Spandau Ballet, the 1980s British band, are to hit the comeback circuit, it was announced last week. The New Romantic icons, who had a penchant for eyeliner and smart suits, will release new material and embark on a world tour. A likely origin of the band's name is a reference to the spasms of Nazi war prisoners as they 'danced at the end of the rope' when they were hanged at Spandau Prison ...
The prison, in western Berlin, was built in 1876 and was demolished in 1987, after its last prisoner, Rudolf Hess, a wartime deputy to Adolf Hitler, died. Hess had been Spandau's only prisoner since 1966, following the release of Baldur von Schirach, head of the Hitler Youth, and the Nazi minister of armaments and war production, Albert Speer ...
Before becoming a minister, Speer had been Hitler's chief architect. It was he who thwarted the f?hrer's attempt to destroy Germany's infrastructure at the end of the second world war. In response to Hitler's Nero Decree, Speer stated on March 29, 1945, 'I can no long-er believe in the success of our good cause if, during these decisive months, we simultane-ously and systematically destroy the founda-tions of our national life. That is such a great injustice towards our people ... I beg you not to carry out a step so destructive of the nation.' Speer's father, Albert Friedrich Speer, was an architect, as is his son, Albert Speer Jr ...
Albert Speer & Partner has been active in the mainland, having worked on the development of Fudan University and International Automobile City, both in Shanghai. The company was also commissioned to plan an imposing avenue to connect Beijing's Forbidden City and the National Stadium ahead of last summer's Olympic Games ...
In the run up to the next Games, it is London's turn to get a makeover. The area that will be most affected will be the East End, a working-class part of the city known for a bad soap opera and 1960s gangsters, the most infamous of which were the Kray twins ...
Reginald (who died in 2000) and Ronald (buried on March 29, 1995) were identical twins who were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets and at least two murders. Their story was told in the 1990 film The Krays, in which Reggie was played by Martin Kemp and Ronnie was played by Gary Kemp. The Kemp brothers were (and will be again) members of Spandau Ballet.