Champ Ennis-Hill bows out in style

Jessica Ennis-Hill has announced her retirement from athletics after admitting she wants to “leave my sport on a high”, having won her second Olympic heptathlon medal at Rio 2016 this summer.

Announcing the news on her Instagram page, the 30-year-old revealed that her success in Rio, combined with her gold medal performance at London 2012, means that she can bow out at the top of the sport after spending seven years as one of the leading athletes in the world.

Having returned to competition after giving birth to her son, Reggie, in 2014, EnnisHill went on to win gold at the 2015 World Championships, and took silver at this year’s Olympic Gamesbehind Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam.

In her post, Ennis-Hill said: “Amazing memories... from my first world title in Berlin 2009 to Rio 2016 I’m so fortunate to have had such an amazing career within the sport I love and this has been Jessica Ennis-Hill. one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make. But I know that retiring now is right.

“I’ve always said I want to leave my sport on a high and have no regrets and I can truly say that. I want to thank my family and incredible team who have spent so much of their time supporting me and enabling me to achieve my dreams.

“Also a huge thank you to all those people who have supported and followed my career over the years.”

Speaking immediately after claiming silver in Rio, Ennis-Hill hinted that it would be her last competitive appearance, although the prospect of the World Championships at home in London next year did make her consider delaying her retirement by another year. THE INDEPENDENT 1717 Octcct. 118 Octcct. 20Oct20ct.ct 2121 Octct.ct Music wasn’t the only sphere that was transformed by the Swinging Sixties the influential Pink Floyd to some of the freewheeling, a musical cameo, so much weird cameos from the likes semi-improvised tone of key the better. Thus Mick Jagof (a pre-Crazy World of) Arcontinental films, among ger would lead in Perforthur Brown. them La Dolce Vita and Jules mance, Lennon appeared

Because this stampede for Et Jim. Lester, though, took in How I Won The War and pop resources led to a sense this style further a year later the then Arthur Brown Set of bandwagon- jumping, in the more exuberant Help!, performed in Roger Vadim’s film and TV from the mid- to a surreal comedy chase that Jane Fonda- starring The late-Sixties is not as revered came with a far higher budGame Is Over (La Curée). nowadays as the earlier get. The director filmed in For Matthews, the peak kitchen-sink period, domicolour, set scenes in such of this wave came around nated by northern scribes exotic locales as the Baha1970, with pop-influenced and working- class actors mas and brought on board movies evolving into more making their names with “A respected thespians Leo sophisticated forms, with Taste Of Honey” and “This McKern and Eleanor Bron. concert f i l ms such as Sporting Life”. That MatIts script was co-written by Glastonbury Fayre and Gimme thews’ opening year makes American novelist Marc Shelter alongside experia useful cut-off between the Behm, previously credmental works, notably Tony two eras is illustrated by ited on Cary Grant/Audrey Garnett’s post-Kes permistwo Fab Four vehicles. First, Hepburn thriller Charade. sive documentary The Body, 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night, a Yet the plot was threadbare, which featured background relatively sleek movie, shot held together with barely music from members of in black and white, scripted relevant, promo-style muPink Floyd, much of it deby Alun Owen, who had sical sequences. Still, this vised from sounds made by earned his stripes on socialbecame a template for furthe human form, including realist small-screen dramas, ther pop films and a definite heartbeats and sneezes. The and featuring Steptoe And influence on The Monkees pioneering prog outfit had Son’s Wilfrid Brambell. TV show. already enjoyed a credible

British pop stars, among In the space of a few cultural impact, beginning them Cliff Richard and Tommonths, UK dramas in parwith their own light shows, my Steele, had appeared in ticular had gone from the leading to a key scene in many films, but A Hard Day’s dour and threadbare, to documentary Tonite Let’s Night’s global success was fashionable and fast-paced, All Make Love In London, unprecedented. In ’64, it was in a way that cast a wide through to soundtrack conthe ninth highest grossing shadow. If any film could tributions such as Michelfilm in the US — even outincorporate a British group angelo Antonioni’s Zabriskie selling Elvis Presley’s Viva or singer, either acting or in Point. THE INDEPENDENT Pr i n t e d a n d d i s t r i b u t e d by P r essReader P r e s s R e a d e r . c o m + 1 6 0 4 2 7 8 4 6 0 4 • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • COPYR I G H T A N D P R OT E C T E D B Y A P P L I C A B L E L AW There has been so much visual documentation of Sixties pop culture — iconic photo shoots, album covers and films of dandies parading down Carnaby Street — it is easy to forget the impact of this vibrant period on film and television.

This lacuna is addressed by a forthcoming book that documents the influence of British music on visual entertainment at the height of the swinging Sixties. Psychedelic Celluloid: British Pop in Film and TV 1965-1974 covers this time in minute detail, noting the influence of pop on hundreds of productions.

It is the first book by Simon Matthews, a writer for publications such as Record Collector and Shindig!, previously involved in running the British Transport Film documentary film library ( best known for Britten/ Auden collaboration Night Mail). In Psychedelic Celluloid, Matthews charts how a vast range of musicians dominated the wider scene, from the Beatles, through DisnDissney Brorothrothertheers CCarrtooon StudStuudio founfouunded.dedd. ThomThomasomaas Ediddisonso filesfififififififififififififilfififififififilfifififilfififififilfififilfilfifiles patatenatenten forfo theth OptiOpticaticalca PPhoonograographrapph, theth firstfififififirfifififirfifififififififififirfifififififirfififirfifirfirsst movovieovie evever.verr. takakesakes forormaormalma ppossesssessiessionsioon AlasAlaaska froromro RRussiassia aftfterfteer havavinavingin ppaid $727. mmilliollion.ion. Mick Jagger. Las Vegas. Matthews argues this was “the single event that brought serious US studio money to London and kickstarted [British pop cinema]”. The film already captured some of the new, more StreStreptrepptoomyycin,in tthe fifififififififirfififirfifirfifififirfirst antntibntiibiotiiottic remeremedymedy foroor tububerubercuerculoculosilosis,sis, isolisolatolatedated rresearsearcharchercherser Rutgeuttggers Uniniveniversversitrsity.ityy. QQueenee ElizElizabizabetabeeth inauinaaugguraterattes theth SydnSydneydney Opeppera Hououseouse.se FlorFloorenceence Nigightightinhtingainggale wwith statafftaff nursnursesrses ssent theth CrimCrimeaimeanea WWar. sprightly aesthetic, directed as it was by the American Richard Lester, already a dab hand at comedy thanks to his connections to John Lennon faves The Goons. A Hard Day’s Night also had

“If you want to stick to being a musician/ performer and release music and acquire a fan base, then that’s not really necessary, but of course, it definitely helps because you get access to a huge audience very quickly.”