alan aldridge has died

It has just come to my attention via the Afterword site that Alan Aldridge has died.
Bugger.
For those of you that don't know, he was a much in demand illustrator, and has had his work featured on many books and records, probably the best known of which are for Elton John and The Beatles.
Here's a selection of his work that l currently own, in fact the Bob Dylan poster is framed, at the top of my stairs.
Aldridge also did a load of science fiction covers for Penguin books back in the day, that l used to have, but have since gone walkabouts.
I may have to start collecting them in the future, to go with the rest of my crap, as they just look so good.

And here's Alan Aldridge himself, supporting the Labour party in 1970, with a tiny Edward Heath in the palm of his hand (from Getty Images).

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little mix - touch (without the music)

Normally, the thought of listening to Little Mix at all would fill me with dread, let alone just the vocals without the music.
This however, is superb.



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lookers have got competition!

I had to take in a car for an MOT in Northallerton, at Lookers VW garage. I didn't notice it when going in, but on leaving the building to pick up the vehicle, spotted the sign from the adjacent Snigwig garage, opposite the main entrance to Lookers, and had to admire their cheek (and take a picture).
Top advertising, and although it must annoy Lookers, l assume they can't have it removed, or they would have done so.
It certainly made me chuckle thinking about it on the journey back home.

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bruce gilden - faces

Some of New York street photographer Bruce Gilden's 'Faces' project.
Unsettling close ups of 'interesting' characters on the mean streets of the US of A, some of whom you certainly wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.
More from his 'Faces', plus other projects, are here.
You want to look away from some of them, but find yourself being drawn in and studying them more.
Or maybe that's just me.

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sing along with jim dale and the museum song

Feeling like a sing song?
Try singing along to this classic from the Barnum soundtrack.
Jim Dale with The Museum Song
Words are below



Spoken:
Everything about my museum was spectacular, 
including the price: one dollar. 
Now that may seem a bit steep, but it was worth
it. Look at what I gave 'em:

Sung:
Quite a lotta
Roman terra cotta
Livin' lava from the flanks of Etna
Statuary
Ride a dromedary
See the Temple tumble and the Red Sea part.

McNamara's band
The fattest lady in the land
A pickled prehistoric hand
A strand of Pocahontas' hair
Crow and Sioux
Who're going to
Be showing you
Some rowing through
A model of the rapids on the Delaware.

Armadillas
Clever caterpillas
Reproductions of the Cyclops' ret'na
Crystal blowing
Automatic sewing
Venus on a shell and other works of art.

Educated fleas
A tribe of Aborigines
Two ladies joined across the knees
A Mona Lisa made of ice
Hottentots
We've gotten in
Forgotten spots
A cotton gin
A night with Lot in Sodom
Better see that twice!

One iguana
Snakes and other fauna
Got no bearded lady but we're get'na
When you duck out
Take another buck out
Run around the block And see a 
Run around the block and see a
Run around the block and see a
new show start.


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stone roses out-takes from kevin cummins photoshoot, plus the hollow men

Some great unused photographs of The Stone Roses, taken by Kevin Cummins for the NME.
What a combination - a photographer at the top of his game, with the coolest band in years. No-one believes me nowadays, but l saw the Stone Roses at about the time the first album was getting released, at Leeds Warehouse with The Hollow Men (who were from Leeds) supporting. A great night.
You can find plenty of classic shots at Kevin's site. In the meantime, here's something to remember the early Stone Roses by - 'Fools Gold'.



Plus a bonus!  The Hollow Men - 'White Train'



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jorg pretz's binary clock

Jorg Pretz, a physicist from  Aachen University, has devised a binary clock that looks like a racked set of balls on a pool table.

The way that it works, is that when the balls are lit, they all symbolise different amounts of time. The top ball is 6 hours, the ones underneath are 2 hours each, the next three are 30 minutes each, the following five are 6 minutes each, and the ones in the bottom row are 1 minute each.

Therefore the time above would be 11.03. It lights red for am, and green for pm.

Much more awkward to read than a normal clock, but I want one!

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small pop stars - iggy pop

A lot of pop / rock stars are actually a lot smaller than you would think.
Here's the mighty Iggy Pop, dwarfed in comparison with Thurston Moore (From Sonic Youth).

And here's Iggy being charismatic, scary and majestic.



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west ham united ticket prices

West Ham United are not alone in having these kind of prices, it's one of the many curses of modern football.
If you are a working class bloke wanting to take a couple of your kids to a game, you'd better start saving up, or get some overtime booked in.

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aneurin bevan on the nhs

Well said matey boy. We'll certainly miss it when it has been fucked up and disbanded.

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happy bedtime reading

Happy bedtime reading for kids at the Charlie Brooker household.
The children's version of Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist'.

From his twitter feed, which is here

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melanie - lay down

I've been listening to the Melanie (Safka) album 'Candles in the Rain' recently, and 'Lay Down' is one of the cracking tracks on it. Written after her appearance at Woodstock, hence the hippie vibe.
For some reason, until recently, l always thought Melanie was from Wales, but she is from Queens, New York.
Ah well, you live and learn (and l'm an idiot).
Here she is with The Edwin Hawkins Singers on Dutch TV, so you can hear the full version.

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hugleikur dagsson cartoons

Some cartoons by Hugleikur Dagsson that appealed to my sense of humour.
More here.

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leeds united v manchester united 1976

Ahhh....this takes me back.....the old days, when football was still a working class game, followed by a lot of young lads like myself (at the time), who could afford it on low wages.
It was still mainly standing, hooliganism was rife, and a ticket to the game (pay on the day) cost about 75 pence (equivalent to about £6 now).
Times have moved on to such an extent, that l have been to The Jackie Charlton suite in (dirty) Leeds' ground for my brothers wedding reception, and now mainly go to Leeds for comic fairs (and the odd gig).
Still miss the old school football and crowds though.
Photos are from here, where there is also a short video.

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trump's inauguration

A rather excellent piece in the Scottish Sunday Herald regarding Donald Trump's inauguration.
All hail that writer!

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Joe's dead

First post of the New Year, and it's more bad news.
Joe, who was originally a friend of my fathers, and a man who had outlived just about everyone he knew (apart from young whippersnappers like me) died on the 29th Dec.
The top picture is Joe pretending to be dead as a photograph was taken in the pub. The bottom one is his empty chair, with one of his hats, where he used to sit and drink copious amounts of whisky and ginger with me.
An ex boxer, wrestler, promoter (plus loads of hands on manual type work), raconteur, bullshitter and one of the brightest, hardest, and kindest people l have ever met. As an example, he used to own properties that he rented out for years. Rather than continuing with the rents, or selling the properties, he let the long time occupiers have them. He also bought shoes etc for poor friends of mine years ago when their father kept getting locked up, and took them camping and walking (and no, nothing dodgy went on).
Sandy (or as Joe called him 'Soft Cock'), his old dog, had loads of character, and so did Joe.
Although he had issues with his leg that kept him indoors for the last years of his life, he will be remembered and missed by many.
He used to say that he got on better with me than anyone else, and felt we were on the same wavelength, and considered us kindred spirits. Pisstaking bright guys who could take any jokes or insults hurled at us, and respond in kind.
I would say that he was a one off, but can confirm that he enjoyed his life more than most.

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