Andrew Lloyd Webber is writing/has written a new musical about/featuring Stephen Ward. On tonight's Front Row (R4) he mentioned a trial - and transcripts are still being banned from publication many years later. Why? What is being suppressed?
-
-
It looks as if the press covered this a couple of weeks back.
Here's the authoritative version ;-)
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world. -
Additional information by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nick Hopkins
A review of Geoffrey Robertson's book
Last year Tom Mangold wrote and delivered a programme for BBC Radio 4's Archive on Four series about Stephen Ward's trial and of meeting with Ward the night before his suicide. Ward was writing his suicide notes as they spoke, calm and collected.
Here is the programme description but sadly it is no longer available on i-Player.
Finally a recent piece by Mangold.
Comment
-
Some very interesting stuff there Ams, FF.
Tom Mangold clearly knows a lot. He has interesting opinions on who the British state gets rid of, and how, when the need arises.Last edited by teamsaint; 17-12-13, 07:57.I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.Comment
-
He's done some interesting stuff on the death of Dr David Kelly too.Originally posted by teamsaint View Post
Old-school investigative journalism at its best.Comment
-
I wasn't going to go there ....Originally posted by amateur51 View Post
The idea that we are supposed to have transparency etc., and yet there was a trial over 50 years ago and we cannot access the transcript, and apparently will not be able to until 2046 - when I expect I may have "lost interest" does suggest something a bit fishy.Comment
-
I came to the conclusion that there had definitely been dirty work at the crossroads, when at the outset of my career I was involved in a fascinating libel action, defending the publishers of a serialisation of this book
(If I recall correctly, the publishers had all thought that the policemen singled out for criticism in the book had since died and hence that there would be no libel risk - but that one popped up having retired to Australia, and sued. Yes here we go - his name was Burrows - see the boxed report here: http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...g=2780,8455231 ).
The case had to be settled for various reasons, one of them being that a lot of the potential witnesses, prostitutes in the relevant circle at the time, were dead - one of my tasks had been to try and locate them, and I found that a significant number had died or disappeared in mysterious circumstances, esp in the Notting Hill area I recall. (Clanricarde Gardens was one place where a body had turned up, I recall - I remembered it a few years later when looking at a possible flat there :yikes:). One such was Vickie Barrett who had given prosecution evidence at the trial. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SPYbarrettV.htm
Conspiracy? *ironic mystification emoticon*
I've always found the story fascinating since getting inside it then.
In fact I had further work contact with the matter, as I acted for this lady, lately deceased sadly
in the two libel actions mentioned on that page.
Last edited by Nick Armstrong; 20-12-13, 12:21."...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
Comment
-
How could she lose? Fascinating. Given what did come to light - even more fascinating to imagine what didn't.It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
-
Thanks for that really fascinating post, Cals.
Sadly, there doesn't seem to be much, or in fact any media interest in the fate of Vickie Barrett.
Who knows, perhaps the new musical will help torches to shine into dark corners, (the corner need light shining I mean).I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.Comment
-
i've recently seen the player Keeler by, starring Paul Nicolas as Stephen Ward at London's Charing Cross Theatre. it tells the story largely from Keeler's point of view (it is based on her book The Truth At Last) and shows how Ward was stitched up by the establishment.)
Its advantage over the competing attractions of m'Lord's version is that it is not a musical and it has just finished its run :ahem:Last edited by Guest; 21-12-13, 13:34.Comment
-
By definition, this has the insurmountable disadvantage of m'Lord being involved.Originally posted by amateur51 View Post
Wild horses etc etc...
"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
Comment
-
I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.Comment
Comment