The Holland family are back to full strength over Christmas with Tom and Harry back from the States and Sam back from Gleneagles. And due to various circumstances, all back to their parents’ house. The Old Folks Home as they might call it. Like an old school Christmas then and great fun but for the…
Doing numerous radio interviews for Takes on Life, presenters off-air have been careful to enquire if it’s agreeable to make mention of my progeny and in particular my first born. I am approving of their etiquette and manners and I quickly assure them that is absolutely fine. Hell, had ‘Tom’ not happened, it is unlikely…
Finally, an upside of Covid 19 with Sam returning home because the world famous Gleneagles resort has been shut until February 2021. Waiting for him at Gatwick airport this week I felt ambivalent. Excited of course to see my Sam but saddened to experience a once bustling airport now so deserted and desolate; a metaphor…
I owe a great deal to Des O’Connor who died last week, as anyone who has read Eclipsed can attest. It might even be that Des had a greater impact on my life and my career than anyone else. He was a rare thing in show-biz. Like the late, great Bob Monkhouse he was happy…
With three Holland boys away, our house has never been bigger and I suppose this is a good thing. People often cite space as a life goal. There are other upsides too… like chargers being more available. Less likely to go missing for one reason because it is easier to finger the culprit. This makes…
Given 2020 to date… …with all my work cancelling, being confined to the house for extended periods and with little to do (no gigs) – plus three of our boys have flown our nest, leaving just three people in-residence plus our beloved and ever popular (and no trouble) Tessa. You might think that…
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan does it a lot. David Beckham too and Joseph Gordon Levitt. A whole raft of show-biz types in fact and including on occasion and to my horror, my eldest son. I refer to pulling a certain face for the cameras. Ben Stiller called it Blue Steele in his…
Walls play a significant part in our lives… Pink Floyd’s famous wall needed another brick. The last election to become the President of the United States of America hinged on a wall that doesn’t even exist. China has a great wall that can be seen from space (apparently). And Berlin is defined by a wall…
This is not an easy post to write. I feel a need to write with some haste but with great care also because the tone needs to be correct: arresting yet affirming but not mawkish. An important post; I make no apology that it is longer than my usual fare. You will understand why soon…
Who is your favourite actor? This is a question we have all been asked and probably struggled to answer. It is an impossible question perhaps and particularly so for me, since it requires me to choose between two of my sons who are currently treading the boards. It is also a question…
