March 2015 – Page 2 – John D Eccles

04/03/201506/03/2015

Track of the Week 1st March 2015

Each week I choose a song from a movie which may be popular or not. The only criteria is that its a great song and it fits the scene in the film perfectly. Let me know if you agree.

Local Hero – Mark Knopfler

“Local Hero“ was written by Mark Knopfler and was the title track used in the 80s classic film “Local Hero”. When watched in conjunction with the fantastic locations in the film the soundtrack dovetails beautifully with the almost mystical landscapes shown throughout the film.

Many believe that the music helped to make the film the success it was.

The film was produced by David Putnam and written and directed by Bill Forsyth and starred Burt Lancaster.

The Story is one of the 80’s Oil Boom in Scotland and how a local village deals with American big business. Lancaster sends his chief negotiator Peter Riegert to the remote Scottish village to secure the property rights for an oil refinery they want to build. However a local hermit and beach scavenger Ben Knox played by Fulton Mackay forces the ill prepared negotiator to negotiate on his terms.

It is a masterpiece full of brilliant performances from a cast which make the characters instantly likeable in a setting that makes you want to visit.

The real star of the Movie is the breathtaking scenery which even when watched on a small screen still makes you want to visit Penrin in Scotland were the film was made.

People who do visit often ask the locals the way to the church on the beach, they smile and then told its about 150 miles on the other coast. Now that is the magic of film making, geography is only relative to the screen.

According to film critic Mark Commode it his his all time favourite film and I can agree it is certainly in my top ten.

Roger Ebert In his review in the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film his highest four stars, calling it “a small film to treasure.” He gave particular praise to writer-director Bill Forsyth for his abilities as a storyteller. He added, what makes this film really work is the low-key approach of the writer-director,

Bill Forsyth, who has the patience to let his characters gradually reveal themselves to the camera. He never hurries, and as a result, Local Hero never drags: Nothing is more absorbing than human personalities, developed with love and humour.

Forsyth’s big scenes are his little ones, including a heartfelt, whiskey-soaked talk between the American and the innkeeper, and a scene where the visitors walk on the beach and talk about the meaning of life.

By the time Burt Lancaster reappears at the end of the film, to personally handle the negotiations with old Ben, Local Hero could hardly have anything but a happy ending.

02/03/201508/01/2018

Who I am and why I’m here

I suppose I had better introduce myself. I am John Eccles a 60 odd year old married man who has had a very eventful life in and around the education and media sectors for most of my working life.

My blog consists of various posts covering aspects of life with family and friends in the Northwest of England.

Well here goes, I live in the middle of the pennines in a small village called Diggle. I know its a strange name but its one of several small villages that cling precariously to the moorlands in an area collectively known as Saddleworth, in-between Oldham in Lancashire and Huddersfield in Yorkshire. Depending on the company you are in will determine which side of the border you admit to living in! (yes it is that contentious an issue).

I arrived here thirty years ago with my family to try and give our Kids the best start in life that living in a small community offers. So along with Ann and my two children we embarked upon what our families thought was a huge undertaking. Travelling all of ten miles to move into our first home which at the time seemed to be a very expensive small terraced stone cottage.

To a certain extent our plan was highly successful, not only have we raised the kids here along with various dogs, horses and goldfish but even our grandkids also spend a great deal of time here also.

So whats my blog about. Its about my everyday observations as a 60 odd year old person who goes through life looking for the best in everyone and in every situation. But believe me of late some days thats not been very easy.

I have found that most people in this world are the same no matter what gender, ethnicity or religion they belong to, we all have a need to feel as though we are valued and loved. I have discovered more often than not people will respond to a smile or a kind gesture and before you know it you are having a chat and showing each other photos on your mobiles.

Now my wife sees me before anyone else as the day starts and she suggests fairly frequently that Its the first cup of coffee that makes me a nice person, before that I am very grumpy.

So if you want to get an insight into the mindset of you average grumpy northern bloke who makes media stuff then this could be the place for you.

So I hope you enjoy my blog and please if you do let me know.

01/03/201503/03/2015

Living in the Land of the Pies

I am very lucky living here in the pennines. High on the moors can be a little wild in winter but when spring arrives you forget that haven’t seen any of your neighbours since Christmas and the wind and rain subsides little and life starts getting back to normal. Now I know that normal is a purely subjective concept, but normal in our village means you put your light waterproof coat on rather than three arctic standard waterproofs and your thickest woollen vest.

Now I know that I am painting a pretty bleak picture, but even in the depths of Winter I do count my blessings. We have great Pubs with roaring fires that fill your nostrils with that smell you only get off burning real logs, Great Beer in a multitude of varieties but my particular favourite Hot tasty food that warms you to the very core.

Even now I can remember coming in from school and my mother having a huge pan of homemade vegetable soup simmering on the cooker with what seemed like huge pieces of fresh bread and butter being served up as soon as we got through the door. Its strange though that all the food I remember having as a child is still around in some form or another although the portions do seem to be getting smaller.

When we sometimes do go into Manchester to dine I always look on the menu for food that I recognise, that I can compare to how it tasted in the past. More and more the restaurants try to introduce dishes that sound fantastic, some of which are, although the servings are seldom as generous as I remember.

Now like most blokes my age we were brought up on Pies, Puddings, Chips fried in beef dripping and at a push some vegetables.

Now this is were living in the Pennines has an overriding advantage. Nearly all of the farm shops here sell pies of all shapes sizes and varieties and all taste exquisite. They even compete with each other to see who makes the best pies which is always a winner especially when you see the trophies on the butchers counter top. If you partner that with Home produced bacon, free range eggs and mouth watering sausages then you will realise that my diet is a challenge, how do I eat all this stuff I love without weighing at least twenty stone.

Its simple Ann my long suffering wife attends Weight Watchers which means that for at least two thirds of the week I eat healthily, those being the days when I am particularly grumpy like some poor soul who is strung out because of withdrawal. Apparently its for my own good and i should be grateful I get to eat this wonderful food for the other third of the week.

So here I am sat on a Sunday night dreaming of pies waiting for my Sunday Dinner which because of Weight Watchers on Tuesday evening will mean we will be on Chicken and Boiled Potatoes and a couple of lettuce leaves.

I pray that Ann loses a couple of pounds this week otherwise my diet for the next week will consist of cardboard bland tasting food that will make me very grumpy indeed.