To Oxford this week, the city of spires and steeples, quadrangles and gowns, bicycles and Dons. The oldest university town in the English speaking world, founded in 1069. The university where 28 UK Prime Ministers cut their teeth and 72 Nobel prize winners learnt their onions. A city of world renown academia and a perfect destination then to record the audible version of Eclipsed, surely one of the greatest works of non-fiction literature in the narrow genre of dad/child animosity. A funny story about a hapless dad and his gilded son. A tale of some pain and hurt (Dom’s), some euphoria (Tom’s) with a happy and climactic ending to boot. What’s not to like?
In fact I have already recorded the manuscript and done two days of retakes also (fat tongue), so this session was for Tom and I to reminisce on some of the anecdotes therein. You can see my thinking now… Eclipsed read by Dom and in conversation with Tom.
Our hour in the booth together felt like an end to a long and rather extraordinary process of hard work and happenstance. A tale which began when Tom could not even walk and the unlikely circumstances whereby Nikki spotted that her first born could dance. Something I missed completely and I might even have kept quiet about if I had. Thank God for his mum then because it would lead to the West End and Billy Elliot and from here to Thailand for the filming of The Impossible and finally to a red carpet in Los Angeles.
This was 2012 and from this point we had no real plans, some hopes but little expectations. We know the form; another child star extinguishes. And no blogs either because Tom’s ascent (or decline?) could be seen online and did need to be chronicled.
And who knew what lay ahead?
Later this year, the third instalment of Tom as Mr Peter Parker will hit the screens. Who knew, indeed. All with no drama school or even drama lessons. A story that happened to a normal kid from an almost normal family. It is barely believable, only it happens to be true and I am the lucky person who gets to tell it.
And speaking of barely believable stories…
The studio which I used to capture this literary landmark is called Electric Breeze, located on the Cowley Road, a little along from the famous Magdalene College and the beginnings of the oldy worldy Oxford. Tom was keen to see some of the town and it being a nice day, we decided to take a walk.
Over the bridge of the river Cherwell and quickly we come to Magdalene College. Founded in 1458, it is one of the highest achieving colleges with alumni including Oscar Wilde, Dudley Moore, J R R Tolkein (Lord of the Rings), CS Lewis (The chronicles of Narnia), Andrew Lloyd Webber and a raft of others. Graduates who must have done very well for themselves since they have bequeathed a financial endowment to Magdalene of some £332,000,000. Nice! Great things have happened at this hallowed college, including the development of penicillin. A medicine which would change the world as we know it.
And Magdalene happens to be in the news just this week but for less auspicious reasons when the current students of Magdalene have voted to remove a photographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch of England since 1952. Queen of England for 68 years.
And the reason for the removal of Queen Elizabeth’s portrait?
Because the Queen is not considered to be a welcoming image for the students of Magdalene and particularly for the students of colour attending this august institution.An unusual position given that Queen Elizabeth is the head of the Commonwealth which includes countries such as: India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Jamaica, Dominica, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, Tanzania, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Namibia…
The great and the good have attended Magdalene College, Oxford. Many of its alumni receiving national honours like knighthoods from the Queen. No doubt, the current crop of undergraduates are dreaming of similarly illustrious careers ahead and I suspect will drop to their knees toot suite to receive a gong from this ‘unwelcoming’ Monarch.
“Who goes to this college, dad?” Tom asked me and with this in mind, I thought of how to respond.
The very cleverest kids in the world is the obvious answer but it didn’t feel appropriate in this new context. I thought carefully and Tom waited patiently.
“Highly privileged children. Often from very wealthy families and attend elite and very expensive schools. Kids with good ability who happen to be highly educated and become expert at passing exams.” I answered.
Tom gave me an odd look – as if to say – what the hell does that mean?
In more plain speak then…
If the student who conceived of the idea to remove the portrait of our Monarch and those students who voted in favour of it are our future Prime Ministers and leaders, then God help us all.
*
The audio book of Eclipsed will be available shortly via this site and elsewhere (possibly?). This is the plan but you should know that I have many plans and they often go awry.
A revised print edition of Eclipsed, not an update but with some new anecdotes is also coming soon – unsure when exactly, but soonish… and maybe with a new jacket and a hard cover version also… who knows?
Can’t wait to get the audiobook! Loved this blog and always wanted to visit Oxford!
Hi Dom, stumbled upon your blog after reading eclipse being a huge marvel fan. Just a query, didn’t Tom attend the “Brit school?” I don’t know much about it except you often hear that it churns out stars like Adele. With that in mind, isn’t that a drama school of some form? Just curious because you stated that he never received any form of drama training and I appreciate the school may have come after he first found his early breaks in Billy Elliot and the impossible. But surely that school comes with some form of training and connections?
Yes indeed the Brit school has churned out many a well know talent!
I was also baffled by that remark, maybe slipped his mind?
The Impossible had been filmed before he arrived at the school is the relevant point. Sorry that you are baffled.
Excited for the audiobook!
I’m glad to read someone’s opinion similar to mine in the case of portrait removal. I’m not British, don’t live in Britain, but you don’t have to be British to respect Her Majesty. I had no words when I read about that case. It’s terrifying what’s happening to the world these days, really
Eclipsed is one of my favourites Dom (TFB)also another. It was my first Dom book and I have all the others in some form or other ? I think I have a problem as I’m I want to audio book and possibly any other publication of same – just in case I miss something!! Looking forward to it though. Unfortunately I’ve never visited the hallowed halls of Oxford. Love the blog today.
Lovely blog Mr. H, and congratulations on finishing the audio for eclipse. It’s nice to know that your son (Tom) is still curious enough to ask questions even at 24/25. To be honest I think your answer about who goes to that school is completely spot on. Again Congratulations
Hey Dominic, love the fun facts about Oxford, extraordinary that a college still exists after many centuries.
I am very curious why you are triggered by the removal of the portrait?
I can understand that the students may find it a symbol of oppression and feel uncomfortable, and thus remove it. I am for the monarchy as a kind of symbol, but just like it represents all the greatness of a country, it should also take responsibility for the mistakes in the past?
I am very curious to hear your view (as an English man) on this subject, since I am from Holland 😉 (the same type of monarchy and historical mistakes)
I really enjoy reading your blog 🙂
Another great blog. Oxford is such a nice place. Need to visit there again.
We have the same future of leaders here in the states as well, Dom. I don’t think God is watching actually. He’s forcing us to fend for ourselves.
Well said Dom, it’s wonderful Tom has a father with some backbone and common sense.
Buenas noches allá, Me encantó este blog, ojala y lo pudiera sacar el audio libro en español.
Saludos de Monterrey, Mexico
I really enjoyed the blog this week!
The history of the Oxford university village and the Magdalene College was especially interesting. It seems like a really cool place to visit; I’d want to find all the different places they filmed Harry Potter stuff. It’s crazy what amazing people have sprouted from those colleges, including my favorite English teacher (Oxford). I still can’t believe why an individual of her caliber would want to teach English in a suburban public high school, but I’m glad she did!
Super excited for all of this Eclipsed content! Looking forward to it and to next week’s blog!
Hi dom How are you?
Sorry só consegui responder hoje
Congratulatitios por escrever um blog tão bom ter terminado nunca li um audiolivros estou super animada como vai ser ? Vc e um pai maravilhoso i love Marvel and Impossible,and billy eliesh
Não sei que e assim que escreve beijos do Brazil
I hate it when people accuse the Crown of being racist. You’re right. The fact that the monarchy colonized a bunch of brown people, stole all of their stuff, and created the Commonwealth pretty much disproves that. Very astute of you to pick that example. It also really annoys me when Indigenous Americans say that Christopher Columbus was racist. Don’t they know that he’s the reason they get to live on those fun little reservations?