The Secret Service
- 23 Nov 07, 03:16 PM
As an occasional treat, the Bailies get to check out the charity shops in a posh location. Holywood often reveals a bunch of quality schmutter, but the Lisburn Road is more classy again. The game is to look for quality labels and cool books and maybe do a bit of crate-digging for the musical treasures. Then you have a coffee and feel a rather contented with yourself. Any harm in this?
It΅―s been months since we tried it, but Wednesday morning provided an opportune time. And so I found myself in the Quaker shop, picking up a CS Lewis book, The Four Loves. It looked interesting, and since the final chapter was all about charity, it was like serendipity. Worth a quid, anyhow.
I΅―ve had mixed results with the non-Narnia part of the CS Lewis canon. I enjoyed The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce was good value. I΅―ve had less success with the Problem Of Pain, and it seems like my new purchase won΅―t reveal itself easily. But while skimming the last few pages, I noticed a couple of interesting lines about charitable deeds: ΅°The real work must be the most secret. Even as far as possible secret from ourselves.΅±
That night, I watched on Channel 4. You probably know the form by now. A rich person travels incognito through a poor neighbourhood, spots some worthy individuals and decides to gift them some money. This week a fresh-faced fellow called Ben Way was searching for exemplary souls on Murder Mile, Hackney.
Sure enough, there was positive work in the bleakest of circumstances. A guy named Ufu looks after the Pedro community club, even though his wages have long since stopped. A former boxing champ, James Cook, is working hard to sustain hope. And so at the end, Ben reveals himself as a young millionaire and writes a few cheques. Everyone is in tears and James celebrates with a joyous wedding.
The show doesn΅―t work the brain especially hard, and the sentimental aspect is sometimes overdone. But the programmes I΅―ve watched from the series also reveal much humility and kindness. The rich guys don΅―t really flaunt it, and the worthy people are the best. A show without cynicism, grand-standing and back-stabbing? How did that get commissioned?
Stu Bailie presents The Late show on Radio Ulster, every Friday from 10pm until midnight. See his playlist here.
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Ufu has cancer and is ill. He wouldn't appreciate my posting this.
Pedro is still bouncing along the bottom, needs a dozen Ben's (well done Ben)
Big shout to the original secret millionaire who set up Pedro in the first place Michael Charles St. John Hornby, Simon and his wife Sheran Hornby
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