If you haven’t managed to catch up with the award winning Documentary Drama The Silent Child aired on BBC 1 recently, I suggest you do while still available on Catch Up.
The Silent Child won best short film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in August 2017. This made it eligible for entry to the Oscars. In December 2017 the film was selected as one of the final ten films in the category for the 90th Academy Awards. On 23 January 2018, it was announced that The Silent Child was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for the 90th Academy Awards, which it then won.
We observe an over-achieving Mother and emotionally detached step-father from a well-heeled British middle class family, who put their children’s education and piano lessons above the needs of their socially challenged daughter Libby who has hearing difficulties.
As we follow the progress of this young girl from her isolation within a large family, to her progress with a ‘one to one’ specialist carer, whose love and commitment gradually brings her into the real world, we feel outraged as the narcissistic parents deprive her of all hope by cutting her off in her prime, through their own refusal to listen to their child or the expert caring for her, even stopping her sign language as they feel it is better for her to lip read.
It is heart wrenching as the carer secretly visits Libby at her new school, and they sign ‘I love you’ to each other – with no one to observe the tragic consequence.
It certainly strikes a chord as we are subtly informed of the lack of care and understanding in the Education system with the need of sign language and awareness in schools, in addition to the loneliness of someone who constantly feels excluded.
We also observe that a classroom can be the most isolating place for someone who cannot engage with other kids, through the school’s inability or refusal to educate their own staff into how to improve the situation with these simple communication skills.
We are brilliantly educated into the silent World of the child, and quickly learn that neglect comes in all forms, and is not necessarily restricted to grimy areas of poverty or bad education, but with the absence of love, and with love comes listening, which as we know, is the most important thing of all.
As a truly committed devotee of the heady days of Princess Diana, from her peter pan collars and see through skirts, to the ever plunging necklines of the temptress, I vowed never to go there again after the tragedy of 1997.
Now with the butterfly advent of Meghan Markle, I am feeling those all too familiar pangs of fascination, but vowed not to be swept along in the same way with her obvious flair for fashion. After all she isn’t Princess Diana, and I am older now so don’t need a Royal Fashion Icon to follow.
But here I am admiring her style – and particularly her head ware. Yes, Meghan’s berets are becoming quite a fashion symbol in familiar circles of my peers – a sweeping statement you may think. But the beret was and has been fashionable for several decades, and even centuries.
Le Beret was worn originally in the Béarnaise countryside of France – usually in black and red. It has certainly become the staple fashion ‘look’ of France along with gauloises and the Breton striped jumper.
Celebrities have historically played a role in making the beret popular. It became a fashionable accessory in Hollywood as far back as the 1930s after being worn casually askew by a number of famous movie actresses or ‘A’ listers as we would refer to them today.
From Lauren Bacall to Julia Roberts in more recent times, you can see why as this sexy but classy headdress is both flattering and highly haute couture.
Over the years too it has appeared in some High Street outlets, but not seriously featured, except perhaps as a passing ‘wink’ to more beret centric days in Fashion.
So it is no wonder our Meghan, and did you clock the word ‘our’ – yes already adopted and addicted – has made such an impact, because as well as marrying everybody’s favourite Prince, she also has the knack of carrying off an outfit and putting it on the map. So with that in mind, I am throwing caution to the wind, getting back on the treadmill of Meghan mania, and am in search of some spectacular head gear – the beret is back and so am I.
Originally created from award-winning writer Ann Cleeves’ bestselling novels, gripping crime series Shetland returns to find DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) facing murders from the past and present with unsettling similarities in this new single mystery. When Shetlander, Thomas Malone, has his conviction for the murder of teenager Lizzie Kilmuir overturned after 23 years behind bars, Perez must reopen the investigation. Many in the close-knit island community still believe Malone to be guilty, so when his return coincides with the murder of a local journalist, he’s very firmly in the frame. As both cases become increasingly complex, stretching to Norway and into the murky world of far right extremist groups, Perez is pushed to the limit both professionally and personally. He’s as determined as ever not to give up, but, as he closes in on the truth, the investigation will lead him closer to home that he could ever have imagined.
Shetland S1 – 4
Originally created from the novels by award-winning writer Ann Cleeves (Vera) and set against a hauntingly beautiful landscape, Shetland follows DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) and his team as they investigate complex crimes within a close-knit island community. In this isolated and sometimes inhospitable environment, the team must rely on a uniquely resourceful style of policing. Series one and two are based on bestselling books Red Bones, Raven Black, Dead Water and Blue Lightning. In the third and fourth series, both single original stories, Perez first tackles a conspiracy that takes him back to the Scottish mainland, in a case that will exact a terrible personal toll on both him and his team, and must then face murders from the past and present with unsettling similarities, in an investigation that will lead him closer to home than he could ever have imagined.
October 16, 2026 1854 Oscar Wilde 1890 Michael Collins 1922 Robert Urquart 1936 Peter Bowles 1940 Simon Ward 1947 Terry Griffiths 1958 Tim Robbins 1960 Gary Kemp 1967 Davina McCall
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