverpool players were pardoned. after they apologised. 

Because of the FA's “high appreciation of the great sacrifices and services of its members during the war and the deep gratitude for the success which had been achieved.

All except Enoch “Knocker” West were allowed to return to Football. West was the only player not allowed to return to playing maintaining his innocence and was punished further...... for being innocent.

He had to wait until 1945 for his ban to be lifted and a pardon.  By then he was 59 nearly 60.

That year Manchester Utd were saved from relegation and Chelsea went down.

Tom Millers career continued. He scored 13 goals in 25 starts in the 1919-20 season.

 In 1921 he started the season scoring 3 goals. Then he left the club......and in 1921 he went to play for......... Manchester Utd

There he won two further caps for Scotland.

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur who both had been relegated were returned to the 1^st Division.............along with Arsenal who were 5^th when the season finished.

It was agreed to expand the league by two teams....meaning no complaints from Chelsea. 

This also helped to merge the North and South divisions.

At the time of the scandal the Secretary of Manchester United and responsible for moving the team from Clayton to Old Trafford was JJ Bentley who had been a previous President of the football league. I recently came across his personalised season ticket. United had almost gone  bankrupt as he took over.  He retired in 1916. He died in 1918 aged 58. He left the club in a good financial position. He had been a founder of the Football League and once called the most influential man in football. In 1886, he left his Bolton accountant's office to work in Manchester as Assistant Editor, and later Editor, of  "The Athletic News". the publication that published the Jackie Sheldon letter that proclaimed his innocence. I wonder how much influence he had. 

THE GOOD FRIDAY MATCH SCANDAL. THE DAY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME TURNED UGLY.

Tom Millers Medal the one he gave away. Was it burning a hole in his hand? 

Did he feel guilty? We may never know.

Antiques Roadshow 2021 Venue Dates.

 This year its the same format as last year because of potential restrictions. These may be eased at some time. There is a mixed bag of venues including The Ulster Folk Museum near Belfast.

If you feel like coming along please contact Antiques Roadshow. 

Antiques Roadshow venues for 2021

At this moment in time, we are only taking online submissions for items that you wish to show to our team of experts. We will review all submissions and select a number for filming at one of our events this summer. These events will be invitation only in order to comply with Health & Safety regulations but we are continually monitoring the latest government advice around public events. If your item is shortlisted for filming, a member of our team will contact you to discuss potential filming dates.

Follow the links below to let us know about the items you want to show us.

• 

  Aston Hall

  Birmingham

  View Aston Hall
• 

  Dyffryn Gardens

  Near Cardiff

  View Dyffryn Gardens
• 

  Ham House

  Richmond-upon-Thames, London

  View Ham House
• 

  Portchester Castle

  Fareham, Hampshire

  View Portchester Castle
• 

  Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

  Edinburgh

  View Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• 

  The Bishop's Palace

  Wells, Somerset

  View The Bishop's Palace
• 

  Ulster Folk Museum

  Cultra, near Belfast

  View Ulster Folk Museum
• 

  Woodhorn Mining Museum

  Ashington, Northumberland

  View Woodhorn Mining Museum

Dr. No Film Poster-Scraped Off A Wall.

I was recently asked to appraise a Dr. No film poster that had been scraped off a wall by Jim the Scrim.

Film posters were not thought of anything more than wall-paper when it was pasted as a backdrop in a basement room. They were probably cheaper than wallpaper. per square yard. Who wanted them, they were everywhere.

Once scraped off it was put in a frame by a fan of the James Bond series of films.

 So it was my job to look it over and put the poster into context, from its then...to its now. Had it appreciated.............................

Dr. NO

Poster designed by MITCHEL HOOKS AND DAVID CHASMAN

PRINTED IN ENGLAND by STAFFORD AND CO Nethinfield Nottingham and London.

It introduced The Spectre Organisation

The first James Bond film was not really tipped for anything spectacular but numerous films later its now a multi billion pound industry.

Ian Flemings sixth James Bond novel was originally written in 1956 for an episode of a never produced TV series 'James Gunn Secret Agent' with the episode being entitled Commander Jamaica. The working title of the film was 'The Wound Man'.

Dr. No was written in 1958 was a follow up to From Russia with Love.

LIVE AND LET DIE AND DIAMOND ARE FOREVER are written before Dr. No.

All the sets and furniture were filmed slightly smaller so Connery would look bigger.

It featured a stolen Francisco Goya picture. The Duke of Wellington, which was stolen in 1961 from London's national gallery. 

Next to the stairs in Dr. No's dining area Bond stops to notice it. As he passes. Bond says "So there it is".  The audience laughed as it had been widely publicized at the time. It was recovered in 1965. Read More Here

Director Terence Young said the idea for the stolen picture came from Irish co-screenwriter Johanna Harwood. Pictures from national Galleries were then thought of as priceless.

After viewing the film Ian Fleming simply said 'Dreadful Simply Dreadful'

He didnt like Sean Connery being Scottish as Bond was English and not upper class but then when the money started rolling in he wrote a Scottish Heritage into James Bonds past. A recent Bond film Skyfall brings in his Scottish ancestry.

Albert R Broccoli attended a screening of Darby O'Gill and The Little People (1959) and then asked his wife Dana to confirm Connery's sex appeal.

The theory is, BOND IS someone all men wanted to be. AND ALL WOMEN WANTED TO BE WITH.

Cary Grants daughter would say her father later regretted turning down the role.

Patrick McGoohan also turned down the role.

Dr. No was losely based around Fu Man Chu. 

Fleming asked his good friend Noel Coward to play the role and he replied in a telegram 

Dr No? No! No! No!

Dr. No is plotting to disrupt an American space launch from Cape Canaveral.

John Barry did not compose the theme but arranged and orchestrated it from a song by Monty Norman for a aborted musical called The House of Dr Biswas.

Anthony Sinclair the Saville Row tailor stated that a truly great suit would be able to stand up to a great deal of abuse such as grabbing by the lapels and still look great afterwards. Connery was asked to sleep in his suit and was stunned to wake up the next morning and it still looked great.

Filming lasted 58 days.

Bond sings 'Under The Mango Tree' the only time he has ever sung in a film.

Location manager was Chris Blackwell who later founded Island Records

It was filmed in 1962 but was delayed release in America till 1964 because of the Cuban missile crisis.

JFK was shot in in November 1963.

Now a lot of people say they remember where they were when they heard the news that JFK had been shot.

I remember exactly where I was when in the 70's I first saw Honey Rider came out of the sea in that white bikini.

I was at home with the family..My mother said “Wayne close your mouth you'll catch flies in it”.

Julie Christie was considered for the role.

The scene of Honey Rider walking out of the sea was shot at Laughing Waters, an estate owned by Mrs Minnie Simpson in St Ann Jamaica.

The discovery of Ursula Andress.

Brocolli wanted an unknown with a new face who wouldn't demand a large salary.

Two weeks before casting Honey Rider part had not been cast the producers then saw a photograph of an unknown actress in a wet T-shirt and offered her the part without even meeting her.

Ursula's voice was dubbed by Nikki Van der Zyl.

Andress salary for the film was $6000.

Ursula later says “I am amazed all all I did was wear this bikini not even a small one and whoosh overnight I made it”.

All my school chums were talking about it the next day.

Honeychile Ryder the last surviving member of an old plantation family in Jamaica.

Ursula won golden globe best newcomer 1964.

After the film bikini sales rocketed.

The Vatican issued a special communique expressing its disapproval of the movies moral sentiment.

In Catholic countries local artists were employed to redesign and all implied nudity was censored.

THE POSTER HAD TO BE CENSORED IN IRELAND AND we see URSULA UNDRESS, IN A DRESS. The small amount of posters were coloured in by hand with marker pens for display.

THE Girls in the poster were designed from studio shot STILLS. They seem to be props.

First Ursula Andress from a still that is retouched.

Second ZENA MARSHAL She is really The Model Hooks with Zena Marshals painted in face

Third Eunice Grayson was the first ever Bond Girl Sylvia Trench.

Fourth in line and FAR RIGHT is ZENA MARSHALL her hair has been altered to look like Margerite Le Wars playing Dr No's photographer Anabel Chung she was a Miss Jamaica 1961.

She played the role while serving the title.

Years later the famous white Bikini was sold for $35,000 dollars with commissions and taxes £41,000.

But recently has caused a new stir Read More Here

So would you have a priceless Francisco Goya on your wall or a Dr No Poster?

WELL TODAY ORIGINAL DR NO POSTERS SELL AT THE WORLDS LEADING AUCTION HOUSES........... alongside Goyas.

ONE 30 by 30 inch Quad POSTER Linen backed. In perfect conserved condition. It had an estimate of £12,000 to £18,000 sold for £87,000. 10^th April 2019.

A Dr No poster albeit a bigger size sold for £40,000 with commission and taxes.

Generally you could acquire one in good condition for around £25,000.

This poster was in quite bad condition though..................

So how much? For a poster scraped off a wall!!!!

Well, you will have to watch The Antiques Roadshow Sunday 21st February to find out.

Read More Here          In The Metro          See more         And Here

Art Deco Statue-Piece of the Week

Marcel Bouraine (1886-1948) is a well known name in the style we know now as Art Deco. The term Art Deco is an abreviation first seen in the 1960's taken from the name of L'Expostion Art Decoratif et Industrial Moderne in 1925. In Paris. This is the now accepted date when this new modern style was brought to the world in any sufficient quantity as to make a substantial difference. I have had some really strong bronze studies by this artist.

He also had a pseudonym. I have also had several Art Deco statues signed Derenne mainly in spelter some have had slate bases other had had marble.

This is Marcel Bouraine.

I have built several collection both for myself and for my several of my clients over the years and they always seem to include a sculpture by Bouraine.

He was working mainly in France.

Here I have a Disc dancer signed Derenne.....I have misplaced the discs that go onto both hands unfortunately. Though it is not taking away the movement in the piece. Made of green patinated spelter on a Belgium slate base. I sold this piece over ten years ago and have recently acquired it back. She is 20 inches high almost dancing off the base.

See More Here

Born in Pontoise France largely self taught. He was taken prisoner during the Fiirst World War and sent to Switzerland. He was active until 1935 exhibiting at The Paris Salons. He designed for Argy-Rosseau who was a magician in Pate-sur-Verre. 

He preferred a classical theme. his Art Deco sculpture of Amazon with shield and spear has become a regular on the auction market.

 He may have also used the pseudonym Briand as there is a definitive connection between the two. 

Bouraine studied with Pierre Le Faguays and Max Le Verrier at The Ecole Des Beaux Arts in Geneva. Max Le Verrier would later cast many of his sculptures for him.

Gerry Marsden- You'll Never Walk Alone.

 I had Ferried across the Mersey and I was living in Willaston Mill, a 80 ft Windmill in South Wirral for a while.

A lady with her daughter stopped me to ask some information about the historic Grade II listed structure. It was a rainy day and I asked if they would like to come in and have a look inside. 

The young lady was doing a project at school and she had chosen my property, to write about, so I was of course quite honoured. “Hang on” I said “Let me get you some more of the history”. They told me that they lived across the meadow in Mill Lane. I went and got her a folder and asked if she could return it when she had taken all the information that they needed.

I carried on my merry way and almost forgot about it. I had been restoring the Mill for some time and there seemed to be people there everyday. Man, it was tough going, but I had a good team of lads who knew what they were doing.

It took a lot of concentration.

This day was no exception there were six guys on site. The double entrance doors to the conicle shaped brick structure were open and I saw a couple walk in and I went to greet them as there was machinery and tools everywhere. I hardly recognised the lady who told me she had brought me the documents back and thanked me. The gentleman stood there awestruck at the twenty five foot high circular room with its new staircases that I had built. I was proud of my work. Fitting a spiral staircase in a circular and tapering room had proved one of the hardest challenges I had undertaken. 

“Come in” I said and they both stood there staring open mouthed. Which was the usual for any visitors. My guys working there were use to me showing people round.

Then the bloke caught the sight of my Wurlitzer Lyric Jukebox and he was over like a shot staring at the case at the titles of the records contained within.

Next thing Tommy Hicky the joiner who I had served my apprenticeship with, and hated me reminding him of the fact, walked over, with his saw still in hand.

Tommy was the worst timekeeper in the world as he was a DJ by night doing many wedding events that went on all night. We both loved music which is why we got on so well. I had sacked him at least five times for his bad time keeping. But I always had him back.

If I added up the amount of pay I docked from him it would be a small fortune.

This was the time when you had to record records from the deck, to put them on a cassette for the car, and I often went through his collections and 'put a tape together' in those prehistoric days. “Listen to this he would say”. 

"Yes I will have that" 

He use to like the fact that I was telling him about newer music, Bowie and Kraftwerk and the new groups coming along, Music was changing when I worked with him.

He was Beatles mad and I once said to him “Oh you like all that old fashioned stuff then” which seems a mistake now.

So he hovered on this blokes shoulder staring at him. He noticed Hicky out of the corner of his eye and as he slowly turned Tommy' the Joiners eyes followed him as he peered back into the juke box slightly perturbed.

“I know you from somewhere” Hicky said, hanging on his shoulder.

“Oh yeah” the man said with his pearly white grin and raised eyebrow

“I am trying to think, hang on it will come to me in a minute” which seemed like an hour, as the man stood there with his one eyebrow raised.

The rest of the guys had stopped work and began to gather around wondering whats going on.

“No I definitely know you”......waving his saw around. Then after some time his mind seemed to click.

“Where you a joiner for George Wimpey on the Okell Drive site” he asked out loud.

His wife laughed, as did the man and calmly and he paused, he said “I am Gerry Marsden”.

Tommy's mouth opened wide in shock.

“Oh Gerry.....I've got all your records”

A howl of laughter went up and poor old Tommy stood there nearly pulling Gerrys hand off, shaking it in shock at the mistake he had made.

Gerry laughed his head off.

“No I didn't work on that site.

It was hilarious. Gerry Marsden hanging doors and putting partitions up on a building site?

 All the lads were shaking their heads with laughter after his 'Tom foolery' but finally it all calmed down and he thanked me for helping his daughter. Still smiling as he left.

I only met him a few times after that. He was always a gentleman.

Now, I remember bunking into the Anfield Kop over the railings, from the Boys Pen and standing there with my scarf raised singing You'll Never Walk Alone. The atmosphere was always electric. I was there when Liverpool won the League and Shankly took his jacket off to proudly proclaim he was wearing a red shirt. It was he, who, in 1963 instructed a little known song from the film Carousel, to be be played before every match.

 How many times in defeat the deafening chorus would lift the spirits. How many times it helped the team play, and win in the final whistle blow. Even more in defeat the song was as important. When You Walk Through A Storm Hold Your Head Up High. Meant, it was alright, we will still follow you. We all lose sometime. But there is always hope.

I wrote the whole song out and sent it as a card to my ex girlfriend who lived in Willaston in the shadow of the Mill, when she was diagnosed with cancer.

 I thought it would make her better. 

It didn't.

Some people think this is just a song. It's not. It's a feeling, its a spirit. It lifts you when you are down. Gives you hope to carry on, through that storm. And no matter how bad it is, there will always be a golden sky and the sweet silver sound of a lark.

I have watched grown men crying, sobbing like babies when singing it on the terraces. 

One of them may have been me.

The song has been sung by many. The Frank Sinatra version is slow, but Gerry skipped it up. It was one of his three consecutive no 1's. It also sums up the whole 1960's Merseybeat scene when Liverpool was the centre of the Universe, and the aspirations of a whole city were shaken by its decline. It was hope.

It means something, to everyone, be you a Liverpool supporter or an Evertonian. Its about life. And death.

Bill Shankly who once said “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I can assure you its much more important than that” knew what he was doing.

So every time we got knocked down as a city, when the tide of unemployment turned for the worse. When the Hillsborough fight that lasted decades, the fight for justice was fought. This was the anthem of hope. At Istanbul his song inspired us to pluck victory out of defeat.

We all know that. We Will Never Walk Alone. In Liverpool.

And Gerry Marsden is part of all our lives. 

When I began to learn to play a Clarinet. One of the first songs I learnt was this great song. Then Ferry 'Cross The Mersey.

So now in this time of International pandemic, with football matches without a crowd to sing, the lyrics of this song, that Gerry sung, the words have never seemed more pertinent.

Gerry will be remembered not just at every home match. And if his songs are in other peoples hearts like they are in mine. Then he will never be forgotten.

So..........Don't let The Sun Catch You Crying........Lets be glad and not sad. 

That Gerry Marsden a lad from Toxteth walked along our path, and touched our lives with such inspiration. 

I wont forget him. But I have often wondered what he would have been like with a hammer in his hand?

The Christmas Truce-Cold Turkey

This year we are in the hands of politicians who have the power to keep us safe and save lives.

Politicians have decided people are allowed in 2020 to have a little respite from Covid and meet loved ones in a limited way over the festive period.

Many think this is too lenient. Who am I to say.

It's a sort of truce.

There are politicians and there are murdering politicians and just over a hundred years ago, during the First World War most were the latter.

Twenty years ago while running a campaign to save the Chambre Hardman archive for the people of Liverpool I received a phone call with the offer of help. 

http://waynecolquhoun.blogspot.com/2020/09/edward-chambre-hardman-59-rodney-street.html

“It's Lady French” she had said on the telephone.

Expecting to meet an old dud in a tweed suit I was surprised, as she was quite young. We chatted over a coffee and after a while I asked her about her title.

“Oh my Grandfather got his title from World war One, Lord French”

“Wasn't he that murdering General that sent hundreds of thousands of people over the top to death”

She looked at me hardly surprised and said “Yes that's him”.

I did not receive any assistance, though we stayed friends.

We have had the hundred years commemorations for WWI.

Individual stories of heroism has given way to the endless lists of tragic deaths. 

Murdering Generals have been replaced by stories of heroes.

Recently during a recording at an Antiques Roadshow valuation I was asked to appraise a FA Cup Final medal from 1914.

King George V presented the medal and was, at that time the patron of the Football League.

Not to give too much away as it has not been aired yet.

The recipient of the medal was a bit of a card and the story that unfolded was of extreme interest to me. The story is mesmerizing. I hope I have done it justice. It will be aired sometime in 2021.

I learnt a lot from delving into these war years. I learnt a lot through football.

 If I don't learn something new every day I am very disappointed.

I entered the debate before Liverpool became European capital of Culcha in 2008. (Some people were saying the only culture in Liverpool, was, in the yogurt, in the fridge, in the Kwik Save, in Old Swan). But I disagreed. The debate of' 'Is football culture? Intrigued me, as I grew up a stones throw from Anfield. Football is part of my, modern day culture. Its in my DNA. All great cities such as Napoli and Rome embrace football. The highs and lows and.......the art of football. 

If a skilled craftsman can be a silversmith. Why cant a skilled footballer be treated the same way off the terraces.

I learnt more than I needed by handling this medal my mind began to race. That's just the way I like it. So it the story grew and grew.

The following year, after the medal was won, the 1915 Cup Final would be known as The Khaki Final because nearly all the crowd was dressed in uniform. I wonder if you did one of those images that took away all those who later died how many faces in the crowd would remain.

In between these two finals was of course the famous Christmas Truce.

Christmas Day 1914 where soldiers from both sides played a game of Togger in No Mans Land. They had both sung Silent Night in their mother tongues. The voices had hovered over the trenches in honest sentimentality. Fifty to hundred yards away from each other. It was a Christmas favorite in both homelands. The Germans had decorated little trees on the parapets of the trenches. These trees had been sent by their families and candles were put in jam jars lit up the night sky.

Shouting took place amidst the choirs.

“Happy Christmas Tommy”.

“Happy Christmas Fritz”. 

Who would want to kill on Christmas day.

It was said, that a sign was held up. 

Happy Christmas No Shooting”

And some brave soldier walked over the top. He was not shot and this started a unbelievable sight. Where enemies met and shook hands and swapped cigars coffee tea, and chocolate. Someone got a ball out and they had a kick around. That leather ball must have weighed a ton with the build up of mud amidst the bomb pocks and craters. What a match that must have been.

 Enemies playing a game in good spirit.

There was also talk of a British officer being blindfolded and taken behind German lines for Christmas dinner. He was given a slap up, by trench standards and was taken back soon afterwards. There were stories of people recognizing Germans who had worked in London. One even was said to have had his haircut by his barber who was German and had returned home to fight in the war.

Some truces lasted for days.

It is of course the season of goodwill. Photographs appeared in the British papers.

This was of great discontent to the Murdering Generals and of course the politicians with blood on their hands like Churchill, who had helped start the war so that they could play toy soldiers, for real.

The scorn that was poured on both Tommie's and Fritz's who nodded a ball around a field in some distant land meant that they were ordered to stop fraternizing and bomb the gubbing's out of the opposition shortly after. Orders were given by the murderers who probably never got anywhere near the front line.

Where these fraternizers the clever people. Could they have spoiled Churchill's war.

I respect the heroism of my Grandfathers generation who fought in that war and I have even come around to having a bit of sympathy for the German soldiers who were also led like lambs to the slaughter for the honour of their King and Country.

Now if the people had known what we know now about the Cousins, the spawn of the mentally disturbed Queen Victoria. King George his lookalike, Tzar Nicholas and the evil Wilhelm of Germany, would they have allowed themselves a glorious death.

Is there a glorious death?

Its strange the way time gives you more insight, to digest and when writing about the Next of Kin medal designed by the father of a lady I knew, I was quite emotional at the way solemnity and dignity could be designed as symbolism. A symbol of lament. Death.

https://waynecolquhoun.blogspot.com/2014/09/dead-mans-penny-edward-carter-preston.html

But recently I have started to feel that the dignity was manipulated to make up for the stupidity of murdering politicians now PR'd in the case of Churchill into saviors of our nation. If the word of peace had of been spread on Christmas day forthwith to both homelands maybe it would have saved 2 million peoples lives and a Second World War. The whole truth of The American Flu pandemic that was PR'd into The Spanish Flu killed near a hundred million souls. It is only with the outbreak of Covid 19 that people have become aware of the great death during WWI.

They also PR'd The Murderous act by the Hun of  torpedoing  The Lusitania. As a recruitment exercise to send more soldiers to their doom.

https://waynecolquhoun.blogspot.com/2015/04/lusitania-medal.html

DID THE FLU STOP THE WAR. That would have been an unacceptable response. A insult to all those relatives that received The Dead Mans Penny.

I grew up with stories of Great Britons the likes of Scott, Shackleton, The Charge of The Light Brigade. Scott of the Antarctic and the brave fool Shakleton. Only to now look back at the whole bouncy build up of British heroes as no more than lies spun on heroic failure. They have just named the Nightingale Hospitals to hide another con just like the invention of The Lady With The Lamp, Florence Nightingale. No matter how kind she was, her fame just hid the abominable state of medical treatment in The Crimea.

 And while it made her a jolly good fellow, while the mentally disturbed Queen Victoria and the politicians got away with murder. I could make the list of lies longer.

You get a bit cynical the older you get. But you also have more tie to think for yourself.

So what of those soldiers who met to spread a bit of Christmas cheer. A little respite to horror before they may have met a glorious death. Up to their necks in mud and lice they sensed a small respite from the horror of war.

They knew what death was in reality. It was all around them. Not a public relation invention by the suppressed newspaper magnates, in on the con. Feeding the flames

Where these honorable soldiers the clever people? 

These men most of whom had little or no education.

Who had nothing against the opposite of themselves. Barbers plumbers shopkeepers. Who went along with the propaganda of the evil Hun. Spun by the evil murdering politicians of Britain.

Most may have been wondering what they were really fighting for. What Belgium had to do with them. Most would not know that Leopold The King of the Belge was one of the most cruel people ever to walk the face of the earth. He was responsible for real evil in his African Congo Kingdom.

So what was it really all about?

When the murdering politicians on both sides were a confused bunch of confidence tricksters.

 Running amok.

One thing I have learnt, is that football was and has become a symbol of humanity. They shake hands after every match.

All politicians should be made to go out in a pair of muddy shorts and be made to play for a team on a wet windy Sunday morning. Because the game of life is like match. Once you start disrespecting yourself what chance for your opponent.

That those simple folk on the terraces. The Spion Kop (another con) are the salt of the earth and that modern culture is inextricably tied together with football.

For one thing I have learnt. From learning. Is that.

When it's foolish to be clever. It is folly to be wise. 

Update 22.12.2020.

There are now thousands of lorries waiting to get to France. The 2020 Christmas truce called by buffoon politicians  is all but cancelled. Brexit is looming.

France has banned the returns of lorries because the murdering politicians of Britain's current crop have made such a mess of dealing with Covid 19 that a new strain has developed. What a mess.

And they are still lying to us. Through Their teeth. What will the new year bring.