Auf Wiedersehen, Andi

The German World Cup winner, footballer Andreas Brehme, has died. I feel compelled to mention the time that I met him. 

It was July 1994, and I was spending the summer interning in the (then) UAHC Education Department at 838 5th Avenue, NY. At that time I was still a naughty smoker, and would pop out at lunchtime for a quick ciggie in the park. 

I was on my way back to the office, when I was passed by a gentleman who reminded me of Asterix the Gaul.

I realised that Andi Brehme was walking down 5th Avenue. Germany had just gone out of the World Cup to Bulgaria, and he was taking in the sights. I increased my pace to try and catch up, with no idea what or if I would say anything. I caught up with him just before the main door of 838. I tapped him on the shoulder, smiled, and said, "Schade Andi, aber gut gespielt!", then turned into the building. As I turned I could see his furrowed brow, trying to figure out how a woman had spoken to him about football in perfect German on a NY street and then disappeared through a door under a gigantic stone Biblical quotation.

It was sad to hear of his death. He was really quite young. Here is a link if you'd like to know more about his career:  BBC Sport.

 

Rest in Peace El Tel

 

News today that the footballer/manager/author Terry Venables has died. He was the captain and star of the first QPR team I ever followed, then the manager of my beloved team before he was poached by Spanish giants Barcelona. Known for his wit as well as his sporting intelligence, he led the R's to heights they'd not previously reached (an FA Cup Final!). Thank you for all the great memories.

Learn more about his life here.

Venables features, kind of, in a story about my sister's first time at Loftus Road. One of the visiting players on the field had been hit by the ball in a delicate part of his anatomy. The crowd started to chant, "In the balls, in the balls, in the balls!" The young and innocent child looked up at her father with her big blue eyes and asked, "Daddy, what are they saying?" He replied promptly, "they are singing the name of the manager!"

Rabbi Albert H Friedlander z"l

 

Albert doing his best Victor Mature impersonation at Stonehenge in the days when people were allowed to climb all over the stones and touch everything. People often remember his wisdom and his kindness. Also his sense of humour. It had a goofy side, however that maybe was less obvious outside his family life. Today, on the 19th anniversary of his death, I am missing that.

Meanwhile, a previously-unseen shot of us together I recently received from N (including my original panda friend). Focusing on happy memories. 

Buon Compleanno Mamma!

Today Evelyn would have celebrated her 83rd birthday. It's hard to believe that it's already almost 4 years since she left us. I took this photo on her 70th birthday, when we went to a spa in North Wales for a few days. It reminds me that whilst the difficulties of our relationship remain in the past and fade, the work we did together to move forward remains foremost in my memory. I look at this image & feel blessed for what we were able to develop. Buon compleanno Mamma!

 

Happy Memories on Father's Day

Thanks to N, I have a new collection of slides and photos from our family life together. Although for us, as N likes to say, it is Dead Dads Day, I am enjoying looking through them and seeing pics of interactions I don't really remember. Glad for these happy memories!

From One Auntie to Another

Yesterday my beloved Auntie Dorrit z"l would have been 98 years old. She is still part of our lives through the friends we continue to share, the objects in our home that once were hers, and the example she gave of how to be an aunt. This is particularly poignant as I was recently given my first opportunity to be an aunt myself. I hope I will do her proud!

 

It's Albert HaGadol's Birthday Today!

My darling father was born 96 years ago today, as was his beloved brother Charles (also in the pic is their big sister Dorrit and the Friedl hair). My mother used to call him Albertus Magnus, although all he knew of the whereabouts of the Philosopher's Stone was what was written in the Harry Potter books. Since his newborn grandson now shares the name Albert, I thought it fitting to distinguish him thus. Greatly missed and always loved.

Ron Phillips RIP

Was more than saddened to hear the news today that Ron Phillips died recently. As Club Secretary of Queens Park Rangers FC, he had the habit of giving photo passes to aspiring young photographers, and printing their pics if they were decent. As one who benefited from this scheme, Ron had a massive influence on the trajectory of my career, and I will always be grateful for his kindness. 

These pics were taken at the Baron's Court Theatre in 2015 when MP, MH & I interviewed Ron for a fanzine. I wonder if the memoir he showed us will ever be published - he certainly had some great QPR stories. Meanwhile, two particular contributions he made to the club history were the checkered programme covers and the removal of the apostrophe from the club's name. May he rest in peace, and my condolences to his family and friends.

Cheers, Mr Motson!

News just coming through from London that the commentator John Motson has died at the age of 77. That is pretty young these days. I am really sad to hear this - he was such a lovely man. Above I have shared a letter that he wrote to me many years ago. You can see how kind he was. It so happened that we met at the Wimbledon pre-season photoshoot. Mr Motson asked if I would take a pic of him holding the FA Cup (won by Wimbledon the previous season) that he could give to his dad. I said I'd take one of him if he'd take one of me for my dad! The photo of him is in storage, but here is the one he took of me, glorious 1980s hair 'n' all. My condolences to his loved ones, and may he rest in peace.

Vale Vialli

 

Another dead footballer you may say, nu? Gianluca Vialli was certainly a great success in Italy, helping Sampdoria to win its first ever Scudetto, and after a then record transfer fee to move to Juventus, being part of their Serie A winning team as well. Despite his strong link to The Team That Must Not Be Named, he was a speedy and acrobatic player who scored some fantastic goals. So he is, and will always be, part of national and international football history.

Having just watched some of the tributes to Vialli on Italian TV today, I would also say that he was a great communicator off the field throughout his football career, a talent that he was able to transfer to management, and ultimately commentary and punditry.

Vialli's hope, however, was that his fight against the pancreatic cancer that ultimately killed him would inspire others in their own struggles, and give them hope. And this is why I'm writing about him today. His book "Goals:  Inspirational Stories to Help Tackle Life's Challenges", co-written with Gabriele Marcotti & published in 2020, might be of interest to you or a friend.

And if you would like to make a donation for further research into pancreatic cancer:

Pancreatic Cancer UK, Lustgarten Foundation, National Pancreas Foundation (US)

Here are some of his goals for you to watch.

His career details

May he rest in peace & may his memory be a blessing.

Adios Edson Arantes do Nascimento

 

Farewell to Pele, who died yesterday. All arguments regarding GOATs (Messi is better than Ronaldo is better than Zlatan or Lewandowski) are irrelevant here as there can be only one, and it is Pele. Here is an obituary in the Guardian.

I took this photo in August 1987 at Wembley before the Football League XI game vs the Rest of the World (when Maradona came out of the tunnel waving his "Hand of God" at the crowd!). It got me into a bit of trouble as I had fibbed I was unwell so I wouldn't have to go to a batmitzvah party after synagogue because I had a pass to photograph this match. 

Before the game started, there was a crowd in the centre circle of the pitch. I couldn't see what was going on, but needed to get a shot for my boss, and I was too short to see over the other photographers, so I crawled between their legs and stood up in the front. I found myself in front of a tv camera which was recording an interview with Pele, and was immediately shoved back down to the ground. However, this was not before my face appeared live onscreen, and my lie was thus discovered.

But I got the shot. And an autograph. RIP dear GOAT.

I Do Love A Nice Dill Pickle

It had sounded interesting when it was released but, since it never made it to Modena, I soon forgot about this film. Then L & I were looking for something to watch together one Shabbat afternoon, and up it popped!

L had loved "The Frisco Kid", so I thought we should try "An American Pickle"! (no spoilers!) An Orthodox Jew who emigrates to New York in the early 20th century accidentally falls into a pickle barrel and is preserved for 100 years. Upon awakening, he has to deal with the modern world.

What can I say? This movie is clearly a child of Woody Allen, in the days when it was ok to love his work because nobody knew. I can't tell you how many times I watched "Sleeper", in which a different type of stereotypical Jew is frozen for 200 years and wakes up to deal with the future. However, it has its own identity, and I laughed, I cried, and I loved it. Bravo Seth Rogen!

Proud of You, VCM!

I am a couple of weeks behind in my Only Connect viewing, so I only saw this ep this evening. The connection between these clues is that they are all part of the Passover Seder. The contestants guessed the clues were things that were all considered responsible for causing aggressive behaviour. 

?????

Anyway, am proud of Ms Coren Mitchell. Not because this clue was on her show (and as a script consultant presumably she has some say in the content), but because she referred to the bitter herbs as maror in a natural way that suggests she knows her onions. Brava!

Acetaia Piglet

Piglet recently made their first visit to an acetaia in Modena, and learned all about the process. Here you see them guarding the oldest barrel.

Here Piglet looks proudly at the final product. With thanks to Acetaia Gambigliani Zoccoli!

Resisting the Yetser Ra

 

We are in the Hebrew month of Elul, and looking back at our actions over the past year in order to identify what needs teshuvah (restitution, if possible, and apologies) and healing. We want to repair our world and take better care of it, and ourselves.

L & I decided last week that we need to stop buying chocolate at the supermarket. The supermarket decided last week to import probably my all-time favourite UK chocolate confection:  Maltesers!

I am glad to say that, after picking up a packet, showing it to my friends and explaining how delicious they are, I was able to put it back and walk away. However, I may now need to change supermarkets.

Wishing everyone the strength to overcome their temptations, and when they slip up, to forgive themselves and then have another go!

Spotlight on Teatre Grec Piglet

Looking through some old pics I found this one of Piglet in Barcelona in 2015 when we visited the Teatre Grec amphitheatre. In fact, it's not very old. It was built in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exposition. It fell out of use for a while but these days it is the focal point of the summer GREC Festival. The place was completely empty on the crisp December day we visited. Piglet was thus able to be the focal point of the photo!

Vale Raymond Briggs

The books of Raymond Briggs, who died yesterday at the age of 88, have always taken pride of place on the bookshelves of my home. Although most obituaries will probably identify him first and foremost as the author of "The Snowman", my heart was captured by "Fungus the Bogeyman". Thus it was that I dragged my 6-year-old sibling to the Puffin Exhibition, to stand in a queue to say hello to Mr Briggs and get my copy signed.

Somehow, the books that followed really expressed my youthful perspective on the world, particularly during the Cold War when there seemed to be a real prospect of nuclear disaster. "Where the Wind Blows" was utterly depressing and terrifying, but made total sense:

and his drawings for "The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman", about the Falklands War, had large and powerful illustrations, including possibly the most pornographic depiction of Margaret Thatcher I've ever seen!

The work of Raymond Briggs has always been part of my life, and I hope always will be. I am grateful for his talent, and sorry for his passing. May he rest in peace. 

NB The Times notes that:

"He never had children and showed no sign of even liking them. When he was considered for the role of children's laureate he turned it down and left the job to Quentin Blake. "I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole," he said. "I don't want to go to schools and give talks on children's books. I don't actually know anything much about children. I try to avoid them whenever possible."

Guardian obit.

BBC obit.

The Times obit.

Tributes from the Independent.

 

Summer Joy

Just found this happy happy photo taken on holiday in Cornwall with friends a few years ago and wanted to share the joy. Hoping you may find something to smile about today!

Hopelessly Devoted to Dame Olivia

 

This news makes me really sad. As always, this is not a person I've ever met, but her music has been a part of my life for nearly 50 years. Dame Olivia Newton-John has died of cancer at the age of 73. Her voice and songs will continue to soothe my soul, but those who knew and loved her have lost their dear one. I am sad for them. I am sad she died relatively young. I am sad she won't sing any new songs. And I am grateful for the joy she has given me. May she rest in peace.

Her life in pictures from the Guardian.

Guardian obit. & here.

BBC obit.

Daily Mail report (cribbed from Chloe Lattanzi's Insta)

More from the Mail!

Link to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre.

San Siro Piglet

Although we weren't able to attend an actual football match, there is still something to be said for visiting an iconic stadium. The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza is the biggest stadium in Italy, and home to both Milan teams. I don't really have a preference, although in the era of the great Dutch footballers that played for A.C. Milan (Gullit, Rijkaard & Van Basten) I was definitely more red than blue. And now they have Zlatan, my (not-so) secret love. So ...

Anyway, it was a thrill to get to see the San Siro in its concrete flesh, and thanks to Ire for driving me there and Piglet for posing.