It’s been good to see some classic black-and-white films being scheduled on the regular channels over the past weeks, alongside more up-to-date fare. Here are some of the best films coming up on TV over the next week:
Saturday
Chicken Run (animation) – 1.40pm, BBC1
Some Like it Hot – 3.40pm, BBC2
Frozen (animation) – 6.20pm, BBC1
Sunday
Oklahoma! – 2.05pm, BBC2
Dunkirk (1958 version) – 5pm, BBC2
Billy Elliot- 10.30pm, BBC1
Withnail and I – 12.15am (Monday morning), Channel 4
Monday
Pal Joey – 2.45pm, BBC2
Groundhog Day – 6.55pm, Sony Movies
The Day of the Jackal – 9pm, Sony Movies Classic
Tuesday
The Sound of Fury – 11am, Film4
Philadelphia – 9pm, Sony Movies Classic
Wednesday
Carmen Jones – 2.50pm, BBC2
Thursday
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women – 11.10pm, Film4
The Walking Netball Ladies have now completed their second 26 challenge.
We decided to ‘run’ a marathon – 26 miles. No, we didn’t do this individually but did it collectively. Fifteen of us took up the challenge of walking, jogging or running (or a combination of all three) 1.8 miles each, recording our times and then all these times were added together to see how fast we could complete a marathon.
The weather has been glorious and most plotted a route and set out.
Barbara started us off by sending in a time the day after the challenge was launched. She managed to walk her distance on a treadmill and gave us a benchmark of 33 minutes. Some did it with a dog for company, Mandy with her horse and Gemma made us laugh by doing her distance on the beach in flip flops with two young children. Times were all very close to the 30 minute mark until Jack emailed her amazing time, for 1.9 miles, of 17.53 minutes. Not only that but a fantastic photo followed. She is our very own superwoman.
Everyone enjoyed the challenge, some even did it several times to improve their own score. Manuela managed to shave nearly 7 minutes off her first time. This was fantastic and shows how competitive the ladies are.
The overall time for our collective 26 miles was 8 hours 35.33 minutes.
Thanks go to everyone who took part and we will be donating extra items for the Bognor food bank.
Thanks again to Dinah for organising the photos, they show us passing on a wooden spoon but nobody ended up with it!
We’re missing a lot of activities during lockdown, including the pleasure of going to the cinema with friends. But the Flick Chicks have been keeping in touch via email, swapping suggestions of films to watch on TV (or via streaming services such as Netflix).
Karen has also started sending round lists of upcoming films each week, and these will now be posted here too so everyone can access them.
Films to look out for between now and Friday are:
Monday
Top Hat – 2.50pm, BBC2
Paddington 2 – 7pm, BBC1
I am Legend – 9pm, Sky1
Tuesday
The Magnificent Ambersons – 3.05pm, BBC2
Jaws – 9pm, ITV4
Wednesday
My Favorite Wife – 3.05pm, BBC2
Pretty Woman – 9pm, 5Star
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – 9pm, Paramount
Thursday
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad – 11.55am, Paramount
Ride Lonesome – 1.10pm, Film4
Mr Blandings Builds his Dream House – 3pm, BBC2
Friday
King Kong (the original 1933 version) – 2.50pm, BBC2
Thanks to those members who sent me photos of their celebrations, please see below
Sue Harris
Celia put up a flag in her front window on VE day along with bunting and flags. The photos are of her mum and dad, her husband’s mum and dad and his aunt. They are all in uniform except he husband’s mum, who worked in the ticket office at Baker Street station. They had scones and tea on their front lawn. Their neighbours had their bbq in the front garden and shared their rack of lamb. ( He is a chef in charge of several care homes)
Ann Mc had a lovely afternoon with brownies, lemon cake, cucumber sandwiches and scones. A slight overload on sugar. All accompanied by 40s music.
Sue G celebrated with her mum.
Joyce celebrated in her back garden
Georgette celebrated in her front garden
Karen created a VE Day display, including a picture of her dad wearing his WWII medals and Arctic Convoys white beret. The medals on his right shoulder are Russian, issued in recognition of his service on the Arctic (Russian) convoys.
These bags have been made by June, Barbara, Janet and 2 friends. The first 12 went to Greenway’s Care Home. Jan’s group is making more so each of the staff members have one each. A second batch has gone to a care home in Middleton on Sea
I decided to ask one of our members for her memories of VE Day, expecting possibly to get something about being part of the crowd celebrating in London. Instead I got a truly special memory of that day and the background to it.
Stella (on the left) and her sister
Stella Elms (nee Hobden) was born in Burwash East Sussex near Rudyard Kipling’s Batemans in 1927.
When Stella was 18 months the family moved to Weybridge and then on to Addlestone when she was 3 years old.
It was there that she met one Peter Elms when she was 14 and a half. He was chairman of the local youth club and she was secretary by virtue of her being at secretarial college.
Peter
With the onset of World War 2 Peter was serving in the Army and Stella had joined the Women’s Land Army.
At the beginning of 1945 the Army had started to give leave to troops serving in Europe. Peter’s regiment drew lots, his name was one of the first out of the hat, and thereby one of the first to get leave.
A couple of days before VE Day Stella travelled to a London station with Peter’s father to meet a troop train bringing Peter home. As a Land Girl Stella was on holiday, not leave, as they were officially classed as civilians. It was not until 2008 that the Women’s Land Army was formally recognised.
Peter had proposed on a previous leave but there had been no opportunity to buy a ring.
Stella is unlikely to forget any anniversary of VE Day as that was the day they bought THE RING and became officially engaged.
A jeweller in the village had let them know that they had recently acquired an engagement ring and it was bought at a cost of £13.
As Churchill’s speech was at 3pm it was too late to organise a double celebration that day. The newly engaged couple spent the evening walking hand in hand and arm in arm around the village. All the houses had their curtains wide open and their lights on.
Parties took place during the following days with long hoarded treasures appearing from store cupboards. Stella wonders what today’s kids would think of jellies, tinned salmon and sardine sandwiches.
The couple were married on 18th May 1946 with a traditional wedding cake thanks to family and friends donating ingredients and Peter’s father being friends with a local baker.
They set up home together in 1947 when both left the service of their respective armies.
Peter passed away on 12th February 2006, three months before their Diamond Anniversary.
In Stella’s words ” a more caring, hard working husband, father and friend would be hard to find. Was never sorry I said yes”.
My thanks to Stella’s family for “secretly” supplying the photos and very special thanks to Stella for sharing her special memory with me and allowing me to write this. I hope I’ve done it justice, she will soon let me know if I haven’t.
With much love and respect for a very special member of Bognor Regis WI.
Following on from members making laundry bags and hearts, June and Barbara have made a set of scrubs each from material donated by a London fashion house.
Sarah is on a roll and has already made 6 sets of scrubs.
