Keeping Up with the Sturgeons continues
After escaping Gordon Brown’s Cave of Despair, Nicola and Peter cross the Scottish border and flee to the familiar comfort of London’s Savoy Hotel.
But they weren’t counting on The Proclaimers.
{satire}
The famous final scene of 'The Long Good Friday' (1980) was the first scene to be shot. Director John MacKenzie, who was driving, told Bob Hoskins the story and events of the movie to come and filmed Hoskins's reactions. Cinematographer Phil Meheux sat between the driver and passenger seat with a one thousand foot magazine attached to the camera and filmed continuously until it ran out.
As there was no room to properly light Hoskins in the interior of the car, Mehuex used a fifty watt light bulb (plugged into the cigarette lighter) placed on the end of the camera's matte box.
Even though it appears that Pierce Brosnan (In his first movie role) and Bob Hoskins share a car, neither actor was present when the other was captured in close-up (they each worked on a separate night), so Brosnan and Hoskins never did get to work with one another throughout the shoot.
(Source - IMDb)
My work has been very quiet recently which is a bit disappointing as I am usually very busy with Christmas orders. If anyone is interested in having a drawing done in time for Christmas please send me a message 🙂
Suicide.
I'm choosing to be deliberately blunt and provocative in this post because it's necessary. Government, charities, football clubs are all pushing water up a hill in highlighting what is undoubtedly a major health crisis.
You take a rope.
You put it up in a garage or a tree nearby or far away.
You're thinking about every loved one you'll leave behind as you put that rope around your neck.
Then you drop.
Some are decapitated.
Some aren't.
All are found by someone who has a lifetime of trauma that will never leave them.
A son.
A daughter.
A brother.
A sister.
A mother.
A father.
I know 2 men who hung themselves.
One was found by his Mom.
One was found by his brother.
Neither have recovered fully. 20 and 30 years on.
A life sentence for people who were already worrying, terrified their loved one may do something.
So just visualise the above and ask, "is there another way"?
A segway for a moment.
I do a few Q&A's every year. Tales of yesterday with a 99% male audience of my age group.
After the stories and fun, my last question back to the audience is..
"Hands up if you struggle with a mental health issue".
Nobody ever puts a hand up. Despite 1 in every 3 of 500 attendees statistically struggling.
"Ah, nobody, that's fucking brilliant! Well I do! ". I then graphically tell people, stunned into silence about how a rope around my neck in the middle of nowhere jolted me to go home and cry like a baby to my Mom.
After the Q&A has finished, something always happens. I'll be chatting to a few guys, saying bye and one by one, men will come over and whisper " I struggle".
Or my mailbox the next day will have 30 emails from guys, their partners or kids saying " Dad/Uncle /Brother was there last night and what you said hit them hard".
And that's how some people realise that it's time to speak to a pal or family member or even rant to me in an email. It works, I often get a follow up email a year or 6 later saying that they took responsibility for their suicidal feelings and are now flying.
Humans are programmed to want to live, to have families and to keep the species growing and thriving. So for a human to want to short circuit that desire isn't normal, and it should never be spoken of as normal. It's the ultimate red flag.
If you suspect your mate, Dad, Brother, Uncle is struggling mentally, they deserve your intervention.
They deserve a " are you OK, please tell me what's up".
They deserve an opportunity to get past wanting to hang a rope over a tree or in a garage and slowly struggle until they die and you find them.
If you've been there and trust me I have plenty, then you'll know that text out of the blue, or a footie mate or one of your kids asking jow you are can open the curtains to some sunshine.
Because when suicide is your only answer, the room is already dark, and you can't see a way out.
So please, fucking pretty please, ask that husband, Dad, Uncle, Cousin, footie pal TODAY how they are.
You may be shocked what comes back but extremely glad that you asked.
For those who struggle, you're not alone.
QPR NYC need 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 support 🇺🇸
Much-loved member Jimmy Green's daughter Lily is bravely facing a rare and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer.
To support the Green family, QPR NYC are releasing a special edition t-shirt.
Please purchase or donate if you can 💙🤍