Random thoughts: I hope you dance

 

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

 

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for granted

 

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed

 

 

I hope you still feel small when you stand by the ocean

 

 

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens

 

 

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

 

 

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance

 

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

 

Never settle for the path of least resistance

 

Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking

Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter

When you come close to selling out, reconsider

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance

 

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance

 

 

 

Pictures taken from www.richardarmitagenet.com and www.richardarmitageonline.com

Dancing Thorin taken from AnUnexpectedDwarf on Tumblr

Lyrics from the song 'I hope you dance' by Lee Ann Womack

 

 

Extra extra!!

So, I did the '30 days of Richard Armitage' challenge last year. I actually cheated and instead of answering 30 questions in 30 days, I answered them in only 3 days.
Have a look at my answers here (part 1), here (part 2) and here (part 3).

But lately, some other bloggers and facebookers have started doing the challenge and I've noticed that the questions are slightly different. So, I thought it would be funny to answer those new questions as well.

Pictures of Richard Armitage are taken from www.richardarmitagenet.com
Other images were found via Wikipedia.

The 30 days of Richard Armitage challenge... part 4!

31. The character I would like to meet

I would love to meet Claude Monet. I would jump at a chance to have dinner with this wonderful artist. We would talk about impressionism and the things that inspired him to create his masterpieces. And I would love to hear his thoughts on modern art. 

Richard Armitage played the young Claude Monet in the BBC's The Impressionists in 2006

32. The character I would spend one week with

I would get on the back of Ricky's bike and we would ride across the UK for a week...or maybe even much longer ;-)... that would be the perfect holiday!

I may just not bring him back at all ;-) ... Richard Armitage as Ricky Deeming in the George Gently episode Gently Go Man

33. The character I would want to have a longer affair with

This is a difficult one... If I was single, I would probably fall head over heels for Lucas North. I know, I know, with all that baggage (8 years in a Russian prison and all that jazz) he's probably not the best boyfriend material, but I know for a fact that I would not be able to resist him. For the record, please note that I still refuse to acknowledge the existance of John Bateman. Just so we are absolutely clear about that little detail.

I love Lucas, I really do... :-)

RA as Lucas North in season 7 of Spooks

34. The character I would want to marry

Honestly, none of them. Although I think Lucas and I have similar personalities, marriage is something that takes just a bit more than that...

But if I absolutely had to select one of Richard's characters to marry, I would probably go for John Thornton. I don't think any woman could resist a real gentleman. Even though he's a mere tradesman (manufacturer, I beg your pardon), I'm sure JT is as much a gentleman as any man of noble birth could be. And he reads Plato: there's nothing sexier than a man who knows his classics ;-)



Mr. Thornton finishes a book before returning it to its rightful owner. RA first caught my attention when he played cotton mill owner John Thornton in the BBC's adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's classic novel North & South.

35. Describe Richard in 3 words...

Reader
Craftsman
Inspiration


36. Richard should work together with this actor or actress...

Another difficult one... it really depends on the film and the character they would be playing. But one thing is certain: Richard and Hugh Jackman could definitely play brothers!

37. My favourite crossover pairing

 

John Porter meets Homeland's Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) - They both look good in scarves! :-)

No, I honestly think they would make an excellent team...

 

 

 

38. I would like to see Richard doing a cameo in this film/series

I love to see Richard in intelligent drama, so he would be a perfect villain in Sherlock!

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in the BBC's modern interpretation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes

39. Something I would like to know about Richard

Richard, do you still enjoy dancing or have you given it up completely?



How RA spent Valentine's Day

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? For my better half and I, this is just a day like any other day. We are always kissing and cuddling and we never leave the house without saying 'I love you', so we don't need a day to remind us how happy we are together.
 
But even though we don't buy each other fancy presents or go out to dinner, I know a certain Brit who has been rather busy on Valentine's Day over the years. ;-)

In 2001, Craig Parker turned on the charm for this pretty blonde...

Richard played Craig Parker in one episode of the BBC drama Casualty

In 2004, two ladies were fighting for the honour of being RA's Valentine...

Lucy Brown (Ann Latimer), Richard Armitage (John Thornton) and Daniela Denby-Ashe (Margaret Hale)
in the BBC's adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South

And although this lady may have thought she had him hooked...

 

His heart showed him his one true love with one single yellow rose...

In 2005, Richard dressed up as Guy of Gisborne to present Lady Marian with a token of his regard for her:


Richard Armitage and Lucy Griffiths as Guy of Gisborne and Lady Marian
in episode 6 of season 1 of the BBC's Robin Hood (2006)

In 2006, we fell in love with Harry Kennedy, but he fell in love with Geraldine...

Richard Armitage and Dawn French as Harry Kennedy and Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley

In 2009, our spy-cam spotted senior case officer Lucas North on a romantic date with yet another pretty blonde. Well, anything's better than Sarah Caulfield, right?

Richard Armitage as Lucas North in Season 8 of Spooks

In 2010, RA hoped these lovely flowers would cheer up his love, as she was not feeling well and had to stay in hospital...

Richard Armitage played Sgt. John Porter in Chris Ryan's Strike Back

In 2011, he declared his love for all the world to see...

Richard Armitage leads his fellow cast members in the Powhiri ceremony
on the first day of filming for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Wellington, New Zealand

In 2012, he sent Valentine cards to all his friends!

And in 2013, under a Black Sky or threatened by Dragon fire, whether on Valentine's Day or not, may our very own King Richard love with all his heart and find that special someone who says 'I love you' back to him.



Random Thoughts: Laptop Lucas

This is me this morning: on the sofa with my laptop. And Episode 2 of season 9 of Spooks in the background. When Lucas is still Lucas and John Bateman is still only a ghost from the past without any real influence on the future.

I find myself going back to Lucas North more and more these days. I'll write more about him very soon. But there's other things I wanted to blog about today, so I'd better get back to that first!

Richard Armitage as Lucas North in Spooks (Season 9 episode 2)
Image courtesy of www.richardarmitagenet.com
 

Let's make him number 1!

As of today, Richard Armitage is ranked #2 on the IMDb Starmeter.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0035514/

Wouldn't it be great if he got to number 1?
I know Richard probably couldn't care less about his rank, as it's a popularity contest of the purest form and he has no interest in being popular whatsoever.

Richard Armitage promotes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Toronto, Canada on 3 December 2012

But still, as a fan, I would love to see my favourite man in the top spot.
And, as it's so easy to make it happen, why not?

All you need to do is get as many different people as possible to go to the IMDb website and visit pages related to Richard Armitage. Not only his profile page, but also the pages of the projects he's been involved in: Spooks, Captain America, North and South, The Hobbit, Chris Ryan's Strike Back, Black Sky, The Phantom Menace, Robin Hood - it all counts.

So let's all do this and show our man that he is our number 1!

Remembering sergeant Armitage

Today, on Remembrance Sunday, I would like to pay my respects to those who sacrificed their lives, their future and their freedom for future generations. I have always been especially interested in the stories behind World War I and II, both the grand strategic and political decisions and the personal stories of soldiers, civilians, families and villages. I’ve travelled to places like London, Paris and Berlin to understand how these cities and their people were affected by the wars and I’ve visited the important landmarks and memorials in my own country (e.g. Tyne Cot cemetery in Paschendaele, Menin Gate in Ypres, the woods of The Ardennes).

When I visit a war cemetery, I try to stop at as many graves as I can to read the name that is on the gravestone out loud. It’s my own personal way of honouring them and thanking them for their sacrifice.

Last week, I visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Hotton (Belgium), where I found this grave.



Final resting place of Sergeant P.S. Armitage

The text on the gravestone reads:

1809956 sergeant

P.S. ARMITAGE

Air Gunner

Royal Air force

2^nd March 1945 Age 21

 

The Lord is my shepherd

I shall not want

He maketh me to lie down

In green pastures

 

The records of Hotton Cemetery provide the following information:

ARMITAGE PETER SPACKMAN

VI.A.3. United Kingdom Sergeant ( Air Gnr. ) 1809956 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
2nd March 1945. Age 21. Son of George Henry and Louise Hilda Ellen Armitage of East Barnet Hertfordshire. Unit: 622 Sqdn.

The War Cemetery at Hotton (Belgium) is the final resting place of 665 British and Commonwealth soldiers killed during WWII and the Battle of the Ardennes. Among them was one Belgian who fought with the 53^rd Welsh Division.

I’ve seen the name Armitage in these war cemeteries before. I distinctly remember standing by a grave at the WWI memorial cemetery Tyne Cot near Paschendaele here in Belgium and I recently found out that the Tyne Cot memorial contains sculpture by a man named Joseph Armitage.

The Tyne Cot Memorial that surrounds the cemetery (unveiled on 20 June 1927) now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known.  

“They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old

Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We shall remember them”

 

Lucas North (Richard Armitage) wear the poppy, the symbol of Remembrance, in Episode 1 of Season 7 of Spooks (BBC)

 

Nice to meet you...

... Gary!

For weeks now, we have been wondering whether Richard Armitage’s character in the new film ‘Black Sky’ would be another ‘John’, a name that so many of his most memorable characters have shared: John Thornton in North and South, John Standring in Sparkhouse, John Bateman in Spooks, John Porter in Strike Back, John Mulligan in Moving On…

Todd Garner, producer of the film, has been tweeting pictures of RA on set, in character, making us fans extremely happy. Thank you, Mr. Garner!

Richard Armitage as 'Gary' on the set of Black Sky
Picture shared on Twitter by the film's producer, Todd Garner

Today, Mr. Garner also solved the mystery of the character’s name, in answer to a question from fellow blogger Gratiana Lovelace on Twitter. To my extremely great pleasure, it’s not another John. RA’s character in Black Sky is named ‘Gary’. It sounds very American to me, for some reason, but that’s OK as RA will also be rocking an American accent in this film.

But does the name fit the character? Well, let’s have a look at the meaning of the name ‘Gary’:

The masculine given name Gary is derived from the word 'spear' in Germanic (gar = spear), meaning a 'spear bearer' and the name (also spelled Garry) is an "acceptable" Anglicised spelling of the Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic personal name Garaidh which, like Gary, is also pronounced gæri.

In German the meaning of the name Gary is: Gentle. Modest and brave Sir Gareth was a legendary knight of King Arthur's Round Table.

People with this name have a deep inner desire to use their abilities in leadership, and to have personal independence. They would rather focus on large, important issues, and delegate the details.

Well, now you know what to expect! ;-)

I, for one, am very much looking forward to this film (we will have to wait until 2013, unfortunately). It may be ‘just another tornado movie’, but Richard Armitage’s talent will take any old disaster movie to a completely different level (in my own humble opinion, that is). And it’s another chance to see my second favourite man (after my own sweety, of course!) on the silver screen. I’m sure Mr. Armitage is also enjoying the chance to play a ‘normal’ character after going through life as Thorin Oakenshield for The Hobbit for almost 2 years!

Thank you Todd Garner – and please keep sharing those pictures!
You can follow Mr. Garner on Twitter @Todd_Garner

My favourite picture for your birthday...

Happy Armitage Day to Richard Armitage fans across the globe...

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Richard Crispin Armitage, actor, heart-throb (yes, you, Mr. A!), dandy (very suave, when he's in the right frame of mind), circus worker (yes, he slept next to the elephants, get over it), dwarf (the tallest dwarf, in every way!), professional spy (I love Lucas North, did I mention that?), and Nazi saboteur (He's the only person who would want to make a cartoon character - Heinz Kruger in Captain America - look like more than a one-dimensional bad guy: Erich Gimpel, your biography is now on my reading list as well!)

After 21 days of counting down to this day, I owe you my favourite picture in honour of RA's birthday. so here it is:

Picture courtesy of the excellent Picture Gallery at www.richardarmitagenet.com

Why do I love this picture?

- It's Richard, as himself. No character to change his features, his voice or his actions, he's his very own, adorable self!

- His hair is short, and it's his natural colour

- The beard... what can I say? THE BEARD!! *I'm controlling the urge to run my fingers across his jaw*

- That incredible Belstaff leather jacket that fits him so very well - actually, I can't believe that the brand has not asked him to be their poster-boy (or man, I should say) because their jackets and coats look exquisite on him!

- He's talking about his role in The Hobbit and I am eagerly awaiting the day when I can finally see RA as Thorin on the big screen, in high-definition 3D!

- He's being serious: he's giving one of his incredibly intelligent, well thought-through answers to some interviewer's not-so-very-original question...

- His voice, yes his beautiful, deep, velvet, dip-me-in-chocolate, tingles-down-my-spine voice. Of course, you can't hear that voice in this picture, so I would like to share a video as well. A minute of Richard Armitage - thank you bcc mee for creating this!

I hope you've enjoyed my countdown to Armitage day and my selection of pictures. I've had a wonderful time going through the picture gallery and finding my favourites to share... Thank you all for visiting my blog, commenting on the pictures and for taking part in all the birthday fun!

Thank you Mr. A for inspiring me! Whatever you are doing to celebrate this day, I hope you enjoy it. Happy Birthday, Richard!! x

A birthday countdown in pictures (#14)

Let's stay with Lucas North for one more day...

Episode 3 of season 7 is my favourite episode of Spooks. It's the first episode in which we really get to see Lucas North in action. He's confident in dealing with assets and in taking decisions that could affect the lives of his colleagues. They are immediately in awe of the lanky, strong case officer who seems to have found his place in the team after 8 years of captivity in Russia. 

Richard looks great in this episode full of close-ups. Just look at those blue eyes, that intense look of concentration and determination, the sensitivity and insecurity that shines through from the depths of his soul, that hint of a smile on his lips or those seriously cute crinkles! And don't get me started on how elegant he looks in that beautiful, dark winter coat... *blush*

I really, honestly tried to find my favourite picture from this episode, but there are so many! Enjoy them, I'm sure I will... again!! ;-)

 As always, none of this would have been possible without the amazing picture gallery supplied by www.richardarmitagenet.com. Don't forget to find them on Facebook and 'Like' the page!


What's a birthday without a birthday present? But what do you get the man who's living his dream?
This year, consider donating to one of Richard's selected charities (Shelter, The Salvation Army, Childline and Barnardo's) - visit his Just Giving page. Thank you!