Sunday 30 November 2014

Ursula Le Guin - my hero

Ursula Le Guin was recently awarded the National Book Foundation's  Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. I think it's safe to say that her acceptance speech has ruffled a few feathers

"I think hard times are coming when we will be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now and can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies. We will need writers who can remember freedom. Poets, visionaries—the realists of a larger reality." 
                                          Ursula K. Le Guin, 65th National Book Awards. Nov 19, 2014.

What is the point of speculative fiction? Why bother writing for a genre still viewed with some disdain? It has long been dismissed as ray guns and ponies, After all, as with other heretics isn't it easier to label and ignore challenging ideas than to listen and engage with them? Other genres, called more "realistic" do still tell stories from a particular viewpoint after all, and speculative fiction is a reminder that this viewpoint is only one of many and can be challenged.

Speculative fictions can be used to challenge orthodoxy of thought, can challenge a narrative that makes people so fearful of their neighbours that they will consider them to be less than human. Speculative fiction can show the possible mirror or progression of that thought, a dystopian world, or an alternative vision of what could be. Given the multiplicity of speculative fiction writers specifically addressing questions of gender, race, economy and class fictions can question everything we think we know about the way our world is shaped. And then, after reading and maybe having your own views challenged, there is the possibility of meeting others who might think the same way. Ursula went on to say

"We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable – but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art. Very often in our art, the art of words".

Her words were brave, delivered in a roomful of publishers and powerful people, especially in the economy that we now inhabit. The full speech, far better to hear from Ursula herself, is available on the National Book Foundation website http://www.nationalbook.org/amerletters_2014_uleguin.html#.VHsO1zGsW1

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Interstellar - out of this world?


So, Christopher Nolan's epic 3 + hour film Interstellar will be hitting a cinema near you soon. It sounds like the standard golden age science fiction with big themes (end of the world) and heavy musings on the meaning of family.

The question is, though I am sure it will be beautiful and the special effects will be grand... will the writers have been given enough to allow us to care about the characters? 

3 hours isn't enough to get to know or care about characters if the focus of the script will be on "big themes". Will the characters be allowed to show some agency, or will they be there to service the script? As much as I love 2001, for example, I have often thought that the characters were left blank in order for the big ideas to have more time. 

Have you seen a film with big ideas that had time to develop characters that are quirky, imperfect but still ones we can identify with? Or is that best left to grand space operas like Babylon 5, where the characters are given time and space to develop?

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Image source: Interstellar official website http://www.interstellar-movie.com/

Wednesday 8 October 2014

The Big Draw

Do not fail, as you go on, to draw something every day, for no matter how little it is, it will be well worth while, and it will do you a world of good. Cennino Cennini

The Big Draw, the worlds biggest drawing festival has begun! There are many free or cheap activities happening around the world, between 01 October and 02 November

Image credit: Rcastillon
The festival exists to encourage people to draw, and if you look on the website there are any number of sensible reasons why. They talk about the economy, promoting visual literacy and efficiency.

But what else? Because it's fun. It's self expression. It's something that you can choose to do, in the way that you want to. Because.... 

That's why. Does it need to have a reason? 

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Image sourced from Morguefile

Friday 3 October 2014

The Spirit of my Dream

The fabulous second Rochester literature festival continues with a night at the theatre. Three of Medway's finest playwrights share with you an evening to remember

Image credit: 17%
Inspired by Byron’s poem ‘The Dream’, Maggie Drury, Sam Fentiman-Hall and Sarah Hehir, have collaborated to create an evening of new plays with a somewhat fantastical theme.

More information about the plays, the writers and the venue are available on the Rochester litfest website here

Date:Saturday, 04 October at 7pm
Venue: Chatham grammar school for boys
Tickets: available on eventbrite

Thursday 18 September 2014

The Heretics are Assembling...

“But words are things and a small drop of ink, 
Falling like a dew, upon a thought produces 
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions think"
Don Juan, Lord Byron

What is the point of poetry, of literature? It is often used simply to tell a story. These stories can be told for any reason, but the question must be asked. Whose stories do we listen to? 


Whose stories are listened to, rewarded and given space in the canon of approved narratives that we hand on to other people? And what happens to the stories that vary with and may even conflict with stories shared and approved in that canon?

Quite often labels are attached to these stories and storytellers, labels  that can be used to discard and ignore what they say, labels such as heretic. Once attached, these labels are hard to shake off, and the storyteller pursued. 

Whose stories are ignored, slandered, labelled? What do they have to say, what is in their words that is so threatening, so heretical?  

The Heretics are assembling. Join us at the Rochester literature festival 25 September - 05 October 2014 to find out...
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Friday 22 August 2014

Roundabout nights - ME4

Fasten your seat belts - the ME4Writers are ready to spin your head clean off!  Not content with assembling some Judicious Heritics- Medway's answer to the Avengers, they have set up the Roundabout nights @the Alexandra pub in Chatham

Roundabout nights is an ambitious live literary night, with an ever-revolving series of events. Once a week, every week on a Monday night. 7pm-10pm, the ME4Writers will host an event highlighting the spoken word. Here is a line-up of the next few meetings:

~ 1 September: She Writes – short plays about holidays
~ 8 September: Type’n’gripe at ME4-rum
~ 15 September: Spoken word
~ 22 September: Guest slot: Politics, plays and policies. Plays inspired by political themes
~ 29 September: She Writes – plays on a Byronic theme
~ 6 October: Type’n’gripe at ME4-rum

The roundabout nights are hosted upstairs at the Alex pub, unfortunately this is not yet wheelchair accessible.

Monday 18 August 2014

London lability - Loncon3

I have been astonished at Loncon3 by the number of transformational talks and events included in the programme. They question the assumptions made about cultural identity and (for me) norms as identified by my family and culturally milieu
Image by SM Jenkin
London by night, near East India DLR 
To be honest it has involved a lot of thought to question a number of these, but environments such as loncon3 have given me a chance to question this safely,  without hurting others or making myself an object of ridicule. 

London has always (has it?) been on the forefront of these dialogues, chosen or forced. This is merely part of a continuing dialogue started (who knows when). But the point I an trying to explore is this...

Attitudes in London adapts and change. Is this part of the traditional British gentleness regarding identity or part of the international absorption of cities to form a cultural melange..  a global village. What do you think? Does this reflect your experience?

Saturday 16 August 2014

The PEN of HG wells

Audrey Niffenegger spoke at Loncon3, for the inaugural PEN /  HG Wells lecture. PEN is an international association of writers, and it works to promote friendship and cooperation,  as well as freedom of expression. Their HG Wells lecture will showcase visionary and independent thinking in the tradition of Well's own work.
Pen
Ms Niffenegger chose as her inspiration the short story The Door in the wall to explore the tensions between (freedom of) thought, solitude and action/public life and activity. It is hoped that a transcript will be available soon, either from a national newspaper or the PEN website.

One specific idea of note was that:
Science fiction  can predict, but it is most powerful when it tells the truth

This has been reflected in a number of the discussions at Loncon3,  positing the idea of science/speculative fiction as transformational/ having the capacity to challenge the status quo. It has been a thought provoking and full programme so far.

Does this potential for transformation in science and.speculative fiction reflect your experience of it, as writer or reader, or does the need to make a living wage diminish this potential?

Image sourced from morguefile

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Utopia - morally righteous TV (SPOILERS)

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke

Have you been watching Utopia? The bold, if concise TV series showing late-night on Channel 4. You may have read the outrage in some newspapers about the violence in the programme - shown at 10pm well past the watershed- or the complaints about its alleged immorality. I would argue that Utopia is the most morally righteous programme on TV right now. Why? Because it deals with consequences. It deals with the consequences of choices that people make, or refuse to make.


The violence in the programme has a cost. When characters die, they are characters that we have come to know, even if briefly. They have names, motivations, back stories. We see the consequences not just on the survivors but on those who pull the trigger, and how this changes them.

However, the story has a bigger canvas than this. The catalyst for the story was a group of people on the hunt for a fabled graphic novel called The Utopia Experiments. Their search throws them in the way of an organisation called the Network. But this is where the simple us vs them dynamic hits a roadblock, and where the heart of the series resides. The network was set up as a direct result of one attempted  genocide, to try and prevent another. Philip Carvel, genius scientist and holocaust survivor sees all too clearly what people are capable of when resources are short and society breaks down. Combined with the threat of over-population, representatives of the network pose the question: what happens when the worlds resources start to run out? How will the resources be divvied up? How will people react? When even governments are failing to deal with the issue of over-population and dwindling resources isn't it better to act now? Because to willfully ignore the problem will lead to chaos and murder. Isn't it better to simply reduce the population to give the next generation a fair chance?

In this context the extreme nature of their actions can be understood, but can they be condoned? Their solution involves sterilising, even killing, large swathes of the world population. How far do you go to protect the human race, and how can murder be used to justify the prevention of murder? And isn't mass sterilisation going to cause social breakdown anyway?

So what prevents this from becoming a cut-price Bond movie? For me it is the very mundane nature of everyone involved, I can relate to it. Even members of the network are shown to be just as flawed as the original protagonists, just as vulnerable. The series shows ordinary people caught up in this debate, making choices both wise and rash. And always there is the question of what to do, what can be done? And who, if anyone, is supposed to make those decisions? The dynamic of the show keeps on changing and I find it a challenge  to keep up.

What would you choose to do?

Wednesday 30 July 2014

Nice to meet you. To meet you.... Deas?

OK, here's another post about Irish but how it has made me think about the English language. Is this something that you have experienced while learning a new language?

Image credit: Jeltovski
I hadn't thought about how much emphasis is placed on the tone of voice while speaking English. If you're feeling quite formal, for example, and say It's nice to meet you quite often the response can be It's nice to meet you, with an emphasis on the last word.

Some would respond with It's nice to meet you too, you too or just grunt but this is simply to add an additional word to the end of the greeting.

In Irish the greeting can be tá sé go deas bualadh leat, and the response can be tá sé go deas bualadh leatsa 

 - with the bonus sé go deas bualadh leatsa chomh maith! if you want to show off ;-)

So the surprise to me was the addition of the sa sound for emphasis, rather than simply adding an additional word to the end. It's another example to me of how the Irish language is formed differently to English.

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Image sourced from Morguefile, a free photo archive

Sunday 27 July 2014

Féinphic - Selfie sunday

Féinphic is the (new) Irish word for "selfie"

Donegal by night
Dún na nGall ar an oíche
I took this selfie in Donegal last night       Thóg mé an Féinphic sa dún na nGall aréir

Yes - I went there.                                                Cinnte, Chuaigh mé go ansin
                                                                             (no Chuaigh mé ann. Níl mé cinnte!)

Tuesday 1 July 2014

I resign!

So tonight was officially my last night on the committee of the Medway St Patrick's day parade committee. It was a sad evening, but I know the time has come to move on. There are other projects that I would like to work on, and the time needed to put together a parade like this would mean that they would not see the light of day

After speaking with the new committee, I know that there are a lot of plans for the next year. It sounds very exciting, and I am sure that that the future of the parade rests in safe hands

Image credit: DuBoix
 So, what do I do now? It's very exciting, but I'm not sure which project to start first...
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Image sourced from Morguefile

Thursday 26 June 2014

Goodbye Saint and Scholar

It looks likely that the St Patrick's day parade will continue after this year's success, and for that I am glad. We've managed to build up a lot of momentum and contacts, and on the day there was a great feeling of community for everyone who joined in. I would love for this to continue, and for more people to join in. This parade has great potential to become one of Medway's biggest festivals.

Would you like to join in? The AGM is this Tuesday, 01 July at the St Mary's social club in Gillingham. It starts at 7pm. The committee will be discussing the ways forward for the upcoming parade for 2015.


However I will be taking this opportunity to step down from the committee. As much as I loved being part of the project during its first year, it really has taken over my life and I have a lot of other things I'd like to do. Spending some time on my writing is one of them!

There is also the matter of exploring Irish culture and history. As I've often been told, it is the Oileán na Naomh agus na nOllamh (Island of saints and scholars) and there is a lot to learn...

Saturday 21 June 2014

Tone Festival 2014 - sound and light

The Tone festival has been playing in Medway over this weekend. It has moments of beauty, and I can see that a lot of time and care and attention has gone into creating the concepts in many of the pieces.

Frode Halti plays while Morgan O'Hara sketches
Image credit: SM Jenkin
Too Prolix, the performance tour of Chatham Dockyard, was an intriguing illumination into a little-report piece of history. Bolshy dockyard workers petitioning the navy board for better treatment. There was a splendid Salon held on the tennis lawn this evening, with maritime-themed food and drink and music.

The other pieces were well thought out and clever, with one example of this being atonal music being accompanied by an artist sketching the movements of the musicians hands.

However, I felt disengaged. I can appreciate high-concept art, but it felt a little samey. This festival has high aims, but needs a little more variety in the execution of its ideas and more engagement with the audience.

I haven't explored the free art yet in the other locations yet, and there is a lot to see. If nothing else, the festival has been ambitious in showcasing art in multiple locations.

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Love music, hate racism

This weekend, the fantastic Love music, hate racism weekend of celebrations kicks off. It will be held at a new location this year- Fort Amherst in Chatham

Image credit: Earl 53
There will be a good mix of music and spoken word. Details about the line-up are available online here

So lets keep our fingers crossed for good weather....

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Image sourced through morguefile

Sunday 1 June 2014

Have you ever seen a shark straddle a cowboy?

Before tonight, I hadn't. It may be a common sight in Medway, I just hadn't noticed it before. Where have they all been hiding, all my life?

A shark riding a cowboy. Only in Medway
Image credit: SM Jenkin
Dr Sketchy's anti-art school has been described as life-drawing Karaoke, and it's the sauciest show in town.

It's a great and comfortable evening, a cabaret show with an emphasis on fun. Materials for sketching and drawing are provided, if you want to give it a go, with sweeties offered to the highest rated pieces produced. However, there is no pressure so if you want to kick back and relax and enjoy the show, that's good too.

There is, as can be expected, a variety of music and performance pieces with an impromptu break dance performance piece from dark sugar. It's a great evening - come along if you can. It's reasonably priced, too.  

For more information about this global phenomenon, visit the Medway branch of Dr Sketchy here

Friday 30 May 2014

WOW - Bryan Talbot at Rochester Art Gallery

A picture speaks a thousand words, or so the saying goes. This coming month the thousand words comes to Rochester Art Gallery, with a new exhibition from Bryan Talbot, Mark Barnes, Joe Decie and Ian Williams. It runs from the 12 June until August 10, 2014.

Image credit: Wintersixfour

I'm very excited about the exhibition, in my opinion Bryan has been at the forefront of graphic novels ever since the startling Alice in Sunderland, a blending of history, magic realism and Lewis Carroll. It was one of the first graphic novels that expanded the limits of what graphic novels are capable of - besides Watchmen and Persepolis. Graphic novels can explore ideas stories and biography that other mediums cannot touch, and it grinds at me that so often mature is understand as "graphic". 

Information about the exhibition, and the many other cultural highlights coming to Medway are available in the June edition of WOW - What's on Where

The exhibition is going to be graphic - and it coincides with the start of FUSE festival, Medway's marvelous summer arts festival. Details available here

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Image sourced through Morguefile

Friday 23 May 2014

An assemblance of judicious heretics…

The Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know are coming to Medway... and it is a work in progress

Image credit Doctor_Bob
As part of the Rochester literature festival, the ME4Writers are curating an intriguing exhibition, and they would like to invite you to take part. Are you interested?

The assemblance of judicious heretics is an open access collaborative project. The idea is to encourage artists of all styles to send in work to complement a series of writing pieces on the theme of Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know.

The exhibition will be displayed in Rochester during September and October. If you would like to know more, please see the details on the ME4Writers blog here. You don't have to be based in Medway, you can send in work as long as you can deliver the art to Rochester. 

Good luck!
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Image source: Morgue file.com

Sunday 11 May 2014

Cabaret Club

I can't believe the Cabaret club is coming up to its first anniversary. Have you been? If not, you are missing out on Medway's premier night out!

Tina Turner, Tea Lady. And Zeus
Image credit: SM Jenkin
The Cabaret club runs roughly every couple of months at the Oasthouse community centre  in Rainham, and each night is given a  theme. The theme for May was South Pacific, and the line-up was a real delight for the senses. There were singers, burlesque performers, perverse puppetry and my particular favourite Tina T'urner Tea Lady. You can see her there, above this text, with her new beau. Zeus, aka Steve.

I would have used a photo of the delightful Dark Sugar, rocking the grass skirt and coconut bikini but excitement made me shake the camera too much to find a usable picture.

It's very slick, with nice touches through the evening such as the free photographic booth, hosted this time by the talented Nikki Price (I'm sure she got a shot of dark sugar. No - a photographic shot! Oh, behave!), the snack shack and well-priced bar.

So do you fancy adding a bit of glamour to your Saturday night? Their first year anniversary show is on Saturday, 09 August. Their theme will be "glamping" - tickets available from eventbright here

Thursday 8 May 2014

Irish tutor needed - can you help?

As part of our funding from the big lottery, the Medway St Patrick parade agreed to showcase and encourage Irish culture. Part of this culture was the Irish language, so we planned to have two Irish lessons after the parade. One for absolute beginners to introduce them to the language, and the other aimed at intermediate students. This lesson was to encourage people with rusty Irish or people who had been learning a while and wanted to advance.

Image credit: Cohdra

The tutors that we booked have let us down. We need a recommendation from someone for a reliable Irish tutor who can deliver a lesson for beginners. (Edit: we would welcome someone who can also provide a lesson for intermediate learners, but this isn't compulsory)

We've tried the adult learning services for Medway and Kent, but turned up nothing. Can you recommend someone?

Thank you

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Image sourced through morguefile.com

Monday 5 May 2014

Whitstable May Day Celebrations 2014

We do something a certain way once and then twice and them before we know it we have developed a habit. These habits go, to paraphrase the Talmud, from the lightness of a spider's web to the strength of a cable.
Tristan Gooley The Natural Explorer: Understanding Your Landscape

Dead Horse Morris in Whitstable high street
Image credit: SM Jenkin
I've been reading a fantastic book, the quote from which is above. It's an exploration of exploration, asking how people forge their own personal connection with the places they visit. It's a fascinating journey into different landscapes and the ways that people impact on them, are affected by them and share them with others.

So after reading the chapter about customs and habits, I decided to brush away the cobwebs, avoid the engineering works into Rochester, and try something new. I visited the May Day celebrations in Whitstable, revived back in 1976 and running yearly ever since. It was a fantastic day with Morris sides dancing and parading in the sunshine from the library to the harbour, through the high street to the castle. They escorted Jack-in-the-green, Robin Hood and maid Marion, the hobby horse (oss) and a bear.

What is the deal with the bear - is it related to  the straw bear? The straw bear has been described as a personification of the winter, but is that all there is to it?

The Oyster Morris Jack-in-the-green can be viewed courtesy of the company of the green men. Some information about British Traditional events can be found in the: Calendar Customs

Sunday 4 May 2014

Jack in the Green - Blue Bell Hill

Now winter is over I'm happy to say
And we're all met again in our ribbons so gay
And we're all met again on the first day of spring

To go about dancing with Jack in the green
Wake up Jack!
Image credit: SM Jenkin

On mayday every year at 5.32 am precisely, while the first rays of sunshine are starting to illuminate the picnic spot at blue bell hill, the spirit of summer is summoned.

The spirit of summer, embodied in an 8 foot high walking bush called Jack in the green, is woken up with the recitation of a beautiful song. Jack is crowned with a beautiful circle of red flowers before he joins in with the enthusiastic Morris Dance sides, who are ready to dance in any weather!. For the rest of the sweeps festival, Jack - in - the - green will be seen joining in the dance up and down Rochester high street until the final parade on Monday afternoon.

Every year, we have the debate about how old the ceremony is. How similar is it to the rituals people must have performed here years ago, before the romans, going back to a time as nebulous as the lwo level mist that surrounded us that morning. It's hard to tell - the sources of information are either missing or written from a bias perspective. The current sweeps festival revival dates back to 1980 and was inspired by a description of the sweeps festival in Dicken's work. Like so many other activities "revived" in the Victorian era, its hard to tell if they were revived, inspired or simply invented because they "should" exist.

But does it matter if we are doing something different to what has gone before? The organisers are obvious in their respect for those who arranged similar celebrations before the revival, and have worked hard to make something meaningful for people to connect with now. And long may it continue!

An interesting article about the sweeps festival is in the KM here
Some information about Jack-in-the-green all over the UK is available from The Company of the Green Man

Wednesday 30 April 2014

Angela Carter: in the arms of the White Bear

It's an uncanny feeling, caught between the sweet dusty texture of talcum power and the lush aroma of meat stew. It's a step into Angela Carter's Bloody Chamber, and no-one can pass through that unchanged.   
 
Close up of the set for "The Lady of the House of Love".
Stage design by Natalie Parsons
Image credit: SM Jenkin
The White Bear theatre in Kennington is running an Angela Carter double bill The Tigers Bride and The Lady of the House of Love until Saturday, 03 May. Both stories, originally featured in The Bloody Chamber, are produced by MISK theatre productions.

Though each story only took half an hour, each managed to throw up a dreamlike world, inhabited by recognisable characters grappling with desire. Sensuality battles with experience, with innocence and with hunger. Both deal with a character caught in a limbo of sorts, living in a wasteland and waiting for something to set them free. And for both their prayers are answered with what is needed perhaps,  but with very different results. Was it the fairy tale setting that lulled me into that state of mind? I do not know. If you set your critical mind aside, you will enjoy the atmosphere of expectation, that feeling of suspense. That feeling that anything could happen.

On her book Angela Carter said this, "My intention was not to do 'versions' or, as the American edition of the book said, horribly, 'adult' fairy tales, but to extract the latent content from the traditional stories and to use it as the beginnings of new stories."

This production managed to create those stories anew. Go and see it. 

Monday 28 April 2014

Three Sisters - Chekhov at the Southwark Playhouse

This was my first introduction to Chekhov, as performed live at the Southwark Playhouse in its new location. This version of Three Sisters has been adapted by Anya Reiss, and was directed by Russell Bolam.  I haven't seen other versions, so I can only tell you my response to this play.

The empty stage
Image Credit: SM Jenkin

I loved it. I loved the characters, each drawn out with care and without judgement. Chekhov is a master of subtext and the actors did their best to explore and manipulate the meaning implied in the text. So much is left unspoken by the characters, all flawed in their own ways, but all showing an admirable stoicism even in the face of heartbreak and misunderstanding.

Is happiness a choice?
The questions I took away from the play: What does it mean to live, happily? Are we allowed to be happy now, how can we find happiness or manufacture it? There was a lot of talk about hope, and this resonated with me. Does work make you happy and what do we mean by "proper work"- can we do this when there are no jobs around?

I have discussed this with other people, who raised the point that the sisters, and really everyone else, would have been happy if only they had moved on. Why didn't they just leave? Is it really the practical issue of getting a plane ticket that stops someone from leaving an unhappy situation, or something else? Inertia or fear can be awesome barriers, as well as the misplaced hope that somehow things will get better by themselves and without any effort.

Sounds grim, doesn't it? Chekhov's stories are some of the funniest I have ever read, and that humour is in evidence, from Andrei's  karaoke version of "common people" to.... well, you've just got to see it.

One of the reasons that tipped me into seeing the play was the inclusion of Paul McGann in the cast - I ended up sitting next to another Who-vian who had travelled all the way from Swansea to see the play. And he was very good in it, as were all of the cast. But would somebody please tell him to stop turning his back on the audience - it really got on my nerves. Sort it out, McGann!

Sunday 27 April 2014

Book binding - Maidstone museum

Nearly finished!
Image credit: SM Jenkin
Yesterday, I fulfilled one of my dreams. I made my very first book. I've loved books for years, worked with them, read them and occasionally thrown them against walls. But I've never really thought about how they were put together, or repaired. Including the ones that have ended up decorating the wall.

I attended a one day book binding course, run by the very patient Mike Fitzgerald at the Maidstone museum. The course covered the whole process from blank page to finished product. The binding I put together was a full letterpress binding, and the book was stitched together with linen thread. I was introduced to the kettle stitch, which is an integral part of the bookbinding process.

Think you can't manage? The steps to take are pretty straightforward - if you can sew and wrap Christmas presents, you're pretty much there.

There are many people sharing their tips and techniques online, including Billie's Craft Room. As you can imagine there are many more!

Saturday 26 April 2014

Translations - Brien Friel 2014

The naming of things, the definition of boundaries, can be so soothing - to know where you are. Like this most beguiling of plays, that starts off so soft and quiet. you would not notice someone calling you a different name, why bother when Roland sounds so similar to Owen. Or Eoin. How important is it, really?
"It's an eviction of sorts"
 Translations is one of the most disturbing pieces I have seen for years. The story involves the redistribution of boundaries. The old Irish place names don't really match up with each other and and are beholden to old and forgotten stories. It's best we move on, with clearer and crisper boundaries. Right?

But with the new names the new boundaries are drawn up for... whose benefit? When a boundary is defined for the national purpose, there are usually for the nebulous "greater good". It never seems to reach the local people, whatever it is. This seems a gentle piece at first, until a seemingly random piece of violence (never confirmed) propels the second half into something deeper, darker.

I won't give you a spoiler if you have not seen the piece. But if you are dual nationality/ Dual language/ dual identity you may find yourself troubled by this. Or reassured by it's recognition of the forces that could tug at someone. As I am I can see the need for modernity. for shaping and measuring names. How can we talk except with a common and agreed language. As a second generation Irish,  British citizen I can see the damage done by the legacy of twisted history. But on the other hand, I am also aware of the damage wrought by ignorance designed to "protect" future generations. Who is it that  decides, imposes, new names? And what history, whose stories, do you erase for the arbitrary ease of your children?


The ambiguity of the piece was not softened with the violence, implied and otherwise of the final act. When someone else defines your world, why be surprised when they take it over?Language, words shape our worlds. If you do not tell your story, someone else will tell it for you. And always there is the shadow of the potato blight hanging over any potential future of the piece. It is set in 1833, years before the blight of 1845. The sweet smell never felt so ominous, especially for thopse who are aware pf what happened next

I was hoping to give you a proper or otherwise review of a play. I am too disturbed for that. This play provokes questions, and for you. I have no answers. Maybe that is the point.

Translations runs until the 03 May at the Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames. I would recommend that you see this rare treat.  Details here: http://www.rosetheatrekingston.org/rose-productions/translations

Sunday 20 April 2014

Medway festival of Steam and Transport 2014

Image Credit: SM Jenkin
I attended the first day of the Medway festival of steam and transport today. Despite the traditional bank holiday weather, I had a whale of a time. There was a great deal going on, and it was lovely to see the dockyard so busy.

What is there to see? Three music stages for a start - one of these is hiding with the steampunks in the Mezzanine Floor of No. 3 Slip (the BIG Space). Funnily enough the folk and blues stage (where the splendid Hobo Jones and the Junkyard Dogs were playing) was right next to the Nelson Brewery van. Can you find the cheeky stall holder selling potterdjes? - I might post their sign later. There was plenty of places to eat and drink

Of course, being a steamhead, I loved seeing all the steam powered engines. They even had a steam powered woodcutter! The mobile ones were paraded along the length of the dockyard. If you're going tomorrow, be sure to catch it at 2pm. The real highlight for me though was the steampunk palace. It was like another world of art, music, fun people to chat to. There were a few nice things to buy as well, but mostly I just chatted. It was fascinating to hear about peoples costumes, and each had an interesting story attached.

Elsewhere at the festival there is also a small zoo, a chance to ride a penny farthing, play scalextrics, a chance to have a go at model making and more. I really enjoyed the chance to ride the penny farthing - scary but fun! Overall, everyone I spoke to was very enthusiastic about what they were doing, and were very happy to share that with you.

I've heard the weather is going to be dry tomorrow. Whatever you are doing, I hope you have a great day.

Thursday 10 April 2014

ME4Writers - Book jackets for books never to be written

The ME4Writers have shared a sneak peek of one of their works in progress. It goes by the intriguing title Book jackets for books never to be written

It's an on-going project that encourages collaboration between writers and artists, and the idea is to design a book cover for a book that will never get written.


I've seen some of the designs, and they are quite startling. Would you like to be involved? Either an an artist or writer, please give it a try. You never know what you are capable of until you do it.

If you would like to contribute either a book jacket blurb or design a cover, more information about the project is available on the ME4Writers blog here

Personally, I think it's quite sad these books will never be written, they're quite original...


Wednesday 9 April 2014

Medway Festival of Steam and Transport 2014 - it's coming!

So this Easter, there's going to be an exciting event at the historic Dockyard in Chatham

The Medway Festival of Steam & Transport will be going full steam ahead!


It sounds like an exciting mixture of retro chic, music, steam and vintage vehicles and steampunk! Yes, our very own Great Kentspectations will be taking over the Mezzanine Floor of No. 3 Slip The BIG Space. I love events like this, where people who share a variety of passions, interests, obsessions call them what you will, are able to share them with others. It's a great way of meeting new people, and having your world expanded.

More information about the events for 2014 is available online here

Have you ever been? Do you have any memories you'd like to share? Any tips for a newbie?(Do they sell beer?)

Wednesday 2 April 2014

Captain America and Agents of Shield

So I'm going to share my thoughts on Captain America 2, the Winter Soldier. I'm not gonna post specific spoilers, but I'm going to hint heavily.

So - I liked it, and I liked it because it didn't go over the top. It was a solid, political thriller asking the right kind of questions without being bogged down by them. How far do you go to defend your citizens? Who defines what a threat is? When you have been fighting an enemy for long enough, can you really say that you or your tactics are very different after all?

Imagecredit: wintersixfour

The film dealt with the question of the "enemy within" quite well - without the need for gimmicks. Sure there were a few expensive explosions but that wasn't where the heart of the story was. The heart of the story, for me, was when Steve Rogers questions the need for... well if you haven't seen it I won't spoil it. It made me appreciate the character a bit more too, gave him more depth.

Seeing this film, it made me more aware of the shortcomings of Agents of Shield. It's a programme I've been rooting for ever since it aired on Channel 4, and I've liked it as much for its potential as for its payoff. I've thought of it as a glammed up Torchwood, and hoped that it would put its act together in much the same way. There was a real danger, real consequences for the characters on Torchwood. Some of the situations were ludicrous, but they were real and had flaws. I could relate, and I cared.

Agents of Shield isn't there. Yet. I'm hoping that the film will shake things up for the series, send the characters a little further along. It's all been very comfortable so far and I'm missing the spark that we had in Torchwood. I'm still waiting...

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Seasonally Effected March 2014

Hello there - the wonderful Seasonally Effected open Mic is back!

Please join us at the Dot Cafe in Rochester Wednesday, 26 March for an evening of aural pleasures

Anything can happen at one of these gatherings. Dancing, music, films, existential comedy, as well as poetry, singing, stories and alien abduction.

Image Credit: Cohdra

If you do miss the evening, or want to re-live it, the organisers will add a podcast to their website soon after the event

EDIT 02 April. Oops - spoke too soon. The organisers won't be adding live podcasts anymore. But what they will do is add personalised podcasts of performers who have appeared at the open mic. The first one is of Sam Fentiman-Hall and can be downloaded here
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Image source: http://www.morguefile.com 

p.s. I'm kidding about the alien abduction. Probably.

Friday 21 March 2014

World Poetry Day 2014

Happy World Poetry Day!

Image credit: Click


So, what is there to celebrate? What is the point of poetry?

For me it is about expressing and sharing thoughts, feelings, sensations. With the sharing of these, I find more than a buzz of a job well (or otherwise) done. It helps me to connect with the world and the people who live in it

There is more, it's nice to share but for me it's about owning my world too. It's also about choosing the language I choose to express myself it, too. Which language do you use to tell your story?

The UN have a beautiful description on their website here of world poetry day

Have you spoken your part, yet?

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Image sourced from www.morguefile.com

Thursday 20 March 2014

Spring equinox 2014 - Mindfully

Today is the astronomical vernal equinox. The hours of day and night are perfectly balanced, half and half. For some people, the early spring is the time that they clear out the clutter and assess what they want from the coming year. The question being, is my life fully balanced? So I have time for everything in my life? What do I want to do this coming year? How will I know what it when I see it?

Image credit: P Dell

The answer of course, is to pay attention. Look at the flowers, and smell the earth beneath them defrost and come to life. Yes, I know that there has been all sort of movement and growth beneath the surface, but today I want to see it. And the only way to do that is to be mindful.

Sometimes, the only way to do that is by "doing" mindfulness, such as taking or making a picture. Having an end goal in sight sometimes helps me to focus, gives me a reason to pay attention. An excellent blog post to look at is Mindfully Drawing, from Paula Kuitenbrower: Mindfully drawing for beginners

And for the Irish speakers out there, Feicfidh mé na Bláthanna an Earraigh (I will see the spring flowers)
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Image sourced from www.morguefile.com

Monday 17 March 2014

Thank you - go raibh maith agaibh 17 March 2014

The Pentacle Drummers, Medway st Patrick Parade
Image credit: SM Jenkin
Go raibh maith agaibh

It means so much more than, thank you. It's more along the lines of "may the good be at you"


Thank you, everyone, thank you pleural. To all of the people who made the parade a success, who helped behind the scenes, filling in forms and directing traffic. Those standing in front of the cameras, waving flags would not have achieved what we did without you

The sun shone, and there was a real feel good factor.

Would you like to know how to say St Patrick's day in Irish? Try this link here

Saturday 15 March 2014

Seachtain na Gaeilge 2014 - An Ghaeilge Abú

Seachtain na Gaeilge, Irish language week, is an international celebration of the Irish language. Events to promote and celebrate the Irish language have been happening all over the world.



Banner designed by Candy Worf of Pinup Payback
Picture credit: SM Jenkin
The Seachtain na Gaeilge festival for this year runs from 1 – 17 March. We are celebrating this festival as part of the St Patrick's day parade celebrations in Medway, as recognition of how important the Irish language is. There will be Irish language banners,  and after the parade the cultural showcase at the St Mary's Social club includes Irish language classes for all levels.


Please note that entry to the post-parade event is by ticket only, to comply with fire safety regulations. To get your ticket, please contact the St Mary's social club.

An Ghaeilge Abú! - The Irish language forever!

Beatha teanga í ag labhairt - the life of a language is in it's use

Friday 14 March 2014

Mindful Writing 35 - Capstone Country Park

Above me, a blackbird shimmies his feathers. The fog erases boundaries, smudge and sooth over the edges of the winter. Inside it's gentle breath, the wood expands into infinite possibility. Ascending songs echo, resonate while I turn the corner and bare green branches twist into focus; gain a layer of ivy

Image Credit: SM Jenkin
At the edge of the field the fog curtain brushes the grass.; beside the path link green and seasoned slim brown fingers. The sharp angles strewn at right angles with spider webs are garlanded with dew drops, inverting the world.

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Mindful writing is the art of paying attention - being fully present in a moment and then describing it

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Headstone unveiled - Louis Brennan

Today, I attended a service of thanksgiving and remembrance for the life of Louis Brennan, which included the unveiling and blessing of his headstone.

Image credit: SM Jenkin

The headstone was arranged by the Louis Brennan memorial committee, and is the result of two years of determined fundraising and coordination from the group. Thank you all very much for your hard work, and for ensuring that Louis Brennan is remembered and honoured this way. Until now, Louis had been interred in an unmarked grave, in plot 2454 St Mary's Cemetary, Harrow.

I'm pleased that Louis is getting the recognition that he deserves, after having being forgotten for so long. This is part of the work we are trying to do with the Medway St Patrick's Day Parade, to celebrate the positive contributions that the Irish communities have made over the years. 

The ceremony was well attended, with many important people from the UK, Ireland and Australia. There was a tribute from An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, TD. Present also were Karen and Gene Bobrow. Karen is a distant cousin of Louis Brennan, and she had traveled over from America. Karen is doing a lot of research into her family, especially her father who had emigrated from New Jersey to the USSR in the 1930s. It's a fascinating story, and she hasn't finished unraveling it yet! I would recommend that you visit her blog Do Svidanya Dad

As Louis is a Maigh Eo (Mayo) man, please do visit their library web page for more information about his life here


Monday 10 March 2014

Mindful Writing 34 - View from the Delce

The fascia gleams so brightly I cannot tell where it is on the spectrum. The spring blossom glaring back at me from the hill covers orange, pink, daffodil yellow. I move forward only in the certainty of his warm hand in mine. Approaching the dip, the glare sharpens into a box window, twin suns reflected back, trapped in the square.

Image Credit_ J Durham
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Mindful writing is the art of paying attention - being fully present in a moment and then describing it

Sunday 9 March 2014

One week to go - St Patrick's Day here we come!

Well, exactly one week to go today. Next Sunday our parade will be striding out from Smiths' square in Gillingham high street.

Image Credit: Kevin Rosseel
 I'm putting the final touches to our parade line-up. The leaflets are being distributed. After a year of planning, it is finally happening. I'm so excited - hope you are too

Please join us - details are available on Visit Medway

Saturday 8 March 2014

IWD - International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day!

This year, the theme is Inspiring Change



For more information, check out the International Women's Day page here

There is an interesting article about the origins of the day here