Wham
Chris Britcher
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
6:42 PM
Its been denied, but here’s hoping the Young Guns of yesteryear fancy a big night out again
OK. I admit it. I’d like a Wham! (their choice of exclamation mark, not mine) reunion.
I know it’s not cool. I know it’s not trendy, but in my imaginary, but frequently referred to, book of ‘Performers I’d like to see before either they or I die’ Wham! (see above) are on the list.
Yes, it’s been denied, but since when has a denial in the crazy world of pop ever amounted to anything akin to solid old fact?
I can’t admit to being a particularly die-hard George Michael fan, and my interest in Andrew Ridgeley once extended to me Googling him to see what he did now during an all too frequent retro-fuelled bit of web browsing.
But they did provide the soundtrack to an early part of my youth. A part when liking bubble-gum pop was what you did, and, say what you like, they did have a very fine line in catchy, well-crafted tunes.
Granted, Bad Boys was never going to win songwriting awards by the bucketload, but I know I can still recite all the words to Young Guns, Freedom and the 12-inch version of I’m Your Man. Not things I’d readily admit, but all those who know me appreciate my taste in music is not awash with high-brow.
But their Fantastic album was one of the first I bought, and certainly the first I bought because all my chums in primary had snapped up a copy.
It had a front cover only a boy band in the early Eighties could get away with, but it was easily accessible and I played it until my parents could take no more.
What’s more, they got better with age. Make it Big was a cracking slice of pop and their farewell EP remains something they can be rightly proud of.
But I never saw them live. And when I moved on from (openly) liking throwaway pop, I thought going to a George Michael show wasn’t quite fitting with my street cred (which was, even at its peak, pretty rubbish).
Then, however, you hit an age where none of that matters. Where you realise that trying to keep up with the charts is a pointless exercise and you may as well give up any attempt at having your finger on the pulse and just wallow in a mud pool of nostalgia.
The only problem now is that my interest is peaking once more at the same time as everyone else’s of that era, and trying to get George Michael tickets today involves being quicker on the old internet ‘book now’ button than my ageing fingers, and Ticketmaster’s system, can handle.
So for now I will simply keep those said same fingers crossed and hoped that this time next summer there’s some sort of enormous Wembley Stadium shaped Wham! reunion ready to roll out.
You may wake me before you go go and sell out. (Couldn’t resist).
Source: www.kentnews.co.uk
Merseyside Olympians: Harry Tarraway, Southport’s star of the London Olympics - Liverpool Echo
THE standard of the athletics event at Wembley Stadium in 1948 was “higher than ever before” – according to the official report of the London Olympics.
And a Southport runner called Harry Tarraway was one of the athletes who was part of that elite gathering.
Tarraway qualified for the 800m – where the quality of the competitors who had assembled quickly became apparent.
“Fewer records were beaten than at Berlin 12 years previously,” went on the report.
“But the performances necessary to reach the various finals were in many cases appreciatively higher than on previous occasions.”
The quality of the 800m event quickly became evident.
Tarraway qualified for the semi-finals with a thrilling run in his opening heat.
Heat five was the slowest of the six which were run, but was undeniably the most competitive.
The first five finishers all crossed the line within 0.5 of a second of each other – with Tarraway crossing in an identical time to Argentinian Guillermo Avalos.
But the Southport runner’s dip was better and he got the decision.
Tarraway’s time was 1.56.6, but in the semi-finals the standard was ratcheted up several notches.
The second semi-final was won in a time of 1.51.1 by the Swede, Ingvar Bengtsson, and this time Tarraway failed to finish.
Bengtsson knocked almost a further second off his winning semi-final time in the final, but couldn’t get near the American Marvin Whitfield who won the gold medal in a new Olympic Record of 1.49.2 (even though the official report claimed there were no official Olympic records!)
The report added: “The three semi-finals of the 800 metres, run on Saturday, July 31, left little doubt that the final would be superb.
“All nine finalists, three from USA, two from France, and one apiece from Denmark, Great Britain (John Parlett), Jamaica and Sweden, had to beat 1 min. 53.0 sec. to reach the final stage. Indeed, the winner’s time in each of the three semi-finals was better than any Olympic final except that of 1932.
“Nine runners in an Olympic 800 metres final was really too many, especially with the start so near the first bend.
“The draw for positions virtually settled the fate of those on the outside. It was Chef d’hotel, of France, who went into the lead and there was a good deal of scrambling for position down the back straight.
“Whitfield, running with beautiful ease, was never seriously challenged, although Bengtsson, of Sweden, was within four yards with a furlong to go.
“Whitfield won in a time which beat Hampson’s Olympic record by three-fifths of a second, and Wint, of Jamaica, who ran again a very restrained and well-judged race, was three yards behind. Hansenne, of France, in third place also equalled the previous Olympic best.
“The fifth man, Bengtsson, though perhaps 10 yards behind the winner, did a time good enough to win all previous Olympic 800 metre races except one.”
And Harry Tarraway of was considered good enough to be part such elite company.
Source: www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
A-level student predicted to achieve top grades is escorted from college by police after 'refusing to stop REVISING' - Daily Mail
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Barred: Jamie Gagliardi claims he had 'nowhere else to revise' and did not have a computer at home
An A-level student who was 'obsessed with revising' had to be escorted from school by police after ignoring a classroom ban.
Jamie Gagliardi, 18, had been told to stay home from Ifield Community College in Crawley, West Sussex, for one day after interrupting the headteacher during a meeting on Wednesday.
But he went to the college - whose students notched up a 100 per cent A-level pass rate last year - the following morning, claiming he had 'nowhere else to revise' for his psychology A-level on Monday and he did not have a computer at home.
He was asked to leave but began 'causing a nuisance and a disturbance'.
At 8.45am college officials decided that the only option was to call in the police after the teen refused to leave the premises.
The pupil, who is also taking A-level law, English and history, was escorted from the college and his mother was called to pick him up.
Police confirmed that the teenager would not be charged with any offence.
Speaking this week, Jamie said he was given a one-day ban from the college last Wednesday for interrupting the headteacher during a meeting, meaning he was not allowed in the school the following day.
He said: 'I have been punished for wanting to do well.
'I am a hard-working and dedicated student and this could have such an impact on my future.
'The college has overreacted in what is probably the most important week of my school life.
Ban: Staff at Ifield Community College (pictured) called police after Jamie Gagliardi refused to leave the premises
'I have told teachers many times that I do not have a computer at home so would not be able to work at home.'
Bosses at the 1,090-pupil college - rated good by Ofsted in February this year - said the teen is ‘obsessed’ with after-school tuition and the police were called because he was ‘causing a nuisance’ by refusing to leave the premises.
Marilyn Evans, the school’s director of administration, said Jamie was a 'very bright boy', but added: 'He became vociferous and irritated that he couldn't have after-school revision.
'The teacher has already given up her time to give extra revision in half term and during the school day, when she was meant to have free time.
'On Thursday, he was causing a nuisance and a disturbance on the premises.
'He is obsessed with doing after-school revision.'
She added: 'He probably feels that without those extra sessions he won't get the grade he wants, but he will. He is a top student.'
A spokeswoman for Sussex Police confirmed today that officers were called at 8.45am on June 14 to remove a 'disruptive' pupil who was refusing to leave the premises.
Splash: How the Crawley News reported on Jamie Gagliardi's removal from the school by police
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
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