A Collection of Writings
I think America is a wonderful country. I often visit and I have never found anyone, other than the Customs Officials at the airport, that I dislike. My daughter is American and my ex-husband, with whom I am still on good terms, was a Colonel in the Marines. I have not had a lot of contact with American politicians - they seem to be a separate breed.
I was about to write an update for my message page. I was going to go on about the iniquity of asking the Brits to provide finger prints before being allowed to enter America. We were supposed to be Allies in the misconceived Iraq war. Yet we are being lumped in with Arab countries and countries which opted out. I was also going to point out that as far as I could remember most of the Terrorists did their flight training in the States so I thought it only fair that Americans visiting this country should provide fingerprints and personal details before being admitted. After all, America was one of the main IRA supporters for nearly 40 years while it was setting off bombs all over Britain. In spite of this they were not recognised as Terrorists by the American Government and several Presidents even visited Ireland while the bombing was in progress.
Then came 9/11 and Terrorism became a big thing. And the people of America and Britain were dragged into an invasion of a country which in no way threatened ours and, it has now become overwhelmingly obvious, with no idea of what we were getting into - and what is worse - no idea of how we were going to get out of it. This was done on the shifting sand of lies and misdirection. Iraq was the only Arab country that did not show some support for Al Qaeda and Colin Powell admitted on television 5 weeks before invading Iraq that they had no weapons of mass destruction. Aristotle told the young Alexander, soon to be Great, around two and a half thousand years ago that it was easy winning a war - the hard bit was winning the peace. I assume Bush is not into the Classical Greeks?
This was what I was going to write. Then the stories about the atrocities in Abu Ghraib prison came to light and I thought the rest was so insignificant that I lost the will to write. I thought we had moved on since Mi Lai and the sorry debacle of Vietnam. Maybe I'm ultra sensitive. I witnessed this sort of madness at close quarters as a child. I feel sick as the proverbial parakeet about it.
Now we are being told on a daily basis that Bush and Blair got it wrong. That they received duff information from the Secret Services. That's all right then. Perhaps someone should employ the services of a good medium to get in touch with those killed in the war-by-mistake and explain it to them - and their families. And what do we do with Saddam now that it has been proved that he was doing exactly what he was told to do by the United Nations, and dumped all the weapons that were making America and England so uneasy? Pick him up, dust him down, apologise and send him home with a couple of billion dollars in his back pocket?
I wish I could get off this treadmill. I've never really bothered about politics before. Don't really want to know now. Just that I get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I read a newspaper or watch the news on the TV. I guess the world will never be that wonderful place I always feel it should be but, as it is the only one we have, I'll just have to get on with it.
Caroline Munro, Ingrid Pitt and Veronica Carlson
To a brighter subject. I've recruited a couple of mates from the Hammer days, Caroline Munro (Dracula '72) and Veronica Carlson (House of Frankenstein), and we have formed a film company called HAMMER GLAMMER FILMS. At least that is what it is called at the moment. Some of the peasants are revolting and say that it suggests a Porno Film company. Which it is not. The idea is to make a series of films in the Hammer vein, initially promoting ex-Hammer stars as well as new faces. The first film will be a three parter called THREE FOR HELL. (3 4 L. don't say we're not with IT). MOONSTRUCK is a Werewolf film and will star Veronica. ALTERED SHAPES is a new take on Dr. Moreau with Caroline and my daughter Steffanie and I have a vampire themed story, SOMEWHERE AFTER MIDNIGHT. If you are interested in joining us you will find a Prospectus on hammerglammerfilms.co.uk after the 20th. August 2004. Roughly the idea is to offer investors £1 shares in blocks of 500. Investors will also have the opportunity of appearing in the films if they fancy it. It's much more complicated than that but everything is explained in the Prospectus. How, when, why and what your safeguards are against me absconding with the loot. So watch this space. Even better watch http//:hammerglammerfilms.co.uk.
August is going to be busy. 7th and 8th I'll be at RAF Chailey in East Sussex. 7th. for a Promenade Concert. 8th. for an air show and a chance to meet some old Polish pilots. The following weekend up to the NEC in Birmingham for the Memorabilia show on the 14th and 15th August. 19th August is a Press Call for THREE FOR HELL in the London Dungeon. From there to Cherry Hill in New Jersey at the Monster Mania Show 27th to 29th August. If you are at any of these shows please come and say hello.
In the meanwhile think beautiful thoughts and maybe the nastiness will go away. But I doubt it!