Hot or What? – Mid Spain

We didn’t discover Spain until 96, and in the dozen years until 2007, we only missed two years in Spain (North and Middle), but sadly haven’t been back since. 1998 saw us France’s Green Venice and in 2005, we spent our August week in Ireland – more about that in a few weeks’ time.
In all those years, we only braved the nonsense that is Benidorm once – a quick ice cream while we cringed at the Brits packed onto the beach like sardines, then we quietly crept back to our relatively unspoiled bit of the coast.
The Elephant mountain was what we saw when we drove anywhere from the villa in Jesus Pobre (11 miles north west of Moriara) where we stayed for the last visit in 2007.


Moraira/Havea

Somewhere between Alicante and Valencia was our most visited area. So many awesome villas, all with pools, kept us going back again and again. Our first taste in 1996 saw us in a beautiful villa with fabulous views of Calpe’s Penyal d’Ifac – a gigantic limestone rock, 332 metres high, one of the most recognisable landscapes of the Spanish east coast. The second time in 1999, was in Norte Mar – a truly spectacular villa as you can see from the pictures. That year, Jo’s school tasked each child with finding the most unusual place to photograph their school tie, and if you look hard among the Flamenco dancers, you’ll spot her wearing said tie.
The first two right-hand photos give a flavour of how much time we spent in the pool. The top one shows Jo tipping Bri off a flotation device - one of the favourite games. I chose the middle one because Bri’s photography skills know no bounds. How he captured my dive is a feat of split-second timing.
Ditto with the bottom piccy on the left – to get all 3 jumping into the pool – phenomenal. Next to it is a peek at the fabulous surroundings of the villa in Havea (8 miles north of Moraira) from 2001.

Crazy Frog
Back in 1996, Moraira was a burgeoning tourist destination with lots of construction in and around the town centre. On a patch of what we’d consider waste ground, a small fair had set up and we had our first taste of the “Crazy Frog” – a ride like no other. From the centre, around 10 spokes radiated, each holding a car for 3 people. At first, we thought it was merely going to zoom around on the ground, but then the cars lifted independently of each other. So you had up-and-down and round and round. Pretty standard you say, but he dialled it up a notch, with the old scream-if-you-want-to-go-faster routine. Then it slowed down and bounced the cars up and down for a couple of circuits. And just when you thought it was ending, the whole cycle was repeated – but going backwards. Defo not for the faint-hearted, nor for those without good sea legs.

Handbag City Aka Gata de Gorgos
This picturesque village, several miles inland, boasts one of the most densely packed streets of souvenir shops – similar to the main drag in Mont St Michel in North France. Shop after shop sports their wares from the town’s legendary industries making, not just wicker baskets, but a myriad of utensils made from woven rush, palm or the indigenous esparto grass. They also produce Spanish guitars and straw hats, made here since ancient times. We loved this place and always did our souvenir shopping here.

Hot or What? – Northern Spain

Our first impression of North Spain was it felt an awful lot like Wales (mountains, beaches and lush greenery) but with heat. Our favourite patch was the Asturias, between Ribadesella and Llanes, about an hour’s drive west of Santander. Our last visit was made memorable by the wildlife – we saw a scorpion and a tarantula. At least, I think it was, but it could have been a very large, extremely hairy arachnid – anything bigger than a money spider is monstrous as far as Jo’s concerned.

Llanes

I have great memories of this villa (bottom left above) with the cute balcony, particularly lying on the grass watching the stars – the almost total lack of light pollution meant we saw way more stars than we ever do over here. Like a hundred times more. And I couldn’t get over the idea of having mountains on one side of the road and beaches on the other. I remember jogging up to the top of the ridge behind the villa and finding a huge, Dolmen-sized rock, which became my daily route. And you could see it from the road. The bottom right piccy above was one Jo used as a basis for one of her art GCSE pieces. It now hangs in our bedroom – proud mum or what?

Beach of Caves (Playa de Cuevas del Mar)

About a dozen miles west of Llanes, we returned here day after day, year after year. Apart from exploring the caves, which was a big draw, it had one of the safest coves, deep enough to swim in (when the tide was in), but shallow enough that even Stephie (who was only 4) could paddle safely without fear of the crashing waves. Being me, a favourite challenge was to swim through the gap in the rocks, which I did many times. Only once did I get caught – the tide was going out rapidly and a bunch of local lads were daring each other to attempt it, but they were all too scared. With my “I’ll show you English courage” head on, I stalked past them and swam through. It was a tad choppy, and when I emerged, both knees were bleeding from being dashed against the rocks. Still have the scars today, but in retrospect, there’s nothing funny or clever about a 40-yr-old woman dripping blood all over the beach.

The Picos Mountains (Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa)
The Picos de Europa National Park is a stunning limestone mountain range in northern Spain, spanning Asturias, Cantabria, and León, known for dramatic peaks, deep gorges, rich biodiversity, and historic villages. Wildlife includes the Cantabrian chamois (mountain goat), brown bear, Iberian wolf, bearded vulture and golden eagle. We took a cable car (Funicular) up to Fuente Dé where we took a short stroll amid the relentlessly grey rocks.
I suspect this may have been what started Steph’s love of mountains – she’s scaled Cadair Idris in Wales many times and I’m sure the rockies were one of the main reasons for her moving to Canada.


A salutary tale of bad prawns, a dog and a cow skull.
In 2000, we hired a villa in Collera, just outside Ribadesella, and it was all looking good until we had a meal in a restaurant on the first day. It was quite posh, and they welcomed us with a complementary dish of prawns. The kids didn’t fancy any, so Bri and I polished them off. I can’t remember what else we ate, but by the time we left, I was chucking it up in the street outside. Bri got sick the following day, but when we tried to get out to buy some medicine, the trusty Volvo refused to start. For three whole days, we couldn’t keep any food down and had no way of contacting the RAC – mobile phones had not yet entered our psyche. Although only 11, 10 and 7, the kids managed to look after themselves because we had no chance of doing anything approaching that, as we existed on chicken noodle soup and they munched through whatever we’d bought on the first day. They had a lot of fun with the neighbour’s huge black hound called Nello, whose favourite plaything was a massive cow’s skull.
It all came good in the end – we managed to borrow a neighbour’s phone, get the car fixed and drive into town to get some Imodium and supplies. Thankfully, the car managed to hold it together all the way back to Coventry. However that October, in the Loire valley it threw another wobble and the headlights went so we couldn’t eat out in the evenings. By the next year, Bri bought his first Landrover Discovery, complete with a DVD player so the kids could watch movies on the long journeys. We thought it was so-oo space-age.

Hot or What? - Southern France

So many of our holidays began on Brittany ferries, and we spent many a happy hour playing cards in the Commodore Lounge, having sussed early on what a different experience you could have by paying a little extra. I love this first photo, showing how protective Chris was of Jo.

Lake District
The one and only time we stayed in Limousin (somewhere between Limoges and Clermont-Ferrand if memory serves), I remember it being perpetually muggy and close. Although totally land-locked, we did visit the beach of a huge lake and hired pedalos.

Atlantic Coast
1991 saw us near Biarritz, and my enduring memory is of the sand dunes at Arcachon.
One of our first holidays with a pool was somewhat further north near Royan in 1992 with 2-year-old Jo looking cute as a button, and a handsome Chris shortly before his 4th birthday.

Mediterranean Coast
In 1993, 4 & 5, we took the 24-hour ferry cruise to North Spain (Santander), then took a few days to travel across to a gite in the region of Var, spending a week there before driving up to Paris (in a day) to stay in a Disneyland hotel and visit the park.
We have several videos of Jo singing "Look at this stuff," from the Little Mermaid, and the crocodile was an essential pool/beach toy.
The gite in Flayosc was memorable for Stephie's first steps, and the bottom right photo is hanging up in our hall - one of my favourites ever.

Lourdes
This place was something else - we found a cool hotel with a family room for all five of us and a balcony overlooking the town, which although choc-a-block full of tacky souvenir shops, had a certain charm. At least once we visited the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, staying for a mass and doing the whole tourist bit of queueing to walk past the grotto.
But the take home for me was the amazing water - each time we brought more containers. Over five years later, we found a bottle buried in the spare wheel compartment, and the water was still as cool and clear as when we collected it. Truly magical!

Al-fresco dining
One of the joys of self-catering holidays was siting down to dinner in the outside dining area provided by almost all of the French Gites and Spanish Villas. We would go to town with exotic meals and we have many photos of us sitting down to lavish meals.
Another Gray custom was wherever we stayed we’d have a bowl of fresh fruit – quite often purloined from the one provided in the commodore cabin.

Hot or What? - Mid-France

Loire Valley

We spent many October half-terms in gites in the Loire valley when the kids were growing up, and it's the place I hanker after most when our ability to travel is restricted. Unfortunately, I didn't keep detailed records of all the places we visited, but a quick tot up says there were at least a dozen, one of which was in the grounds of a small Chateau. I have vivid memories of many fabulous holiday homes with exposed beams, log fires, and semi-wild gardens. I would always find a circuit for a daily jog of at least a couple of miles, and quite often there was a local farm shop where we could buy fresh eggs, milk and cheese to accompany our favourite dish: tarte aux champignons.

We must have visited over a dozen chateaux, including the ones which feature in many of the top lists, i.e. Chenonceau, Chambord, Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry and Ussé. Saumur Gets a special mention, because it's twinned with Warwick, where I spent a decade in a house whose garden backed on to the castle grounds. One of the most memorable sheets was in a small town called Pallau-sur-indre, and we booked the same place in 2007 and 8. In particular, at the bottom of the garden was a small cave, which linked up with a network of caves which ram underneath the castle. The first time we went we were not really equipped to explore too far, so on the second time we made sure we had powerful torches. Despite the numbers painted on the walls in various different colours, it was extremely Easy to get lost and the girls stayed outside, anxiously waiting for us to return.

The most recent trip was October 2019, staying just outside Angers, where we celebrated my 60th birthday: We visited the Caves Grenelle at Saumur for a wonderful guided tour and wine sampling. The moment we parked the car, the heavens opened with torrential rain oh biblical proportions bouncing off the courtyard so we were soaked by the time we reached the lobby. However by the time we had to go outside, it had stopped. We were so impressed, we bought home two cases of their wines, including several sparkling reds. Now we're able to travel again this is my first destination to stock up on some more.

Green Venice
Many of the villages we've stayed, particularly in France, are situated on a river. Bri’s always had a fascination with boats and has piloted every type you can imagine from pedalos & punts to swanky speed boats. So in 1998, when we stayed near la Rochelle, we had several trips out in boats, as you can see from the pix. The top left shows one of the daily practices which soon became a tradition - a stroll to the boulangerie for the daily baguette.


Oradour-sur-Glane

I have mixed feelings about recommending this place, it's possibly one of the most harrowing experiences, and the atmosphere hits you as soon as you step out of the car. In a cruel and heartless retribution, four days after D-day, a 200-strong panzer division rounded up all the women and children in this village in the church, and all the men in barns and sheds. The soldiers set fire to every single building in the place, and those attempting to escape were machine-gunned.
The entire village has been preserved as a monument to the 642 people who died - definitely not for the faint hearted. Most moving for me was the lone vehicle believed to be the doctor’s car. He had arrived back in Oradour from visiting a patient whilst the round-up of the villagers was taking place. He parked his car and joined his father, the mayor, in waiting to see what was going to happen. This view is one of the best known of all the images of Oradour, symbolising as it does, a frozen instant of time.

Hot or What? – Northern France

Brittany

My first experience of France, was a family trip to Brittany in summer after finishing my a levels. Grateful to discover I had reasonably good sea legs on the ferry, I joined in with fascination as we discovered warm seas, stunning sights and scrummy crepes. I was particularly taken with the fortified island in Concarneau and the standing stones at Carnac. One of my takeaways, however, involved a British couple on the ferry home who declared their loathing of the French pancakes, calling them creepies. Nowt as queer as folk!

So with a toddler and a six-month-old, hubby and I ventured back to Brittany, staying in a fabulous gite with a pool table, which we returned to one year later. We were truly bitten by the explorer bug, but one of our excursions, seeking a place known as Merlin's Tomb in Paimpont forest, our trusty Volvo ended up in a ditch. Both being engineers, we returned To the site and borrowed enough logs (conveniently lying around), to lift the tyre out of a ditch. On returning them, we gave copious thanks to Merlin - it truly was a magical experience.


Normandy

We enjoyed our first trip, in October 2000, so much, we returned three more times in that decade. We also popped over to Caen in November 2017 for my daughter's birthday - she was working in Paris at the time. The big pulls for us were the Bayeux tapestry, the Normandy landing beaches, and the jewel in the crown: the Mont St Michel. There’s something truly magical about the narrow, cobbled streets which wend their way around the island up to the abbey of Saint Michael at the summit. It seems every square inch of the island is devoted to tourism, with wall-to-wall hotels, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. We returned there several times, the most recent included a two-night stay in La Mere Poulard to celebrate my 60th birthday.

That visit coincided with the 80th anniversary of the start WWII, so there were a stack of related events, around the patch.

The previous year (2018) was the 100th anniversary of end WWI, so I organised a trip for Dad and I to visit a bunch of salient sites, including a trip following the Somme for dozens of miles. We toured several war memorials and museums, including the Wellington tunnels at Arras – well worth a visit.

But even more memorable for me were the tunnels at Bouzincourt – we were lucky to get a private viewing and, without all the safety features, it was much closer to the experience the men would have had.

Hot or what? – My Greek Love Affair

In light of the recent UK heatwave – rarer on a bank holiday than unicorn droppings, let alone hen’s teeth – I thought I’d revisit some of our awesome holiday destinations. Any excuse to look through the holiday pix. As it happens, I’m currently having great fun remembering some of the fabulous experiences on Greek islands, many of which my characters get to share. Well they do say write about what you know about! Some of them feature in Helen’s Hazard, and yet more are in Janet’s Jeopardy, the 5th in the Calamity Chicks series, the one I’m writing right now. At least I will be as soon as I finish this post.

The first holiday with my wonderful hubby was in September 1985 on the fabulous island of Rodos (Rhodes), when we stayed in a wonderful, traffic-free village, Lindos. This made a huge impression on me, in particular the establishment, “Lindos by Night,” a fabulous bar set on four floor with phenomenal views over the village and especially the acropolis. With it being our first foreign holiday, we hadn’t hired a car, and Bri hadn’t taken his driver’s licence, so the most we could hire on my provisional licence was a motorbike. Thankfully, he was an experienced rider, and we explored a few nearby villages, to add to the couple of coach tours we’d taken. The most memorable being the valley of the butterflies (Petaloudes), where we walked along the serene paths, surrounded by waterfalls, streams, and the gentle murmur of water.

May 1986 Plakias, Kriti (Crete)
We definitely upped our game this time, hiring a car to tour the largest of the greek islands. Being us, we liked to explore well off the beaten track and one of my strongest memories was of going indigenous in a tiny restaurant up in the hills. Although the sign said it was a taverna, but we felt like we'd stepped into someone's dining room. The hostess didn't speak a word of English, so she took us into the back kitchen and showed us a couple of pans bubbling on the sove - what looked like a beef stew and rice. Except the rice turned out to be soggy, oily pasta. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of complimenting the food in my limited Greek, and she was so pleased she brought out a tin of what looked like bakewell tartlets. Unfortunate because the one I chose had several parches of blue green mould. But I couldn't exactly refuse it after her generosity. And like the specks of mould on bread, it did me no harm. The best takeaway was the off-the-cuff proposal, and for some crazy reason we set the date for 27th September - a mere six months hence.

Sept 1986 Sidari, Kerkira (Corfu)
The first day we arrived, there had been a thunderstorm which knocked out all the power and water in the accommodation. Which turned out to be a long stone building split into rooms by flimsy partitions which didn't reach all the way to the floor. Not exactly the level of privacy you'd want for a honeymoon. Thankfully, the pservices were back on by the second day and the people next to us left the day after that.
The top couple of pix show the famous "Canal D'Amour" in Sidari (the tiny northern village we stayed in. Legend had it that if a maiden swam through there, she would find the man of her dreams. Nowadays, they say if a couple swim through it together, they will find true love. Either way, it worked its magic! Unfortunately, modern-day Sidari is way more Benidorm - or "Blackpool with sun."

Sept 1987 Rethymnon, Kriti (Crete)
This time, we stayed in a village due north of the previous lodgings, although we did get down to Plakias, spending the day revisiting old haunts, and a memorably evening on the beach.

We also returned to complete the full walk through the Samaria Gorge (left) via a coach trip. Nothing tasted so good as that first sip of beer after walking 13 km through a picturesque rift.

The following year saw our first addition to the family, a beautiful, bouncing son whose arrival on July 23rd meant he would have been created during this holiday. It's no coincidence we gave him a Greek name - Christopher, meaning bearer of Christ.

September 2020, Kerkira (Corfu)
Driving a hire car in amongst those crazy Greek accidents-waiting-to-happen wasn't the most conducive to peace and serenity, but it did allow us to revisit some old haunts. On the east, we visited the Durrell's "White House," but no sign of Keeley Hawes. A flying drive through Kassiopi where there was nowhere obvious to park for the Byzantine Castle, then a disappointment on the western Logas where the magnificent view of the sunset from the glass balcony was denied us - closed due to COVID. We had undivided attention and a marvellous gyro (donner kebab) at a Pitta place, and parked at the bottom of the magnificent Angelocastro. The double/triple hairpin bend on the way out reminded us why we wouldn't make it to that one either.
But the following day, Paleocastritsa felt like coming home - we remembered swimming all the way out to where those rocks meet the horizon on the 4th piccie. We walked up to the monastery, then had a well-earned beer overlooking the picturesque beach. Awesome stuff. Here's a wee flavour of Corfu 2020.

Who are you? ...

... and what have you done with Jacky Gray?

I know, right? This is probably only the third year in my life I've been anywhere close to doing something with football.

The first was 1987, when Coventry City won the FA Cup. I wouldn't have called Brian an avid fan, but the opportunity to support our local team was overwhelming. Consequently, along with thousands of others I don't as much sky blue clothing as I could. There was plenty of sky blue eye shadow leftover from the 70s, and I even bought blue lipstick. And a ton of blue ribbons, so the ones which weren't in my hair found themselves in bows in our poor dog's collar and lead. Rocky took it all in good part. The three of us walked into town to cheer on the Sky Blue players as they rode through the city centre in an open-topped, double-decker bus. I even went to my one and only match at Highfield Rd, and was privileged to see the phenomenal Steve Ogrizovic in goal. “Oggy, Oggy, Oggy, Oi, Oi, Oi!”

The next dabble with football was 2001, when Marconi, who had businesses in many different countries, run their own world cup. Being a true blue card carrying geek, I had the hand to eye coordination of a wet cabbage and couldn't kick a ball to save my life. But there were so few women in our department, they let me in as a winger because I could run up and down the pitch no problem. Our team was called Comic Strip, and the best bit about the training was definitely the pint in the clubhouse afterwards. Lots of the women were busy moms who couldn't make all the sessions, so I brought in my two daughters (aged 8 and 11), Who both played football for their school teams. And my 12 year old son who, although far more of a geeky gamer, run rings around the rest of us when it came to fancy footwork. Good times. My biggest regret was being unable to play football in our final match, because I had an abdominal operation the previous day. But I wouldn't let them give me any anaesthetic so I could at least attend and support. Needless to say we didn't get past the first round, but we had so much fun and our manager/coach, Yad the Bad, was just the best.

Brian’s been a season ticket holder for at least three decades, and I usually listen uncomprehendingly as he enthuses or laments, with a suitably encouraging Or sympathetic expression. Even I could tell this year was different for Cov, Under the phenomenal mentoring of Frank Lampard, resulting in then the streets ahead of the pack, and a well deserved promotion. I even spent several matches chatting online too our son, Chris, who follows then ardently from afar. At the end of my month long binge of every marvel movie and every episode of Agent Carter and agents of shield, Disney plus decided in its wisdom that my next venues should be welcome to Wrexham. Obviously that microphone they have in the corner off the dining room add a worked on several conversations and decided I should move from superhero to football reality show. Maybe the link is Ryan Reynolds/Deadpool? Anyway the upshot is I'm totally hooked - it's a cross between Clarkson’s Farm and Ted Lasso. Oops – forgot that brief binge a couple of years ago – probably because it was less about the football and more about the relationships. Must go back and re-visit that.

Why am I devoting a post to this today? Because Bri and I dashed home from Wales, sniggering at the bank holiday queues going in the opposite direction as we travelled 124 miles virtually unhindered, to get back in time for 3:30. The kick-off of the Championship Playoffs Final, to find the third team to join Coventry and Ipswich in the Premier League next year. So much controversy after Southampton admitted to spying on training sessions of their opponents despite knowing it was against the rules. Poor old Middlesbrough, having narrowly missed the final, went off on their holidays, and let loose after months of restrictions. With days to go, they were called back to Wembley to play against Hull, who themselves only had a couple of days to unlearn everything they knew about Southampton and start from scratch with Middlesbrough. And there was even a case that Wrexham should have been included in the mix which would have feathered the rise to the top even more. Brian is happy that Hull’s goal in extra time after 90 minutes of sweltering heat produced the right result.

Dopplegangers - Female

Women you never rarely see in the same room:

Geraldine McEwan – Maggie Smith

Born May 1932 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie 1978 - Jean Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves 1991 - Mortiana Marple 2004 - Miss Marple	Born Dec 1934 Hook 1991 – Granny Wendy Sister Act 1992 - Mother Superior Harry Potter 2001 - Minerva McGonagall Downton Abbey 2004 - Violet

Meryl Streep – Helen Mirren

Born June 1949 Kramer vs. Kramer 1979 - Joanna Devil Wears Prada 2006 - Miranda Mamma Mia 2008 - Donna	Born July 1945 Prime Suspect 1991 – DI Jane Tennison The Queen 2006 - QEII 1923 2022 – Cara Dutton

Natalie Portman - Keira Knightley

Born June 1981 Star Wars Phantom Menace 1999 - Queen Amidala/Pame V for Vendetta 2005 - Evey The Other Boleyn Girl 2008 - Anne Boleyn Thor 2011 – Jane	Born March 1985 Pirates of the Caribbean 2003 – Elizabeth Swann Love Actually 2003 - Juliet Pride & Prejudice 2005 – Elizabeth The Imitation Game 2014 – Joan Clarke

Helen Hunt – Jodie Foster

Born June 1963 Girls Just Want to Have Fun 1985 - Lynne Twister 1996 - Dr Jo Harding As Good as it Gets 1997 - Carol What Women Want 2000 - Darcy Pay it Forward 2000 - Arlene	Born November 1962 Freaky Friday 1974 – Annabel Bugsy Malone 1976 - Tallulah Silence of the Lambs 1991 – Clarice Starling Maverick 1994 - Annabelle Bransford Contact 1997 - Ellie Arroway

Drew Barrymore – Reese Witherspoon – Brittany Snow

Born Feb 1975 E.T.  1982 - Gertie Scream 1996 - Casey Never Been Kissed 1999 - Josie Geller Charlie's Angels 2000 - Dylan Santa Clarita Diet 2017 - Sheila Hammond	Born March 1976 Pleasantville  1998 – Jenny Legally Blonde 2001 - Elle  Sweet Home Alabama 2002 – Melanie Walk the Line 2005 - June Carter Cash Just Like Heaven 2005- Dr Elizabeth Masterson	Born March 1986 John Tucker Must Die 20065 - Kate Hairspray 2007 - Amber Prom Night 2008 - Donna The Vicious Kind 2009 - Emma Pitch Perfect 2012 - Chloe

Play Up Sky Blues

Anyone living in Coventry couldn't fail to be aware of the city-wide excitement involving many thousands of households who decorated their homes in various shades of blue and white. The celebrations started when it was confirmed the team would definitely be in the top 2 of the Championship league, and culminated on May 4th with a huge parade from the football ground to the Memorial Park. There thousands watched as a bunch of local bands played and even Kylie sent a recorded message.
Here's a couple of photo-montages of my experience.

Doppelgangers - Male

Hubby and I had an interesting conversation last week as we tried to identify an actor. I couldn’t decide between John Hannah and Titus Welliver and it turned out to be James Nesmith. Then we started thinking about other lookalikes and came up with quite a few.
The internet is full of sites – here’s a few.

John Hannah   –   James Nesbitt   –   Titus Welliver

Born April 1962 4 Weddings & a Funeral 1994 - Matthew Sliding Doors 1994 - Matthew The Mummy 1999 - Jonathan Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 2016 - Holden Radciffe

Born January 1965 Ballykissangel 1996 - Leo McGarvey Playing the Field 1998- John Dolan The Hobbit 2012 - Bofur Cold Feet 2020 - Adam Williams

Born March 1962 Sons of Anarchy 2009 - James O'Phelan Suits 2011-5 - Dominic Barone Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 2013 - Felix Blake Bosch 2014-25 - Harry Bosch

Gregor Fisher   –   Mark Addy   –   Nick Frost

Born Dec 1953 Rab C Nesbitt 1988 Love Actually 2003 - Joe Oliver Twist 2007 - Mr Bumble

Born January 1964 The Full Monty 1997 - Dave Jack Frost 1998 - Mac MacArthur A Knight's Tale 2001 - Roland Robin Hood 2010 - Friar Tuck Game of Thrones 2011 - Robert Baratheon

Born March 1972 Shaun of the Dead 2004 - Ed Kinky Boots 2005 - Don Hot Fuzz 2007 - PC Danny Butterman The World's End 2013 - Andy Knightly

Gerald Butler   –   Russel Crowe   –   David Morse

Born November1969 Tomorrow Never Dies 1997 - Leading Seaman Reign of Fire 2002 - Creedy Lara Croft 2003- Terry Sheridan P.S. I Love You 2007 - Gerry London has Fallen 2016 - Mike Banning

Born April 1964 Proof of Life 2000 - Terry Thorne Gladiator 2000- Maximus Robin Hood 2010 - Robin Longstride Les Miserables 2012 - Javert

Born October 1953 The Rock 1996 - Major Tom Baxter The Green Mile 1999 - Brutus Howell Proof of Life 2000 - Peter Bowman House 2006 - Michael Tritter

Skeet Ulrich    –    Johnny Depp

Born Jan 1970 Scream 1996 – Billy Loomis As Good as it Gets 1997 - Vincent Into the West 2005 - Jethro Riverdale 2017 – FP James

Born June 1963 Edward Scissorhands 1990 - Edward Pirates of the Caribbean 2003 – John Sparrow Charlie & the Chocolate Factory 2005 – Willy Wonka Fantastic Beasts 2016 - Grindlewald

  

  

Malcom McDowell    –    Terrence Stamp

Born June 1943 If … 1968 – Mick Travis A Clockwork Orange 1971 - Alex DeLarge Time After Time 1979 - HG Wells Star Trek: Generations 1994 – Dr. Tolian Soran Mozart in the Jungle 2014 – Thomas Pembridge

Born July 1938 Modesty Blaise 1966 - Willie Garvin Superman 1978 – General Zod Legal Eagles 1986 – Victor Taft Wall Street 1987 - Sir Larry Wildman Young Guns 1988 – John Tunstall

1970s prices

The 1970s in the UK were marked by a mix of economic growth and inflation. Here are some key price points from that decade, reflecting the economic conditions of the time, with inflation being a significant factor in the cost of living. The figures are not absolutes, but averaged over those from a number of different sources. The given price of petrol is based on £1.22 per lire. Today's price is £1.55/litre, £7.05/gallon.
Despite the rising prices, there was a slight improvement in living standards compared to the 1960s.

Item	1970	1975	1979	2026
Monthly Pay	£121	£260	£403	£3158
House	£4,975	£10,388	£19,925	£285,000
Fort Cortina	£690	£1,840	£3995	£26,135
Fridge	£32.55	£1000	£148	£200
TV	£73-£249	£60-£259	£73-£260	£100-£500
Bottle Scotch	£2.69	£4.19	£4.75	£20.25
Gallon Petrol	32p	57p	75p	£5.54
Pack Cigarettes	20p	42p	67p	£17
Pint Beer	15p	24p	45p	£4.77
Dozen Eggs	20p	36p	56p	£1.85
Loaf Bread	7p	15p	25p	£1.40
Pack Crisps	3p	8p	20p	42p
Pint Milk	4p	8p	15p	52p

1970s TV Crime Shows – US

The 1970s marked a transformative period in television history with a golden age for detective and cop shows. These series captivated viewers with their intricate plots, star-studded casts, and provocative social commentary. The characters navigated various settings, from the sun-soaked streets of Los Angeles to urban New York. The shows did more than unmask the perpetrators of crimes; they unearthed deeper societal issues, often using the criminal justice system as a lens to scrutinize the social fabric of the time.

Ironside 67-75
Ironside uses a wheelchair after an attempted assassination left him paralyzed. With his former assistants Brown and Whitfield (later Belding) and former delinquent (and later lawyer) Mark, he combats crime for the San Francisco police from his mobile office (a van) while leaving a pot of chili cooking back at headquarters.

Hawaii Five-O 68-80
The sun-soaked shores of Oahu provide a picturesque backdrop for this thrilling police procedural that follows an elite task force as they tackle crime on the Hawaiian Islands. Five-0 was a special state police unit answering only to the Governor of Hawaii. It worked with Honolulu police to fight the underworld in the island state. Sooner or later virtually all the bad guys heard Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord55) grunt "Book 'em, Danno!" though chief bad guy Wo Fat was caught after MacArthur left the series.

McCloud 70-77
Navigating the gritty streets of 1970s New York City, a cowboy-hat-wearing detective from Taos, New Mexico, Sam McCloud (Dennis Weaver) finds himself solving complex crimes with his unique perspective and unorthodox methods. The show's success lies in its seamless blend of humour, action, and drama; showcasing engaging character dynamics between McCloud's down-to-earth wisdom clashing with his urban counterparts' scepticism whilst unravelling intriguing mysteries that keep viewers enthralled throughout each episode.

Longstreet 71-72
A visually impaired detective, portrayed by the inimitable James Franciscus, teams up with a martial arts expert and philosopher played by Bruce Lee, to unravel mysteries that confound even those with sight. Set against the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans, this show masterfully intertwines elements of crime-solving drama and martial arts action while delving into themes such as overcoming personal limitations and the power of intellect over physical prowess.

Cannon 71-76
Diving into the world of a rotund private detective, this American series captivated audiences during its five-year run on CBS in the early 1970s. With William Conrad masterfully portraying Frank Cannon, viewers were treated to thrilling investigations and clever plot twists that showcased the protagonist's keen intellect and determination.

Columbo 71-98
The show revolves around a seemingly bumbling, yet brilliant detective who solves murder cases with his unassuming demeanour and relentless pursuit of the truth. When you first saw him, Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) looked like a bum that just came off the street. He had a bumbling demeanour, was overly polite and seemed to chomp on the same short cigar on a daily basis. However, beneath all that comical exterior was probably the most dogged investigator in the Los Angeles Police Department. Columbo was often called on to investigate high profile murders that involved the rich and famous. The culprits were often amused by him, and just as they thought they were going to get away with murder, Columbo would find a way to trap them or find enough evidence to make them confess.

Streets of San Francisco 72-77
This captivating crime drama series, set in the picturesque city by the bay, follows two detectives as they navigate the challenging terrain of solving murders and bringing justice to their community. A pair of plainclothes homicide detectives, Lieutenant Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas), cruise the streets of San Francisco, California solving a variety of crimes, usually involving murder. Stone is the street-smart twenty-year veteran cop, and Keller is the college-educated rookie. Much of the series' success was due to the friendly by-play and relationship between the two leads.

Kojak 73-78
Set in the gritty streets of Manhattan during the 1970s, it features Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas) as a tough cop with unorthodox methods and memorable catchphrases, but his trademark is a fondness for lollipops. Despite his difficult work, he tirelessly brings criminals to justice while staying upbeat and good-natured. With catchphrases "Who loves ya, baby?", "Quit ya bellyaching", and "Cootchie-coo!" Kojak was stubborn and tenacious in his investigation of crimes—and also displayed a dark, cynical wit, along with a tendency to bend the rules if it brought a criminal to justice.

Shaft 73-74
Based on the movies of the same name, John Shaft is a two-fisted black private eye along the lines of Mike Hammer and Phillip Marlowe. Each week presents a different case and a different crime to solve.

Police Woman 74-8 
A ground breaking television series from the 1970s follows the story of a courageous female officer Sergeant "Pepper" Anderson (Angie Dickenson), LAPD's top undercover cop, who combats crime and challenges societal norms in Los Angeles. A member of the Criminal Conspiracy Unit, Pepper works the wild side of the street, where she poses as everything from a gangster's moll to a streetwalker to a prison inmate.

The Rockford Files 74-80
Jim Rockford, an ex-convict turned private investigator who solves a variety of cases while navigating the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles. The show's success can be attributed to its unique blend of humour and suspense, as well as the compelling performance by James Garner in the lead role. Additionally, memorable supporting characters such as his father Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.) and his former cellmate Angel (Stuart Margolin) contribute to its enduring appeal by providing both emotional depth and comic relief.

Baretta 75-78 
Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) is a street-smart, maverick undercover cop with the N.Y.P.D., who won't hesitate for a second to toss the rule book out the window if it stands between him and taking some bad guy off the street. His unconventional methods often land him in hot water with his boss (Lieutenant Shiller (Dana Elcar), later Lieutenant Hal Brubaker (Edward Grover)), but as long as Baretta was getting the job done, there wasn't much they could do. Ex-cop Billy Truman (Tom Ewell) and Rooster (Michael D. Roberts) were Baretta's main men on the street, and Fred was his pet cockatoo. His catchphrases include "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time", "You can take dat to da bank" and "And dat's the name of dat tune."

Starsky & Hutch 75-9
Two streetwise cops bust criminals in their red-and-white Ford Gran Torino with the help of police snitch Huggy Bear. Tough Det. Sgt. Dave Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and educated Det. Sgt. Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (David Soul) are plainclothes cops taking on dope dealers, muggers, and other thugs, aided by their souped-up red-and-white 1974 Ford Special Edition Gran Torino and their informant, Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas). Both bachelors' private lives play out as interweaving threads in the drama.

Charlie’s Angels 76-81
Sabrina Duncan, Kelly Garrett and Jill Monroe were all graduates of the Los Angeles Police Academy. However, rather than do meaningful police work like their male counterparts, they are given menial jobs such as meter maid (Sabrina), crossing guard (Kelly) and typist (Jill). Reclusive millionaire Charlie Townsend hires the trio to work for his private investigation agency. Their only contact with him is through the phone and through his right hand man John Bosley. In the course of their duties they often go undercover to try to get the goods on the various criminals they go after. A year after joining the firm, Jill quits the agency to become a driver on the Formula-1 circuit and is replaced by her kid sister Kris, who originally was going to be a teacher, but followed in her big sister's footsteps and became a police officer herself in San Francisco, but like her big sister was given menial duties. A couple of years later Sabrina quits to get married and start a family and is replaced by former Boston policewoman Tiffany Wells. Tiffany quits a year after joining the firm and was replaced by ex-model Julie Rogers.

Quincy 76-83
This captivating crime drama series follows the life of a brilliant medical examiner, Dr. Quincy (played by Jack Klugman), who uses his forensic expertise to solve baffling cases and advocate for public health issues. Set in Los Angeles, the show delves into various themes such as political corruption, social injustice, and ethical dilemmas while providing viewers with an insightful look into the world of forensic pathology.

Chips 77-83
Set in the late 1970s and early 1980s California, it follows the lives of two motorcycle officers from the California Highway Patrol as they enforce law and order on Los Angeles' freeways. The show's dynamic duo, Officer Jon Baker (played by Larry Wilcox) and Officer Frank "Ponch" Poncherello (portrayed by Erik Estrada), tackle a variety of challenging cases while also dealing with personal struggles

Hart to Hart 79-84
Jonathan Hart (Robert Wagner) was a self-made millionaire, the C.E.O. of Hart Industries, a global conglomerate. His gorgeous wife Jennifer (Stefanie Powers) was a freelance journalist. They were both amateur sleuths, and in every episode found themselves up to their eyeballs in murder, smuggling, theft, and international espionage. They also managed to find time to snuggle together, as they loved each other very much. Max (Lionel Stander) was their loyal, gravelly-voiced butler, cook, and chauffeur, and Freeway their pet canine.

1970s TV Crime Shows - UK

Characteristics of 1970s British Detective Series
These series collectively defined British crime television in the 1970s, blending suspense, drama, and social commentary, and remain influential in the genre today.
• Realism and Grit: Many series, like Z-Cars and The Sweeney, emphasized realistic portrayals of police work and urban crime.
• Character-Driven Stories: Shows often explored the personal lives of detectives alongside their professional duties.
• Procedural Focus: Series frequently highlighted investigative techniques, from forensic methods to detective intuition.
• Cultural Impact: These shows influenced public perceptions of policing and crime, and some, like The Sweeney, became cultural icons with lasting popularity.

By no means comprehensive, this chronological list only features series where I actually watched at least one episode, and it includes some shows from the late 60s.

Dixon of Dock Green 55-76
Constable George Dixon and his colleagues at the Dock Green police station in the East End of London deal with petty crime, successfully controlling it through common sense and human understanding.

Avengers 61-69
John Steed (Patrick Macnee) works for British Intelligence and works with various partners, notably: Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry) (season one), Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) (seasons two and three), Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) (seasons four, five, and six), and Tara King (Linda Thorson) (season seven). The problems he finds are always a bit odd, just on the edge of science fiction (cyborg killers, a city built under a disused coal mine, a gang put together for adrenaline junkies, and a killer who used a concentrated cold virus to kill his victims by having them sneeze to death). Steed is always the ultimate in culture and grace as he saves the world each week.

The Saint 62-69
The Saint is a modern-day Robin Hood of sorts; he prevents criminals from succeeding. Where a reward is offered, or where the criminal's loot is not discovered or disappears, he keeps it to cover his expenses. Simon Templar (Roger Moore) must always stay one step ahead of the law. Fortunately, his wit, charm, and knowledge of a criminal's ways make this a fairly easy task.

Z-cars 62-78
A gritty drama which follows the work of the police force in the fictional town of Newtown in the North of England. There were no car chases because there were not the facilities to record them in those days for TV drama. The programme certainly showed a more realistic side to police officers lives, because, unlike Dixon of Dock Green it showed policemen as ordinary men, not as some sort of patient saint. There was a hue and cry very early on when PC Steele (Jeremy Kemp) threw his dinner at the wall and struck his wife. Dixon would NEVER had done that - but real coppers did - as did, sadly, far too many men in those far off days.

Police 5 62-92
Long-running notice board for the police, who via the amiable presenter Shaw Taylor would request help from the viewer in helping them solve various crimes. The original title of the show comes from each episode running for 5 minutes. The revived version was 30 minutes, broadcast on Channel 5.

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) 69-71
Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk are private detectives who specialize in divorce cases. Their long-running partnership seems to come to an abrupt end when Marty is killed in a hit-and-run incident, but he is soon back--as a ghost--to help solve his own murder. In so doing he misses his chance to go to heaven, thanks to an ancient curse that states: "Before the sun shall rise, each ghost unto his grave must go. Cursed be the ghost who dares to stay and face the awful light of day." So Marty is stuck on Earth, as a white-suited spirit whom only Jeff can see, continuing their partnership and keeping (jealous) tabs on his widow, Jean.

Department S 1969-70
An elite department within Interpol, Department S inherits those cases which the other member groups have failed to solve. The brains of the group is Jason King (Peter Wyngarde), a hedonistic maverick who writes mystery novels and solves real-life crimes by projecting himself into the shoes of his fictional hero, Mark Caine. American Stewart Sullivan (Joel Fabiani) is the fighter and pragmatist of the group, as down to Earth and cynical as Jason is flighty and flamboyant. Annabelle Hurst (Rosemary Nichols) is their scientist and analyst, whom Jason often accuses of loving nothing in the world except her computer. Although there is strong loyalty amongst the trio, there is also a lot of competition, especially between Annabelle and Jason, who seldom agree on any theory and are continually trying to show each other up by solving cases using their preferred methods. 

Special Branch 69-74
Groundbreaking British police drama series following the exploits of the Special Branch of the Metropolitan Police: an elite group of officers tasked with protecting London from spies, terrorists, and subversives.

Softly, Softly: Taskforce 69-76
This West Country police force solving local crime. its a spin-off from another BBC drama series, Z Cars (1962). A British police procedural, serving as a revamp of the older series "Softly Softly". At the end of the previous series, both Detective Chief Superintendent Barlow and Detective Inspector Watt applied for a promotion. In this series, Barlow has been appointed as the head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the newly formed Thamesford Constabulary. Shortly after that, Watt is appointed as the deputy head of the department and the commander of its primary task force. The task force contains a mixture of CID and uniform personnel and is meant to provide a resource for use in big operations. With few exceptions, Barlow and Watt personally handle major crime cases and leave the more mundane police duties to their subordinates.

Jason King 71-4
After leaving Department S, hedonistic, womanizing dandy Jason King (Peter Wyngarde) settled down to a full-time career of writing (trashy) Mark Caine novels. He philandered his way around the world, doing research for his stories and tripping over a variety of odd--often verging on surreal--cases, usually involving beautiful women. He was occasionally blackmailed into working for British Intelligence under the threat of being arrested for unpaid back taxes.

Persuaders 71-2
Two wealthy playboys, British Lord Brett Sinclair (Roger Moore)and American Danny Wilde (Tony Curtis), are teamed up by Judge Fulton to investigate crimes that the police cannot solve. These two men are complete opposites, but become great friends through their adventures and constantly risk their own lives for each other.

New Scotland Yard 72-4
John Woodvine and Alan Carlisle are the police officers who work on various criminal cases around London. The former officer is very good at his job and is respected. The latter officer though, is something of a loose cannon. He is prone to being rather overzealous in the execution of his duty and ends up in trouble at one stage. There's a good deal of variety, with the duo battling everyday murders, art frauds, even crimes of international and diplomatic themes. The domestic crimes work best - not in the same league of "Sweeney" but very watchable.

Protectors 72-4
The Protectors were Harry Rule (Robert Vaughn), Contessa Caroline di Contini (Nyree Dawn Porter), and Paul Buchet (Tony Anholt), three freelance trouble-shooters who ran an international crimefighting agency. Based in London, Harry was the leader of the group. The Contessa lived in Italy; when she wasn't working with Harry, she ran her own detective agency that specialized in exposing art fraud and recovering stolen art. Paul Buchet worked out of Paris, and was the group's researcher and gadget specialist. Their adventures ranged from simple kidnapping to convoluted cases of international intrigue.

Van der Valk 72-92 (Set in Amsterdam)
An excellent updated take on the character from a series of best- selling novels by Author Nicolas Freeling with a superlative characterisation by actor Barry Foster in the lead role. Furthermore, it was the marrying of Foster's performance with the intelligent and gritty realism of the scripts and location that made this a must-see of the time. The city of Amsterdam is beautifully captured in each and every overcast shot of period detail - trams, bikes, canals, cars and bars all add to the realistic take on a glorious setting. When this series first debuted on the ITV network in 1972 it touched on surprisingly adult themes such as pornography, homosexuality, hard drugs and child murder, quite ground-breaking stuff for a UK made TV show at the time. This inevitably meant it had to be shown in the post watershed (9pm) time slot.

Sweeney 75-78
Jack Regan (John Thaw) and George Carter (Dennis Waterman) are hard-edged detectives in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan Police. They pursue villains by methods which are underhanded and often illegal, frequently violent and--more often than not--successful. They get to deal with the trickiest cases and toughest criminals. To succeed in this job Regan, Carter, and their crew need to be ultra-tough themselves. And they are.

Raffles 75-77
Most people know A.J. Raffles only as a gentleman of leisure and a top-rated cricketer, but he is also "the amateur Cracksman", an expert jewel thief. Alternately aided and hindered by his old friend, Bunny Manders, Raffles (Anthony Valentine) cuts a dashing swathe across Edwardian England, helping himself to the baubles of the very rich, sometimes playing amateur sleuth or crime fighter, and generally enjoying himself.

New Avengers 76-77
John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and his new accomplices Purdey (Joanna Lumley) and Gambit (Gareth Hunt) find themselves facing new and deadly dangers in the bizarre world of espionage. Mixing fantasy with a darker edge, the trio face mutated giant rats, flocks of killer birds and fanatical mysterious monks. Later episodes find Steed's loyalty under question and an increasing number of assignments overseas.

XYY Man 76-77
William "Spider" Scott (Stephen Yardley) has a spare "Y" chromosome in his cell structure, which makes him very tall but also gives him a compulsion to steal. He is in retirement after a career in crime as a cat burglar, but is enticed back to work for the British Secret Service by the shady Fairfax.

Professionals 77-83
Bodie (Martin Shaw) and Doyle (Lewis Collins), top agents for Britain's CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), and their controller, George Cowley fight terrorism and similar high-profile crimes. Cowley, a hard ex-MI5 operative, hand-picked each of his men. Bodie was a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper and mercenary whose nature ran to controlled violence, while his partner, Doyle, came to CI5 from the regular police force, and was more of an open-minded liberal.

Hazell 78-79
A sort of Cockney version of Philip Marlowe, James Hazell looked cool driving around 70s London in his Triumph Stag. The plots ran the gamut of 70s crime show clichés ( missing children, drug smuggling, bank raids ), with Hazell often on the receiving end of a good hiding from some underworld felon. What lifted it above the average were the witty scripts and Nicholas Ball's laconic performance in the title role.

Shoestring 79-80
Light-hearted detective series set in the West Country, about radio-phone-in detective Eddie Shoestring, a likable and flawed character. Following a period in a mental institution after he had a breakdown and smashed up computer equipment, he gets recruited to "radio west" a fictional (at the time) local radio station to be a "private ear". People who need detective services call him up and he attempts to solve the case for them, using the story in his radio show.

Minder 79-94
Arthur Daley (George Cole), a small-time conman, hires former boxer Terry McCann (Dennis Waterman) to be his minder and protect him from other small-time crooks. While Terry is putting his life at risk as he tries his hardest to satisfy his employer's demands, Arthur is busy exploiting Terry for all he is worth. When other people hire Terry's services through Arthur, Arthur usually keeps most of Terry's share of the money for himself by misleading the hard-working Terry about the amount of money he (as Terry's agent) is receiving on Terry's behalf.