Comments for Dreaming Realist

Comment on Call The Midwife: A BBC1 Triumph For Real People by Alison Butts

Alison Butts — Mon, 07 May 2012 09:16:13 +0000

Could you please ask your grandmother how much of the books are true? For example I have read that Sister Monica Joan and Chummy are fictional characters? Were the bugs which infested the tenements and which Jenny saw thousands of one night, bedbugs or cockroaches? I have so enjoyed the books and TV series and your grandmother is a very special person to have been able to do that job,

Thank-you
Alison

Comment on So Is Salford’s Media City A ‘Wonderful Town’? by Hilary Burrage

Hilary Burrage — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:19:15 +0000

Thanks wfw. But does it actually matter whether Salford and Manchester are as one, or two administratively differentiated, urban areas? The same issue could easily be identified for varying parts of Greater London and environs, or indeed for the Liverpool-Manchester conurbation.

I don’t think that local culture – if that’s what concerns you? – is compromised by wider civic adminsitrations. All cities have (and indeed need) different feels in different parts, so that shouldn’t be a worry.

The fundamental problem to my mind is how to achieve more equity of investment between the north and south of Britain. Without more equitable resourcing / investment very serious problems will be further exacerbated, to everyone’s detriment.

That’s why I applaud the BBC initiative, and its collaboration with ‘local’ partners such as Salford University. These things are critical at regional level, and the BBC investment seems to recognise that.

Comment on So Is Salford’s Media City A ‘Wonderful Town’? by wherefaithworks

wherefaithworks — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:29:11 +0000

I think the fact that the two cities are “co-joined” compromises Salford’s identity in favour of its more international famous “twin sister” Manchester. I know several foreign nationals who if they have heard of Salford at all regard it as a district of Manchester. The false entity of Greater Manchester causes similar problems to outlying areas such as Bury for example which has also been geographically absorbed by Manchester in parts for example, Prestwich where I live, once part of Salford, and Middleton itself, which seems further distant and separate but has a Manchester postcode but is administratively part of Rochdale.

Comment on Women In Wigan A Century Past; Water And Gendered Sustainability Now by joseph tighe

joseph tighe — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:21:37 +0000

i worked in the mines in the fifties and sixties, and a snap tin was called at to tommy tin

Comment on Women In Wigan A Century Past; Water And Gendered Sustainability Now by Mary Sayers

Mary Sayers — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:24:06 +0000

Thanks for a very interesting piece. I’d love to hear people’s views about the well known painting by Eyre Crowe http://www.revealinghistories.org.uk/why-was-cotton-so-important-in-north-west-england/objects/the-dinner-hour-wigan.html (I should add that water doesn’t feature in it but no doubt the canal was very nearby.)

There seems to be some disagreement about the lone dark-clad male in the background:policeman or millowner? (Either way presumably intended as a figure of authority?)

All comments and insights welcome; likewise details of other paintings on related topics from that era.

Comment on Call The Midwife: A BBC1 Triumph For Real People by David Roberts

David Roberts — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 10:08:37 +0000

Glad the list came in useful, Wendy.

Comment on Call The Midwife: A BBC1 Triumph For Real People by Hilary

Hilary — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:25:56 +0000

What a lovely idea, Wendy! Thanks for sharing it.

Comment on Call The Midwife: A BBC1 Triumph For Real People by Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:13:28 +0000

Have just used David Roberts list to download tracks from itunes and make my mum her own soundtrack in readiness for Mother’s Day – fab! Many thanks.

Comment on Call The Midwife: A BBC1 Triumph For Real People by Elaine O'brien

Elaine O'brien — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:14:11 +0000

What a brilliant triumph for the BBC. Apparently it is discouraging young people from pregnancy altogether. A minor miracle by todays’ standards of morality!
Please keep up the great production work. Perhaps a permanent “soap opera” type series or the like? A further series is now in production I believe and many more to come please God.

Comment on Call The Midwife: A BBC1 Triumph For Real People by Rita Howard

Rita Howard — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:07:14 +0000

Thanks so much to David Roberts. I found your list v. helpful.