Spoiled For Choice on Sunday - Watch Silverstone or Notting Hill Carnival?

Marc Marquez, Spanish. Photo from Wikipedia. Creative Commons.

Problem
What to watch first?

Answer
In the morning of Sunday August 27th if you are a motorbike racing fan, watch the previous qualifying events for tomorrow's great races at Silverstone.

If you subscribe to MotoGP.com on the web, or BT Sport or a local carrier.

You will be able to see the race with the top three contenders being Spanish, Italian and British - won't the British fans love that. The Spaniard Marquez, the Italian Rossi and English Cal Crutchlow.

Rossi is known as 'the GOAT'. That stand for Greatest Of All Time.

Valentino Rossi, Italian. Quatar. 2010. Photo by motoracereports, Picasa. From Wikipedia.

The three events are moto 2 and 3 and then the GP. In Europe the events usually start at 1 pm Uk time which is 2 pm in Europe which is one hour ahead. However, tomorrow, Sunday Aug 27 2017, the event starts at 3.30 pm.

Why so late? My family bike rider who was trained by one of the top riders says it may be due to the track temperature being so hot. The riders will be deciding at the last moment the hardness of the front and back tyres. (That is English spelling. Tires to American readers.)

Although you can stay on for a disco, after the race, 3.30-4.15, the spectators will be walking back to their cars and queuing to get out.

Those who were smart will have booked parking in advance at a reduced rate.

Food kiosks are around, in converted vans probably, which go from event to event. Expect to queue for food too. My family and friends are taking food and drink for the journey up and back.

Silverstone Racing Circuit is about one mile from Silverstone village which dates back to the Domesday Book. The village is in Northamptonshire. Not much else to see or do there - just one pub.

The journey back to London takes about an hour and a half, depending on traffic and road conditions. On Saturday Aug 26 a major accident involving a FedEx vehicle, another vehicle, and a van caused several fatalities, and the motorway was blocked in at least one direction for several hours.

This should be cleared by tomorrow and let's hope everybody stays safe on the roads with no jams.

I always think it's wise to be stocked up with food, drink, a blanket, a charger for your phone which plugs into the car cigarette lighter and a properly designed travel potty, or, failing that, something makeshift.

Nowadays, you can watch past races on catch up TV, so if you don't watch the race whilst it is actually happening, you can see it later.

In the evening I shall be watching the Notting Hill Carnival, which will be on again for the Bank Holiday Monday.

In the UK fans read Motorcycle News which is on sale at newsagents usually on Wednesdays. You may get pull out posters or double page spreads on motor event stars.

http://www.silverstone.co.uk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Grand_Prix
wikipedia.org/ aug 27 2017 Silverstone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentino_Rossi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Márquez

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on Notting Hill and destinations and events worldwide. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Me A Model? At My Age? Maybe Yes. Maybe No. Agencies in Australia, UK, Singapore

Australian Model Agency 

I have a friend, William, who appears in TV serials in Australia. He is signed on with an agency. They got him work on TV. Great success.

UK Work
Film Extras
I once answered an ad for extras in a film in the UK. We sat around all day in a church as part of a crowd at a wedding. We had to come with a hat. Most of the time you did nothing except sit silently.

No Pay
We filled in a form at the beginning. Everybody was asking everybody else, 'How much are you getting paid?' People were reeling off lists of film shoots they had been in earlier that month. I was at first too embarrassed to admit I was not being paid.

Payment
However, when I finally said I was not being paid, one of the older men who I thought would sneer at me instead was very kind and protective. He was indignant on my behalf and told me to say I came from his agency because I would then be paid a small sum of about £20. That was not much for four hours (plus travel) but a lot better than nothing.

Spotlight
I was asked to join Spotlight after my late uncle died. I had phoned them to cancel his subscription and to explain that he had died and they asked if I would like to join. This would have been really right for me a couple of years earlier when I would have loved to be featured in a professional listing. Unfortunately, at the time when I was in touch with them it was not a sensible use of money because I was a full time, on call, carer for my late father and I did not want to work, to be away from home. 

You had to pay an annual fee for membership which included a listing in their directory. If I remember rightly, to be listed you had to supply a professional photo or two, ideally one face close up and one full body.

Now I'd like to fulfil my dream and be a character actress. My favourite actress was the little old lady in The Ladykillers. She was in the film with Peter Sellars, and Alec Guinness.

Singapore
I passed a sign for a model creation agency in Singapore. I thought I'd go in and find out if they had any opportunities for an English voice over.

I filled out a form and was told to come back for an appointment. Because I had other engagements that day, I made an appointment for the following day. Meanwhile, I checked them out online.

It then transpired that I had to pay about 600 Singapore dollars - the sums were quite complicated, so much for the photographer, plus the make up artist, and the hairdresser, and that included so many photos for them to send out, plus several for me to keep, but after the first mailing out another set of photos would have to be printed, but I would not have to pay for these, it would come out of my first salary.

What if I did not ever get a job? Would that be a debt? I was told I would not have to pay the second sum. However, nothing in writing. I can't prove to you what was said, and that was what put me off the whole deal.

Apart from the actual cost, I was concerned that they could not give me any written account of the sums involved, just wrote it out on a piece of paper. To me that did not seem professional. The sums might increase. I had no way to be sure of the total.

They admitted they had very little chance of finding work for a Caucasian of my age, except for occasional government ads which features people of all races when promoting services for the retired.

I asked why I could not use my own photographer and they said it was a question of copyright, as well as having suitable photos of the kind they needed.

I looked at reports online for scams. One website I looked at said that any agency which insisted that you use their photographer was a scam.

CV and Portfolio
I would still be interested in putting together a portfolio including professional photos. If you look at online agencies you can see what is required. 

Some charge a monthly fee to reveal job ads. The ones I looked at required one face photo and one full body shot. If you a modelling any other part of your body, such as hands for nail polish advertisements, you are advised to include those. Some sites have a minimum number of photos. Others have a maximum.

Another promotional activity is to have a showreel of yourself, demonstrating your skills such as accents or singing or clips from previous amateur or professional productions.

Your CV will include age, height, weight, vital statistics (bust, waist, hips), language, accent, race, maybe shoe size. So if you don't know your weight and hip size, you might want to find out.

First, the photo. You need a professional photo (with copyright, meaning permission to use it by printing it or online for self publicity without paying the photographer for every use). It should be in focus. Ideally several shots, serious, smiling, assorted expresions. Clear background. Also any unform you may have (with permission to wear it).  

Angela Lansbury, travel writer