Ya nar Oz

[squidbrain]

might have been discussed before but has anyone read Jimmy Nail's marvelous Autobiography?

[Lou]

Aye my husband said it was good

[Pete M]

Read it several times. Although he is supposedly ' difficult ', I came away thinking what a self effacing, honest, decent bloke.

[Breaking Away]

I started...

[Tracy]

Aye. Enjoyed the Pet stuff as you would expect. Canna remember much else lioke.

[Auf Wiedersehen, Pet]

What sorta pet did he keep? Budgie wannit?

[garforthgary]

it depends which book you read , there is a book called Nailed which is a biography which is not complimentary to him , however if you read a Northern Soul which is the Autobiography he comes across much better , he hasnt always had a good press has he ?

[Hallwood]

I got Northern Soul out of the library a few years back. I liked it.

[Lou]

Have any of the other lads done a book and are they any Good? Or lasses?

[Hallwood]

Pat Roach had a book called "If". I've never read it. There was also a book published after he died called "Auf Wiedersehen Pat".

[Lou]

Oh right. He has the poem If on his headstone and auf wiedersehen Pat on it too. He's buried in my local cemetery

[ikhider]

I have recently read Northern Soul and was into the first half well enough when Jimmy Nail wrote about his youth and Auf Pet and what it was like to work with his fellow actors.The part where he auditioned for Auf Pet was the most gripping and I was glued to the pages. I loved the part where Nail threatened the audition staff for looking at him funny. I also thought Nail was a bit hard on Gary Holton since 'London' seemed to have no sense of control with substance abuse and died. But that is Nail's opinion and I can understand that. What I cannot forgive Jimmy Nail for was how little he devoted to his chapter on production for the http://spender.tv/ series and what it was like to be back in Newcastle and work with fellow Geordies. I wanted to know what it was like to act alongside Sammy Johnson, Berwick Kaler, and Peter Guinness. Instead we got a little bit on Johnson's audition. I wanted anecdotes from the set and stories about the shoot locations. The Auf Pet actors (like Timothy Spall and the siren-like Julia Tobin) even cameo'd on the http://spender.tv/ series!!! Instead, Nail devoted too much space on Madonna who already has reams written about her. Madonna is the least interesting part of the book. I wanted blow-by-blow details on his detective series as it is my entry point for Jimmy Nail when I was in University, watching it for the first time. In Canada, we drown in American content and UK content is refreshing, a glass of water at a pop fountain. Nail really had a special show and then dropped it out of apparent boredom. I appreciate Nail's honesty, but I was heartbroken to read that. Mind you, this was when Nail also wrote his first (and last?) novel based on Spender which I have yet to read. However, the part where Nail recalled writing the series under the tutelage of Ian LaFrenais in California was the most satisfying and informative. I also liked the first season of Crocodile Shoes, the first episode is easily the best. The scene when Jed wakes early in the morning to practice his songs before his shift starts, still haunts me in a good way. It is a shame that Nail wasted so much space on 'American idols' when the locals are exponentially more interesting and cooler. That is what I like to read about. I would swap Madonna stories for the Geordie ones and have a superb read. Anyway, Madonna does not seem to be a pleasant person to be around, but I would love to be around those Geordies any time. I'd trade in a Madonna for a Julia Tobin in a heartbeat, any time. Revised edition, Mr. Nail?

[Tracy]

Aye, ya got a point like !