Black Country Roots

I have mentioned before that I was born and brought up a Black Country wench, and although I have now lived away from Dudley for more years than I ever lived there, there is no escaping my roots. With relatives still in the area there are occasions when visits are made. One such occasion being made this past weekend.

The reason for this visit was to introduce a new member of my family to the relatives; the place; the heritage and, slightly more difficult to grasp, the language. Going around the place pointing out items of interest was no problem. Visiting the relatives was a pleasure, as it always is. Explaining the language and at times, translating for the outsider was more of a challenge but the heritage - that was easy!

The Black Country Living Museum is the destination to start when it comes to getting the flavour of what has shaped the place and the people. Even having visited this fascinating museum on a number of occasions, it is still a delight to make return visits, as each time there are exciting new additions to this expanding village. However, there are two places in particular which have been in place at the museum for many years now that hold special meaning for me. It was these in particular which I wanted to show to my family but first, there was ample opportunity for a spot of monochrome indulgence photography.

I can just recall the last trolley buses running between Dudley and Wolverhampton

 

 Preedy's, a name from my childhood. Here a tobacconist, later, also a newsagent

 One of two very popular fish and chip shops in the museum village.
Hobbs serve their fish and chips in the traditional way. Cooked in beef dripping and served in a folded paper cone.
The only way to eat these delicious chips is straight out of the paper!

 

Food production of a different sort, with the pigs out in the back yard of Jerushah -
The Tilted Cottage

A visit to The Tilted Cottage was a must as it had originally stood not far from my own birth home.
However, it was the fact that in his youth, my father used to go scrumping in the garden of this house that made the connection all the more exciting.

 Podged rugs. Something I remember watching my maternal grandmother doing

 

St James's Infant School
(Or Little Jimmies as it was known locally)

A building indelibly imprinted in my memory. I couldn't tell you how many times I have passed through those gates. Apart from years of Sunday School in the Parish Hall which was behind this building, I actually spent a year of my school life in a classroom behind the windows on the far right. The school, in its original location even features in my own wedding photos from ** years ago

This was my classroom when I was an 11 year old.
OK, so it didn't look quite like this then as the ceiling had been lowered the whole school space divided into three and we had the luxury of chairs and tables but it all still seems so familiar.

I remember decorating these windows at Christmas with black taped mullion bars and spraycan snow to make it look windswept. The artwork from me and my school friends adorned the walls...

...which leads back to artwork of a different form

I'm not ashamed to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this visit down memory lane. Oh, and our newest member of the family had a great time too, even if the Black Country language does still baffle.

Snowy Farr Memorial

Yesterday evening was the first time I have visited Cambridge since the Snowy Farr memorial sculpture was unveiled on 7th August, so I was keen to take a look at the artwork which has been in the pipeline for so many years.

For those who don't know about Snowy Farr here is some background about him. For all those visitors to Cambridge pre mid-nineties, we will all have our own memories of this eccentric character who, for charitable purposes, had a regular spot down Petty Cury.

The monocle-wearing, white bearded man, dressed in a distinctive red military-style suit and wearing a top hat, would arrive with his little handcart containing his animals, which were also white to match his beard. Once set up for the day, the cat would then be perched on the top of the hat, whilst the mice fearlessly ran around the brim. Occasionally, one of the mice would make a foray up the long white beard and half disappear into Snowys mouth.

It was exactly this eccentric spectacle that helped him raise thousands of pounds for charity, so when in 2007, Snowy Farr passed away, it was only natural that there was a call for a memorial. Over the following years, I observed in the local press, the progress from suggested designs through to selecting the piece to be commissioned. I remember at the time of selection feeling that there was only one that should be chosen from the shortlist, and indeed this is the one now standing at the Market Hill end of Petty Cury.

It raised eyebrows at the time and it is still raising countless eyebrows in the letter columns of the local press, now that it is in place. Why should this be?
It seems many wanted a facsimile of this amazing character - a statue in its most obvious form. Clearly here, the hat and the animals are the most recognisable part, with the 'jelly bean' forms being representative of his handcart, the red uniform and the white beard.

To help settle this in my mind, I went back to the proposal document submitted by the artist Gary Webb.

"For this project I didn’t want to make a formal, serious, figurative sculpture like Nelson on a column or Churchill on a pillar. Snowy Farr wasn’t that kind of guy: I wanted to bring the fun back and make something much more engaging and memorable for all ages, but especially children as he seems to figure in the imaginations of all that saw him when they were young.

This sculpture needed to be abstract because he was an abstract, eccentric English character. I also wanted to emphasise Snowy Farr’s instantly recognisable features and colours so that they can continue to bring that extra bit of spark to Cambridge like they have done in the past. The sculpture has a plaque and also an active collection box which will celebrate Snowy Farr’s achievements and make his contribution to charities for the blind not only acknowledged, but also ongoing. The size of the sculpture is human sized but in a slightly larger-than-life scale, like the man himself."

I think Gary Webb summed him up perfectly and having read his proposal, I am now (almost) perfectly at ease with the finished, remarkable and distinctive work. Despite the criticism, it appears that the public are already relating to it and the charitable collections that Snowy Farr is remembered for, as donations are being left on the plinth. Why on the plinth? Because the collection box was omitted, as apparently it was deemed too difficult to manage the emptying by the City Council. Instead they are asking people to make the extra effort to go into the nearby Guildhall (if open) where the charity collections are taken. As if people will? Most just want to pass by, and on a whim, anonymously drop a coin or two into the welcoming slot at Snowys feet - just like they always used to. In my opinion it is a huge oversight on the part of the Council and fully expect to see the retrospective addition of the charity box very soon.

Maquette image by Gary Webb

Taking a look back at the maquette, I could see why I wasn't quite at ease with the finished work. Apart from the omission of half a mouse from the beard area, I can't quite understand the use of orange instead of the proposed red for the uniformed body. Both changes from the proposal probably haven't helped with the acceptance by those members of the public who struggle to find artistic vision and understanding.

I have to admit I am won over and feel it is a fitting tribute to the man. This tactile, hugable colourful sculpture will prompt many a child to ask "Who? What?" and beg "Lift me up to see the mice on the hat!" It will stop adults in their tracks, make them think and remember. Best of all, I'm positive it will grow in everyones affections.

Snowy Farr 1919 - 2007

The Face of the 2012 Olympics

Is this the face of the London 2012 Olympics?

For many, Usain Bolt is 'The' Face, and we certainly weren't disappointed when he appeared in the Olympic Stadium for the 100m medal ceremony, on the evening we had tickets to the Olympics. But then, could 'The' Face also be Jessica Ennis with her beautiful smile or Mo Farah with his beaming face or...?
For each of us 'The' Face could be any one of the 10,500 athletes who took part in this two week spectacular. Or perhaps one of the 70,000 gamesmakers / performers / volunteers, or one of those we never saw who were behind scenes for years, making the whole of the event come together?

All I know is that I want to say a huge, huge thank you to absolutely everyone involved, as without them, the London 2012 Olympics wouldn't have been the resounding success it has been. Sure, there has been negativity and criticism:-
-Those who vowed they wouldn't buy tickets as they couldn't see what it was all about.
How many of those 'oh so wished' they had tried for tickets, when they were sitting glued to the BBC coverage?
-Those who kept quiet that they had applied for and been successful in obtaining tickets, afraid they might be poo-pooed for having applied or afraid they might be the focus of envy.
How many of those ticket holders were actually so proud on the day they walked into the Olympic Park they wish they had shouted about it sooner?
-Those who said the transport network would collapse under the strain (I hold my hand up to that one)
How many of those were amazed that the whole thing kept rolling and were only subjected to minor inconveniences, if at all?

If there is any major criticism that can be levelled, then it would be the ticket allocating system and possibly the overbearing corporate domineering but I am actually going to put that aside. Over the past two weeks, negatives have been transposed to huge National positives and I'm not about to burst that bubble.

For a few short hours on the evening of Monday 6th August, along with my family, I was enjoying the most amazing atmosphere amongst 80,000 spectators inside the Olympic Stadium, marvelling at the culmination of years of training and dedication that these amazing athletes displayed. The goal of an Olympic medal was the target in mind for everyone competing but only a few would leave with one.
(One left with a gold, to be rightly stripped of it at the close of the Olympics after testing positive. There is absolutely no place in sport for this behaviour)
There were several notable athletes from Team GB competing but sadly, none featured on the medals list. However, this didn't stop the loudest cheers of the evening being for our home team, of course.

It was simply magical and I'm so glad I was able to be there to experience it. Our faces no doubt said it all but in the absence of a mugshot of us all, I will share some alternative less conventional faces of the London 2012 Olympics, and let you make up your own mind as to 'The' Face.

And, let us not forget...

Oh, and the sporty pictures?
They will appear in another blog post all of their own.

Ace Cafe, London

Thursday 9th August 2012 saw the Italian Bikes 'n Cars night at the Ace Cafe in London. For those who are unfamiliar with this iconic venue of the motorbiking world, you can pick up a potted history here.

On one of the hottest evenings in August so far, I zipped into my leathers, after being persuaded to join my better half as pillion on his Italian, Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans. I shouldn't have been concerned about me over-heating in all of my protective gear, it was the poor Guzzi which suffered on this score. Two thirds of the way down the A1 we encountered a traffic jam, where along with three other guys on their Italian Ducatis, we had been threading our way through the traffic, only for the old girl to cut out. Next followed the vaguely embarrasing manoevre over onto the hard shoulder, to sit and watch all the progress we had made, trickle by car by car.

We weren't alone for long during our cooling off period as the sight of three Italian motorbikes on the hard shoulder drew glances from a Highways Agency worker who had been busy coning off the road. Dodging between the crawling cars, he made a beeline for us, phone in hand, and we all suffered that sinking feeling prior to an anticipated telling off, for whatever reason it might be. We needn't have worried though. The phone was out purely to take admiring photographs of one of the red Ducatis (not our Guzzi sadly) and a happy exchange took place.

Suitably rested, the old girl finally fired up again and we all made a hasty move before she would have another chance to expire. Unfortunately, the road closure forced a sizeable detour on our route to The Ace Cafe and there was a feeling of 'Ciao' from all the other Italian bikes and cars as we rocked up a little later than planned. Whilst many of the menfolk spent the evening cruising the array of Italian machinery, I busied myself with some welcome refreshment to accompany a spot of people watching and soaking up some of the atmosphere of the place.