Safety...

 This past week we have had some builders in to rememove an old boiler and remove it...in with the new, more efficient, modern one. They did a great job...but created a mountain of dust..The workmen were ok ..they had face masks, gogles ..dust extractors, sprays..metal clad gloves..everythinh to to protect them...all supplied by the company that employed them..Great stuff

When I started work as a deep seam coal miner in 1955 I had nothing supplied, bought my own boiler suit, absoloutely no protective equipment, no masks, goggles or gloves..Nothing..and we were working in seams that were 3 feet deep where the air was thick with coal dust, the meal break was 20 minutes taken on the seam where it was impossible to stand up//No toilests or wash rooms..When we were in a wet seam we simply got wet up to our waists...I finished up with Pneumonia...all for less than 5 pounds a week...and we considered we were well paid.

It occurred to me that perhaps my career choice was the wrong one...so I changed it...not everyone was as lucky.

It is different now and rightly so but some of my workmates spent their entire working life in those conditions...not many reached retirement age. We are so lucky right now. 

Winter quarters.

 A wonderful sight here in our Italian Mountain village It was the annual move of the cows from the high pastures to their winter quarters. Superb animals, all with massive bells arouund thier necks and huge bouquets of floweres on their heads..all surrounded by their families in traditional costume..lotsa kids...Beautiful weather for it.. Love it.

Visitors

Thank you everyone..The visitor numbers to the site have now exceeded over 71,000.....keep it up.

Streamers

 We are having great fun watching the Streamers from various companies..A massive choice of evening viewing..I recall the days when we only had one choice  BBC1..then BB2..The ITV lincences blew the industry apart....fortunately it eneabled me to get a start in the industry.  I loved every minute of it.

One thing that is impressive with the Streamers..  The Production values..  The quality in almost every department is superb..Lotsa talented folk out there ....and vast amoutns of money..Long may it coinue..One day perhaps we can all enjoy 'HATRACK' when it reaches the right production company... working on it.... Keep a lookout.

Book sales

 Good news today..  Our books are selling well  'The Fiddler'..'Maginty's Quest' and 'The Stack'

The Fiddler'  Set in Italy ..about a young farmhand who trieds to join Mozarts Orchestra...The journey changes his life..massively

Maginty's Quest..Three small sea creatures rescue a pirate who is also a magician and he gives them a quest..250 years later they carry it out..A great young readers romp.

The Stack..A family dynasty tale..It begins in the first wordl war and concerns the activities of two young British soldiers who seek out the NEW WORLD and continues up to the present time..Locations are UK..Gallipoli..Australia and USA

All three novels began as Screenplays and then  adapted into books..

All available from Amazon.  Check them out,,RJ

'HATRACK'

 Hi everyone..This is Richard Dodd..the owner of this site..nice to see you all visiting..At the moment I am working on a new TV streaming project called 'HATRACK'.

The concept has been viewed by a number of A list industry professionals and they have all given it an enthusiastic  thumbs up.  It is mainly aimed at a teenage audience but for the first time it will involve them  both in the viewing and the spin off game..

The concept has been offered to a number of Streaming companies and we await feed back..

More on this as/if  we get it.

In the meantime if any of you want to post your experiences in the industry then please feel free to offer them up and I will see they are published...

Talk later.  RD.

Rape ..and its consequences

 This a slightly off topic post but it is relevant and I may have posted it before but please stay with me.

Some years ago I lived in a very smart apartment block in Kensington London. A two bed place..on the top floor..  Mega..  Surrounded by great restaurants, bars and shops.

At that time I was the D.o.P on a prime time show for  UK TV..As usual the production company..in an attempt to keep the costs down.. had hired a very rundown studio (Abandoned factory) In a  remote part of East london. To call the studio a permanent health hazard for the crew would be an understatement..  Full of bird dropping,  appalling toilets etc....everything about it was wrong

It was about an hours tube ride from Kensington.

 Because of the filthy conditions I chose to wear the oldest scruffiest filming  clothes I had..  Raggy faded jeans.. a well worn sweater and the oldest well worn  jacket that was at least 30 years old and looked it.

At wrap on a particular day I dashed across to the tube station,  caught the train and made it home at about 9 pm.  As I approached my apartment block a woman who looked to be in her sixties was approaching from the opposite direction.  It was obvious we were aiming for the same large glass doors. I held my keys up as we closed.  She ignored me and opened the door ..entered and then closed.it behind her.

Odd.. but I was cool about it.  She began to walk down a quite long corridor to the elevators.  I waited until she was approx half way and then went inside.The woman stopped and turned 'Who are you?'

I waved the keys  'A resident'..'I dont believe you, Ive never seen you before and a scruffy person like you would never live in this place'

I was a little shocked..but this was London and some funny folk live there..  I walked past her and arrived at the lifts . Pressed to button.The indicator said the carriage was on the top floor ..the 7th

I heard the woman behind me start to scream at the top of her voice  'RAPE..RAPE..HES RAPING ME  HELP'  and she kept on shouting as she threw herself ont the floor,  pulling her blouse out of her skirt and kicking her legs about..  Still screaming 'RAPE' etc.

The lift was taking its time and there was no one else in the corridor..My entire life and career now hung on someone being in the lift or entering the building..A woman in obvious distress was writhing about on the floor,  her clother were in disarray and and she was screaming 'RAPE' 

Who would any one believe?.. the very upset woman or this very scruffy man who obviously did not live there,  altho he did.  If the police had been called  then I would have been detained.  Taken to a station to be questioned.  No doubt held overnight.  Would not be on set in the morning and it would soon get out that I had been arrested on suspicion of rape..  NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE..  In my business the phone would never  have rung again..ever.

What should happen to a woman who does this. Should she be charged with a crime  Even if I had ultimately been completely cleared the smell would have lingered  forever.  

Just askng