Jams features in The Big Issue

LindenChase

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Nov 28, 2007
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Extra reason to buy the Big Issue this week. They have a feature called "Letter to My Younger Self" and James has written it in the current edition. There is an article online about it, but not the letter itself. I hope someone can upload it. I promise I will buy an extra copy of the Amsterdam edition in return! :)

http://www.bigissue.com/the-mix/new...was-a-bit-messed-up-in-the-head-as-a-teenager

Penning his Letter To My Younger Self in this week?s Big Issue, the 50-year-old - nicknamed Captain Slow by his Top Gear colleagues for his championing of comfort over speed ? revealed that the younger James needed two things in his teenage days: a wash and a good slap.
 
Hopefully if no one can upload it the whole thing will be on the site one day.

http://www.bigissue.com/features/le...richard-hammond-it-made-me-question-my-sanity

http://www.bigissue.com/features/le...teenage-oz-would-be-very-surprised-wine-thing

Some of it here:
http://www.bigissue.com/the-mix/new...was-a-bit-messed-up-in-the-head-as-a-teenager

Top Gear's James May on his youthful lack of ambition, working in the civil service - and needing a good kicking





With a global audience of 350 million across over 200 territories, Top Gear has revved its way to the front of the pack as one of the most successful and popular television shows in the world. However, as co-presenter James May knows better than anyone, there have certainly been some hiccups along the way.

The geared-up ? and often controversial ? BBC series first stuttered its way on to screens in 1977 before eventually being axed in 2000, two years after May joined the ranks, because of poor ratings. Re-launched one year later with an engine upgrade and a makeover to boot, its return has proved a masterstroke ? but May insists there?s no ?secret formula? to the TV phenomenon.

?I was very nervous when I did my first TV, and I was pretty bad,? May explained. ?I was a presenter on the early Top Gear, which was a total failure and got axed and everyone lost their jobs.

?When they brought Top Gear back they tried a new guy but he didn?t work out, so they called me and grudgingly and reluctantly offered me my old job back.

?I think I?m a bit better now. I?d tell my old self to relax, stop trying to emulate other presenters, and just talk about the stuff you really know. There?s no secret formula; no one really knows what will work.?

Penning his Letter To My Younger Self in this week?s Big Issue, the 50-year-old - nicknamed Captain Slow by his Top Gear colleagues for his championing of comfort over speed ? revealed that the younger James needed two things in his teenage days: a wash and a good slap.

?I think I was a bit messed up in the head as a teenager and probably needed a good kicking,? May said. ?I was fucking rubbish actually. I was feeble. I was torn in my interests.

?One half of me liked building bicycles, metalwork, making things and the other half was studying music, playing piano and sitting around in trees reading Tennyson. I didn?t pursue one or two things avidly, I flitted about. I still do it. So I ended up being mediocre at many, many things. It?s a terrible human failing to be a jack-of-all-trades.

?If I met the young James now I?d think, here?s a boy with a tiny amount of promise but it?ll come to nothing. And he needs a bit of a wash. If I told him I was his future self he?d look at my life and say, well it looks great but I don?t believe I?ll get to do any of that.

?That was my problem. I was bereft of ambition. Life was something that happened while I wasn?t making any other plans. I left university drifting, went to the civil service, then worked on some magazines until I was offered my own column on Car magazine, which to me was the most fantastic thing in the world.?

You can read James May?s full Letter To My Younger Self interview in this week?s Big Issue, on sale now.

@andrewburns49

James May?s Toy Stories: The Motorcycle Diaries is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Top Gear returns to the BBC later this year.
 
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Problem solved. I found out that you can actually buy and download the magazine online. You need to download the free "Big Issue" app, and then you can buy whatever issue you want. They apparently wait until the next issue is out, cause this current issue isn't on sale yet. :)
 
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