James May's Man Lab

[violetrose]

Jul 15, 2010 6:17:55 GMT dit said:

What I find amusing is that, of all the TG3, I would say that James is the the one who already is a "real man". He's the one who knows how to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in, and is brave in a very 'British' way and capable of hard physical work.

Or am I just biased?

I think you're completely spot on, Dit. I just think about the Polar Special, if you want a concrete example of extremely hard work. He and Jeremy (but seems like mostly *he*) spent more than a day digging pack ice with a shovel just to make progress in seemingly impassable terrain. Really, even if it isn't physical work - he is someone that just isn't afraid to dive into something head first and give it all he's got.

[lindenchase]

A chance to get involved with James' new programme!

If you're a woman who has ever worked in a job where you have had to make beds including hospital corners and are able to instruct someone how to do so then we'd love to hear from you.

Filming will be on Thursday 19th August in London during the day.

www.beonscreen.com/uk/tv-shows/audience-entertainment/female-matron-required-for-new-prime-time-james-may-bbc-series-2688.asp

Damn, I don't even bother to make my own bed, so I guess I need not to apply then. ;D

On a happier note: the cover of the book is brilliant!

[violetrose]

*gawps* Whee, this is great! I love the cover art! ;D LOL, damn, I'm awful at making my bed. (I don't really, erm, bother, most days...)

[chariset]

I vaguely remember hospital corners -- surely it wouldn't take that long to relearn!

[devil-may-care]

If I forget to make the bed, MOH will actually come out in the living room just before he goes to bed, to remind me of the fact. I keep thinking, "You were just in the bedroom! Why didn't you make the *&%$ bed!"
However, I do make a mean hospital corner. My grandmother taught me properly. Have never had a use for such an ability. Don't really now either. I don't think living 3000 miles away will help me qualify for James' show!

[chariset]

Seriously, though, I couldn't wish for better for our James. He has all the freedom he wants to indulge every single one of his boyhood dreams -- and he gets paid for it.

[lew]

Wonders if I can get my Aunt whose a retired nurse to show me ;D actually seeing I'm of the age of sheets and blankets.....I should remember quite easily ;D

Love the book cover, more to pay out

[violetrose]

Ahaha, yet more Ferrari oil changes... ;D

[xjsarah]

When I did some chambermaid work a number of years ago, the hotel in question used non-fitted sheets, and I was trained to make the beds accordingly, using what I can only assume was the 'hospital corners' technique. I can still just about remember how to do them - maybe I should apply to this programme! ;D

[lindenchase]

Nice interview in the Telegraph this morning about the book & series: :-)

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/authorinterviews/7968075/James-May-interview-and-exclusive-book-extract.html


“Men think that not being able to wire a plug some how makes them more creative or intellectual. It just makes them morons.” ;D

[dit]

Fabulous article. "Is James May the perfect man?" - come on, woman, have you had your eyes shut or something?

And I've sorted out the photo.

[Hops]

That's much better, thanks Dit!

I was thinking of fixing it in a different way, by putting myself in that luxurious position, but this will do for now..

And in the article, phwoar: "The testosterone in the studio is such that simply walking into it could probably make you pregnant."

[jacqui]

Aug 28, 2010 10:13:43 GMT dit said:

Fabulous article. "Is James May the perfect man?" - come on, woman, have you had your eyes shut or something?

And I've sorted out the photo.

Bravo Dit, much improved ;D lucky cow

James May is Everyman; you could pass him on the street and probably not notice

I don't think so..... ;D

Author’s disclaimer: This guide has been prepared only for use in absolute, dire, buttock-clenching emergency

Brilliant ;D

[brycegold]

Well done Dit, nice work. Can somebody please tell me why that lucky lady looks so awkward sitting behind James? James, on the other hand, looks very at ease.

That book is a 'must have' for me. That's MOH's Christmas pressie sorted! ;D ;D

[SonicSophie]

"Is James May the perfect man?" Errr, yes ;D ;D
This is not going to be a book-buying I can justify - I'll have to sneakily buy it and hide it, since my mother would never approve, and I am an in the closet Mayhemer ;D
I really can't wait for Man Lab though... it is going to be a great programme

[lindenchase]

Another new bit in The Telegraph. How to woo with Music. Well it definitely worked with us when he play moonlight sonate in Big Ideas. (Second episode about 43.25 minutes in, in case you want to relive the experience.) ;D

www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/jamesmay/7969575/James-May-how-to-woo-with-music.html

*off to search for YouTube video*

[chariset]

Should James ever attempt to woo me with Beethoven, I will listen, enraptured, to the whole thing and then say either "You had me at dee-deet-deeeeeeeee" or "I could still go either way -- do you have any Rachmaninoff?"

[Ina]

Hate making the bed. Beside that's what a duvet is for, just pull it over everything and the bed is made, presto!

[richmondgal]

I wish I could get that book soon. I always thought James was like my Dad. Only slightly older and less musical and more green.

[jacqui]

Aug 28, 2010 18:41:21 GMT brycegold said:

Can somebody please tell me why that lucky lady looks so awkward sitting behind James? James, on the other hand, looks very at ease.

We wouldn't have any trouble looking at ease would we ;D In fact we'd probably be too at ease;) ;D

As for James... he just loves the attention and is probably a bit of a flirt ;D

[beckstar]

Aug 28, 2010 18:41:21 GMT brycegold said:

Well done Dit, nice work. Can somebody please tell me why that lucky lady looks so awkward sitting behind James?

Bryony Gordon, the journalist who wrote the article is formerly one of the 3AM girls and usually writes articles about vacuous 'celebs' and fripperies like make up. I suspect she looks awkward because a nice, normal bloke is speaking to her without trying to flirt with her or shag her, despite the ridiculously low-cut top she's chosen to wear to interview him, and also probably because the photographer will, a few moments before the pic was taken, have instructed her to straddle the motorcycle with a sneer and jokes about other things she may have straddled...

[From Afar]

Aug 29, 2010 11:37:36 GMT jacqui said:

As for James... he just loves the attention and is probably a bit of a flirt ;D

Having stalked investigated James on the interweb for some time now I think this is a definite..... he is a flirt and knows what does to us for sure This seems certain to me from some of his comments & photo's But just my opinion, feel free to disagree!

[jacqui]

No disagreement from me ;D

[From Afar]

Aug 29, 2010 16:30:16 GMT jacqui said:

No disagreement from me ;D

We are kindred spirits

[devil-may-care]

A flirt? Definitely! ;D He's been working on flirting with and wooing woman ever since his first piano lesson!

He's just perfected it over the years. That's the main reason we're all here, really. That sweet and bashful, yet flirty and sexy persona! ;D

[lindenchase]

www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/jamesmay/7970600/It-wont-be-hard-to-invade-the-Isle-of-Wight.html

Third extract from the book!

[TheDaisy]

I shall probably be shot down in flames for this but.......the more extracts I see from the book, the less I actually want to buy it. It seems so silly...invading the Isle of Wight? How to make a bed? And I'm afraid I got very bored reading the bit about how to fudge a playthrough of Beethoven.

*headshake* I'd be expecting something a little more....intelligent sounding from our James, somehow. Think I shall be giving this one a miss.

[eshalda]

I have mixed feelings at the moment Daisy I think I will wait to see the series first. As an aside, I can play the first movement of The Moonlight Sonata from memory and it never did me any favours, but then again I'm not a bloke

[xjsarah]

Personally, I've thoroughly enjoyed these extracts, and I'm greatly looking forward to reading the rest of the book. I've found it to be highly entertaining, not to mention informative, and it's all so wonderfully tongue-in-cheek that it's had me giggling like an idiot! ;D I've studied music in the past (though not to degree level, and not the piano), so I was fascinated by the chapter on the Moonlight Sonata, and as I'm a bit of a nerd at heart, I loved reading about the cockpit layout and landing procedure of an A330. Basically, I just like learning that sort of stuff - I'm such a geek!

As far as I can see, the intelligence of this work is based on the premise as a whole, rather than on the subject matter. It strikes me as being a rather effective send-up of the self-help genre of books, and as such it doesn't really matter what the individual subjects are. In fact, the more unlikely they are, the better!

I just hope that not too much more will be revealed prior to the book's publication, or there will be no surprises left and it won't sell so well. IMHO, that would be a great shame.

[violetrose]

Aug 30, 2010 0:31:24 GMT xjsarah said:

Basically, I just like learning that sort of stuff - I'm such a geek!

As far as I can see, the intelligence of this work is based on the premise as a whole, rather than on the subject matter. It strikes me as being a rather effective send-up of the self-help genre of books, and as such it doesn't really matter what the individual subjects are. In fact, the more unlikely they are, the better!

Exactly - I see it as sort of a tongue-in-cheek treatment of self-help manuals as only James can deliver. I really enjoy the pendantic descriptions, which strike me as utterly ridiculous. Toy Stories had a great element of the ridiculous - I view this project in much the same way. It's just fun! ;D

I really am looking forward to nabbing this book and seeing the series.