Drifting Around The Room In Leeds
WR magazine Worcestershire|Autumn 2017

Evesham-born Renaissance man Alistair McGowan talks to Gerald Heys about his latest project: an album of solo classical piano music

Drifting Around The Room In Leeds
‘Chronic remorse’, Aldous Huxley says in his introduction to Brave New World, does none of us any good. If you are haunted by regrets, he suggests, you should concentrate on doing better next time and not brood on past errors. Alistair McGowan is making amends in spades. Having given up the piano at the age of nine, for what he then felt were the more virile rigours of the football field, he has, for the last three years or so, been showing contrition by devoting himself to what he considers ‘the king of instruments’. His competitive urges appear to have taken a very satisfying turn. ‘As a child, I saw competition in terms of sport and beating other people, not in terms of getting the best out of yourself, which is now what I think is the best thing in life.’

Alistair is probably best known for The Big Impression, the BAFTA award winner that was, for four years, one of BBC1’s top-rated comedy programmes. But over the last 27 years, he has worked in almost every area of show business and the arts: impressionist, stand-up comic, actor, singer, writer of sketches, articles, and stage and radio plays. And it looks like there’s still plenty left in his creative tank.

Though he rejected the piano as a boy, the instrument must have somehow entered his soul. He felt the urge to take it up again in his mid-30s: ‘I thought, Come on, you’ve got to do this. But it was – and this sounds stupid – rudely interrupted by The Big Impression, which was so all-consuming that for five years, there wasn’t a chance to sit down at the piano. Before that programme began, I was doing an hour’s practice a day.’

This story is from the Autumn 2017 edition of WR magazine Worcestershire.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Autumn 2017 edition of WR magazine Worcestershire.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM WR MAGAZINE WORCESTERSHIREView All
On The Charge Electric Vehicles; No Longer If, But When
WR magazine Worcestershire

On The Charge Electric Vehicles; No Longer If, But When

The newspaper headline that Volvo is to cease production of internal combustion engine (ICE) only cars by 2019 raised awareness of their impending demise even more than the announcement by the French Government banning production of ICE cars by 2040 and India’s plans to ban sales of ICE cars from 2032. However, there’s no need to panic says ElectrAA founding member Dan Wild

time-read
2 mins  |
Autumn 2017
Drifting Around The Room In Leeds
WR magazine Worcestershire

Drifting Around The Room In Leeds

Evesham-born Renaissance man Alistair McGowan talks to Gerald Heys about his latest project: an album of solo classical piano music

time-read
5 mins  |
Autumn 2017
An Inland Coast
WR magazine Worcestershire

An Inland Coast

It may be hard to believe, but we do have a slice of the seaside right here in Worcestershire. The Flashes, the southern pools of the Christopher Cadbury Wetland Reserve at Upton Warren in Wychbold hold a rare habitat. The underlying salt deposit, the Droitwich halite, was formed around 200 million years ago and subsequent underground brine extraction caused subsidence and consequent flooding. As a result, the saline pools of The Flashes and the salt marsh were born. Wendy Carter, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s Communications Manager, tells us more

time-read
2 mins  |
Autumn 2017
Broadway, Here We Come
WR magazine Worcestershire

Broadway, Here We Come

Gerald Heys takes a trip on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway as they prepare to expand operations into Worcestershire 

time-read
5 mins  |
Autumn 2017
Artistic impression
WR magazine Worcestershire

Artistic impression

Between February and June, there’s a rare opportunity to appreciate the work of several great English landscape painters, including David Cox, Joseph Turner and John Constable, during an exhibition at the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum

time-read
3 mins  |
Spring 2017
Talking Tesla
WR magazine Worcestershire

Talking Tesla

Malvern-based company director, Steve Oborne, has been the proud owner of a Tesla Model S 90D since October 2016. On a cold spring afternoon, he took Pippa Sanderson for a spin and grin

time-read
6 mins  |
Spring 2017
A Celebration Of Worcester's Heritage
WR magazine Worcestershire

A Celebration Of Worcester's Heritage

The Love Worcester Festival is back for another great year, celebrating Worcester’s wealth of heritage. With nine days of events and activities across some of Worcester’s most loved venues, as well as some hidden gems, it’s a great way to get to know the city better

time-read
2 mins  |
Spring 2017
Armed To The Technological Teeth
WR magazine Worcestershire

Armed To The Technological Teeth

Worried about going to the dentist? You may not have been for years, so now is the time to grit your teeth and go because twenty-first century dentists have an array of technology on hand to ensure your visit won’t leave you feeling down in the mouth

time-read
3 mins  |
Spring 2017
Red Windsor A Discovered Gem
WR magazine Worcestershire

Red Windsor A Discovered Gem

A relatively new variety of apple, with its roots in Worcestershire, is becoming increasingly popular due to its rich tangy taste. Ali Capper, Chairman NFU Horticulture & Potatoes Board from Stocks Farm in Suckley, tells us more

time-read
2 mins  |
Autumn 2017
Terrific Turmeric
WR magazine Worcestershire

Terrific Turmeric

Turmeric, a vibrant spice renowned across Asia for its multipurpose, nutritional qualities, is making an impact in the health and beauty industry in Worcestershire today

time-read
2 mins  |
Autumn 2017