penfold

This is the Annie Leibowitz photo that the documentary was made for, and the subsequent row over the trailer.
Stunning, isn't it???

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

christoph404

Its a great photo, very simple in its concept but beautifully carried out in terms of lighting and colour. A Leibowitz photo shoot is a bit like a movie film shoot, she has a small army of assistants and technicians at her disposal. Nice work if you can get it! Although the Queen was supposedly a bit cheesed off with having to get dressed up in the regalia I think its one of the best photo portraits of her in recent years.

TimR

That's a beautiful photo. The composition, the lighting, everything.

Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;
And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety

Steve Crook

When you're Queen, you don't have to do anything. She would have agreed the costume beforehand and any comments about her being cheesed off were probably made up - like the whole thing about her "storming out"

Steve

Marky B

Fantastic photo,I agree,but I prefer the one AL done of Her Maj standing the in the gardens of Buck House,in a black cloak with dark clouds behind her.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

christoph404

I never saw the program but there is a nice little 8 minute clip on youtube under Monarchy-Annie Leibovitz that shows how the photo shoot went. Leibovitz and her 11 assistants spent 3 weeks preparing for the half hour shoot! At one point Leibovitz says to the Queen that perhaps the outfit would be less dressy without the crown! (meaning the tiara!) an integral part of the Order of the Garter Outfit! The Queen seemed slightly harassed that it had taken so long to get dressed up in the outfit which meant that the whole photo session was running late,and was suitably feisty at Leibovitz's rather tactless request to remove the "crown" which would have messed up her hair do.

BristolUK

And that's another one. I understand it's much easier to ridicule or poke fun when faced with something that doesn't sit well with one's view.

As I said before, the issue isn't whether crime's on the increase or how few 'baddies' there are on the streets - the issue is that petty disagreements, like a row over a chocolate wrapper, may now get one killed, whereas previously it was more likely to be something of more relevance to the protagonist such as a turf war or something else adversely affecting their criminal activities.

David Brent

That could very well be Britain's next booming import/export industry.

Dave.

David Brent

I read that Britain's switch to 24 hour drinking laws has failed to meet hopes that the policy could transform the country's rowdy pubs into sophisticated European-style bars.
It was hoped that this law, passed in 2005, would help curb binge drinking and violence and that Brits would learn to take a more relaxed approach to drinking. British Culture secretary Andy Burnham has admitted that the policy has failed and that it has actually led to an increase in street violence.

Dave.

David Brent

I see that prat Gordon Brown last night helped kill off hopes of a general referendum on the EU constitution for good.
The Labour party made a general election pledge in 2005 that they would put the EU constitution to a public referendum.
Brown and his cronies have now gone back on that promise.
The EU treaty will bring an end to Britain's right to set it's own laws in dozens of areas.
Recent polls show that 88% of voters wanted a referendum.

So much for democracy.

Dave.

Marky B

I knew it would be a failure before the law came in. Since the licensing hours was extended to 12 hours in the late eighties,I noticed a steady trend on the up in violence and when they brought in 24 hour opening hours (to curb violence,so they say),it was fighting fire with fire. They said they hoped it would match the drinking culture of the European mainland,but in this country the culture is so different.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

christoph404

I thought Steve's comment was made in a very light hearted teasing way, I think we all know each other well enough to tease each other now and again in a friendly way and be light hearted about our different points of view. I think this was the case here! On with the debate!

samkydd

Margaret Hodge criticised for Proms attack


By Laura Clout

Last Updated: 10:01am GMT 04/03/2008





The culture minister, Margaret Hodge, is facing a chorus of criticism from across the political spectrum after attacking the Proms for not being multicultural enough.

The minister said the annual series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall failed to attract a diverse audience and unite different sections of society. Many view the flag waving and patriotism of the Last Night of the Proms as one of the greatest expressions of Britishness and a high point of the cultural calendar. But the minister suggested that it failed to attract all those living in multicultural Britain. Downing Street was forced into an immediate U-turn and denied that the Government, or Mrs Hodge, had attacked the Proms. Gordon Brown's spokesman praised the concerts as a "wonderful, democratic and quintessentially British institution".

He said: "The Prime Minister's position on this is quite clear – he thinks the Proms are a good institution."
Privately, Mr Brown, who has championed the values of Britain, was said to be angry that Mrs Hodge's remarks had not been cleared with Downing Street.
David Cameron, the Tory leader, said: "Margaret Hodge is wrong. We need more things where people celebrate Britishness and people think the Union Jack is a great symbol of togetherness. It is a classic example of a Labour politician not getting the sort of things people like to celebrate - culture and identity and a great British institution."
Jeremy Hunt, the shadow culture secretary, said: "There is probably no better example in the world of a series of concerts that attracts a huge audience to often quite challenging classical music."
Mrs Hodge's comments came in a speech to the Institute of Public Policy Research think tank.
She praised "icons of a common culture" including Coronation Street and the Angel of the North and said culture could enhance a sense of "shared identity", but she singled out the Proms for not doing that.
She said: "The audiences for many of our greatest cultural events - I'm thinking in particular of the Proms - is still a long way from demonstrating that people from different backgrounds feel at ease in being part of this.
"I know this is not about making every audience completely representative, but if we claim great things for our sectors in terms of their power to bring people together, then we have a right to expect they will do that wherever they can."
A BBC spokesman defended the Proms saying: "We are proud that the BBC Proms is world-renowned for the way it combines excellence in classical music with an ongoing commitment to bringing it to the widest possible audience.
"Indeed, this has recently been recognised by three nominations for audience development in the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards."
The Proms were founded in 1895 to give everyone the chance to hear live classical music with low ticket prices.
It is the biggest classical musical festival in the world with more than 70 concerts in the Royal Albert Hall over eight weeks in the summer.
It climaxes with the Last Night which features patriotic pieces including Land Of Hope And Glory, Rule Britannia and the national anthem.

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

Marky B

Let's not forget the fact,the Proms is now all over the country. Margaret Hodge is just one of those Bliar crones who hate anything British and Britishness.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

Marky B

He had admitted that if he went to the country on this issue,he would lose the referendum.
As for democracy,I don't think we should be appalled at the way President Putin has step aside for a chosen one. It happened here last summer.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know