Only eight of us at Brian & Pat's on a wet morning. Notwithstanding it was an enjoyable few hours. Pat having won last month started her story first all about the Para-Olympics. Not having watched I'm amazed that there was a blind football team who played with a ball fitted with a bell.
Ann's was a sad tale about a family tragedy involving a car crash. Sheila two girls friendship. Joan going to New Zealand and meeting someone they knew. Joan Read talking voices in the head and angelic beings. John an ex unable to let go and sending malicious phone calls. Brian a war story and Lord Haw Haw.
My story won this month. Not really a story just a comment on today's changing times.
That Voice Again
Have you noticed how much speech has changed over our life time? Listen to any sound recording made during the last war and hear the difference from today's offerings. It used to be clipped and energetic spoken with a vigour that is lacking today. You won't hear that voice again. Now you hear regional accents with almost no voice training at all. To get a job in the industry like TV or radio a regional accent is essential. The weather forecasters are some of the worst offenders where even their use of the English language is maltreated. Clouds described as lumps is one of their many linguistic crimes. Does it matter that we don't try to be the best we can be in all things? I notice that in China the government in particular dress in Western suits and ties they have come a long way from the time of Mao when everybody wore a loose fitting standard garment that looked like the normal wear of a peasant.
I some times think about spending money on clothes but then when I get into town making my way to the shops I look around and see what everybody else is wearing, holed dirty jeans and shoddy looking coats and that was just the women. So I put my wallet back until I get tempted again to spend money. Although I'd rather spend it on toys such as Kindles and tablets – not the pill variety.
Mind you I did see an old TV recording of a BBC announcer Peter Haigh – do you remember him with his well modulated voice – he was interviewing an American actress and an up coming starlet and he was fawning over both of them in such a treacle voice I felt sick. It was embarrassing.
He of course was dropped in the sixties when the new fashion of representing the dumb down masses became the norm. This reminds me of McDonald Hobley I wonder what happened to him?
Just had to look him up he was still working in the industry in 1987 when at the age of 70 he died.
Another remarkable thing is in 1956 he was tempted to leave the BBC for ITV by a salary 5 times greater that the BBC was paying him – a £100. So that means he was getting £20 a week up to then.
How can our intelligent betters who run the country allow the £ to be devalued in such a way. To just print paper money disregarding its value or intrinsic worth is a crime against ordinary people and a guaranteed way to make money for those who have control of the banks.
How the world has changed I see more and more people are pursuing complaints in the courts against bad Medical practise mostly against GPs. Doctors used to be treated with fawning respect perhaps because they expected it and spoke curtly to patients but no longer although they don't call us mates - well not at the moment. One reason it is changing is due to the help of the Internet we know almost as much as them.
Perhaps despite it all, we do have that, the internet to console us and we can take pleasure in listening to old recordings of how things used to be.
Next month "Quite an idea"
