Graham Stewart

Writing to discover what I think and believe in increasingly fractured times

graham stewart

A New LikeMinds Event, A New Film, And An Exhibition

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It’s not quite Four Weddings and a Funeral but the end of the month is starting to look busy.

I’m looking forward to the next LikeMinds breakfast event on January 28th. The speaker at 12 Hay Hill this time will be media entrepreneur John Pearson. John is currently Chairman of Imagen but is possibly best known for his time as CEO at Virgin Radio. The fact that he has also been chairman at Shazam gives you an indication of the sort of circles in which he moves — and influences.

You can find out more about the event on the LikeMinds site and, of course, I’ll be writing up the event shortly after it happens. That report will appear — along with a video of me asking John some questions (or at least John answering my questions) — on the LikeMinds site and I’ll write a post here to let you know when it’s live.

In other news, I’ve been invited to a special screening of the new Paolo Sorrentino film — Youth — starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel (always a favourite except in the fucking Direct Line ads), and Rachel Weisz. The trailer looks good.

The film opens in the UK on the 29th of this month. I’ll be attending a screening on the 22nd. Get me.

The end of the month is already looking busy. I’m off to a special viewing of the new exhibition — Painting the Modern Garden — at The Royal Academy on the 27th. I’m just a cultural butterfly.

Reports on all to follow.

We See Star Wars At Last

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We were five this festive period. My eldest has left her job in Bristol and is moving home at the end of next month. Temporarily. This has been a reminder for her of what’s in store. My younger two are both still at university but deemed us worthy of a Christmas visit.

All three are itching to leave again, of course, now that the comforts of home no longer outweigh the perceived constraints. I understand. I left home at 18 and rarely went back. One night at home was enough to have me checking train timetables and calling friends and contacts across the country who might have a spare sofa.

Isla, once of Bristol, and Sean, my only son, have wanted to see the new Star Wars film. For a variety of reasons — from assorted prior engagements to booked showings — we haven’t seen it yet. Tonight is the night, though. The film has been on long enough now at the local cinema that, at the time of writing this, only five seats have been booked. And three of those will be seeing various Stewart behinds nestling into their cushions. Laura and our other daughter — Kirstie — will be at the cinema at the same time but they’re going to the new Eddie Redmayne film: The Danish Girl. Given the choice, I would prefer to see that.

I was too old for the full flush of teenage excitement when the original Star Wars films arrived and I couldn’t bring myself to watch much more than the first half of the first of the newer films of the late 90s and into the 00s. Even the fact that these were prequels annoyed me. Three prequels, for god’s sake.

My son had computer games and books based on those latter films, of course. And for all the fact that I was more of a Star Trek fan than a Star Wars fan I felt a vague unease at the way the new films and their superior CGI and effects seemed to mask a distinct decline in story-telling. From what I could tell, some of the magic was lost: it no longer had the feel of a fable.

So I was left unexcited by the thought of a new film. At least it’s not a prequel, although it’s set long enough after the third/sixth film that I’m sure they could slot in a few prequels to the sequel (sprequels) should commercial decisions render that a winner.

This will be the final family outing of the holidays — albeit in two different screens in the once cinema — so I shall sit back and think of Tatooine. (The very first holiday Laura and I took together was to Tunisia, where we visited the village and caves where some of the original film was shot. Things come around, huh?)

I may let you know what I thought of the film but how many reviews can one person read with any level of interest? And, if you are interested, the chances are that you will have already seen the film. Or even twice, like my friend Iain.

UPDATE: Just back from the cinema. My first thought as the final credits rolled was “that was underwhelming” but now I’ve given it some time, I’m happy to awards it a big “pants”. I can’t even be bothered to justify my opinion. Suffice to say, Harrison Ford probably thinks he is well out of it now.

Roger Parry At Like Minds

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I am late in posting this, thanks to a combination of a flurry of work in the last few months of the year and the fact that I took my site down for maintenance (read: refresh) and have only just put it back live again.

So, in October, Roger Parry — a man with one of the longest media CVs around — came to speak at the Like Minds Breakfast event. Another month, another venue. And instead of a simple talk this time, however, Roger conversed with journalist Molly Flatt.

Prior to the talk, on the back of a story I told about Orkney, Molly shared with me that she had recently completed her first novel. Part of the novel — a thriller — is set in Orkney and it is now available to pre-order from her website.

You can read my report of the conversation between Molly and Roger on the Like Minds site, as ever. And, as ever, I asked Roger some questions after the event, so we could make a video of the key points covered.

The variety of speakers at the Like Minds events, combined with the variety of attendees, makes these breakfasts unique. There was another one in November, which I will mention in a later post this week. I’m looking forward to an exciting roster of speakers in 2016.

The No Offence Intended Gambit

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And so 2016 has arrived. On time, too, and with no announced rise in fares. While the going is good, therefore, Happy New Year.

The publication of government papers from 1985 under the thirty year rule saw Oliver Letwin reveal himself in a memo for Thatcher’s policy unit as a racist and a snob. The fact that snobbery and racism was rife among Tories in 1985 is hardly surprising. That he could write the things he did in a memo that was supposed to offer thoughts on government response to inner city poverty, unemployment, and police abuse simply confirms that such beliefs were, if not the norm, at least widely accepted and met with some approval. That Letwin retains his current job implies that such racism and snobbery are still tolerated among leading Tories today. Again, hardly surprising.

The most startling thing to emerge from this episode, however, is surely Letwin’s proffered apology on being confronted with the damning evidence of his bigotry. In short, he claims that no offence ‘was intended’. Apparently, what he wrote was ‘badly worded’. As Private Eye would say, that’s all right then.

It comes down to this: either Letwin is a racist and should have no role in government; or he is an ignorant ass and should have no role in government.

My view is that what Oliver Letwin wrote suggests he is a racist, an elitist snob, and an ignorant jerk.

No offence intended, Oliver.

Andy Gibson At Like Minds

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Breakfast is back.

Yes, the Like Minds Breakfast events have returned.

The new venue is in Farringdon, at the HQ/Showroom of Swedish office furniture makers Kinnarps. I like them already because they provide full-size pastries as part of the welcoming breakfast. It is always hard to network at full throttle when offered bite-sized pastries and small cups of coffee. Maybe it’s the Swedish influence.

This month’s guest speaker was Andy Gibson of Mindapples. He spoke about looking after your mind, especially at work. This happens to be the subject of his new book, A Mind For Business.

As usual, I sat with Andy after his talk and forced him to answer questions on video. My report of his talk is now up on the Like Minds site. This also contains a link through to the video interview.

Four Words To Blow Away The Doubts

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It’s amazing what a kind word can do. An encouraging word. Or four.

In my last post, I wrote about the crash that often comes after things appear to be going well.

This is where beta readers can be helpful. In my case, these are really gamma readers. These are readers who combine affection for me (I hope) with a certain critical nous. They encourage while letting me know where things are going wrong.

I call them gamma readers because they read the first edited draft. Beta readers get to see something closer to the final cut.

I have two gamma readers at the moment. One of them is my wife, Laura.

Today, after having read chapters two and three of the revised draft (“a few times”, she said) she told me it was good.

“I would read it,” she said.

Putting aside the emotional bond and the fact that I was offering chocolate as a bribe at the time, those four words mean a lot.

And now I get back to work.

(Dryer photo courtesy of Ryan McGuire at Gratisography)