A Wee Scottish Girl in Amsterdam

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I’ve always been fascinated by Amsterdam.

My first memory of hearing about the mystical city (where everyone rides bikes and eats waffles for breakfast) was from my mum and dad who went on their honeymoon to Holland over 22 years ago. As small-town-newlyweds who had never been on a flight before, they spent their whole weekend in Amsterdam with significant hearing loss and pain after their ears popped on the plane. The clueless little 20-somethings didn’t know anything about cabin pressure at the time – rookies. (Hard-boiled sweets and earplugs are essential for flying.)

Sophie’s Choice: This Is England ’90 – Coming Soon (A Look Back at ’86 and ’88)

This Is England – the film that started the franchise – was made in 2006 but set in 1983 during a time when Britain was living under Thatcher, three and a half million people in England were unemployed, the nation was still reeling from the fresh wounds of the Falklands conflict, and racial tensions were mounting like never before.

For many of us watching the film, it was the first time seeing previously undiscovered acting talent including: Thomas Turgoose as Shaun, an impressionable young boy turned Britpop skinhead; Stephen Graham playing the BNP Scouser psycho Combo; Joe Gilgun as the hilarious and lovable leader of the gang, Woody; the incredibly talented Vicky McClure playing a cross between a sweetheart and a hard nut as Lol; and a host of other remarkable actors. For much of the audience, it is also the first time being introduced to Shane Meadows, the director and genius filmmaker behind the creation.