Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts

Monday, 28 October 2013

My Mother's Maddest Moments in Movies



It all started when Mum played Mad Mary in the She-Wolf of London. My sisters were mortified. 

Val Kilmer with Daphne Neville for Paramount Pictures

She then appeared as 'a lovely Babooska' in The Saint with Val Kilmer for Paramount Pictures. He was dressed up as a babushka too, trying to escape from some baddie, you'll have to tell me who.

Daphne Neville as Mrs Rolphe

Things got worse. Here she is in The Ghost of Greville Lodge, but what shocked her friends recently was seeing her looking hideous as the Dowager Duchess in a TV movie Maggie Smith starred in called Capturing Mary. It was directed by Stephen Poliakoff. At least she was drenched in jewels.


Seeing Mum on Casualty was somehow more appalling. She played a pathetic character called Doreen Oaken in one episode but said it was quite restful as she spent most to the time being pushed around on a gurney. 

Daphne Neville in The BBC hospital drama 'Casualty'

Her best part was playing Miriam in The Chase directed by Sue Tully, who I worked with years ago when she was in Eastenders. The Chase is a BBC drama series about a veterinary practice in Yorkshire. Mum adopted the accent, and was given a terrible haircut, to play a resentful woman on community service who found fulfillment when she came across a baby otter trapped in rubbish and managed to rescue it. Needless to say it was her own tame otter. She must have spent days in a costume comprised of fisherman's waders over a red zoot suit but has never been happier.

Daphne Neville in the BBC vet series 'The Chase'

Mum's lastest role was playing a nun for the BBC. I just hope my sisters do not see the result.

Daphne Neville as a Nun in 'Father Brown' 2103

Click here for more photos of this mad life or read the true story - snatches of which are in Funnily Enough.


Thursday, 15 November 2012

Latest Amazon reviews ~ November 2012



"An uplifting story of the writer's battle with illness.
Her optimism, faith in God and support of family and friends get her through.
A very positive read!" Mrs JPG Rice


"This is a very funny and entertaining book..." JSF Hopkinson

To write your own review - however brief - please click on the greenish sausage beside the chart on your Amazon product review page.

For those in the UK, please click here 

For readers in the US, Africa or India, please click here


Many thanks!





All sketches on the blog are featured in 'Funnily Enough' and are (c) Sophie Neville. Please contact me if you need to use them on sophie@sophieneville.co.uk

Wednesday, 14 March 2012

Reviews ~

Funnily Enough - it really is!
Sophie Neville's book 'Funnily Enough' is quite the most delightful new book I have read for many a long year.
From her diary she writes of a time when her relentless life in front-line television production was 'crashed into the buffers' by a then desperately little understood affliction. She charmingly engages the reader about her struggles with the medical condition and as a result, herself, her beliefs, her whole world, and writes as to you, personally, like an old and valued friend. It is beautifully written and every page left me smiling contentedly for hours: refreshingly different and a real tonic in itself.

Sophie draws the reader into her real life where, with the support of her wonderful if slightly unconventional family and friends far and wide, despite the setbacks, she triumphs over the adversities to new sunlit uplands in her life. It is surely also a 'must read' for any past or present sufferers of what is now called 'M.E.' for it brings hope and faith, and the charity from which she gives so much of herself - to everyone.
It is a very enjoyable and HAPPY book, nicely illustrated with her quirky sketches from the time. The excellent title is true except that I want more of Sophie's affectionate writing style and her lovely sense of humour. Highly recommended, 'it ticks all my boxes': don't risk being 'sorry for a might-have-been'!
Peter Bell
'Funnily Enough' the bestseller on Amazon Kindle by Sophie Neville



This is my first review on a book, but I just had to do it.
This book, is a must to read, it is written in diary form, but takes you through Sophie's days, in a day by day format, at a rate of knots, and describes her journey through her illness, the highs and the lows. The book describes her move back home to live with her parents and the many situations that happen. These incidents will have you in stitches, as you imagine what actually might have been, like the time when her father is attacked by one of these motorised garden cultivators, and his manhood is only saved when the machine decided to cut out.......
The characters who pop up in this book are wonderful, from Alastair, to Mrs Hawkins...
I could go on but I think what you should do is get this book, "Funnily Enough" and make sure you have plenty of time, are sitting comfortably, have been to the toilet, got a drink and a snack to hand, as you will not really want to move until you have finished it........
Dave Holbourn



Would you like to write a review of Funnily Enough?
They only have to be 20 words long.

If you have an Amazon account and live in the UK
please click on ~
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1466213485/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

If you have an Amazon.com account ~ and live in the USA, Canada, South Africa etc
please click on ~
http://www.amazon.com/Funnily-Enough-Sophie-Neville/product-reviews/1466213485/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Many thanks!