Famous by association?
Introducing John - the Laundrover…
I’d be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest expert on laundry; I shrink everything I wash, or turn it pink. Ask my mother. So going for a job with a laundry wasn’t the first choice on my list of potential jobs to do with my geography degree. Which is handy, because I’ve been told (induction is intensive) that The Laundry doesn’t make your whites whiter than white, but rather you greener than green.
Indeed, a BSc in Advanced-Colouring-In (what everyone at uni referred to my geography degree as - not fair I say! We also shade…) does not a recycler make, but it seems The Laundry needed someone to spread their colour beyond the outline, so here I am.
I’ve been here three days, and already I have a (slightly odd) nickname. My these girls are clever. So I’m the only guy on the team, which believe me is daunting. And I’ve got something serious to live up to…
Now when Rachel introduced herself she told you about famous Rachels, and Harriet and Helen told you about double acts, but I’m thinking you don’t all have time to read about famous men called John, as it might go on somewhat. So I’m going to tell you about some nice stories about Burrells I’ve found (that’s my surname, it means Smith or something, which makes me bitter (oh awful pun *slap*)): (Do mean like a Granny Smith, Jonno? I just don’t get it)
Widmark Laureate John Birrell has died at the age of 78. As Police Surgeon for the State of Victoria, Australia in the 1950s, he grew angry with the increasing number and severity of traffic fatalities and injuries. He aggressively promoted the fitting and wearing of seatbelts and worked tirelessly with the media on seatbelt promotion, influenced politicians and parliamentary road safety committees and spoke about road safety issues constantly to schools and community groups. The mandatory wearing of fitted seatbelts by drivers and front seat passengers became law in Victoria in 1971. He then turned his full attention to excessive blood-alcohol levels in drivers.
Augustine Birrell, 1850–1933, English essayist and public official. As chief secretary for Ireland (1907–16) his failure to end the plotting that resulted in the Easter Rebellion of 1916 led to his retirement from politics. His works include the pleasant and urbane critical essays Obiter Dicta and biographies of Charlotte Brontë, William Hazlitt, and Andrew Marvell.
Peter Birrell (1941- ) was born in Manchester, and played bass guitar in the band Freddie and the Dreamers which had a number of hit records in 1963-4. After the Dreamers broke up he became a taxi driver.
All very interesting, but not terribly exciting. So, if you share a name with a famous person, I want to hear so I can be jealous and revel in you fame by association.