{"id":3326,"date":"2019-08-01T05:27:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T09:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/?p=3326"},"modified":"2023-05-27T08:17:31","modified_gmt":"2023-05-27T12:17:31","slug":"i-am-not-a-number-i-am-a-free-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/index.php\/2019\/08\/01\/i-am-not-a-number-i-am-a-free-man\/","title":{"rendered":"I am not a number! I am a free man!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Position: 52\u00b054’46.96″ N 4\u00b05’55.74″ W<\/a><\/h6>\n

Portmerion<\/a>, Wales, served as the location for one of the greatest cult TV shows from the 1960s, The Prisoner<\/a><\/em>. Ever since I was a kid terrified by the giant beach ball sent to catch would be escapees I have wanted to visit there.<\/p>\n

The show\u2019s set up revolved around a spy, Patrick McGoohan as Number 6, who attempts to resign from some very British secret service. He\u2019s too valuable, so he is kidnapped and taken to \u2018The Village\u2019. There, Number 6 finds an oddly off-balance cheerfulness, strange expressions like \u2018be seeing you\u2019, and the use of \u2018credits\u2019 instead of money. It\u2019s a new culture, but, he\u2019s assured, he\u2019ll get used to it.<\/p>\n

Episode 1<\/h6>\n

Watching the first episode again, the original 1960s paranoia of government overreach might be recast for today\u2019s audiences. Imagine McGoohan\u2019s character as a noob on social media, say Facebook or Twitter. The rules for social conduct and expression aren\u2019t the same as regular life. Meanwhile, faceless bureaucrats are watching and recording your every move, your every conversation, your every transaction. As Number 2 tells Number 6, \u201dThere\u2019s not much we don\u2019t know about you, but one likes to know everything.\u201d Given the ineptitude of our governments, it\u2019s no wonder we\u2019re exchanging one paranoia for another. For more on this go watch The President\u2019s Analyst<\/a><\/em> with James Coburn.<\/p>\n

The Prisoner\u2019s exteriors were all shot at Portmerion. Designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis<\/a> between 1925 and 1975, Portmerion is all Venetian whimsy and bright colors. Everywhere you turn you find little treats for the eye: statues, bas relief carvings, or a combination of textures that catch the light just so. Established as a holiday village, you can still rent rooms or cottages there for a few days or weeks. It\u2019s a popular destination for weddings, if you\u2019re so inclined.<\/p>\n

Photos<\/h6>\n

Fifty years since The Prisoner first appeared, the village is in very good shape. As you\u2019ll see in the photos, the gardens and flowers are absolutely lovely. I\u2019ve included a couple of shots from the original show for comparison. Be seeing you\u2026<\/p>\n

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