I’ve uploaded a whole lot of reviews for various films and projects that REG has been involved in. Obviously most of them are fairly old but there are some “current” (read: from earlier this year) ones for Posh Nosh and Monsieur N. Other films include A Royal Scandal, Bed, Food Of Love, Gosford Park, Hard Times, Hildegarde, The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Jack And Sarah, Keep The Aspidistra Flying, The Kumars AT Number 42, The Robert Altman Omnibus, The Little Vampire, The Match, St. Ives, The Player, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Trial And Retribution II, Withnail And I and last, but not least, Victoria’s Secrets. Phew!!

Some of you may have noticed that it’s been a little quiet around The Temple of late. While it’s true that it’s mostly been fairly “low key” as far as REG appearances the last two or three weeks (apart from his appearance on “Restoration” of course), the main reason for me not updating any news is that I wanted a bit of a break from my REGimental “duties”.

Fear not, however, as I will soon be updating the site with some new articles, reports, pics, interviews, trailers, news and reviews over the coming week. Stay tuned!

p.s. I should also mention that at the beginning of the month we had a few problems with server meltdowns and DNS listings (basically it was difficult to get to the site for a couple of days or so). After various upgrades and replacements and re-configurations our webhost was able to get back on top of the situation and things should be working more smoothly from now on (save for a very massive computer virus- W32.Sobig.F@mm – that is doing the rounds of the WWW and choking major servers right now as we speak. Go to the Symantec website for more information.)

BBC News Online – August, 2003

VOTE – 0901 077 5001 Listing: Grade II*
Date of building: 1903-1906

Fifty years before the plans for the Victoria Baths, the seaside became a popular attraction, capturing the public’s imagination. By the end of the Victorian age, due to the introduction of a well-established railway network, those with enough money to travel were familiar with swimming. However, the poor of inner city Manchester were not, so in 1898 the plans for Victoria Baths were announced. Indeed when the baths opened very few of the houses in the area had bathrooms, so the slipper baths or wash-baths were a vital amenity, providing the opportunity for a real bath. The corporation realised that prevention was better than cure, and offering the working people of Manchester a ‘real bath’ went some way towards promoting good health and helping to fight disease, although some who used the baths as children recall being scrubbed raw by attendants before they were allowed in the swimming pool.

When the Lord Mayor opened the building in September 1906 he described it as a “water palace” of which “every citizen of Manchester was proud”. In June 1902, Mr Henry Price was appointed as the first City Architect and took on the responsibility for managing the construction of one of the most splendid municipal bathing institutions in the country. No expense was spared, with lavish use of stained glass and ornate tiling around the three pools, 64 wash baths, and Turkish and Russian baths. It even boasts an Aerotone, fitted in 1952, which was the precursor of the Jacuzzi, and despite having segregated areas for 1st class males, 2nd class males and females until 1914, the baths were where Sunny Lowry, the first English woman to swim the Channel, learnt to swim. However, in 1993 the baths were closed amidst much local protest.

The centre proposes to restore and reopen the Turkish baths suite so that this site could once again become a useful public service to the local community.

Click here for Richard E. Grant’s plea to save Victoria Baths.

Pat has been known to make more than a few fan club cards in her time, so email her (through the mailing list) if you’d like to receive one.

Nothing like having a few spare "Blakeney Bucks" to throw around.

A "REG Rules" sticker.

Pimpernel TV.

Click here for more artwork from Pat.

Calendar Pages

Magazine Covers

Collages

Other Stuff

BBC News Online – August, 2003

“You can go in there, take all your clothes off, get fit, flirt with people, snog somebody, restore all your aches and pains, and you can use it on a daily basis.”
– Richard E Grant

   “The Victoria Baths in Manchester are absolutely worth restoring because they are unique. They’re not like any other historical monument in the country. It’s not a graveyard, it’s not an historical castle, a big country fancy house where there are ropes telling you where you can and can’t walk, what you can and can’t touch, what you’re supposed to admire. This is something you can use on a daily basis. You can go in there, take all your clothes off, get fit, flirt with people, snog somebody, restore all your aches and pains, and you can use it on a daily basis.

It’ll make the value of property in the area go up. It’ll improve everybody’s life, and how can you resist that? And it’s historical at the same time and won’t look like every other municipal swimming pool up and down the countryside, like a high street supermarket or something.

This is unique to Manchester. Get on your phone now and vote for it. Please.”

VOTE – 0901 077 5001 Listing: Grade II*
Date of building: 1903-1906

About Richard E. Grant

Richard was born in Mbabane, Swaziland, and showed an interest in drama from a young age, though he claims to have terrible stage fright. He moved to London in 1982 and after being nominated for the most promising newcomer of 1984 by Plays and Players he had his television debut in 1985. He has appeared in a number of films and television series, including Spice World and The Scarlet Pimpernel. His book With Nails, an adapted collection of his diary entries, was published in 1996.

Click here to see a scan of the actual BBC website plea page.