"Best Purple Rain cover I heard, Tom Jones voice and David Gilmour stratospheric sound."
"Who's out there still listening 32 years later?"
Tom Jones on his show 'The Right Time' performing the Prince classic 'Purple Rain' accompanied by guitar legend David Gilmour on 13th June 1992.
That's quite a powerful duo for such an incredible piece by Prince.
My Dad was a big fan of Philly teams and always wanted them to win, of course. But he also had a great appreciation for the very talented sports writers at the Inquirer and their skilled accounts when the hometown teams lost.
HE'S HERE!
The first of my Godzilla Neo REMONSTERED SERIES!
Celebrating (almost) 20 years of Godzilla Neo, if you want to see more progress on which kaiju I'm remastering, check my Patreon!
Bios are being updated on my ol' Deviantart, kaijusamurai!
Rest in peace, Patricia Routledge ๐๐ป
In memory of her, I encourage everyone to read these words of hers from February last year.
Whether young or old, you're bound to get something out of it.
*****
"Iโll be turning 95 this coming Monday. In my younger years, I was often filled with worry โ worry that I wasnโt quite good enough, that no one would cast me again, that I wouldnโt live up to my motherโs hopes. But these days begin in peace, and end in gratitude.
My life didnโt quite take shape until my forties. I had worked steadily โ on provincial stages, in radio plays, in West End productions โ but I often felt adrift, as though I was searching for a home within myself that I hadnโt quite found.
At 50, I accepted a television role that many would later associate me with โ Hyacinth Bucket, of Keeping Up Appearances. I thought it would be a small part in a little series. I never imagined that it would take me into peopleโs living rooms and hearts around the world. And truthfully, that role taught me to accept my own quirks. It healed something in me.
At 60, I began learning Italian โ not for work, but so I could sing opera in its native language. I also learned how to live alone without feeling lonely. I read poetry aloud each evening, not to perfect my diction, but to quiet my soul.
At 70, I returned to the Shakespearean stage โ something I once believed I had aged out of. But this time, I had nothing to prove. I stood on those boards with stillness, and audiences felt that. I was no longer performing. I was simply being.
At 80, I took up watercolour painting. I painted flowers from my garden, old hats from my youth, and faces I remembered from the London Underground. Each painting was a quiet memory made visible.
Now, at 95, I write letters by hand. Iโm learning to bake rye bread. I still breathe deeply every morning. I still adore laughter โ though I no longer try to make anyone laugh. I love the quiet more than ever.
Iโm writing this to tell you something simple:
Growing older is not the closing act. It can be the most exquisite chapter โ if you let yourself bloom again.
Let these years ahead be your TREASURE YEARS.
You donโt need to be famous. You donโt need to be flawless.
You only need to show up โ fully โ for the life that is still yours.
With love and gentleness,
Patricia Routledge
*****
Once more, rest in peace. ๐ค