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Viv Nicholson
Vivian "Viv" Nicholson (nee Asprey; 3 April 1936 – 11 April 2015) was a British woman who became famous when she told the media that she would "spend, spend, spend" after her husband Keith won £152,319 () on the football pools in 1961. Nicholson became the subject of tabloid news stories for many years because of the couple's subsequent rapid spending of their fortune and her later chaotic life. Early life Nicholson was born Vivian Asprey on 3 April 1936 in Castleford near Wakefield. Her father was a coal miner, but suffered from epilepsy, and was often unable to work. Her mother was asthmatic. As the oldest child, Asprey was expected to mind her younger brothers and sisters and scavenge for coal. Growing up in extreme poverty, she was not allowed to take up a scholarship that she had won to an art school. Having left school at age 14, she took work at the local liquorice factory making Pontefract cakes. She became pregnant at age 16 and married Matthew Johnson, but left him ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castleford
Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation. It is located north east of Wakefield, north of Pontefract and south east of Leeds. Castleford is the largest town in the Wakefield district after Wakefield itself. The town is the site of a Roman settlement. Within the historical Castleford Borough are the suburbs of Airedale, Cutsyke, Ferry Fryston, Fryston Village, Glasshoughton, Half Acres, Hightown, Lock Lane, Townville, Wheldale and Whitwood. Castleford is home to the rugby league Super League team Castleford Tigers. History Castleford's history dates back to Roman times, archaeological evidence points to modern day Castleford being built upon a Roman army settlement which was called Lagentium (thought to mean 'The Place of the Sword ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spend, Spend, Spend
''Spend, Spend, Spend'' is an episode of the BBC's ''Play for Today'' anthology series first transmitted 15 March 1977 on BBC1, recounting the life of football pools winner's wife Viv Nicholson. Written by Jack Rosenthal it is based on the book of the same name by Nicholson and Stephen Smith and recounts Nicholson's life story from the 1950s to the early 1970s in a non-linear fashion. Rosenthal was a colleague of the PR man who, on behalf of Littlewoods Pools, persuaded Nicholson to allow publicity for her pools win. He wrote in his autobiography: "From that day on, I followed her wild, seemingly stupid adventures in the papers - and believed every snide, snooty, biased word the relentless publicity said. All adding up to ''one'' word - that she was a cow." Being given Nicholson's book by director John Goldschmidt caused Rosenthal to reassess his attitude and "become a fan" eager to put across an explanation of her behaviour. The production won the British Academy Best Play Aw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Headmaster Ritual
"The Headmaster Ritual" is a song by English band the Smiths that appeared as the first song on their second studio album, ''Meat Is Murder'' (1985). It was released as a single in the Netherlands. The music was written by Johnny Marr and the lyrics by Morrissey. Written as a critique of British education and corporal punishment, "The Headmaster Ritual" features a jangling guitar line with inspirations as diverse as the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, and MC5. The song attracted attention and controversy in the UK for its lyrics. The song has drawn critical acclaim for Morrissey's vocals and lyricism as well as for Marr's guitar. Background "The Headmaster Ritual" was written as a criticism of the English education system, citing the ''belligerent ghouls'' who ran Manchester schools. The song was the only one in which Marr made a suggestion to Morrissey on the lyrics, specifically to change the line ''bruises bigger than dinner plates'' to ''bruises big as dinner plates''. As Marr rec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meat Is Murder
''Meat Is Murder'' is the second studio album by English rock band the Smiths, released on 11 February 1985 by Rough Trade Records. It became the band's only studio album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks. The album was an international success: it spent 11 weeks in the European Top 100 Albums chart, peaking at number 29. It also reached number 110 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, in the United States. Writing and recording After the band's 1984 debut studio album, lead vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr produced the album themselves, assisted only by engineer Stephen Street. They had first met Stephen Street on the session for "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and requested his contact number. Officially, the record's production is credited to "The Smiths". To build the album's soundscape, Morrissey provided Marr and Street with his personal copies of BBC sound effects records from which to source samples.Goddard, S, 2013 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Still Ill
"Still Ill" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was featured on the debut album, ''The Smiths'', in February 1984. Another version of the song was included on the compilation album ''Hatful of Hollow'' in November 1984. Overview "Still Ill" has been described both as Morrissey's "deeply personal realisation that his old dreams and freedoms were dead" and also as a reflection on his sexual orientation, in the Thatcher era. In 2018 ''The Independent'' described it as "infused with a bitterness at the country’s political failings". It is a moody and poignant song which worries that life will never again be simple and carefree. The lyrics of the song reference a nostalgia for the past ("We cannot cling to the old dreams anymore"), Morrissey's dislike for working at regular jobs, and his feelings about someone he had kissed "in the old days" but feels differently towards when kissing them in the present. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then, he has pursued a successful solo career. Morrissey's music is characterised by his baritone voice and distinctive lyrics with recurring themes of emotional isolation, sexual longing, self-deprecating and dark humour, and anti-establishment stances. Born to working-class Irish immigrants in Davyhulme, Lancashire, Morrissey grew up in nearby Manchester. As a child, he developed a love of literature, kitchen sink realism, and 1960s pop music. In the late 1970s, he fronted punk rock band the Nosebleeds with little success before beginning a career in music journalism and writing several books on music and film in the early 1980s. He formed the Smiths with Johnny Marr in 1982 and the band soon attracted national recognition for their epo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" is a song by English rock band the Smiths. Released as a single in May 1984, it reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's first top ten single. It was later included on the November 1984 compilation album ''Hatful of Hollow''. The song is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Background The music was written by Johnny Marr in an hour in a New York hotel room on 2 January 1984, using a red Gibson ES-355 guitar that was bought for him that day by Seymour Stein. After finishing the song, he wrote the music for B-side "Girl Afraid" the same evening. Marr considers the two songs "a pair". The song is notable for marking the beginning of producer Stephen Street's working relationship with the band. As one of his first roles as "in-house engineer" at Island Records' Fallout Shelter studios, Street engineered the session. He was aware of the band and excited by the prospect, saying in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from the 1980s British independent music scene. The Smiths signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records in 1983 and released their first album, ''The Smiths'', in 1984. They based their songs on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr. Their focus on a guitar, bass, and drum sound and a fusion of 1960s rock and post-punk was a rejection of the synth-pop sound that was predominant at the time. Several Smiths singles reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, and all their studio albums reached the top five of the UK Albums Chart, including the number-one album ''Meat Is Murder'' (1985). They achieved mainstream success in Europe with ''The Queen Is Dead'' (1986) and ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' (1987), both of which en ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dementia
Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affects a person's ability to function and carry out everyday activities. Aside from memory impairment and a disruption in thought patterns, the most common symptoms include emotional problems, difficulties with language, and decreased motivation. The symptoms may be described as occurring in a continuum over several stages. Consciousness is not affected. Dementia ultimately has a significant effect on the individual, caregivers, and on social relationships in general. A diagnosis of dementia requires the observation of a change from a person's usual mental functioning, and a greater cognitive decline than what is caused by normal aging. Several diseases and injuries to the brain, such as a stroke, can give rise to dementia. However, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functioning properly. Signs and symptoms of a stroke may include an inability to move or feel on one side of the body, problems understanding or speaking, dizziness, or loss of vision to one side. Signs and symptoms often appear soon after the stroke has occurred. If symptoms last less than one or two hours, the stroke is a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a mini-stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke may also be associated with a severe headache. The symptoms of a stroke can be permanent. Long-term complications may include pneumonia and loss of bladder control. The main risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure. Other risk factors include high blood cholesterol, tobacco smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus, a previous TIA, end-st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pinderfields Hospital
Pinderfields Hospital is an acute District General Hospital in Wakefield, West Yorkshire operated by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. History The original acute hospital in Wakefield was established as part of the Stanley Royd Hospital and opened on 8 March 1900. It was briefly renamed Wakefield Emergency Hospital before becoming Pinderfields General Hospital in the 1940s. The name derives from the Pinder of Wakefield, the townsmen in charge of impounding stray animals who were tasked with ensuring that no-one dare trespass on Wakefield under their watchful eyes. A new hospital, to be known as the Pinderfields Hospital, was procured under a Private Finance Initiative contract to replace Pinderfields General Hospital in 2007. The new hospital, which was designed by the Building Design Partnership and built by Balfour Beatty at a cost of circa £150 million, was completed in June 2010. It was opened by the Princess Royal Princess Royal is a substantive title, style custo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Duttine
John Arthur Duttine (born 15 March 1949) is an English actor noted for his roles on stage, films and television. He is well known for his role as Sgt George Miller in '' Heartbeat'' and also Bill Masen in the TV series ''The Day of the Triffids''. Early life Duttine was born on 15 March 1949 in Barnsley, West Riding of Yorkshire. He attended Buttershaw Secondary School; Stephen Petcher from his school would also appear in ''Heartbeat''. He grew up in Buttershaw, in south-west Bradford. He trained at the Drama Centre London in north London. In London he shared a flat with Bradford actor Ken Kitson. Career In 1973, Duttine starred opposite Francesca Annis in the BBC adaptation of ''A Pin to See the Peep Show'' by F. Tennyson Jesse. This was followed in 1974 by a small role in the TV adaptation of the Lord Peter Wimsey story ''The Nine Tailors''. His first big break came when he played John the Apostle in the 1977 television mini-series ''Jesus of Nazareth''. This was followe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
