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Blackball (film)
''Blackball (also known as National Lampoon's Blackball)'' is a 2003 British sports comedy film, based on the game of lawn bowls. The screenplay was written by Tim Firth, and the film was directed by Mel Smith. The film features James Cromwell as a master bowls player, and Paul Kaye as a naturally talented player who have differing social backgrounds; who are placed together by Vince Vaughn to play for England against Australia. Its fictional plot is based on the bowls player Griff Sanders, who was also referred to as "The Bad Boy of Bowls". Background In addition to the main character being modelled after Griff Sanders, the film also spoofs Bjørge Lillelien's infamous commentary from Norway's 2–1 defeat of England at football in 1981. This theme was first riffed by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner on their TV show ''Fantasy Football League'', and the other commentator for the match was Angus Loughran, who played 'Statto' on ''Fantasy Football''. ''Blackball'' was filmed on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tim Firth
Tim Firth (born 13 October 1964) is an English dramatist, screenwriter and songwriter. Life and career Firth was born in Frodsham, England. He spent much of his time at school writing songs and it was only a few weeks before going to Cambridge to read English that he attended an Arvon Foundation course in West Yorkshire. This was run by Willy Russell and whilst on it, Firth had to write dialogue. He wrote about the only thing he knew - two sixteen-year-olds trying to write a song. Another course participant optioned it for his production company and Firth decided to become a writer. While at Cambridge he joined the Footlights where his contemporaries included David Baddiel who later invited him to contribute music to ''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' on BBC radio. His first plays at this time were all directed by Sam Mendes. On leaving Cambridge, he wrote and composed music for the award winning Radio Four series '' And Now In Colour'' but was soon invited to meet Alan Ayckb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norway National Football Team
The Norway national football team ( no, Norges herrelandslag i fotball, or informally ''Landslaget'') represents Norway in men's international football and is controlled by the Norwegian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Ståle Solbakken. Norway has participated three times in the FIFA World Cup (1938, 1994, 1998), and once in the UEFA European Championship (2000). Norway is the only national team that remains unbeaten in all matches against Brazil. In four matches, Norway has a play record against Brazil of 2 wins and 2 draws, in three friendly matches (in 1988, 1997 and 2006) and a 1998 World Cup group stage match. History Norway's performances in international football have usually been weaker than those of their Scandinavian neighbours Sweden and Denmark, but they did have a golden age in the late 1930s. An Olympic team achieved third place in the 1936 Olympics, after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australians
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Australian. Australian law does not provide for a racial or ethnic component of nationality, instead relying on citizenship as a legal status. Since the postwar period, Australia has pursued an official policy of multiculturalism and has the world's eighth-largest immigrant population, with immigrants accounting for 30 percent of the population in 2019. Between European colonisation in 1788 and the Second World War, the vast majority of settlers and immigrants came from the British Isles (principally England, Ireland and Scotland), although there was significant immigration from China and Germany during the 19th century. Many early settlements were initially pen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the country of Wales is a component of a multi-part sovereign state, the United Kingdom. A country may be a historically sovereign area (such as Korea), a currently sovereign territory with a unified government (such as Senegal), or a non-sovereign geographic region associated with certain distinct political, ethnic, or cultural characteristics (such as the Basque Country). The definition and usage of the word "country" is flexible and has changed over time. ''The Economist'' wrote in 2010 that "any attempt to find a clear definition of a country soon runs into a thicket of exceptions and anomalies." Most sovereign states, but not all countries, are members of the United Nations. The largest country by area is Russia, while the smallest is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
House Painter And Decorator
A house painter and decorator is a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painter.''The Modern Painter and Decorator'' volume 1 1921 Caxton The purpose of painting is to improve the appearance of a building and to protect it from damage by water, corrosion, insects and mould. House painting can also be a form of artistic and/or cultural expression such as Ndebele house painting. History of the trade in England In England, little is known of the trade and its structures before the late 13th century, at which point guilds began to form, amongst them the Painters Company and the Stainers Company. These two guilds eventually merged with the consent of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1502, forming the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers. The guild standardised the craft and acted as a protector of the trade secrets. In 1599, the guild asked Parliament for protection, which was eventually granted in a bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Joseph Cribbins (29 December 1928 – 27 July 2022) was an English actor and singer whose career spanned over seven decades. During the 1960s, Cribbins became known in the UK for his successful novelty records " The Hole in the Ground" and "Right Said Fred" and for his appearances in comedy films including ''Two-Way Stretch'' (1960) and the ''Carry On'' series. His other screen roles include the astronaut Vincent Mountjoy in ''The Mouse on the Moon'' (1963), Albert Perks in ''The Railway Children'' (1970), the barman Felix Forsythe in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Frenzy'' (1972) and the pretentious hotel guest Mr Hutchinson in the ''Fawlty Towers'' episode "The Hotel Inspectors" (1975). On television, he was a regular and prolific reader for the BBC series '' Jackanory'' from 1966 to 1991, he narrated the children's programme ''The Wombles'' (1973–1975) and he played the title role in the CBeebies series ''Old Jack's Boat'' (2013–2015). In the 1966 film ''Daleks' Invasion ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bowls
Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-green bowls") or convex or uneven (for "crown green bowls"). It is normally played outdoors (although there are many indoor venues) and the outdoor surface is either natural grass, artificial turf or cotula (in New Zealand). History Bowls is a variant of the ''boules'' games (Italian ''Bocce''), which, in their general form, are of ancient or prehistoric origin. Ancient Greek variants are recorded that involved throwing light objects (such as flat stones, coins, or later also stone balls) as far as possible. The aspect of tossing the balls to approach a target as closely as possible is recorded in ancient Rome. This game was spread to Roman Gaul by soldiers or sailors. A Roman sepulchre in Florence shows people playing this game, stooping ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crackerjack (2002 Film)
''Crackerjack'' is a 2002 Australian comedy film starring Mick Molloy, Bill Hunter, Frank Wilson, Monica Maughan, Samuel Johnson, Lois Ramsay, Bob Hornery, Judith Lucy, John Clarke and Denis Moore. Plot Jack Simpson is a wisecracking, directionless layabout who works at an inner city telemarketing firm. For years he has been a member at the Cityside Lawn Bowls Club (in fact he has three memberships), but he has never played a single game, having only joined to get the free parking spaces from which he makes extra cash by renting them to his workmates. But Cityside is in dire financial trouble and a greedy developer, Bernie Fowler, wants to turn it into a soulless pokies venue. The Club President, Len, decides that all existing members must now play and Jack reluctantly has to turn up on Saturdays to take part in the bowling matches. Jack proves to be a natural player but he soon annoys and upsets the older club members with his brashness and lack of tact. Veteran player Stan, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Torquay
Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay and across from the fishing port of Brixham. The town's economy, like Brixham's, was initially based upon fishing and agriculture, but in the early 19th century it began to develop into a fashionable seaside resort. Later, as the town's fame spread, it was popular with Victorian society. Renowned for its mild climate, the town earned the nickname the English Riviera. The writer Agatha Christie was born in the town and lived at Ashfield in Torquay during her early years. There is an "Agatha Christie Mile", a tour with plaques dedicated to her life and work. The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning lived in the town from 1837 to 1841 on the recommendation of her doctor in an attempt to cure her of a disease which is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isle Of Man
) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe (dark grey) , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = United Kingdom , established_title = Norse control , established_date = 9th century , established_title2 = Scottish control , established_date2 = 2 July 1266 , established_title3 = English control , established_date3 = 1399 , established_title4 = Revested into British Crown , established_date4 = 10 May 1765 , official_languages = , capital = Douglas , coordinates = , demonym = Manx; Manxman (plural, Manxmen); Manxwoman (plural, Manxwomen) , ethnic_groups = , ethnic_groups_year = 2021 , ethnic_groups_ref = Official census statistics provided by Statistics Isle of Man, Isle of Man Government: * * , religion = , religion_year = 2021 , relig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angus Loughran
Angus Loughran (born 24 November 1966) is a British sports commentator and pundit. He appears regularly on television, newspapers and websites, usually concentrating on horse racing and football, such as ''The Daily Telegraph'' and online bookmaker Easyodds, writing tipping sections every day. He has also provided English language football commentary for Eurosport and ESPN. He is currently a commentator for BT Sport on their coverage of the Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. He first worked for Ladbrokes, providing racing commentary into their betting shops, but rose to fame as "Statto", the resident statistician on the BBC Two television show ''Fantasy Football League''. Clad in a dressing gown and pyjamas, he would stand in the corner of the set and provide facts and figures on each of the guests' fantasy football teams, while being made fun of by hosts Frank Skinner and David Baddiel. He also appeared in the Rowan Atkinson comedy film '' Bean'' in 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fantasy Football League
''Fantasy Football League'' is a British television comedy programme hosted by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner. It was inspired by the Fantasy Football phenomenon which started in the early 1990s and followed on from a BBC Radio 5 programme hosted by Dominik Diamond, although the radio and TV versions overlapped by several months. Three series were broadcast from 14 January 1994 to 10 May 1996 (followed by episodes during Euro 96). The show then moved to ITV for live specials on alternate nights throughout the 1998 World Cup and then again through Euro 2004. In May 2022 it was announced that a new series of the show had been commissioned to be broadcast on Sky Max with new hosts Elis James and Matt Lucas. According to Frank Skinner in 2010, the series would never return because it had been superseded by other programmes of a similar style. After it finished, Baddiel and Skinner went on to produce a series of podcasts for ''The Times'', documenting their experiences while trav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
