PEOPLE I MEET
BY SIMON LAWRENCE
BY SIMON LAWRENCE
JENNY SEAGROVE
SOS’!
A WAKE UP CALL
THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN 'WHAT MEDICINE MAGAZINE'
It's only a short walk from Baker Street Station, along the Marylebone Road - past the towering, impersonal office blocks, filled with the dreary, mechanical grind of paper shuffling and matters of great importance to someone; to the 'Landmark' - one of London's most fashionable hotels. A vast brick edifice, originally one of the great railway hotels constructed during the golden age of steam.
It's a hotel where the door is opened for you by a smiling doorman in persil white gloves and a stiffly ironed shirt only doormen seem to wear. You glide into an altogether different world, one of quiet, of serenity and opulence. The receptionist greets you as if you're the most important person to have graced their bright marble floors.
With the key in hand, the wide staircase awaits - a challenge perhaps, or an opportunity to be raised to yet another level - one directly beneath the vast glass-roofed atrium eight floors above you, a space that was originally the central courtyard where guests were deposited from their horse-drawn carriages, in privacy and comfort. Now a place in which to lounge, to eat and drink amongst the palms, cosseted in sumptuous furniture - as the gentle rhythm of music from the pianist gently drifts around you, mixing with the quiet murmur and laughter of those relaxing in the pool of natural light it creates.
My room on the fourth floor was palatial. It would be easy to lose a sense of perspective, with two glamorous marble and shimmering chrome bathrooms and a wonderfully light suite of rooms - with possibly a greater floor area than most British homes.
I was here with 'What Medicine' to meet actress Jenny Seagrove, whose international career on stage, in film and on television includes Bill Forsyth's whimsical comedy 'Local Hero'; several films by Michael Winner, including 'Appointment with Death' and 'A Chorus of Disapproval' - and she was downright eerie as the mysterious nanny in William Friedkins' The Guardian'. Jenny first caught the attention of American audiences as the younger portrayal of Deborah Kerr's character in the syndicated mini-series' A Woman of Substance'.
We wanted to chat about her role in fighting the European Food Supplements Directive, which will effectively ban around three hundred vitamin and mineral forms contained in a vast number of safe and beneficial supplements and herbal remedies on the European Market.
All British consumers' continued right to access these products is under threat. On 3rd July 2003, the European Food Supplements Directive was passed into English Law and traversed less than a month later into the National Legislature of all fifteen EU Member states. By 2005, if left unchallenged, this law will effectively ban most crucial vitamin and mineral products. There is also legislation phased for 2007, which applies to other nutrient groups - such as fatty and amino acids and phytonutrients.
Jenny Seagrove was almost hidden beneath a vast pile of clothes for our photographic session. But her firm handshake and bright, warm smile put me immediately at ease. While the low sun hung outside, we relaxed in our glorious surroundings with steaming coffee and a whopping plate of biscuits.
Born in Kuala Lumpur - Jenny's parents worked in the intelligence services, moving regularly throughout the Far East - wherever their jobs took them. "I do think I had an idyllic childhood. My family were part of the expatriate community but always immersed themselves wholeheartedly amongst the indigenous population. I remember celebrating the Chinese New Year with them - drinking weird rice sarky and eating moon cakes and other strange things. I remember chasing butterflies in the jungle whilst my brother delighted in bottling snakes - and teasing live ones when they visited the house."
At the age of nine, Jenny returned to Britain to attend boarding school. "In Kuala Lumpur, you simply run out of education at that age, well in those days anyway. So, I was sent home to England. I would see my parents during one trip a year, but the summer holidays and the rest of the time I would spend with my grandparents in Tunbridge Wells and my Aunt in Devon. I just became an itinerant, but that taught me very quickly to be polite and adaptable."
Her acting debut was in the school play Apollo. After completing her A levels, she auditioned for Drama school - spending three years at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. "After drama school, my career just took off, and I've been fortunate throughout my career. For the past ten years, I've been grafting away in the West End - although you can't call it grafting, can you! - I love it, and recently, much of my time has been taken up with the wonderful series 'Judge John Deed'."
Jenny's been vegetarian for the past twenty years - not just to stimulate better health but also because of her love of animals. "I prefer to buy my food from an organic source whenever I can and take a range of supplements too - but to be honest, I hadn't heard of the European Food Supplements Directive until one day while queuing at the counter of my local health food store, I spotted a form to sign - 'SOS' it shouted at me (short for 'Save Our Supplements') - which of course was the precursor to my involvement in all of this."
The prime mover behind the bid to stop the new regulations was Sue Croft, now a stalwart of the crusade. She set up the 'SOS' campaign to fight, and that is precisely what she is doing - so successfully, in fact, she has the support of many well-known faces from the world of film, television, and music - as well as Jenny Seagrove, there are heavyweights such as Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Cliff Richard, Tony Hadley and Phil Collins.
"I was introduced to Sue at a friend's book launch in London. I asked - what could I do? How could I help? I believe things are mapped out for us, and we meet people at moments in our lives when we can best help them or for them to help us. You have to embrace opportunities when they appear and make things happen too, whether good or bad." Jenny described Sue Croft as one of life's great champions. "If she doesn't get some kind of recognition for the work she's done - then there's no justice!"
Like an increasingly large number of the population, Jenny believes that although modern medicine has its place in the nation's health, she echoes the sentiments of many when she describes it as essentially a process which 'slams the door after the horse has bolted'. "There has to be a system in place that helps cure ailments and illness when they get out of hand - but doctors rarely treat the real cause. The emphasis should be about maintaining maximum health - ensuring your immune system is healthy enough to prevent those things happening in the first place."
She steadfastly believes that vitamins and minerals - and herbal supplements too, well produced, are essential to our well-being. "You know - the government puts out ridiculous statements - saying we should be able to get a balanced diet from the nutrients in our food. But for decades, the soil has been depleted through overfarming - has been poisoned with a cocktail of chemicals to grow ever more profit; the food is processed, cold packaged, then transported - sometimes halfway around the world - so, by the time it reaches us there's hardly any of the original goodness left. Add in the effects of environmental pollution, and you can see how our poor immune systems must feel. We do need these supplements to keep us healthy."
Many organisations are fighting to change this directive, though a concerted and staged attack - 'together', will be the only way to make headway against the intransigents they face. "I really like Tony Blair, but it seems he only listens to people with money and influence - not the real people of this country, people he is supposed to represent."
Jenny Seagrove firmly believes we're in danger of following the American example, where powerful corporations dictate Government policy - usually the oil and pharmaceutical industries. "I know it may sound simplistic, but these mighty organisations are only interested in their profits and the control they elicit from funding Government campaigns. The pharmaceutical companies are also hugely powerful Here in Europe, particularly Germany and France. They may have terrific hospitals in their towns and cities, but look on the shelves; all you can buy is low-strength vitamin C. They don't have the free access we enjoy. The pharmaceutical companies want you to buy their products on prescription - giving them the only market share. This is what we're fighting against here."
If these EU directives go unchallenged, it will further erode our freedom of choice. Jenny Seagrove is not alone in thinking these directives are not issues about safety - but relate more to the pharmaceutical industry flexing their muscles - keeping a weary eye on their balance sheets, and threatening our freedom to use our choice of alternatives to their own.
Jenny Seagrove is currently appearing in the new 'Judge John Deed series.'
For further information, the following web addresses will help.
www.healthchoice.org.uk
www.alliance-natural-health.org
© Simon Lawrence
It's a hotel where the door is opened for you by a smiling doorman in persil white gloves and a stiffly ironed shirt only doormen seem to wear. You glide into an altogether different world, one of quiet, of serenity and opulence. The receptionist greets you as if you're the most important person to have graced their bright marble floors.
With the key in hand, the wide staircase awaits - a challenge perhaps, or an opportunity to be raised to yet another level - one directly beneath the vast glass-roofed atrium eight floors above you, a space that was originally the central courtyard where guests were deposited from their horse-drawn carriages, in privacy and comfort. Now a place in which to lounge, to eat and drink amongst the palms, cosseted in sumptuous furniture - as the gentle rhythm of music from the pianist gently drifts around you, mixing with the quiet murmur and laughter of those relaxing in the pool of natural light it creates.
My room on the fourth floor was palatial. It would be easy to lose a sense of perspective, with two glamorous marble and shimmering chrome bathrooms and a wonderfully light suite of rooms - with possibly a greater floor area than most British homes.
I was here with 'What Medicine' to meet actress Jenny Seagrove, whose international career on stage, in film and on television includes Bill Forsyth's whimsical comedy 'Local Hero'; several films by Michael Winner, including 'Appointment with Death' and 'A Chorus of Disapproval' - and she was downright eerie as the mysterious nanny in William Friedkins' The Guardian'. Jenny first caught the attention of American audiences as the younger portrayal of Deborah Kerr's character in the syndicated mini-series' A Woman of Substance'.
We wanted to chat about her role in fighting the European Food Supplements Directive, which will effectively ban around three hundred vitamin and mineral forms contained in a vast number of safe and beneficial supplements and herbal remedies on the European Market.
All British consumers' continued right to access these products is under threat. On 3rd July 2003, the European Food Supplements Directive was passed into English Law and traversed less than a month later into the National Legislature of all fifteen EU Member states. By 2005, if left unchallenged, this law will effectively ban most crucial vitamin and mineral products. There is also legislation phased for 2007, which applies to other nutrient groups - such as fatty and amino acids and phytonutrients.
Jenny Seagrove was almost hidden beneath a vast pile of clothes for our photographic session. But her firm handshake and bright, warm smile put me immediately at ease. While the low sun hung outside, we relaxed in our glorious surroundings with steaming coffee and a whopping plate of biscuits.
Born in Kuala Lumpur - Jenny's parents worked in the intelligence services, moving regularly throughout the Far East - wherever their jobs took them. "I do think I had an idyllic childhood. My family were part of the expatriate community but always immersed themselves wholeheartedly amongst the indigenous population. I remember celebrating the Chinese New Year with them - drinking weird rice sarky and eating moon cakes and other strange things. I remember chasing butterflies in the jungle whilst my brother delighted in bottling snakes - and teasing live ones when they visited the house."
At the age of nine, Jenny returned to Britain to attend boarding school. "In Kuala Lumpur, you simply run out of education at that age, well in those days anyway. So, I was sent home to England. I would see my parents during one trip a year, but the summer holidays and the rest of the time I would spend with my grandparents in Tunbridge Wells and my Aunt in Devon. I just became an itinerant, but that taught me very quickly to be polite and adaptable."
Her acting debut was in the school play Apollo. After completing her A levels, she auditioned for Drama school - spending three years at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. "After drama school, my career just took off, and I've been fortunate throughout my career. For the past ten years, I've been grafting away in the West End - although you can't call it grafting, can you! - I love it, and recently, much of my time has been taken up with the wonderful series 'Judge John Deed'."
Jenny's been vegetarian for the past twenty years - not just to stimulate better health but also because of her love of animals. "I prefer to buy my food from an organic source whenever I can and take a range of supplements too - but to be honest, I hadn't heard of the European Food Supplements Directive until one day while queuing at the counter of my local health food store, I spotted a form to sign - 'SOS' it shouted at me (short for 'Save Our Supplements') - which of course was the precursor to my involvement in all of this."
The prime mover behind the bid to stop the new regulations was Sue Croft, now a stalwart of the crusade. She set up the 'SOS' campaign to fight, and that is precisely what she is doing - so successfully, in fact, she has the support of many well-known faces from the world of film, television, and music - as well as Jenny Seagrove, there are heavyweights such as Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Cliff Richard, Tony Hadley and Phil Collins.
"I was introduced to Sue at a friend's book launch in London. I asked - what could I do? How could I help? I believe things are mapped out for us, and we meet people at moments in our lives when we can best help them or for them to help us. You have to embrace opportunities when they appear and make things happen too, whether good or bad." Jenny described Sue Croft as one of life's great champions. "If she doesn't get some kind of recognition for the work she's done - then there's no justice!"
Like an increasingly large number of the population, Jenny believes that although modern medicine has its place in the nation's health, she echoes the sentiments of many when she describes it as essentially a process which 'slams the door after the horse has bolted'. "There has to be a system in place that helps cure ailments and illness when they get out of hand - but doctors rarely treat the real cause. The emphasis should be about maintaining maximum health - ensuring your immune system is healthy enough to prevent those things happening in the first place."
She steadfastly believes that vitamins and minerals - and herbal supplements too, well produced, are essential to our well-being. "You know - the government puts out ridiculous statements - saying we should be able to get a balanced diet from the nutrients in our food. But for decades, the soil has been depleted through overfarming - has been poisoned with a cocktail of chemicals to grow ever more profit; the food is processed, cold packaged, then transported - sometimes halfway around the world - so, by the time it reaches us there's hardly any of the original goodness left. Add in the effects of environmental pollution, and you can see how our poor immune systems must feel. We do need these supplements to keep us healthy."
Many organisations are fighting to change this directive, though a concerted and staged attack - 'together', will be the only way to make headway against the intransigents they face. "I really like Tony Blair, but it seems he only listens to people with money and influence - not the real people of this country, people he is supposed to represent."
Jenny Seagrove firmly believes we're in danger of following the American example, where powerful corporations dictate Government policy - usually the oil and pharmaceutical industries. "I know it may sound simplistic, but these mighty organisations are only interested in their profits and the control they elicit from funding Government campaigns. The pharmaceutical companies are also hugely powerful Here in Europe, particularly Germany and France. They may have terrific hospitals in their towns and cities, but look on the shelves; all you can buy is low-strength vitamin C. They don't have the free access we enjoy. The pharmaceutical companies want you to buy their products on prescription - giving them the only market share. This is what we're fighting against here."
If these EU directives go unchallenged, it will further erode our freedom of choice. Jenny Seagrove is not alone in thinking these directives are not issues about safety - but relate more to the pharmaceutical industry flexing their muscles - keeping a weary eye on their balance sheets, and threatening our freedom to use our choice of alternatives to their own.
Jenny Seagrove is currently appearing in the new 'Judge John Deed series.'
For further information, the following web addresses will help.
www.healthchoice.org.uk
www.alliance-natural-health.org
© Simon Lawrence
