::andrew muir online::

Pop Music
My main interest in pop music is The Pet Shop Boys but alongside my like for the Pet Shop Boys I have also developed a like for other music such as Jimmy Somerville, Robbie Williams, M People, Enya, Erasure, Elton John, David Bowie, Shirley Bassey, Cold Play, George Michael, Simply Red and David Gray to name but a few!

Classical Music
In terms of Classical Music I desperately need to be taught the difference between A Major, D Minor etc. but know that I love the collections such as “Smooth Classics for Rough Days: Classic FM” and Classical Chillout . My two most favourite pieces of Classical Music are Spiegel Im Spiegel (Tasmin Little / Martin Roscoe) and The Aquarium from Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals

Movies
I don’t really have a serious interest in movies, mainly because I have such a short attention span! but, I would consider the following titles as my favourite movies; Schindler's List, Murials Wedding, Gathering Storm, Conspiracy, Towering Inferno, In the name of the Father, Beautiful Thing, Like it is, The Game, Madagascar and The Two of Us.

Television
I am mainly interested in News & Current Affairs, preferring Channel 4 News and any relevant programmes that cover issues of interest e.g. I was so shocked by “The Nazis” that I bought the video box set. My favourite TV shows range from Coast, The Restaurant, Come dine with me, Apprentice, Casualty, Question Time, House of Cards, Royle Family, Jamie's School Dinners, documentaries about people.

I am a particular fan of two yearly programmes called Cabinet Confidential & UK Confidential which detail documentation from Whitehall & Stormont released under the 30 year rule by the Public Record Office. It is now known, for example, that in 1971 Reverend Ian Paisley, offered to form a government in Northern Ireland with the nationalist SDLP and in 1972 plans to "transfer" most of Northern Ireland's Catholic population south of the Irish border were secretly considered by Whitehall officials!

Not everything is unfortunately released after 30 years. For example, papers relating to the abdication crisis in 1936 are being held back until 2037! Full details on the 30 year rule can be obtained from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/uk_confidential/1081675.stm

If you feel, as I do, that government should be more open, why not join the Campaign for Freedom of Information? Their web site can be found at http://www.cfoi.org.uk/

I am also a keen fan of political documentaries and found The Gathering Storm (a historical drama about Winston Churchill’s life before World Ward Two) was fab I also liked Michael Dobb’s trilogy, House of Cards, The Play the King and The Final Cut but disliked Peter Kosminsky’s The Project.

I love crime related dramas such as The Bill, Merseybeat, Prime Suspect and Silent Witness whilst also preferring docusoaps such as Airline & Airport.

Radio
Every weekday morning, without fail, I always listen to the news programme Good Morning Ulster on BBC Radio Ulster , tuning into The Today Programme on Radio 4 (www.bbc.co.uk/today) if nothing significant or interesting is happening in Northern Ireland.

During the day and in the evening when driving home I nearly always listen to Classic FM, tuning in to the news programme Evening Extra on BBC Radio Ulster from 5pm to 6.30pm and sometimes Arts Extra at 6.30pm to 7pm.

I enjoy Any Questions from Radio 4 and the Westminster Hour, also from Radio 4.

This page was last updated Saturday, 23 August 2008 22:47:22