Neil and Omran

7 Up Series Documentary 1964 - Highlights from Michael Apted on Vimeo.

"Give me the child until he is 7 and I will give you the man".

I remember being very moved while watching the World In Action Documentary Seven Up which followed the lives of twenty children from different parts of the UK and from different social backgrounds.

When the picture of Omran Daqneesh reached us this week something about him struck me immediately. He reminded me of somebody and I couldn't for the life of me remember who and then going back through the Shark Fishing Archive I saw the picture of Neil from Michael Apted's 1964 Documentary 7 Up. Neil's story in particular had struck a chord with me with his battle with Mental Illness. Omran is only 5 and Neil was 7 in the above programme. 

Heart & Soul

I'm slipping! The 6 Month Anniversary of Shark Fishing was last Tuesday and I let it pass without a post! Well, here it is 3 days late!
I'm seriously thinking about going back into Teaching! it's the only thing I know! I enjoyed it but I took it too seriously. I went Mad. I won't blame it on the Teaching but it was stressful. I keep getting emails from a Supply Teaching Agency in London and I'm sorely tempted to write a 'bare it all' email explaining what happened to me, ending up with the diagnosis. It's worth a punt! You won't get a straight answer from any of the Teaching Unions or the TES.

Can you Teach with a Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder?  

I've got all the bits of paper they call qualifications. I can't get any references though! The school I taught at became an Academy and having written asking for references, I've heard nothing back. I'm getting used to the silent treatment! People don't answer your emails or they take such a long time that when you get a reply you forget what your original missive was about.

I'm getting bored now. There's only so many times you can walk across town, through Bute Park, into various libraries, leisure centres, museums and coffeeshops. Ideally I would pursue my ambition to be a Freelance Theatre Arts Facilitator but this is Wales and I don't know whether I can face rejection or whether I can actually be arsed. If only London wasn't so expensive to live, I'd be back there. It's interesting, but it's also souless and commercialised and very busy. A Friend once said "You'll never be happy" and I'm starting to think he was right. I am content but not satisfied. It's my blog so I'll whinge if I want to! I am also getting paranoid. I believe that there are librarians who are reading my blog because ever since I criticised the Revolving Doors on Cardiff Central Super Dooper Library I'm getting looks from Gorgeous Librarians. I mean lets face it they are an easy target. They are just so passive. They just sit there and look at computer screens and answer questions from the great unwashed. I couldn't do it! What does miff me off considerably is that the Welsh Language Section (Oh Ho! Here we go again!!!) is on Floor 5! Out of Sight, Out of Mind? So Tourists and Foreigners coming into the Library wouldn't be aware that there is a language other than English!

"Floor 5 Madame"!

" Oooh Non, je suis cannot be arsed"

There is a very plummy announcer followed by the Welsh Speaking Librarian on the Public service Announcements. I heard one of the Gorgeous Librarians make the comment that the Welsh was twice the length of the English announcement!

Well, put the Welsh First then!!!!  

Capital City Of Wales! My Arse!

Anyway, whether I can Teach again or not!

I'll keep you posted!

 

Back, but Unsettled!

Well I'm back in the Capital of Wales and am feeling rather unsettled. They say the grass is always greener but I tried that gig once and got my arse bitten in the process. Having been to Liverpool and Darlington, it has clarified in my mind what course I would like to follow and that is to be a Community Arts Facilitator specialising in Theatre, Drama and Creative Writing. There's a lot of these wannabe luvvies in Wales and age is not on my side which if you have been reading my blog will know!
I walked through Bessemer Rd Market this morning, real people, 'Y Werin Datws' as opposed to those who frequent Riverside Organic Market on the Fitzhamon Embankment! Two markets, two miles away from eachother, but a world away!  It got me to thinking about class and whether 'The Lower Middle Class' need to be championed. These Titles are ridiculous aren't they!

Working Class: Poor
Middle Class: Wealthy
Upper Class: Rich

If you're poor you are less likely to have access to quality education, perhaps then you are more likely to be less enlightened and evolved as an adult. But if the types who frequent Riverside Market are anything to go by then perhaps quality education is not such a blessing after all. In the Bakers in Grungetown, not the one that was held up by gunpoint,  the gentleman serving behind the counter was bemoaning the fact that customers didn't say thank you! Just pointed and grunted at what they wanted and paid and went.

Perhaps this is something that the universal human condition shares whatever social strata you belong to! Arrogance, Rudeness, Lack of Politeness, Manners! Wossat then?

I left Bessemer Rd and walked to the British Version of Walmart in Leckwith. I don't like supermarkets at the best of times and who did I walk in behind but none other than Rhodri Morgan, Former Fuhrer of the National Assembly of Wales. He was humming to himself.  He only got the National Assembly Gig because Ron Davies had his moment of Madness. Along with Alun Michael, these were the leviathans of the Welsh Labour Party at one time. I didn't like any of them. When they lose power they seem to have more humility about them! In Liverpool, I remembered Neil Kinnock, the Welsh windbag's speech laying into the Militant Tendency.

Was it Karma when he did his 'All Right Speech' in Sheffield which led to a lot of people left in the room turning the light off.

I'm meandering a bit here but it was refreshing to hear of MP's this week being open and honest about their Mental Health Conditions.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that it will require a critical mass of people to stop working for money. To discredit the 'Capitalist System' which is now well past it's sell by date it will need people to refuse the conditioning. Bartering, working together instead of competing against eachother. In Liverpool I was in discussion about the London Weighting Allowance and the Cost of Living in the Capital. Why should it be so high? It has been created artificially high. Why are there rich ghettoes in London like Chelsea and Knightsbridge and Kensington. If people in poorer areas see how the rich live on their doorstep they are going to start questioning their own lives.

 All we are saying is

 "Would you mind being less ostentatious about your wealth please" 

We all know that if Camoron and the Con Dems carry on like this then the only result that can possibly happen is a Labour Victory!
Then the Farce Continues!

Liverpool Tomorrow!

Capitalism Makes us Crazy: Dr Gabor Maté on Illness & Addiction | National Radio Project

Capitalism Makes us Crazy: Dr Gabor Maté on Illness & Addiction | National Radio Project

Mad World