Latest / Mark and Pete / Remembering the Brave, Overweight Oil Workers, and a Centre for Illustration

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Remembering the Brave, Overweight Oil Workers, and a Centre for Illustration · Mark and Pete

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  Remembering the brave overweight oil workers and a centre.
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  For. Illustration Welcome to Mark and
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  Pete. Today we're remembering those
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  who are actually courageous. Today we're debating waist lines
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  in the North Sea and celebrating the illustration of Sequentin
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  Blake, who appears to have constructed a temple to
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  doodling. Welcome, as I said, to Mark and
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  Pete, 2 blokes with half an opinion.
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  Let us proceed with our first story, the.
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  Brave sacrifice folk who are extremely brave, bear scars for
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  the sacrifice that they gave and combat those who misbehave for
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  all the innocent lives they save.
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  While King Charles has led the minute, 2 minute silence on the
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  commemoration for the National Service of Remembrance at the
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  Cenotaph, now he laid the wreath in traditional fashion of the
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  monument in the central London as part of the services to
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  remember those who died in conflict.
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  Now, typically many people tend to think about the First World
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  War, the Second World War, those who are veterans, of course, in
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  many other wars. The question really is, is that
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  when we think about the brave, should we be thinking about
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  those who are bravery, offering bravery in today's actions?
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  Mr. Pete, there are many important things when we come to
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  this time of year and we typically tend to sort of think
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  of those long serving veterans who saved our nation.
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  But what about those brave people who also show great
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  courage in recent times? I'm thinking particularly those
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  who were on board on the Huntington train who stopped a
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  knife attacker from killing people and maiming people.
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  So bravery comes in many forms. Maybe it's a celebration.
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  That's something that should happen more often throughout the
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  year. Yes, I mean, I think Remembered
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  States is a specific date on Armistice Day at the end of
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  World War One, because that's when we started to remember the
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  great numbers that had had fallen during that war.
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  And then of course, really World War 2 was pretty much a
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  continuation of that war. So it continued after that.
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  Remembering those who had fallen in war then became the focus of
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  that this particular day or the Sunday near it being remembered.
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  Sunday on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
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  We keep 2 minutes silence. Now, I think it's perfectly
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  reasonable to say, well, why don't we include people who have
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  been brave in other ways? Why is it just military service?
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  Well, I, I, I think that it is a good idea to do that.
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  I'm not sure whether it actually then loses its focus and you can
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  have another day for that or as you say, series of days making
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  it such that you just go to the palace and get a medal.
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  And well, that's not, that in itself is a bad thing, although
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  maybe it's seen by some a little old fashioned these days.
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  But what I I, I think a regular celebration of those who are
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  brave just gives the cue that we we appreciate this, whereas the
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  cue's been sent by those in authority, by the way, those who
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  are. Treated who?
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  Stand up for others is rather the opposite.
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  When I think of a whole series of cases where people who've
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  stood up against attackers have themselves being arrested and
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  accused of of a crime when they were stopping a crime.
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  So yeah, this will be a step in the right direction, I think, to
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  remember those who are brave. Now people pointed out that in
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  fact this is a great point about diversity as well, because
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  diversity is not our strength, as is often said.
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  Diversity of course causes problems, but just because
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  someone is from a different background to the the main
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  population in England doesn't mean they shouldn't be
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  celebrated. For example, the Muslim member
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  of staff on the train who I think got the worst injuries in
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  that particular incident at Huntington that you referred to
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  where they got off the train, but it was a Muslim.
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  And yet he's to be celebrating for his bravery.
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  So I think this, this is a great way of, you know, it's not just
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  people in the military, but if you do it at the same time,
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  it'll water it down. I think both focuses will be
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  lost. So I think why not?
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  Yeah, have a different day or series of days.
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  Could be a regular thing. Well, this is my point because I
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  again, I want to make really, really clear that we should have
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  certainly in November that point to remember those who have
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  fallen in major wars as well as conflicts that we have seen 20th
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  century and even this 21st century.
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  You know, let's be honest, there are people who are still in
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  conflict and we can think of those in Ukraine and fight
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  against Russia and many other things that we could probably
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  cite. Unfortunately and sadly, you
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  know, conflict still continues. But what I'm also really
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  thinking about here is, is that bravery does come in different
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  forms. You have also, umm, bravery, not
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  necessarily where there is conflict, it could be that
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  people are in distress. If you think about those who put
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  their lives on the line, whether because let's say, for example,
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  somebody at sea needs help and you know, the RNLI, umm, go out
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  and help people, they put their lives on the line.
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  And, and this is something that, again, is often sort of almost
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  and assumed. And what's interesting is, is
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  that if you think about the RNLI that's really funded by charity,
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  it's donations. This isn't something that comes
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  from the government folks. So I know we're an island in the
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  United Kingdom. And yet ironically, my opinion
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  is I think that maybe the government is missing a trick
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  here because in my opinion, I think that you need as an island
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  to have a national approach to this.
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  But for many, many years, people who are brave at sea or are
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  helping people on the beach who get into trouble really comes
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  down to volunteers. So I think it's that side.
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  Now some people will say hold on, there is definitely awards
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  for various people who are. Offered bravery.
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  And there are definitely programmes that do that.
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  And I would say continue that. What I'm really thinking about
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  is there a way in which we can sort of remember these people or
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  at least acknowledge their achievements rather than have to
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  sort of wait at a given moment in time.
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  I think it should be something that's more ongoing.
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  There certainly are days like that and there are there are
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  charities that do some of the things you know, and bring, you
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  know, Dad of the year and this sort of thing and honour the
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  bravery of suffering particular diseases, that sort of thing.
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  But yeah, a general day of bravery.
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  Maybe the remember the brave day.
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  If it's simple, well. That would be.
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  Good. Yeah, that would be great.
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  And when such a day can be sort of adopted or licensed or even
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  just approved of by the government, but it could be
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  started by a charity or, you know, just a pressure group of
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  people who want it to happen. So I guess that's a question for
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  the listeners. What do you think should be,
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  should there be a member of the Brave Day and should we be, you
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  know, lobbying, organising people for it to happen?
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  Let us know. Get in touch marketing.com.
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  I agree. And what would be very
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  interesting is what symbol would you say depicts bravery?
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  Because I know obviously the poppy is very much an icon of
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  what we see in, you know, Remembrance Day for those who
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  have fallen in war. But if we were to widen it to
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  bravery, what what do you think would be a a good idea?
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  What sort of symbol or even slowing or message very much
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  sort of echo that I thought. Well, look, we we move on to a
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  different subject. And this is, dare I say more
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  about waste. Not want, not folk whose weight
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  is felt from a bursting, bulging belt.
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  Make more haste, work the waste and get yourselves more svelte.
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  Yes, indeed. Well, remarkably, we are not
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  making this up, folks. Thousands of North Sea oil
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  workers, Yes, they are still working.
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  Yes, folks are being told that they must lose weight if they
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  are to keep flying offshore or they will face losing their
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  jobs. Remarkably, yes.
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  So the industry body of Offshore Energies UK, that's OEUK, said
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  that the maximum closed weight for a worker heading offshore
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  should be 124.7 kilograms. That's 19 1/2 stones folks, so
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  that they can be winched to safety in an emergency.
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  Now, Mr. Pete, I know that you're probably standing on your
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  scales right now thinking absolutely, you exceeded that.
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  However, it is remarkable in the sort of weight sensitive world
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  that we're in. This is now a different scenario
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  because basically what's happening here is, is that the
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  average worker is getting bigger and many have been interviewed
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  to say they've now got to change their lifestyles.
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  So what do you say about this and and really should we even
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  think about it way beyond the offshore energies sort of
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  industries when it comes to? Weight.
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  Yeah, well, yes, it's a wake up call.
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  I think this being noted that in even with the obviously rather
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  heavy clothing, you know, padded clothing that with bits of
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  equipment on it, no doubt that exceeds 19 1/2 stone, that still
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  means you're pretty hefty. I, I don't it's a wake up call
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  to to the country. You know, we should not be that
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  heavy. Very few people, even if someone
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  is 6 foot tall, they shouldn't be 19 stone or 18 stone,
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  whatever they are, even a 19 1/2 stone.
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  If you were, you know, to weigh that naked, that would be that's
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  I was going to say that's obese, but that's it is a beast, but
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  that's pretty much terminal. I would have thought.
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  You're not going to be around that long if you're that heavy,
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  are you? Surely that's just ridiculous
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  now. Well, I think to be fair, that
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  is with the equipment, yeah. They have to, you know, I've got
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  that, I get that. But if it's 19 1/2 stone with
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  they're. Still heavy.
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  Clothing on then they might be 18 stone or something yeah you
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  know, it's still very heavy. So yeah, I think that it's it's
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  perfectly it's perfectly justifiable.
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  They, you know, there's just physical limits.
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  You know, how much can the helicopter carry?
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  Because you get what you're just going to carry one person at a
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  time because they're so heavy. I, I, I don't know the, the
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  weight limit is probably higher than that for the helicopter,
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  but you've got to carry equipment.
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  As well, it's actually not so so much the it's actually need to
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  winch. Yeah, yes, we all yeah.
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  Do you need to, do you have to be winched a ball because you're
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  so heavy? We do all need to cut down on
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  the shoulder, do a bit of exercise and get down to a
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  healthy weight. I think we were saying, I can't
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  remember if you just said it or you said it off air, that the
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  average weight is was 70 kilograms is.
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  That right? Well, that's what it was.
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  Yeah, back in the 70s, yes, correct.
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  Now that's is that the average was that for a male or that's
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  just. The as many male.
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  There are female workers, but it's primarily male.
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  OK. Male, so seven it was for those
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  workers. It was 70 kilograms, which is
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  about 10 1/2 stone. That's, that's pretty light,
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  isn't it? I'm something like 74 kilograms.
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  So without giving my height, well, that means I'm, I'm slim
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  or overweight, but you know, it's, it's a bit heavy than
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  that, but it's certainly not up to the I wouldn't be, I wouldn't
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  be. I I was saying I would be able
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  to fly on the helicopter. But.
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  You know, it's quite a reasonable thing to say.
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  Look, at least keep away with within those limits and maybe
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  yes, this should be a requirement for work more more
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  broadly. I mean, it's just unfair on
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  employers to have someone who is so overweight.
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  Well, it's actually going to be taking time off health of this
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  as well. But here's the here's the thing,
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  here's where it really comes back.
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  Because the OEUK has said that the average weight of offshore
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  workers has risen by almost 10 kilograms since 2008.
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  That's about a 1 1/2 stone increase.
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  So basically what they're saying is workers, mainly male, there
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  are some exceptions, are primarily getting heavier.
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  So the decision to implement these safety weight measures is
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  really not just for the winching safety, but also for the safety
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  of individuals. Now there are rules that are
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  around this to introduce sort of organisations to also get onto
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  helicopters. You've talked about that, but
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  also it's about how when they're actually on the platforms and
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  many others, there is a lot of physicality which goes to this
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  type of job. And of course if you're not fit
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  enough then that is one of the challenges.
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  Now many of these workers have recognised this.
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  So some people have been interviewed about this and
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  asked, you know, what their opinion is and they actually
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  have recognised that perhaps they've been a bit lazy or maybe
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  they've had the wrong diet or they haven't even had ironically
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  enough, time to exercise because they've been in a particular
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  environment. They have to use what's called a
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  basically an, a non regular pattern of work.
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  They may have several weeks on, several weeks off, several weeks
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  on, etcetera, which is very, very disruptive.
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  So you have to also think about in this particular case, they've
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  got a very unusual lifestyle, very demanding as well.
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  So managing that is probably very, very difficult.
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  I guess the question really is, is in the broader sense is that
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  really, I think it's a combination.
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  I would have said you can blame the individuals, but maybe this
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  is where I think the employers need to work with the
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  individuals to find the best balance, not just balance of
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  diet, balance of exercise and balance of work.
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  Surely this is something that if there is a problem, and clearly
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  statistically there is, they need to work together to sort of
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  improve things. Yes.
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  Well, look, let's let's move on to a different story, and this
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  one is a little bit more along the right lines.
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  The concept of perfect illustration complements good
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  narration. From simple sketching to tiny
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  etching, it draws on inspiration.
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  Oh yes, now this is very much to something that I value and I
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  love the idea of amusing illustrations and also different
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  styles from around the world. Now the good news is this folks.
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  The UK's first permanent home for illustration will open in
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  central London in May of next year to celebrate its traditions
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  and welcome the astonishing diversity of art across the
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  world. Mr. Pete Yes, this is the 18th
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  century waterworks in Clark and well, and it is going to be
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  transformed into the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration.
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  Well, what say you about this? And I think this is a great idea
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  and certainly something which brings the idea of inspiration
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  and art to life. What do you think about?
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  This idea well, well you'll have more to say this Mark with your
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  interest in art illustration from my my point of view from a
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  Christian point of view, the the supreme creators, God himself
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  and all acts of creativity can be seen to have you know been
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  come from God himself. You know there was an ancient
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  Greek idea of the Muses who inspire people, while the
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  Christian idea is sort of similar to that say no, no, it's
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  God's Holy Spirit who inspires people who gives you that
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  ability and in fact to create comes from God.
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  You're sort of that you're to be celebrated as being part of
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  God's creation. If you're a creative yourself
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  and this is just a quote from Exodus 31 son in verse 2.
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  It says this is God speaking in the context.
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  See I have I have called by name Bezalal and I have filled him
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  with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding and knowledge
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  and in all manner of work, workmanship and it goes on to
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  say why the verse get to use I so I have filled him with the
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  Spirit of God in wisdom, etcetera to devise artistic
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  designs. Yeah, it's right there in
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  Scripture that God wants us to acknowledge, to celebrate and to
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  value those who are artists. So I think this is great.
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  You know, it's biblical, but for whatever background you go, it's
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  a good thing to do to, to to celebrate artists.
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  And this is a sort of art that we're talking about
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  illustration. That's because it's part of a, a
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  creative whole part of a book, for example, you almost forget
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  to celebrate the great, how great the artist is.
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  So it's it's good to lift them off the page and put them into a
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  sort of temple of creativity there out in Clerkenwell.
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  Well, I think that what's interesting, so this is 12 and a
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  half million pounds of centre which has been invested in here,
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  which will be the world's largest dedicated space for
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  illustration and it's been in the making for many, many years
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  now. Sir Quentin Blake himself has
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  said that he is proud to think the centre has his name on it.
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  The illustration is a wonderful, universal and varied language.
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  So essentially, although it's not just about him, the fact
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  that his name has really brought this to light has helped because
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  obviously he's a well known world renowned illustrator.
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  But I do like the idea of the fact that people can celebrate
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  different forms of art. I think in many ways, in a world
• 18:31
  which is very, very much sort of overshadowed by doom and gloom,
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  this idea of making sort of wit and wonderment in terms of
• 18:40
  illustration coming to life is a great way to sort of break away
• 18:44
  from the the sort of problems that we often see in the world.
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  And I think having it as a centre is a great thing as well
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  because, you know, many people can open a book, they can go
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  online, they can see things happening in schools or museums
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  and many other places. But having a centre for this I
• 19:00
  think is a good one because to your point, I think that what
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  we're really looking for is people who can be imaginative.
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  I think this will not just inspire children, but I think it
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  will also inspire adults as well.
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  Yes, I, I think yes, creativity, imagination, these are are to be
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  valued and you know this, this is something that I, I think it
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  is not valued enough in the level I'll put it this far.
• 19:27
  Creativity and imagination, inventiveness of another way of
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  putting it is the source of the wealth of a nation.
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  Because it's if you if you don't have those things as put the
• 19:39
  negative of it, you will eventually be not be competitive
• 19:44
  for the rest of the world. If you have if in if in your
• 19:48
  businesses, you have inventive creative people, you'll be more
• 19:51
  successful. Of course, it's wider than
• 19:52
  business, but I'm just just saying you, we're talking about
• 19:55
  business. You can see that actually the
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  creative, creative people in our in our country should be seen,
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  should be valued and be seen as a source of the wealth of the
• 20:06
  nation is something to be really celebrated and be proud of.
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  Well, also what's interesting to note is that this centre will
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  have a Free Library. It'll have learning spaces and
• 20:16
  it will also have art highlighting stories about the
• 20:19
  actual site, which goes back for more than 400 years.
• 20:23
  So it offers many, many different things.
• 20:26
  So we look forward to that. But overall, I think that what
• 20:28
  we've painted is a picture of very important areas of subjects
• 20:34
  such as remembrance. Obviously we need to think about
• 20:37
  our health, but also painting the picture of illustration and
• 20:40
  inspiration. Yes, so that's about it for this
• 20:45
  week folks. We we've had a good week this
• 20:47
  week. But oh, by the way, remember to
• 20:49
  subscribe and don't be a stranger.
• 20:50
  Keep in touch. Just go to markandpete.com and
• 20:53
  you'll be able to do that. But if today's show is sort of
• 20:56
  anything, it's that honour belongs to the living as much as
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  to the dead. You know, celebrating bravery.
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  We talked about dignity, I guess we would say should apply even
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  to those who are 20 stone in a Gale.
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  But they do need to lose those stones.
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  And imagination can yet save us from becoming worthless and
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  humorless. Thank you for joining us.
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  Look after yourselves. Look out for one another.
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  And for heaven's sake, don't let the world squeeze the joy and
• 21:29
  creativity out of you. Catch you next time.