Happy Independence Day! Or, Sod off, Puritan day depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on! I wish my American friends and family all the excellent food and recreational pyrotechnics they desire. I wish my UK friends and family the same! Just with more tea instead of the recreational pyro, chances are.
Later on today we’re going to fire off the fireworks Marguerite’s been hoarding since Bonfire Night. This week I handed out the leaflet she made to our neighbours, explaining she was American, celebrating the 4th of July and as a result fireworks and the 1812 overture would be happening.
Either just before or just after that, we’ll watch Independence Day, firstly because it’s day appropriate and secondly because very few blockbusters are more fun. Will Smith punching aliens! Ian Malcolm working at a cable news station! Bill Pullman turning in the Agincourt speech from Henry V! Sort of!
Released at the same time as the movie, ID4UK was, and still is, both magnificent and extremely odd. It’s a radio drama about what’s going in the UK at the same time as the movie, which actually dovetails into the movie. These two guys:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjrOBxnYubs]
I love that he’s tetchy about the Americans taking a while to organize a counter-offensive against the MOST UNPRECEDENTED MILITARY EVENT IN HUMAN HISTORY. I’ll bet he’s got a brew on somewhere too.
are front and centre, along with Radio 1 DJs of the time and British astronomer Sir Patrick Moore. It’s brilliant fun and very odd and has, I think, been unavailable for years.
It is on youtube though.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xhHQiMH9Gk]
Magnificently, I think this was even dropped into regular programming as though it was a thing that was actually happening.
If it is still available somewhere, let me know and I’ll take the link down. In the meantime, take an hour and listen to one of my favorite things. And remember, never cross the late, great Sir Patrick Moore. He was scrappy…