Newy Ear

Some attempt at reconciling intentions and reality. Ie. that this needn't be as difficult as it might seem.

Best pre-xmas finds include: Les Dawson's only fiction book (more of that in a bit); my work from about 17 years ago which might be useful to mine for forgotten bits; thick socks.

Now: new typographies for new lectures; friends and their WMC credentials; the joy of abstrects.

-- Post From My iPhone

Football Days

Bobby Hundreds

No words

RIP Jimmy Forsyth

"Jimmy Forsyth, who documented Scotswood Road in the 1950s and 1960s, died on Saturday 11th July 2009. His work stands as one of the great records of its kind - a portrait of a working class community from within."

From here

"Because people are people...I always say: people are people. People are characters, of course. I'm supposed to be one. You're not supposed to have opinions now. But we've all got opinions, haven't we?"

He needs to get out. When he is laid up... he photographs the same anonymous strip of buckled paving stones crossing a grass verge, over and over. This is the path connecting his tower block to the bus stop that he can see from his window. "I'd have a terrible job getting to sleep if I didn't go out," Jimmy once said. "You've got to work yourself tired." He is offered lifts, but, while he's happy to stand and chat, he rarely accepts them: "I might miss something."

From here

UPDATE: fantastic video obituary of Jimmy Forsyth here via the BBC News

Not quite an obituary

Meeting called over club's future

By Terry Kelly

AN EXTRAORDINARY meeting has been called amid fears a long-established South Tyneside social club could be just weeks away from closure.

Doubt hangs over the future of Jarrow Ex-Servicemen's Club in North Street, Jarrow, because of a big drop in takings.

Club secretary Stan Brown has denied the closure rumours, but admitted the club has debts, adding: "Business has never been as bad as this."

More here

from my primitive cameraphone collection of Jarrow clubs here

Sad news +1

Not wanting to turn this into an obituaries-only thing, but another important / significant / influential figure (for me) has died: David Pears: author of the 'Wittgenstein' book in the fantastic 'Fontana Modern Masters' series. Incredible covers, too.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/03/david-pears-obituary