h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

a very informative piece depicting liverpool and scousers in a way they deserve!! im proud to a scouser!! a small fact that may interest you...although grange hill, written by phil redmond was`nt officialy set in liverpool the goings on were actually taken from real life situations in a liverpool school! phil`s mum sally, was the head cleaner at St. Dominics school for many years, she would relay a lot of the kids carryings on to phil, hence the birth of grange hill! i was a pupil in the school at the time and saw my own actions in the show on more than one occassion!

So you went the Doms. I was at the Alleys.

I'm camped down in London now, and still homesick for Liverpool. But I'm going up to see the family this weekend.

Interesting stuff on the origin of Grange Hill plot lines.

yeh i was at the doms! so was phil redmond. was always hangin round the moss with my mates....its all changed now! still live in the same road although i have my own place now!

ps.... it used to drive me mad when sally told phil what we wher upto cos we didnt get any of the glory!! lol also the lighting engineer on grange hill was none other than Anthony Minghella, now famous for directing....he`s my cousin.

Funny that! Cos I'm related to Terence Davies, director of the Cannes-Award winning Distant Voices Still Lives (which was based on my family), The Long Day Closes, and more recently The House of Mirth.

I should really have mentioned Terry under my section Liverpool's Famous Sons and Daughters, but it seemed like nepotism.

Anthony Minghella, of course, is a wonderful director. Is he from Liverpool, then?

no, that particular Antony Minghella hails from the part ov the family that stayed on the boats as far as scotland...there where a lot ov italian immigrants came over at the turn ov the century, sum came to liverpool and others travelled further afield, he was named after my own grandfather. we used to live in the breck road area and the partys where fantastic, my uncles would play the spoons in the streets and the neighbourhood would be buzzing!

Sounds like a load of fun.

If you haven't seen them, Terry's films are about around Kenny (Kensington) circa 1950s onwards. Lots of pub singing and spoon-playing abounds. My Dad still does a lovely version of a song called My Brother Sylveste. I love all types of music, but to this day I have never heard anyone but my father sing it: so, strictly speaking, I don't really know whether it's a good version or not.

erm do u mean....my brother sylvest, he`s got a row of 40 medals on his chest, he`s got an arm like a leg and a punch that would sink a battle ship! oh my, the memories!! not seen those films but will certainly be looking out for them now!

That's the one! I just wish I could hear the tune you're singing it to.

My Dad's other song is I Wonder What it Feels Like to Be Poor.

Perhaps I should warn you that Terry's films can be a bit dark. A film critic once said that he could "make Bergman look like a barrel of laughs". They are beautifully shot, however, and a lasting testament to life in Liverpool after the war. They are also full of singing and dancing Liverpool-style.

wish i was musically minded so i cud send u the tune! my dad always sang it life in liverpool was grim at that time but the people still knew how to look out for each other and have a good time on what litte was avilable to them my favourite memory is of the tramps ball in the barracks at broadway, every one looked good cos they all dressed as tramps my paternal grandfather had the bar there, it was known as Black Duncans Inn