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I popped over to WeAreTheRangersBoys to see what there take was on Beale and stumbled on what looks like a definitive list of famous R's fans"
Right then, I only went and done it! Below is the list of names that have been mentioned above. Certain names mentioned were patently ridiculous and debunked in subsequent posts, eg Hugh Grant. Some are stretching the definition of "famous" but I left them in. Others were too imprecise eg "the one out of Eternal" so I left them out too. The list was compiled over 6 years so some are now dead or their fame has waned but irrespective of that I think they count as Famous Rs. SEVEN esteemed posters separately answered with "Me" so maybe Michael Gove is actually a regular on here? Lastly, Take any queries to Google - I really have no idea who half of them are. I've just listed 'em from above.
Delon Armitage
Bill Bailey
John Barnes
Dave Bassett
David Bedford
Leon Best
Marc Bircham
Nicky Blackmarket
DJ Campbell
Chris Chataway
Danny Cipriani
Martin Clunes
Lee Cook
Victoria Coren
Giles Coren
Ferne Cotton
Michael Crawford
Peter Crouch
Pete Doherty
Wally Downes
Robert Elms
Dani Filth
Neal Foulds
Ashley Giles
Ian Gillan
Michael Gove
Mark Halsey
Konnie Huq
Tony Incenzo
Wendy James
Alan Johnson
Mick Jones
Matthew Kelly
Mark King
Phillip Lee
Glen Matlock
Amanda Mealing
Jonathan Morris
Alan Mullery
Mary Nightingale
Michael Nyman
Tim Peake
Stuart Pearce
Steve Perryman
Graham Poll
Vanessa Redgrave
Liam Ridgewell
Dennis Ross
Tony Selby
Robert Smith
Tommy Steele
Richard Stilgoe
The Duke of Westminster
Alex Tudor
Robbie Vincent
Michael Wale
Anthony Wall
Sean Walsh
Alan Wilder
Dennis Wise
The Duke of Westminster - Where were you when we were skint? Tommy Steele, Tim Peake, Richard Stilgoe, Mary Nightingale, Vanessa Redgrave, Konnie Huq, all new to me.
hubble, I saw your post, which led me to read a book (in December) that had been on my reading list for a while, but which I hadn't got round to: Clare Cowen's My Search for Revolution: How we brought down an abusive leader (2019).
Before commenting on the book, for context, some background thoughts about the revolutionary left in America and Britain:
1) I tend to agree with this assessment: 'The revolutionary organizations, small, ineffectual, buzzing along the flanks of the broad masses, have done nothing to affect the course of history either for good or ill.'
2) The sects, while promising the hope of a new society, reflect the society that produced them, including its hierarchies. In particular they tend to reflect the small business culture of capitalist society.
Back to Clare Cowen's book. As you might imagine, the Redgraves don't come out of it particularly well, including rallying round Healy when his long-standing sexual abuse was exposed. As noted by Bob Pitt in his essay on Healy, Healy had always treated the Redgraves (and other people who had positions of influence in capitalist society like ex-Sunday Times journalist Alex Mitchell) differently from rank and file members of the WRP. The Scientologists operated in a similar way in relation to Hollywood celebrities like Tom Cruise. The Rise and Fall of Gerry Healy https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/healy/pitt/Chap9.html
I haven't read Norman Harding's book about the WRP (Staying Red), but at one point he ended up acting as Vanessa Redgrave's chauffeur. This is his assessment:
'When they were recruited, Corin and Vanessa Redgrave and Alex Mitchell were immediately put on to the Central and Political Committees. This put them into a position of leadership. I felt that not one of them could lead a pussycat across a country lane'
One key small business aspect of the WRP was its ownership of advanced printing machinery. This enabled it to produce a daily paper, in colour, years before Eddy Shah's colour newspaper Today.
The WRP's misunderstanding of the period led them to try to produce something with mass appeal, rather than appealing to the most politicised workers. This led them to having a sports page called 'Sports Line'. Something like this would have only made sense when you had a mass party like the German SDP prior to WWI 'a state within a state' with its own sporting organisations. In 1970s Britain it was not a good use of scarce resources.
In the book there is this photo of the Sports Line contributors:
That all makes sense mate, and certainly confirms my experience, even though I was barely into my teens at the time. The newspaper the WRP produced (that you mention) was called the Newsline and I was often press-ganged into handing it out outside tube stations. So it's absolutely mad to see that Gary Waddock was apparently one the contributors!
Re. Healy; my cousins were completely hoodwinked by him, they even lived at WRP HQ in Derby with their kids. Like I said, it was plain to me it was complete b0llocks, but they really believed they were going to change the world. I'm pleased to report they eventually realised it b0llocks too.
I overlooked what you had said in your original post about your connections to the acting world. Chapter 11 of Norman Harding's book might interest you as it describes:
1. Harding's discussion with Kika Markham, and why Healy did not want actors to organise themselves using their specialised skills, but would rather exhaust them with paper sales and fundraising
2. How Healy did not make use of Corin Redgrave's election to the National Executive Committee of Equity and instead told him to stop attending Equity branch meetings https://stayingred.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/11.pdf
On changing the world, whenever one discusses the antics of the sects, there is always an ambiguity about whether one is criticising the sects, or criticising the idea of revolution itself.
I happen to think that changing the world is a very sensible idea. Indeed I would go so far as to say that it is the most sensible idea that there is.
I can confirm that Louis Theroux is a QPR fan (of sorts). I saw him at evening game with his son. They were in front of me in a queue for beer. A few people spoke to him. He confirmed he was a season ticket holder. Doubt if he gets to many games or if he’s even much of a football fan, but QPR are definitely his team.
Indeed. I have mentioned this before but Gillan is - or certainly was - good friends with Rodney Marsh.
Marsh attended a concert by the band Gillan and afterwards, Ian asked him what he had thought of the show. Our Rodney said it was good, but not as good as a Purple gig. That set Gillan thinking and he went on to reform Deep Purple.
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
I wonder if this was around the time she was buying up council houses down Cathnor Road only to knock them down & build a school there (still there by the way)? My dad's family lived in #16 Cathnor back in the day, but were subsequently relocated up to Westwick Gardens up by the Green, off Shep Bush Rd
Are you sure she was buying up the council houses mate? I know she founded the nursery (which was around the time I was talking about), but I doubt it was her who bought the houses.
Whatever the mechanics I can't be sure, but her trust are listed as the company responsible for the school so make of that what you will. Not sure the council would just credit a Trust for something like that, would they? Maybe. Who knows!? Certainly not me! I know my grandad was gutted as he used to drink in both The Swakeley and The Crown...
Am sorry Danny but with this chap as our fellow R, I can't have this one !!!
If this gentleman was a true fan, he has power from up on high and a quick word with the almighty should easily guarantee a three nil win for Rangers every week.
He is clearly not saying his Hail Mary's in the correct manner !!!!!
But some style icon though. Jacket of the God's no doubt !!!
To my amazement, someone tried to sell me a copy of News Line in the Tabard in Turnham Green a couple of years ago. I hadn’t seen it since the early 80s, when my brother was in a band with two members of the WRP. Chris Hughton and Tony Galvin both used to write for it, if I recall. Didn’t Gadaffi bankroll it?
I recently read the Chips Channon diaries, he mentions watching the Boat Race from Michael Redgrave’s house in Chiswick, so just about possible that the family were fans…Chips never mentions going to Loftus Road but he does have an improbable night out at White City dogs.
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