The Caronavirus Pandemic

Today, is my first Post in my blog a year to the day. Then I wrote about the devastating fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral. How shocked and saddened I was by the tragic news. How could such a terrible thing happen? But now we, the whole world is threatened by this dreadful Virus, that can claim the lives of thousands, and knows no boundaries. So until a vaccine is found. One is put into Lock-down, we should do as we are told and stay in Lock-down. It is for our own safety and the safety of many others. I have nothing but great admiration for our NHS Service, the Doctors. Nurses. the volunteers and helpers, who put their lives in danger every day, as they try to help and save the sick. They have been let down terribly by our government, by the lack of protective gear and equipment. The New Nightingale Hospital was built in 2 weeks. Then surely the Government could “get their finger out” and manufacture protective clothing for these brave people. Until an antidote is found we are on Lock-down. Let’s stay on Lock-down and stop moaning, and behave like the brave Nurses, Doctors, Volunteers and Helpers in the NHS. Take heart everyone, an antidote will be found, after all every Research Chemist throughout the world is working at it. But until, that day comes. Think positive it’s got to end some time, and lets just put up with it for the time being!

My London blog, as I’m now back in London for good. Will start again very soon. I’ve got a lot of explaining to do!….

 

” The Great Thomsoni ” Dies at 84. A Tribute to Johnny Thompson.

Johnny Thompson

The Death of a Great Magician and Friend.

Today I was deeply saddened by the news of the death of Johnny Thompson.

I consider Johnny and Pam as two of my friends, and Pamela must be lost without him.

“The Great Thomsoni and Pam”

I first met “The Great Thomsoni and Pam” when I was starring in the show at the Scala Melia Castilla in Madrid.

The show was on the same lines as the Lido in Paris. Including ice rink, swimming pool, lifts, in fact the lot! You name it, we had it. So as with the Lido in Paris, the star also appeared in the two main principal production numbers as well as doing my own Act. One of these numbers included an audience participation comedy number with myself and also the comedy specialty magic act on a motor bike who had a spot in the show.

Before Johnny and Pam arrived I did the number, which I used to dread with a Spanish (so called) Comedy magician who, fortunately for me, got the sack.

Johnny and his Doves

Then “The Great Thomsoni” arrived! He was known as the Polish Magician and, low and behold, the ‘Good Fairy’ was looking down on me. Johnny and Pam were here! We rehearsed and it was like magic! I have never ever enjoyed working with another magician so much in all my life as I did with Johnny Thompson. Every night was a joy! It was such fun! He was the kindest, most generous artist you could ever wish to work with. We clicked working together from the very first moment and it just lasted. We became great friends. Their own act was a riot, with laughs all the way.

Johnny and Pam

Most nights after the late show, Johnny and Pam would come to our apartment ,which was opposite the Scala Melia Castilla, for dinner. Ray would cook a variety of dishes, their favorite was his Roast Lamb with baked potatoes. Ray was a superb cook.

The last time that I saw Johnny and Pam was just after Ray had died and I wasn’t really good company for them. They were in London where they had just done a Gala for Magicians, and were now on their way back to Las Vegas. We had lunch together and then we went to the National Portrait Gallery. That was many years ago, but we always stayed in touch by email (very handy). Still after all those years we remained friends.
To try and describe Johnny’s act with Pam would not do him justice.

The act had starred in Las Vegas productions such as the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino and the Lido de Paris at the Stardust Hotel and Casino.

“The Great Thomsoni” toured Internationally, performing at the London Palladium, the Theatre Princess Grace in Monte Carlo, Le Cabaret at the Casino in Monte Carlo, the Casino Ruhl in Nice, France, and the Scala Melia Castilla in Madrid, Spain with me.

Watch a Master at Work.

God Bless you Johnny! ‘Rest in Peace’

 

Mel Brooks and his London Stage Version of “Young Frankenstein”.

I decided to see “Young Frankenstein” before it closed because I was enamored with the film, which I saw four times, and I think that Mel Brooks is a genius, a brilliant comic, a great writer, and a very clever film director. All that in just one small package which spells ‘MEL BROOKS’!

  

Mel Brooks

Well I should have saved my money. The best thing about the Show was the Curtain.

Nimax Theatres Ltd., I believe, is the company that owns the Garrick Theatre.

 

 The Garrick Theatre

Instead of acquiring another theatre, as they seem to do like like a baby octopus, they should spend some of their shekels on cleaning up and refurbishing the Garrick Theatre. It is a disgrace! When you sit in the dress circle you expect the seats to be comfortable. Not at the Garrick! The padding has practically worn down to the wood, and those that are in a fairly good condition are even worse, because you can finish up with a spring hallway up your arse!

Last year when I saw Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon in “The Painkiller” at the Garrick, I sat in the dress circle, maybe it could have been the same seat, and finished up with arse ache!  That was a ‘Real Painkiller’ and how appropriate! What a pun that is!

Well, things haven’t improved!

The usherettes stand at the doorway chewing gum and selling programmes, and they do not move. They’re busy talking! and talking! and talking! I think it was about the boys make-up!  They are not interested in showing you to your seat. I was told ‘Row D, Centre!’ by he or she or it. I didn’t know what it was!  All I do know is that usherettes are supposed to usher, move their arses, and take you to your seat. Not stand in the entrance talking and chewing and looking very bored. No wonder the show is coming off!  Most probably they are in the same quandary as the audience because they also don’t know where the rows are. I entered the theatre and couldn’t see a bloody thing! Remember I’m 88, no spring chicken! After stumbling around I found Row D. The aisles and quite a few seats are not numbered. Just a few have faded numbers. So you finish up counting from a number you can see to find your seat.

Nimax Theatres Ltd., do the bloody theatre up!!!

‘This is a fine start to my evening’s enjoyment’, I thought.

The Show itself was not good or really that funny. It was more like a No.1 touring version of the original West End production. In fact, I’ve seen better in the provinces. All I could think was that when Mel Brooks saw it, he quickly collected his money and caught the next plane back to the U.S.A. Very wise!

They were the best of the bunch, and even they seemed to be tired!

 I was so disappointed with the show that I left at the Interval.

I don’t blame the cast or the production. If the seats would have been comfortable and the usherettes would have done their job, maybe I would have seen the whole show from a different prospective

But I have to blame the two usherettes and Nimax Theatres Ltd., who started it all, and got me really pissed off, and put me into such a bad mood!!!  What a disaster!!!

I haven’t talked much about the show, because truthfully  there was nothing really  much of importance to talk about.

NOW “42nd. Street” at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. WOW!

That’s, what you call a Show!

I went from the ridiculous to the sublime! The show and the cast are fantastic! You just cannot fault it.

With a cast of over 50, it is a gem and should run for years.

I couldn’t believe that this was the same theatre that I played in when I was ‘ZEE and CO.” with Cannon and Ball when we made the T.V. Special so many, many, many years ago.

Lulu was excellent, you couldn’t fault her.

I left the Theatre a very, very, very happy bunny!  That is what Show Business is all about!  Great Theatre! Wonderful memories of when I was working there. and seeing a wonderfully spectacular show.

 

How it all Began. “ericlindsay.wordpress.com.”

 This is how I met Andi Brooks and how my Blog began.

 

MR. ANDI BROOKS

Andi and me having coffee in Tokyo

Around the time of 1996 my Agent Jamie Phillips of Trends Management told me that an advertisement kept appearing in the Stage Newspaper looking for me, or asking maybe if I was alive or dead? No such luck, I was still alive and kicking!

As I had time to spare and no one to talk to, I telephoned to the gentleman who placed the advertisement. His name was Andi Brooks who lived in Bath. That is how we met. He came to London and interviewed me in August 1997 for his future book that he was co-author with Frank Dello Stritto called “Vampire Over London” the whole interview is somewhere on my Blog. Through that interview Andi and I became friends and kept in touch with one another even after the book was published in 2000, and what a beautiful book it is too.

All this time I would talk to him about various things that had happened to me and he was forever telling me that I should write about it. But I kept explaining to Andi that Ray when he was alive was the writer. I never wrote anything. Ray would write to my parents, write all our business letters, and sign important papers. He got it down to a fine art, he could even do my signature on cheques,(which I had no problem with) until one day the bank manager called me into his office to say that my signature on our joint bank account seemed to have changed. So I explained that I had sprained my wrist and found it difficult to write properly. I told Ray that when he wrote my name he had to take his time with it and that a scrawl just didn’t work. I couldn’t keep on going back to the bank manager with excuses. That was the trust we had in one another. I trusted him completely. So when Andi suggested that I should start a Blog it took a great deal of persuading  and convincing on his part over many, many  years for me to even contemplate it.

In the year of the millennium 2000 by chance I was appearing in “Aladdin” at the Theatre Royal, Brighton and had the pleasure of meeting Frank Dello Stritto and his wife, who came to a matinée of the Show, before they left for America for good and also arrange the publication of their book “Vampire Over London”. So strange because it was at the Theatre Royal, Brighton that “Dracula” opened in 1951 and the whole story started. This intrigued Frank completely, to believe that he was actually in the same Theatre.

“Vampire Over London” was an enormous success and has now gone into it’s 2nd. printing. The publication is such  excellent quality.

Well over the years Andi and I kept in touch, he told me that he had married a Japanese student named Kyoko and later they went off to live in Tokyo, Japan. All this time we kept in touch, and he was forever urging me to write a Blog about what I had done over the years. He explained that he would set it up for me with WordPress.com and do all my editing in fact the whole caboodle. In fact he has been faithful to his word and encouraged me 100% to write. I didn’t think I could do it, and I wasn’t sure that what I had to say would interest anybody. But the proof is in the pudding and “ericlindsay.wordpress.com” came into being in 2012 and by some miracle it seems to be a success. I don’t understand why because really I can’t write, at least that’s what I tell myself, so it’s all thanks to Andi Brooks. Bless him!

Meeting up with Andi and Kyoko in the Coffee Shop in Tokyo.

On the 7^th of October 2016 I flew into Tokyo and met up with Andi, who I hadn’t seen since our first meeting in London in August 1997.  Twenty years is a long time and we had plenty to talk about and we did non-stop. Later, Kyoko joined us and I had the pleasure of meeting her for the first time, and what a charming lady she is. Andi had done himself proud. To think of the young man who had interviewed me so many years back and now here he was with a full family.

 

What an amazing place Tokyo is, and I had two whole days to be with Andi and his family and talk. They also showed me part of Korean Town which was in the area of my hotel.

 

I was lucky enough to see a Geisha on the street.

 

Yui Brooks.

During the time that Andi has been living in Tokyo he has been blessed with a handsome son called Yui who is now 14yrs.old. Yui is a budding artist, and drew a quickie for me on my visit. I look a little beaten up, but it’s a great souvenir. He travels everywhere with his pencil and pad.

The top one certainly gives me a beaten up look.

Whilst I was there it was his birthday so I sent him a card in English.

YUI with his Birthday Card

 

Yui, me, Andi and Kyoko at Dinner.

Yui travels everywhere with his pencil and pad. He even took it with him when we had dinner together in a typical Japanese Restaurant.

 

Kyoko and Yui seeing my off at my Hotel.

Whilst I was there it was Yui’s Birthday, so I managed to find a card in English. The few days that I was in Tokyo I did no sight seeing whatsoever. I was just happy to spend all my time with Andi and his family. The happiness he has given me with my little Blog is amazing.

I have so much to thank him for, he has really given me a reason for carrying on.

 

YUI, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ONE YEAR LATER (a new photo which I have just received)

Me and my very good friend ANDI BROOKS.

 

Time to leave Tokyo, and goodbye to my friends.

A wonderful memory that I will treasure forever.

 

Annie Leibovitz the Rembrant of Photography.

 

 

                                       

If Annie Leibovitz had been given a paintbrush instead of a camera, she would have been put into the class of Rembrandt or Degas. Or otherwise if Rembrandt and Degas would have had a camera instead of a paint brush, they would have been an Annie Leibovitz.
Practically every photograph that I have seen is a work of art, in fact they are not photos, they are portraits. For example and there are many:
Firstly this is by Rembrandt.

 

 The Stone Bridge by Rembrandt.

Photo by Annie Leibovitz of ‘The Queen of England’ 2007

This photo of the Queen has the touch of a master, the detail in the pose, the background, the lighting, the whole, turns it into a beautiful portrait, that could have been painted by Rembrandt.
These are some of the Queen of England collection by Annie Leibovitz:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annie Leibovitz was commissioned by Harper’s Bazaar Magazine to produce a collection of photos in the style of Degas, with the wonderful American Ballerina Misty Copeland, Here is part of her collection:

 

 

 

 

 Annie Leibovitz

A press release from UBS.

Annie Leibovitz Biography

Annie Leibovitz began her career as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone in 1970, while she was still a student at the San Francisco Art Institute. Her pictures have appeared on magazine covers ever since. In 1983, when she joined the staff of the revived Vanity Fair, she was established as the foremost rock music photographer and an astute documentarian of the social landscape. For over three decades, at Vanity Fair and later at Vogue, she has been adding to a large and distinguished body of work that includes some of the most well-known portraits of our time.
Several collections of Leibovitz’s work have been published and exhibitions of her photographs have appeared at museums and galleries all over the world, from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C; the National Portrait Gallery in London; to the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
She is the recipient of many honors, in 2006 she was made a Commandeur in the Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French government, in 2009, she received the International Center of Photography’s Lifetime Achieverment Award, the first Creative Excellence Award from the American Society of Magazine Editors, and the Centenary Medal of the Royal Photographic Society in London. In 2012, she was the recipient of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art Award to Distinguished Women in the Arts and the Wexner Prize. In2013 she received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, Leibovitz has been designated a Living Legend by the Library of Congress.

 

Josephine and Daphne recreated.

This was taken by Annie Leibovitz 36yrs. after the original film “Some Like it Hot” which was made in 1959.

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in 1995, what a great photo.

 

This is how they looked in the original with Marilyn Monroe.

 

Liberace 1981

Liberace’s Hands, just wearing something simple!

Anita Ekberg in the Trevi Fountain scene from “La Dolce Vita”.

Annie Leibovitz’s version.

A backstage look into the working of that beautiful picture.

That is the magic of Annie Leibovitz.

Another backstage look

In 2001 she was commissioned by Vanity Fair to produce a series of photographs called “Hollywood Legends” Which she has produced periodically to the present day.

In 2007 Annie Leibovitz was commissioned to produce a series of “Disney Dream Portraits” by Disney Studios. Here are a few:

These are just a few of the brilliant portraits that this Master of Photography has produced. Every accolade she has received she deserved. Long may she continue.

 

Napoleon and the Guerlain Bee Bottle.

I never ever thought that a bottle could be historical or really valuable, well the Guerlain Bee Bottle is !  It is covered with raised bees that have been painted in 24- carat gold and is valued by collectors worldwide. Guerlain happens to be one of the oldest Perfume Houses in France, in fact it is the oldest.
I have such a bottle. To say I have, is not quite correct, it belonged originally to Ray Jackson my late partner for 40 years. It was bought for him by his lady friend Norma Berzin, who told him that her late husband, “ Always used the Guerlain Imperiale Eau de Cologne, and used to walk around in a cloud of it”. (Maybe she wanted Ray to smell like the late Mr. Berzin?)
However when Ray died I inherited among many other things the Bee Bottle, (of course it was empty by the time I got it!). Although if one were to uncork the stopper, there still remains a slight musky, pungent smell. Could it be that of the late Mr.Berzin? (One will never know!)
But I digress, having read an article about The House of Guerlain, I became intrigued about their Bee Bottle so I Googled it and found an interesting but small article in Wikipedia which told the whole story, and which I am including in this blog with some photos.

      Portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte by Francois Gerard.                                                       

Bee Bottle of Guerlain Imperiale  presented to Napoleon and the Empress  Eugenie.

Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie

The Emperor Napoleon III loved to have his portrait painted in a luxurious robe covered with bees, a symbal of monarchy in France. In 1853, Pierre-Francois Pascal Guerlain created the now famous bee bottle for Eau De Cologne Imperiale (composed in 1830) for the Empress Eugenie who wore the perfume to her wedding to Napolean III. Because of the Bee Bottle, M. Guerlain was appointed the official perfumer to her Royal Majesty and the legacy of this design lives on in Guerlain’s perfumery -from bee designs to honeycomb topped flacons.

An advertisement which said.

Guerlain revives its “Jar of Bees” perfume in 24-carat gold to celebrate its legendary history.

If you ever wondered what it was like to live like a queen, here’s your chance to find out. Guerlain’s legendary “Jar of Bees” is back to make you feel like an Empress, Eugenie to be specific. Originally created for her, the wife of Napoleon III, the emblematic bottle has been revived in all its golden glory to celebrate its 160th anniversary.

A limited range of the Guerlain exclusive fragrances have been bottled in the 24-carat ‘Golden Bee’. In addition, Guerlain in collaboration with the Institut National des Métiers d’ Art has commissioned nine Masters artisans to recreate perfume history. Nine works of art inspired by the signature bottle have been designed to denote the supreme symbol of French luxury.

This bottle that was originally made for Napoleon III
Eau de Cologne Impériale, 1853

They evoke an era when Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, founder of Guerlain, fell captive to Eugénie de Montijo’s beauty and crafted what came to be known as a true technical feat. In recognition for it, he received the highest imperial title, “His Imperial Majesty’s Official Perfume Maker”, which catapulted him to the top of perfume-making peak.
An exceptional exhibition will display the celebratory artworks from December 10 to February 14 at La Maison Guerlain 68 Champs Elysées in Paris. (That was in 2013) Their inimitable designs will pay haute homage to Guerlain’s sensory story.

The Bees are each painted in 24-carat gold

Guerlain (French pronunciation: [ɡɛʁlɛ̃]) is a French perfume house, among the oldest in the world. It has a large customer following, and has traditionally been held in high esteem in the perfume industry. Perfumes by Guerlain are often said to be characterized by a common olfactory accord known as the “Guerlinade”. A perfume by the same name was launched by Guerlain in 1921.

The Guerlain Bee Bottle is described as “a symbol of Guerlain DNA and savoir-faire”
Guerlain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Guerlain S.A.Founded 1828
Founder Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain
Headquarters Levallois-Perret, France

Products Perfumes and cosmetics

So whenever I reminisce, and think about Ray and maybe the Bee Bottle. I go to the bottle, uncork the stopper and have a sniff of, could it be…………. the late Mr.Berzin?

 

 

Helen Mirren Long May She Reign

Never in all the years that I have been going to the Theatre have I seen a performance like hers.

To say that it was a ‘Tour de Force’ is an understatement.  She was fantastic!

When I think of all the actors and actresses that I have seen during my lifetime, her performance in “The Audience” stands sublime.

Helen Mirren I would place in the same category as Sarah Bernhardt, who I never saw, but I read a lot about. 

She Sarah, was referred to as “The most famous Actress the Western World has Ever Known” Well, move over Sarah, someone else has taken over that role, it’s Helen Mirren!

By all this praise you might ascertain that I like Helen Mirren, and you are RIGHT! 

She is my kind of Actress, Gutsy, Earthy with plenty of ‘Balls”, and she doesn’t mind dropping the odd ‘F’ word when nesessity requires it. and she is very, very, Very Talented. 

Seeing the way she can age onstage before your eyes as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience”, is unbelievable. Young, Old, Middle Aged, she bounces backwards and forwards like a yo-yo. I have never seen anyone age so convincingly onstage before.

To see her as the young Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey, at her Coronation when she is crowned Queen of England by the Arch Bishop of Canterbury. This historic moment is exquisite as she stand there floodlit in pure white light, not saying a word, just standing there, in her crown and coronation robes.  It was breathtaking, and a fitting end to the first act of “The Audience”.  

Maybe it’s the brilliantly written play by Peter Morgan or the superb direction of Stephen Daldry, that helps to make it all become such a magnificent piece of Theatre,

Helen Mirren deservedly won the Tony Award for a Leading Actress in a play.

Here are some photos of that wonderful night:

Bradley Cooper who presented the Tony to Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren going to receive her Award

Helen Mirren and Bradley Cooper

and

Showing she still has a sense of humour, and giving a very gracious and amusing acceptance speech and she didn’t use the ‘F’ word once.

Another brilliant member of the cast of “The Audience”, Richard McCabe received a Tony for Best Performance                             by a Featured Actor for his portrayal of Harold Wilson.

Richard McCabe wins the Tony for his portrayal of Harold Wilson

In shock at winning his first Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Richard McCabe accepting his  Tony Award.

Giving his speech with thanks to Harold Wilson and Helen Mirren.

The Coronation of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

Sir Winston Churchill with Her Majesty the Queen. She was very fond of Churchill since she was a child during the War.      1939-1945

Sir Winston Churchill 1951-1955

 

Sir Anthony Eden then followed Churchill for a short 2 years period. 1955-1957

Harold Wilson became a favorite with the Queen and both looked forward to their  weekly meetings.                                  1964-1970              1974-1976

The Queen invited Wilson to Balmoral where apparently he froze his ‘balls’ off, and the Queen was known to be very frugal with the heating. It was just a one bar electric heater. So she very kindly gave him a blanket.

 Baroness Margaret Thatcher “The Iron Lady”. She was definitely not her Majesty’s flavor of the month 1979-1990

Sir John Major she had no real time for, he was forever moaning and groaning. 1990-1997

Tony Blair 1997-2007

Helen Mirren is Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen and her Prime Ministers

HER MAJESTY ELIZABETH II, THE REAL QUEEN ‘LONG MAY SHE REIGN’

 

 

Taken from the pages of Chinese Quotes.

This Chinese New Year celebrates the Snake

Snake years are the sixth symbol in the Chinese Zodiac and occur every 12 years. Recent snake years include: 1929 that’s me, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, and 2001.

The Snake is the intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the zodiac signs.  We make good detectives. Really I should have worked at Scotland Yard! They are attractive people who handle adversity with ease and do not rattle easily. Snakes can be private and not outwardly emotional, which give others the sense that they have a dark side.

Well it’s right in parts.

Click on the link below to read the whole story

https://ericlindsay.wordpress.com/taken-from-the-pages-of-chinese-quotes/