Down Among the Meths Men by Geoffrey Fletcher

A laurel wreath and hearty handshake to you, visitor. It's the end of August and here in the steel city a fair wind has wrapped itself round the seven hills, numbing fingers and toes and generally reminding people that they live in Northern Britain. And my tan from Australia has already worn off. Never mind, we're back and what better subject to begin with than the death drinkers of postwar London? Geoffrey Fletcher is better known for 'The London Nobody Knows', which was filmed by Norman Cohen in 1967 and is narrated by James Mason (his best performance since the Thunderbird wine advert on YouTube - look it up!). A large section of the film features homeless and indigent people at the Salvation Army spike in the East End and also meths drinkers in various bombsites and street corners. This material seems to be based on the book I have here, 'Down Among The Meths Men' (Hutchinson & Co, 1966 London). You want depressing? It's right here buddy. I read this over an afternoon and felt very off-colour afterwards - it's an unremittingly bleak story of people on the very edges of society living transient lives in total squalor. On the upside, it's written using Garamond, one of my favourite fonts. Look for the silver lining, etc etc. The main reason for posting about this book is Fletcher's illustrations, many done 'on the spot' as he attempted to befriend and interrogate the people he found on the street. They have a haunted, haunting quality which a prolonged sitting would not have produced.

The label in my copy says it belonged to the 'British Sailors Society', based in East London. A dire warning, perhaps? Be sure to miss me.

3.11.70

Somewhere in Sheffield, 1970. Cobbles, chocolate brown and algae green emulsion, Farinas, street games, gas destructor street lights, housing clearences, foggy Kodachrome air. I wouldn't swap now for then, but I'd love to go back there for a days wandering. I'm going to Australia for a while - I'll tell you about it sometime. Bye!

Tales of Old Piccadilly

So I think I can just waltz back after two months without a bye or leave? Well, yes, otherwise I wouldn't have done it. I've been spending a lot of time messing around with Audacity software trying to put together a mix for the website, but all I managed was to produce a thunderously echoing version of the theme tune to 'Terry and June' and get told off by Mrs BC. Anyway, there's some stuff going on in London at the moment, and there was some stuff going on there in 1974 as well.

The main thing going on must have been the premiere of 'Klansman', a moving documentary about Richard Burton's struggle to maintain a Southern American accent. The cinema is the London Pavillion, now part of the Trocadero centre (yuck). Props to the flamboyant gentleman reclining in the foreground. Life is sweet when you're carryng a brolly you don't need.

Another view of some ace seventies signage. It's good to see a Wimpy again, with the Apollo Cinema buried at street-level. I was going to discuss the street furniture but I reckon these guys would beat my ass with a stripey-poled Mellor, so it's best to just leave it. I'll console myself with the appearence of May Pang in the foreground, probably having a lost weekend of her own down the 'dilly. I'm off to peruse the SABRE forum.

The Peak of Mathematics

Everybody loves maths don't they? The sheer naked panic of just not getting it as a child? The embarassed, snorting bluster when someone asks you "Go on then, what are seven eights?" Well lets hope this post brings back those long-buried feelings of childhood inadequacy, as we enter the world of Nelson's Peak Mathematics 1 (Alan Bridgehouse, David Godber and Peter Patilla 1981). The art design is by Sharon Lovett and Michael Kaufmann, and the snaps are by Chris Ridgers (the South African Chris Rodgers), Dawson Strange (yes!) and Janine Wiedel.

Perhaps the panda represents the advances the ancient Chinese made in the field of mathematics: perhaps the entwining of the branches is a visual pun on the pyramid logo in the top left. Whatever - it's a panda up a tree and it's time to open your exercise book.

Typical - you wait ages and then nine turn... sorry.

Some great snack action here. Old school white Smarties and a Toblerone, washed down with a tin of Humbrol enamel paint.

No Rola Cola or Top Deck to feed the fantasies of cheap nostalgists here - we're showing the kids Coke and that's that. If I was Mary I'd just pick up the shades and the cool, swimming frog.

The spirit of dark and lonely ice cream vans.

Don't bother asking John - it's marbles all the way. Those long, early spring afternoons on the tarmac have marked me indelibly (especially around the knee area). That's it - I'm off to revise graphs and recite 'Got, got, need, need ..' over a Panini Football 85. Bye!

The Art of Harry Wingfield

Hello. It's been a while (again) so I thought I'd put up some slightly crooked scans from a rather lovely old Ladybird book 'talkabout shopping'. The illustrations are by Harry Wingfield, who illustrated prolifically for Ladybird for over 20 years. There's a lovely crispness to them I think you'll agree.

It's not a covered market but it'll do...

I dunno man ... how many eggs?

Ok, let's talk about the pet shop. I think it's an ideal companion piece to this:

Black and White World

Hello. Today we will be without the usual Kodachrome faded browns and mustards and will concentrate instead on the pin-sharp blacks, whites and, er, greys of this little collection. I don't know where the locations are, except that they are our favourite sixites and seventies shopping precincts and covered markets.

Quite a nicely composed image this - varnished roof panelling and spotlighting. Maybe not a shopping centre at all. I'm thinking a magistrates office. Perhaps the two ladies pictured are discussing their recent acquittals?

"I see thin people."

That bunting really picks the place up - gives it a lift. Know what I mean?

Perhaps this is Redditch again - those stalagtites and stalagmites look familiar. Wimpy peeps out through the stairs as Tesco shows us some nice corporate art and depresses us in equal measure with a 'Back to school' ad campaign.

It's getting busy here - one of the twins from The Shining meets a friend in the foreground, as a droid seeks to loosen its restraining bolt and shuffle away from the Jawas in Currys.

This Is England? Thankfully no - instead we have what seems to be Bruce Foxton and two ladies hangin' around outside the public toilets. A cast-iron bicycle is docked imposingly in the foreground, whilst amid the concrete and painted girders in the background we glance some classic between channels graffitti tags. A shout goes out to Biff, Hettie, Rozz, Caz and Korky, and to pre-internet nicknames in general!

A shout also goes out (albeit in a very polite and restrained way) to The Atlantic Cities, who did rather a nice piece here. More soon, mind how you go!

Science - from the Beginning

Hello. Time for my bi-annual update. These edifying and educational pages are taken from the titular textbook published by Oliver & Boyd in 1960. The illustrations are by one C.S. Macdonald, although I like the font used for the large, shouty labels.

There aren't enough spindles in science textbooks these days.

The Polar Bear looks merry. The squirrel looks positively satanic.

C.S. Macdonald can even draw sad goldfish.

Kitchen Sink Science 101.

What does a dog eat that was never alive? Answers on a 60p e-postcard to the usual address. I'm away to Belgium to loiter in Flemish charity shops. Tot ziens!