The Boland Show Guest list Wednesday 16th June: For all David Essex fans this is your day. David Essex, 1970's pop icon and heart throb has had an extremely colourful life. He has sold millions of records, topped the charts with songs such as 'Gonna Make You a Star' and Hold Me Close'. His films such as 'That'll Be the Day’ were box office hits as was his appearance in the lead role in the musical Godspell. There was even a time known as Essexmania where after one double performance at the Liverpool Empire, the first house of 3,000 people refused to leave. David is still able to sell out a 50 date tour without advertising which is an amazing compliment. He is now starring in his latest West End musical titled ' All The Fun of the Fair' which is about the darker side of the travelling fairground life.
The findings of The Bloody Sunday Inquiry, also known as the Saville Inquiry or the Saville Report were published on Tuesday. The inquiry was established in 1998 by Tony Blair after campaigns for a second inquiry by families of those killed and injured in Derry in 1972. Prime Minister David Cameron addressed the House of Commons on Tuesday where he acknowledged, amongst other things, that British paratroopers had shot and killed already wounded civilians and apologised on behalf of the British Government. Boland’s next guest Thomas Bartlett is a journalist and author of such books as 'Ireland a history' and 'The Rise and fall of the Irish Nation'.
Earlier this week Barack Obama risked the wrath of September 11th victim's families by comparing the BP oil spill to the 2001 terrorist attacks, as pressure intensified on the White House to show greater urgency over the crisis. Many people who lost relatives in the attacks criticised Obama's decision to compare an environmental disaster with a terror plot in which almost 3,000 people died. One such person is Maurice’s next guest Joy Bennett whose son Oli, a 29 year old financial journalist died in the atrocity and who says that it is an unfair parallel and is really a cruel thing to say. Since Oli's death, as a tribute to him, his family and friends have created the charity www.olibennett.org.uk to help young people from all backgrounds get their business ideas off the ground.
And finally: From September, GCSE pupils will study the words of the singer and television presenter Charlotte Church as part of their English course. The way in which the singer speaks will be analysed by pupils in the subject normally associated more with Shakespeare and Jane Austen. They will also be looking at the words of Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones and BBC newsreader Huw Edwards for their English qualifications. Maurice’s final guest Marie Clair is the spokeswoman for Plain English Campaign and says that the focus on celebrities is damaging students chances of employment.
Boland on Wedenesday@11am