Early Cinema Memories

"Attached photos of a small village cinema in Pitsea, Essex. that I used to frequent as a child. They had a wonderful Childrens Matinee Club ( you even got a badge!) back in the 50's and 60's. In the B&W photo you see it in its heyday and today its sad new role as a Bingo Hall - the fate of so many old cinema's in the U.K.. ( The one in Northwich is also a Bingo emporium despite being a beautiful old listed building )." "The first film I ever saw was probably elsewhere but here was my first real interactive cinema experience with all those kids screaming and shouting for the heroes and villians and the sound of sweets,bubblegum, sherbet dabs, gob stoppers and fizzy pop being slurped, sucked, gurgled and used as a projectile! The clean up afterwards must have taken an army of usherettes all afternoon to clear the debris of wrappers, boxes and bottles. The wonderful films included all the old favourites- Abbott & Costello, Laurel & Hardy, Wizard of Oz, Roy Rogers, Robin Hood, Pirates, Cowboys and Aliens. Also with a feature film came a weekly serial like Captain Marvel, Batman ( when he was rather chubby and in black and white!) Captain Video and Rocket man. Those Republic serials from the 50's were wonderful and made a big impression at the time as we'd rush home to make our own ray gun from cardboard or a sword from an old bamboo cane etc. a pillow case for a cape and utility belt from Dad's old braces!" --Michael Leigh--

70th Birthday

Gosh! How did I get to be so old?! Despite this alarming knowledge I did have a very nice day with friends , first at a pub lunch by the Trent & Mersey canal. Al fresco in the beer garden which was very hot and I caught the sun on my arms. Old chums Tony Pene and Trevor turned up which was a nice surprise. Had fish 'n chips and mushy peas swilled down by half of shandy. Prostate doesn't allow me to drink vast quantities anymore. The joys of growing old! Hazel had to drive Archie to work sowhilst she was doing taxi duty we went for a walk along the canal. Later went to Hazel's Mom's and sister nearby for tea and cake and blowing out of candles etc.

Grozone - Transition Get Together

Nice afternoon at Grozone/ Transition Get Together picnic and Jo Cox aligned day. A communal outdoor space/ allotment type set up. Hard to describe - green issues/ ecology/ etc. Local group part of worldwide network of like minded souls trying to change the world by working at grass roots level. Watched a film in a yurt explaining but it was so incredibly hot in there my mind wasn't really taking it all in! Thankfully it was only 5 mins. and interupted by toddler who wandered in. Lots of learning difficulties, Downs syndrome, autism folk there too with their families. Nice to see so many enjoying a day out- pitching in with food ( pizza oven on site ) live band playing on mud patch. Free stuff stalls. We took along some old DVD's and books. Hazel got a an old Lotto game to use the numbers in her exhibition. Lots of T-shirts for rag rugs etc. So much going on around the 2 acre site- some marshmallow burning in the woods, craft stalls, printing, bicycle repair shops ( get a free bike!) and all manner of other stuff too numerous to mention. Also a film on at the local museum afterwards for anybody with energy enough to drag themselves there. Tomorrow it was called- about sustainability etc. That;s me in the funny hat.

Boot Sale - Blakemere

More bargains from the boot sale at Blakemere this morning. Cloudy but the rain held off. Hazel got a nice tin sandwich box, hooks, a circle maker, notebook, box files etc. I got some DVD's including Bring Me The Head Of Alfred Garcia, Went The Day Well. Spindle of assorted blank DVD's CD's, low energy light bulbs and plastic ray gun.

Rainy Walk

Rather soggy walk to the organic farm shop and cafe this lunch time. The rain just got heavier and heavier and I got wetter and wetter. To make things worse the cafe seems to have undergone some sort of transformation and become more meaty and more expensive. The soup of the day was chick pea and butter bean - yuk! So we came home for fakey bacon and scrambled egg sandwich! Which cost us about a quid instead of the £15. More money for Archie's MA fund. Lots of traffic down the lane and some massive 4 by 4's going too fast round those bends. Lucklily we survived and managed to get home with all our limbs intact. I had to change my clothes though as I was soaked to the skin. Hazel cleverly remembered to take a brolly.

3 Boot sales

Bumper crop of boot sales today with one at Verdin Park, another at Antrobus Village Hall and further bargains at Wincham Primary School. Hazel got most of the bargains which you can see below - brass door plates, a Peter Pan lifter, bean slicer, clamps ( Archie got these ) Rattle Snake Eggs ( tee hee) and lots of plants etc. I didn't get anything despite looking through many boxes of records, books, CD's and DVD's. Hazel gave me a tiny tin train wagon she's found as a consellation prize. Then round to Granma and Audrey's to read the papers and Archie planted a Lupin.

Boot Sale In Hartford

It was a sunny morning on Sunday so we headed to Hartford for the boot sale in the college car park. I had a bad cold so wasn't really in a bargain hunting mood. In fact, after one circuit of the stalls I was ready to go home again and curl up in front of the TV and vegetate and drink lemon and honey drinks. Hazel was OK at that time ( but since caught my cold ) and found lots of bargains including some battered toffee and biscuit tins, a silver propelling pencil, lots of plants and other stuff too numerous to remember! Archie was in Scotland looking at Glasgow art school ( much of which is still in a bad way after the terrible fire ) so missed the sale. Hazel wanted to go and visit the bluebell wood again but I really just wanted to go home. There's always next weekend.

Bluebells

Nice walk around the bluebells at Marbury Woods yesterday after a great boot sale at Whitegate. The sun came out which made it extra special as always. We look forward to this time of year so much. The smell of the trees and wild garlic the chirping of the birds and the amusing dogs frolicsome in the nearby stream. Got some bargains at the boot sale too - a sound bar that works quite well for the TV that isn't so good with those bass notes. Hazel got a set of old 30's Handicraft books with some great illustrations. The woman she bought them from (£3) said they were bound for the tip if she didn't sell them. Has she not heard of charity shops?! Also some other bits and bobs and plants of course - a bootful of bootiful plants. Archie got some fixings and screws etc. for his shed.

Vintage Family Photos

My sitser Barb found some great old family photos in her album this week which Ive had to doctor a bit to make them less faded looking. Loving the one of me with a quiff at Butlins back in the the 50's looking all too much like the grumpy teenager! The others in the back garden in Basildon are great too and bring back some happy memories, when Basildon was more of a village than the sprawling new town it is now.

Boot At Vagrants

Nice day for a trip to Vagrants boot sale on the cricket ground near Crewe this morning. Archie was keen to buy some things to fill the newly emptied shed up. He found some wood glue, hinges, fasteners, screws etc. Hazel found him a tin box to put stuff in. other bargains included a glass lemon squeezer ( we already have one but it's chipped ), a free biscuit tin, fish lures, a free "Exit" sign, candles and a free black slate. Obviously people were desperate to get rid of all this stuff even to the point of giving it away! I didn't find anything , not even free stuff! I did have a good rummage through several boxes of DVD's and CD's but nothing caught my eye - maybe I'm getting more fussy about what I accumulate in my old age? The main field was off limits due to recent rain so the cars were all along one edge of the field where the punters usually go so not much room for parking. First we were waved away at the gate and some confusion as to where to park - the pub opposite seems to have gone and replaced by some bijou dwellings with wrought iron gates - mini stately homes by Wimpy? After turning round in a rather busy side road we managed to get back onto the cricket ground and found a space quite easily. Phew! We came back via Winsford Football Club where another boot sale was supposed to be happening but the little community hut was deserted 'cept only for a man with a sack and pair of tongs who ignored us as we peered into the gloom and realised it was empty.

Mother's Day

Mothering Sunday and first an indoor boot sale at the Memorial Hall. Found a nice big heavy frame for my railway tickets. Painting it black ( now in summer house ). Also a double CD of old Beach Boys stuff "Friends" and "20/20" which came out in the late 60's. Overlooked at the time and contain some nice tracks not heard before. Hazel got a tin photo of a little girl and keyhole cover. Archie found a musty frame. Archie had made a delicious carrot cake with cream cheese topping which we took over to Granma's in the afternoon to have with coffee. hazel and Archie did some gardening - planting some flowers they bought. I read the local paper. News isn't good - banning parking on all roads round Hartford Station - new shopping precinct stays empty - local Tory MP gets away with murder etc. The collage above is my Mum when she was a young woman back in the 40's on her wedding day.

Amsterdam

Nice to get back to Amsterdam if only for a short weekend. Tried to recreate the photo in the middle of the bench we took 31 years ago. Not quite the same but a nice dutch girl took one for us. Great flea market reached by free ferry from behind Central Station on Saturday - got lots of bargains including a tin house, tin signal, tin rocket for Archie ( who had to stay at home and paint the bathroom floor. ) tin electric bell for dolls house? and numerous other gew-gaws and stuff. Loved every minute of it except the walking and the sore feet!

Berlin

Just a few random images from the many photos I took in Berlin last week on a 5 day (four nights) trip with students from MMU. Saw so much great stuff including the Technik Museum , Museum der Dinge ( Museum of Things ) and Berlinisher Gallery to name but a few. So warm we even had waffles and ice cream outside in the sunshine one day! It was snowing in Manchester apparently. Managed to find some nice food places too including a great pizza , celery burger and chips, a Turkish bakery where they sold cream cakes, only one cafe was rubbish so won't mention them! The hostel was OK - very cheap and cheerful - a bit noisy but Hazel told the students next door off and they reduced the noise considerably. Managed to figure out how the Ubahn and Sbahn worked and only got lost twice. Berliners are usually very helpful and speak some English so always found our way eventually. One kind lady went out of her way to lead us up lots of steps to the Ubahn platform we needed. Of the art we enjoyed John Bock's playful junk sculpture/film/installations at the Berlinisher Gallery and Christian Falsnaes videos also in the same place. Good to see again the Twombly's, Beuys and Warhols etc. at the Hamburger Bahnhof, also installation by Adrian Piper.

Indoor Boot

Nice indoor boot this morning at the Memorial Hall - lots of bargains including some old bus tickets, ephemera, dice, Coronation mug, thermometer, box with wiggly bug etc. Then to Boots to get Haze's glasses mended which took ages as they couldn't find the right screw. We waited in the Works where I got some felt tip pens ( 8 for a quid!) and then Quality Save for inner soles. Home now for egg mayo. sarnies. We know how to live

Alsager

Always a treat to see our old chums Tony and Pene in Alsager. Our last visit was cancelled at the last minute as Pene was ill with a tummy bug but thankfully she is recovered and able to cook a delicious lunch. Tony made the nut roast which was delicious also - with all the trimmings. Apple tart and selection of home made ice creams for "pudding". We had to have a walk afterwards to feel like some of the calories were burnt off! Down the Salt Line nearby for a stroll past many walkers and dogs, cyclists etc. and back again round the lake and over the fly invested field near the local tip. (This bit wasn't the best!) I shouldn't have had the beer for lunch as it made me sleepy. Archie too who was suffering from post driving stress as he bravely drove all the way. Although it's not far ( 15 miles or so ) it felt like a hundred to him! Anyway, slumped on the settee having tea and lemon drizzle cake ( back come the calories!) we watched some old video Tony had found of us back in our courting days of the 80's looking very young and fresh faced - watching the rabbit scamper across the Eve's carpet. Also old film of kinetic scupltures made in Tony's first year at Falmouth art school back in the 60's. Quite a nostalgia fest! Considering a soundbar for our less than adequate TV so Tony checked out the Which guide for best bargains. Looks like Samsung do a cheapish one. Something to consider. Back home my 4.30. Hazel drove.

February - Boot Sale

I Have been neglecting this blog rather of late. Not enough hours in the day it seems to catch up with all the detritus and details of our daily doings. Not that anyone's interested! Today it was freezing again but not enough so Hazel had to the scrape the car windscreen. The silver cloth cover keeps most of it off , if she remembers to use it. It was the monthly indoor boot at the Memorial Hall which is always fun. Some bargains today included a stack of old reggae records, a measuring device like a big wooden lollipop, some old wooden rulers, a chisel, and some sticky tape that says "Ear Muffs" for some strange reason we haven't found yet? I suppose you could wrap the tape around your head and it would approximate some kind of temporary ear muff - but not very warm or comfortable! We remain baffled but delighted to tape things up and baffle others. Archie got the chisel for two quid and had a long conversation with the friendly man who sold it about it's sharpening. The records seem a bargain at only 50p each and some according to Discogs are worth a lot more. We shall see. Hazel got the wooden lollipop measuring thingy for her summer house - a conversation piece she says. Then to the station to get Archie's ticket to Brighton on Tuesday. Home again for vege sausage sandwiches and burnt onion. Yum!

More of Archie and Meriel's India Photos

Archie will be home soon so here's a few more snaps of the trip to Raghurajpur with the closing ceremony with some famous Indian artists and nice meals they have been having, also trips out to temples and festivals etc. They fly to Mumbai for a couple of days before returning next week. So look forward to hearing about their trip in detail and seeing more photos he took on his SLR.

Archie In India

A few snaps of our boy's adventures in India for those not on FB that can access these snaps. It's his 24th birthday today and he's celebrating in Mumbai at the moment and flying to the west coast for the 5 week craft village residency tomorrow. He and his girlfriend Meriel have already been to Goa and Kerala? for 3 weeks and traveling by train, plane and nik - nak ( what are those three wheeled put put jobs called? ) Tic tac? Anyway, they seem to be having a great time despite the heat and the mosquitoes etc. No Delhi belly as yet - fingers crossed.

Southend Art School 1965

I've probably put this photo on here before but no harm in seeing it again. It reminds me of a great time back in the 60's ( from 1963-67) when things were a lot different to what they are now. It may not look much ( this is the back entrance ) but it was a place of great creativity, freedom and friendship. That half finished block in the distance is a portent of things to come - when Southendd would become a dull grey town trying to throw off the trappings of the lively East End holiday destination and become a second rate business centre. Much of it has gone now but still have fond memories of the Garon's arcade, Garon's cinema (so many cinemas!) Keddies department store, Peter Pan's Playground, The Golden Hind, the waxworks with rats on wires, Woolworths and British Home Stores etc. etc. Not to mention all the junk shops and arcades. In 1967 the old art school was bulldozed to make way for a roundabout and road system and new block was built nearby which soon became redundant.

Blakemere Boot

Surprised to see so many at the boot sale at Blakemere this morning despite the rain showers. The sun shone whilst we were there and the heavens opened as we left - good timing! Got a few bargains including games for 50p and great Leon Redbone CD for a quid. Hazel got a few weird gadgets, coronation mugs, a crystal ball and some lead figures and objects. Went in the antique emporium afterwards and had a look round but not bargains to be found. hazel was intrigued by a strange implement for counting something or other and drew a quick sketch of it in her notebook as she didn't think it was worth £14. Also popped into the garden centre for a tons of violas. No poets to be seen anywhere.

Liverpool Biennale

Always a treat to go into Liverpool by train ( just 30 mins. from Hartford station ) and see the Biennale. Previous years have been more exciting but still some interesting work on show in various venues spread widely around the city. First we trekked over to the huge Cain's brewery complex, an old red brick Victorian edifice to the South- through some of the bleakest industrial streets and grim housing estates. Amongst all this decay are pockets of trendiness like the eatery we popped into to find a snack. All on offer were plastic containers of expensive salads with two prawns or a soup made of bacon and black pudding - yuk! It was packed out with hip young things - gawd nose where they came from as the grey dismal streets outside were empty! Anyway, I digress, the Cain's brewery was a shambles and the art on show was 6th form and foundation level at best. Some interesting videos by Ramin Haerizadeh and Co. raised the standard a little. Hazel borrowed a tablet to follow a virtual dog guide around the exhibition that vanished after metamorphing into a bunch of daffs ( or was it onions?) . Then to the nearby Blade factory and a terrible racket by Mark Leckey based on his youth around Liverpool and the music scene back in the 80's - we stuck 5 mins of the video and sound system and left to find some lunch. Which we found in the Bluecoat, and very nice it was too. We sat outside in the gardens and listened to a busker warbling plaintively in the next street, singing a song of unrequited art. Then around the Bluecoat and the patchy Young Contemporaries. Some amusing video works but most of the painting s and sculptures left me cold. Lastly the FACT gallery and some intriguing work by the American Krzysztof Wodiczko - work about homelessness, machines and gadgets to aid homeless people in their survival and communication.

Marbury

Pleasant walk in Marbury this morning with Hazel and Archie. Quiet - just a few people with dogs, some twitchers looking for the illusive flying wig wobbler. Here they are frozen in their tracks as they spot a ooslum bird in a nearby tree. The ducks were particularly manic - hoovering up some crumbs some toddlers had dropped on the lakeside. We sat on the moss green bench to marvel at the one legged display of snoring. One flappy duck was contorting itself into strange shapes, its bill penetrating deep layers of feathers and fluff. Hazel said she was scared of feathers when she was little and had to be persuaded that they weren't alive. Also the story aboutthe digger monsters at the bottom of the garden. Her Dad had to take her down to the bottom of the garden to show her the diggers were just mechanical objects driven by workmen who came over to re-assure her. What a sensitive child eh?

Archie's Teds

These tow photos are twenty years apart. Archie collected many teddies and soft toys during his early years and now some of them need to go to a good home. He needs the space in his room so reluctantly having a clear out. So many memories attached to these little balls of fluff and fabric. Some like Dotty bear who was hugged and loved into a strange mishapen form like no other ted before or since - the mangey fur covered by a knitted Granma jumper - will be kept. The others are off to the hospice shop.