BBC Radio 6, The Rough Trade Story and Red 89

After Vinyl comes Vinyl to digits

Anytime I'm  involved in retail my mind invariably turns back to my Cousin Tom, Tom worked in Our Price records in the late 70's and/or early 80's in Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road before going on to find success in the Indie scene (as associated with some famously long overcoats) he was  part of a band (And The Native Hipsters - who scored big with Look There Goes Concord Again).




Tom went on with  other bands (Fawcett's Design For Living and Fraff) and ultimately as a publisher and promoter under the Artrocker umbrella.

'Concord' (As played by 'Peelie' )

[Our Price  was big at  a time when Vinyl was used for listening to music and as well as the purely  posing aid it is today]

This was very much at 'Our Price' as I recall.

Well the day in the 'Pop Up' did have a bit of a break  through with our first sale but there was still plenty of time for me to read and I've got a bit of a run at The Rough Trade Story.

Interesting to find that climate change sceptic and Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers (what a posh name!) was a part of the property squatting gang in London - it's interesting to see how far so many of the counter  culture figures have moved on.

part of the window dressing

Working in 'Our Price' was fun (as far as I can see) and certainly at the time I was able to take advantage of some 'Special Offers'.

Anyway I'm hoping to see Tom again soon after more than a dozen years and to get in the Zone while I'm reading the Rough Trade Story (a project which was for a while his/Artrocker's) I have  also been listening to Radio 6 (which is okay but it is basically an upmarket oldies station less the commercials to my ears).

Red 89

No long overcoats (famous blue or otherwise) here, but plenty of charity shop chic...

Including the Red coats

Van Gogh, Reading and Red 90

A couple of  radio programmes you might like to catch up with - on BBC Radio 4

The first reminded me of the horror of some of the worst parts of modern office life (The curse of Open Plan) - the subject that this majors on in noise and it really did make me think of what we do to  battery chickens -


The other  was  the reading of Van Gogh's Ear - The True Story, Rebecca Front who read has got a lovely voice and it works so well in this context.

Vincent Van Gogh -He pretty much had this for his 'logo'

I know many people decry the 'legend' around the story of the tortured artist personified by Vincent and point out how he was far from starving and was for some time bankrolled by his brother Theo - but listening to this what comes over is that there's something incredibly sad about the man and his life (which he ended himself at the age of only 37) .

Reading

So sometime to spare  yesterday and I actually read/re-read  bits of two books that were on my mind.

First giving me a chance to reflect on what Noah Scalin documents in his 365 Creativity Journal - how it makes your memory work so well and the second .

Some of us love manifestos

The other book which I'm musing on is about creating a book - and it's called Self Publish Be Happy - it's a sort of manifesto. I had not realised until I looked properly at the book what a seminal figure in the self publishing' roll of honour'Ed Ruscha (a favourite of mine)  is his 'disputed' book on Gasoline Stations  Twentysix Gasoline Stations by Ruscha.

This book was at first rejected by the US library  of Congress  as not being a 'book'  but is now considered  effectively the bullet from the  stating pistol for the phenomenon of   the self publishing books by artists.

Red 90

The 'god of red things' was smiling on me for sure - on the way home from the Bond Street Pop Up and what  should I see, abandoned?  - Dunno if it was 'nicked' but sitting on nearby bus shelter seat this little melange..

It looks like it means something but I'm not sure what that 'something'  is.

The doors open and Red 91

Before the crowds arrived!

So first day of the hosting of Ealing's Bond Street Pop up shop..



Monday's a quiet day, no doubt about it  - that's probably not a bad thing and makes it  a good day to start things on.

 And you can take note of the smaller points - like pictures not level and marks on the walls!

Actually setting up for Videos was easy

I got my screen set up which I'm happy with a 40" Full HD job from Curry's labelled as Seiki (whoever they are) - just plug in a USB stick with my Leap Year  (see the latest iteration here) a copy of the excellent Promo' supporting BEAT along with  a couple of clips from Mr Christa.



The image quality is very good and thankfully the red renditions work well



Nice to get visits from Jessica Rose  a talented artist working locally who has hosted in the Bond Street shop before - in the winter (which sounded a challenge).

BEAT video now showing at Bond St Pop Up

A 'grab' from Chris's video

We  also had a 'flying visit' from a prime mover in the Arts Ealing Scene  Kitty Hartnell (she does lovely Mosaics) Kitty kindly brought along BEAT leaflet supplies for handing out.

Red 91

Well having some time - finally noticed we've got a red fire extinguisher

A bright red Extinguisher 

"Come on in" - From empty shop to full shop and Red 92

It's odd the way things progress - I had thought about showing some photographs in Ealing (where I live), I asked around and got an offer from BID/MakeitEaling  (get in touch if you need help in Ealing Business)  to use their shop in Bond Street for 2 weeks.

They've helped me

So on Saturday afternoon I took over the Pop Up shop in Ealing's Bond Street from Park and Bridge.

Having had support and advice from others I was keen to make sure this wasn't just a solo effort so I've got on board Eileen Reding  (watercolours), Gordon Cookson (wood-turner), John Kaye with his 3D works and Chris Gharibi a talented artist of many materials but also  showing here his work in wood.

It's can be a challenge to co-ordinate people but thankfully there were no tantrums and  great co-operation on show.

An empty shell 

Bill and Eileen make a start 

Chris undaunted by a blank wall

Some new ones and old favourites (of mine)

Thankfully he'd make a great sign writer too

Our senior figure John Kaye does some fine tuning

I hope you can drop in for a chat at least!

Red 92

Some would say I was showing some Ealing Shop front

A bit of advertising for them