âI was half-dreading the 100th anniversary, but in fact, the research and the events that happened were very, very considered,â says Murphy.
âIn 1966, it was just an utterly unquestioning, nationalist commemoration. I remember as a schoolgirl buying into that, like a lot of us did, in those days. There was a TV series that went on all week, called Insurrection, a mockumentary of each day of the Rising. Iâve seen it since; itâs kind of fascinating. We were kind of thrilled by that. We felt it was like a totally accurate representation of the way things were, had television cameras been there. So to move from that, directly after that, to Belfast, was quite a shock. We had moved â inadvertently â into a fairly loyalist neighbourhood. And then when the trouble started, we moved into a nationalist neighbourhood. I can remember hearing gunfire and thinking: the Rising must have been like this. That it wasnât this kind of great, glorious flag-waving
Thursday, 25th February 2021 at 11:19 am
Who doesn’t love Mr Benn? The sharp suit, a kind word and a smile for everyone he meets, the hyperactive legs, and more diplomacy than a UN negotiator.
Advertisement
When he first opened the front door of his home at 52 Festive Road a whole half-century ago, a delivery by the postman led to a world of colourful adventures.
Today his fame is undiminished: Mr Benn is the best-performing animation on streaming platform BritBox, and its third most-popular classic kids show – after Grange Hill and Worzel Gummidge. There’s also a new edition of the DVD and imminent book reissues to tie in with the programme’s 50th anniversary.
READ MORE
Once again, the band went through another incarnation of their sound, focusing on concept work like the hugely unpopular Preservation Act albums.
Ray struggled with personal issues during this time; so much as to warrant the consideration of Dave as a potential frontman.
However, by the mid-1970s they were back on top, at which time John Dalton left the band in 1976.
Andy Pyle briefly replaced him as the bassist before Jim Rodford joined the band.
However, the same year Jim joined, in 1978, John Gosling left the band, and was replaced first by Gordon Edwards before Ian Gibbons became a permanent replacement in 1979.
Subscription Notification
We have noticed that there is an issue with your subscription billing details. Please update your billing details here
Please update your billing information
The subscription details associated with this account need to be updated. Please update your billing details here to continue enjoying your subscription.
Your subscription will end shortly
Please update your billing details here to continue enjoying your access to the most informative and considered journalism in the UK.