Examples
These are some samples of my written work. Clippings of other previously published magazine articles are available on request.
WE DO WORK HARD!
A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW
HEATHROW EXPANSION PLANS PROMPT PROTESTS FROM CLIMATE CAMP
ECHOES – Poetry and Photography Inspired by Pinhay Bay
Article published in Sesame, the Open University’s newspaper:
WE DO WORK HARD!
One last, liberating click of my mouse and it’s done. I’ve submitted the final assignment of the final course of my degree. And with no exam to take, and a faint confidence that things have gone to plan, I’m feeling rather smug.
But as I prepare to release myself back into society after seven years of being buried beneath textbooks, what should be waiting to dampen my triumph but the ignorance of some of those non-OU folk?
The fact that studying with the Open University involves hard toil remains a mystery to some. They seem to think my efforts over these past years have involved little more than staying up late once in a while to watch an OU programme on TV. Yes, add to that forty-two assignments, fifteen hours in exam halls, and enough ring binders of notes to warrant an extension on the house, and you’re almost there.
Still, this isn’t the time for ranting. I have my post-study satisfaction to indulge in, whether the world thinks I’ve earned it or not. But what to do with this newly acquired spare time? I think I might just sit around and watch TV for a bit. That would make a change.
Article published in The Lady, a national women’s weekly magazine:
A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW
Sir John Gielgud’s contribution to the stage and screen was so great that he was known “not so much as an actor as the actor”. John Dickson looks back at his career that spanned eight decades.
It is impossible to imagine 20th-century theatre without Sir John Gielgud, who was born 100 years ago this week. In a long life wholeheartedly dedicated to acting, he played a staggering number of roles in countless plays and films. He used his exceptional talent to awe and entertain generations of audiences.
Arthur John Gielgud was born in London on 14 April 1904. His father, Frank Gielgud, was a stockbroker and his mother, Kate, hailed from the Terry family, which had strong theatrical associations. This gave John an early fascination with acting and implanted in him a desire to go on the stage. His was particularly inspired by his great-aunt, Ellen Terry, a celebrated actress of the time.
John received a private education at Westminster School, where his interest in the theatre continued to grow. He frequently skipped lessons to go and see plays and, by doing so, acquired an appreciation for a diverse range of dramatic works including pantomime, ballet, musicals and Shakespeare, which was to become his greatest love.
On completing his schooling, he resisted pressure from his parents to go to university to study architecture, but he promised that if, by the age of 25, he had failed to make a career of acting, then he would succumb to their wishes.
In the meantime, he won a place at Constance Benson’s drama school. He was far from an immediate success as an actor, however. A particular obstacle was his weak physical movement on stage – this shortcoming famously prompted Constance Benson to remark that Gielgud walked “exactly like a cat with rickets!” So, at the age of 18, he left drama school without having made a name for himself.
Fortunately, his family connections brought a lucky break. Through his mother’s cousin, Phyllis Nelson Terry, he landed a part in a play called The Wheel. Still well aware that he needed further training, he applied for a place with the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He secured a scholarship to study there and the training he received improved and polished his acting technique.
Once he had left RADA, he found work with the Oxford Players under JB Fagan, where his performances began to receive favourable reviews. An important break came in 1925, when Fagan was invited to bring the Oxford Players’ production of The Cherry Orchard to London and John’s performance was well received by critics.
A further step towards success came soon after this when he appeared in Noël Coward’s controversial play, The Vortex. Thus, by the age of 25, Gielgud had realised his ambition to achieve success as an actor, and so did not resort to studying architecture. But, although is reputation was confirmed, he had yet to realise his full potential.
It was after Gielgud joined the Old Vic Company, in 1929, that the plays of Shakespeare, in which the company specialised, allowed him to find his true métier and, despite the poor wages being offered, he revelled in roles that he could make his own.
By playing many of Shakespeare’s leading male characters, Gielgud rose to critical glory, stunning audiences with the power of his portrayals of Richard II, Macbeth – and Hamlet, a role in which he was esteemed to be the greatest living interpreter.
His quality as a Shakespearean actor carried him on to enormous fame and glory. He became the star attraction at theatres stretching from the West End to Broadway. His triumph was due to his deep understanding of Shakespeare and his awareness that all the roles he took needed a fresh approach to bring them to life in the 20th century. Lee Strasberg, the influential American teacher and director, said: “When Gielgud speaks the verse, I can hear Shakespeare thinking.”
He worked hard to achieve these results, and was never satisfied with his acting. His harsh self-criticism was at odds with the laudatory reviews that critics bestowed upon him.
His wonderfully melodic voice was another major factor in his success. It contributed to his reputation as the “supreme romantic actor” that he earned through roles that included a highly convincing Romeo.
His heyday was not characterised only by Shakespearean roles, however. Some of his other great work was in the plays of Chekhov, Congreve and Oscar Wilde. Gielgud is remembered especially for his portrayal of Jack Worthing in Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Mastering this comic role demonstrated his versatility and, by 1953, his huge contribution to theatre won him s knighthood.
Yet, despite his genius, not all his projects were so successful. When, for example, he took up the new challenge of directing plays in his 30s, the hypercritical, perfectionist traits that had served to make him a great actor did not translate well into this new role. His impatience with those who worked for him and his constant revisions of plays often left the cast feeling insecure. Also, while he was the undisputed master of classical theatre, initially, he struggled to shine in the more contemporary roles of the 1950s and 1960s. Nevertheless he was determined to achieve credibility as a modern actor, and, eventually he succeeded, most notably as Spooner in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land.
Gielgud also made many memorable appearances on television, in Brideshead Revisited, for example, and in over 70 films. His reputation on the silver screen developed particularly in his later years, when he eased up on his stage work. He appeared in a number of celebrated films during the 1980s, among them The Elephant Man and Chariots of Fire. But his finest screen moment came in 1982; he received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Arthur, starring with Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli.
His passion for acting motivated him to work well into his 90s, adding still more stage, film and television roles to an incredible career that spanned eight decades. Following his death, at the age of 96 on 21 May 2000, the Shaftesbury Avenue theatre that bears his name paid its respect by dimming its lights and observing a minute’s silence.
Sir John Gielgud is remembered for the modesty and warmth he maintained despite the greatness he attained. His contribution to the stage and screen can be summed up by Kenneth Tynan, the theatre critic who described him as “not so much an actor, as the actor”.
A news article written as part of my Environmental Studies degree (this earned first prize in my tutor group and was entered into a nation-wide final judged by The Guardian’s Environment Editor):
HEATHROW EXPANSION PLANS PROMPT PROTESTS FROM CLIMATE CAMP
Hundreds of environment campaigners are expected to arrive at Heathrow airport this month to demonstrate against proposed increases to its capacity. Led by the pressure group Camp for Climate Action, members of the public will gather to express concern about the growing impact of the aviation industry on climate change.
The week-long demonstration, starting on 14 August, follows a similar event last year at Drax Power Station, Selby. This month's protest is likely to cause some disruption to Heathrow's services.
The organisers say they disagree with proposals by BAA, the company that runs Heathrow, to build a third runway by 2020. Such an expansion, they argue, would run counter to the UK's political commitments to combating climate change.
A polluting industry
Air travel has been subjected to particular scrutiny recently for the high levels of climate pollution it generates. Aviation is the fastest growing source of carbon emissions in the UK. It could be responsible for over half of the UK's greenhouse gas contribution by 2050.
Lindsey Harris of Camp for Climate Change said: "All our efforts to tackle climate change are undone by operations like Heathrow. It's time to get serious. Instead of expanding airports, we should be talking about closing them."
Protesters will also highlight what they regard as unfair advantages afforded to the UK's aviation industry. Camp for Climate Change argues that the tax-free status on products such as air fuel and in-flight meals represent unjust perks for a highly polluting industry.
As well as pressing for change among government and industry officials, the group also hopes to raise public awareness. On-site workshops will deliver seminars about sustainable solutions to problems caused by transport and other aspects of Western lifestyles.
A Camp for Climate Change spokesperson said: "We believe that climate change is effectively a referendum on what kind of world we want. A lot is going to change, whether we like it or not. So we'd better be involved in the creation of something much better than the world as it is now."
Economic importance
BAA has responded to criticism by claiming that it is taking action to minimise its environmental impacts. The company cites its positive record on meeting noise level and air quality standards. It argues that climate change is better addressed through schemes like carbon trading than by economically damaging measures to limit airport capacity.
Tony Douglas, Chief Executive Officer of BAA said: "Heathrow is at the heart of the UK economy and one of our country's most important assets. It supports thousands of jobs, provides the vital links between the UK and the global economy, and is an absolutely essential factor in convincing companies to locate in Britain. But today Heathrow is full, operating at 99% of its current runway capacity, and vulnerable to foreign competition."
The anticipated disruptions from the demonstrations at Heathrow have concerned some, particularly in view of current security fears at airports. BAA has attempted to gain a High Court injunction to ban some protesters from going to Heathrow airport during the demonstrations.
This move has raised questions about control over the climate change issue. Environmentalist and civil liberties groups have stressed the democratic importance of allowing demonstrations. BAA insists that it intends only to protect its staff and customers by preventing unlawful direct action.