Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020
Ben Wilson
Thanks to Andy for reminding me of Ben Wilson! He does beautiful miniature paintings on splats of discarded chewing gum on the pavement, and there used to be a trail of his lovely work all through Barnet High street until the council ripped up the paving stones and replaced them. That completely sums up Barnet Council: they had a potential tourist attraction on their hands and they destroyed it. It's a weird place to live, knowing that you live in a borough with such visceral hatred for creativity, but I suppose it's a good place to be a resister.
There's one scuffed painting left in the street where I live. Don't tell the council, or they'll remove it forcibly with it's arms pinned behind it's back.
Ben has now painted gum on the Millennium Bridge https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/articles/ben-wilsons-chewing-gum-art-on-the-millennium-bridge/
and even has the odd discreet painting in Tate Modern (hear that, Barnet Council?)
In 2006 Ben did a specially-commissioned painting for my first solo album, Suburban Pastoral. That paintings almost completely worn away but it was in a discreet place, so it's probably an honourable scuff.
I've now ordered his book. He is an artist worth supporting. I wish his publisher was better at publicity- i can't find the order link but you can take a look here https://rawvision.com/search/rawvision/Ben%20Wilson Finally, here's the link to that album, Suburban Pastoral; I have a very few physical copies left. I am massively proud of the songs, because I hadn't really written anything for years and they just poured out of me in an endless flow, starting a solo career that I never dreamed would happen, and it's still going on. What an absolute blessing. https://helenmccookerybook.bandcamp.com/album/suburban-pastoral
And
here's a song:
There's one scuffed painting left in the street where I live. Don't tell the council, or they'll remove it forcibly with it's arms pinned behind it's back.
Ben has now painted gum on the Millennium Bridge https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/articles/ben-wilsons-chewing-gum-art-on-the-millennium-bridge/
and even has the odd discreet painting in Tate Modern (hear that, Barnet Council?)
I've now ordered his book. He is an artist worth supporting. I wish his publisher was better at publicity- i can't find the order link but you can take a look here https://rawvision.com/search/rawvision/Ben%20Wilson Finally, here's the link to that album, Suburban Pastoral; I have a very few physical copies left. I am massively proud of the songs, because I hadn't really written anything for years and they just poured out of me in an endless flow, starting a solo career that I never dreamed would happen, and it's still going on. What an absolute blessing. https://helenmccookerybook.bandcamp.com/album/suburban-pastoral
And
here's a song:
Sunday, March 29, 2020
The Fox And The Teabag Booty
Barnet Council stopped collecting food waste a while ago. What a nuisance! Ever since then, on bin eve (the night we put our rubbish out), foxes have ripped open my bin bags at the dead of night and ransacked their contents.
The telly was on this evening and the drama was flowing. Although it was absorbing, I could hear scraping outside the window; it finally dawned on me what was happening.
Sure enough, a fine young fox was out there rummaging through the contents of my bin. It ran off down the street, a piece of plastic clasped in its jaws ( I wish it had taken something more nutritious).
The pavement was amply decorated with a week's rubbish, apart from the loose stuff that was blowing swiftly down the road, too fast to catch.
A week's used teabags lay scattered in clumps and heaps, obviously a seductive aroma for a hungry fox. So that was a good part of my lockdown exercise for the day, dustpan and brush in the freezing wind! So many adventures to be had in High Barnet.
The telly was on this evening and the drama was flowing. Although it was absorbing, I could hear scraping outside the window; it finally dawned on me what was happening.
Sure enough, a fine young fox was out there rummaging through the contents of my bin. It ran off down the street, a piece of plastic clasped in its jaws ( I wish it had taken something more nutritious).
The pavement was amply decorated with a week's rubbish, apart from the loose stuff that was blowing swiftly down the road, too fast to catch.
A week's used teabags lay scattered in clumps and heaps, obviously a seductive aroma for a hungry fox. So that was a good part of my lockdown exercise for the day, dustpan and brush in the freezing wind! So many adventures to be had in High Barnet.
Friday, March 27, 2020
It's Spring, And Fleas4U Is Back!
He's back!
Something in the world at least is normal.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Ranty Post: Don't read Unless You Have To
All those emergency beds lined up at the Excel conference centre: it will be like a peculiar echo of the Olympic ceremony.
I am still waiting for an apology to the nation from the Tories for running down the essential services, and in particular the NHS, that people need in order to be healthy. After such a long time in power, they are answerable for the lot of it.
Over to you, Tories?
Those awful 'uplifting' soundbites of people doing brave things; could we have those without the dramatic music? This is reality, not a reality show. We are not a film, we are real; this is something that is really happening. Those brave people might not be here tomorrow. Could we support them with more staff, plenty of food and rest, not with intrusive cameras and mood soundtracks?
Johnson: it's only appropriate to trust people to behave honourably when those people are fully informed of the facts by someone who is trustworthy themselves. It's not remotely surprising that people panic-bought. That's what panicking people do; they don't behave rationally. Johnson has read too many books about wartime heroes and none about communities and how they need to support each other. You know: Youth Clubs, social care, all those things libertarians don't see the point of.
It would be great if the media and people in general stopped hunting'n'shaming.
Yes, it is actively dangerous to ignore the need to socially isolate, but the entire internet and a lot of the print media is awash with fake information, and this problem has been around for a long time without any proper legislation to prevent it.
A bit of authority rather than rambling platitudes at least a month ago would have been more than useful.
Big cheers for the NHS, shop workers, lorry drivers, care workers, and postal workers!
In another world- the whole spring tour has been cancelled. I'm doing an online concert on Friday via Facebook for Loud Women, and M J Hibbett is going to upload a virtual gig later this week. Calum is organising a day's internet show and I might do my own online thing too, further down the line.
Apolz: I won't rant again. I'm working from home and very busy with that. I'm going to upload a nice picture now!
I am still waiting for an apology to the nation from the Tories for running down the essential services, and in particular the NHS, that people need in order to be healthy. After such a long time in power, they are answerable for the lot of it.
Over to you, Tories?
Those awful 'uplifting' soundbites of people doing brave things; could we have those without the dramatic music? This is reality, not a reality show. We are not a film, we are real; this is something that is really happening. Those brave people might not be here tomorrow. Could we support them with more staff, plenty of food and rest, not with intrusive cameras and mood soundtracks?
Johnson: it's only appropriate to trust people to behave honourably when those people are fully informed of the facts by someone who is trustworthy themselves. It's not remotely surprising that people panic-bought. That's what panicking people do; they don't behave rationally. Johnson has read too many books about wartime heroes and none about communities and how they need to support each other. You know: Youth Clubs, social care, all those things libertarians don't see the point of.
It would be great if the media and people in general stopped hunting'n'shaming.
Yes, it is actively dangerous to ignore the need to socially isolate, but the entire internet and a lot of the print media is awash with fake information, and this problem has been around for a long time without any proper legislation to prevent it.
A bit of authority rather than rambling platitudes at least a month ago would have been more than useful.
Big cheers for the NHS, shop workers, lorry drivers, care workers, and postal workers!
In another world- the whole spring tour has been cancelled. I'm doing an online concert on Friday via Facebook for Loud Women, and M J Hibbett is going to upload a virtual gig later this week. Calum is organising a day's internet show and I might do my own online thing too, further down the line.
Apolz: I won't rant again. I'm working from home and very busy with that. I'm going to upload a nice picture now!
Monday, March 23, 2020
The Musician's Covid-Inspired Dream
Me and my pal went into a multi-story car park looking for a guitar for my gig that night.
Because of the virus panic situation I no longer had one of my own, and I had to 'acquire' one (borrow it, I mean) from one of those huge semi-Range Rover monstrosity cars which lined all the parking spaces in the car park.
Surreptitiously we pushed the car down all those ramps, one by one, into a bay at the bottom of the car park. It took ages, and was absolutely exhausting, for verily they are huge brute machines.
I got in through the window and dived down through layers of black plastic in a dedicated musical instrument area next to the dashboard, eventually drawing out... an antique balalaika! Beautiful, worn old wood and intricate inlays, fretwood sound hole, delicate neck...
Bugger.
Not a guitar.
I wrapped it up again, packed the layers of black plastic and we pushed and hauled the damn car up all those ramps and back into its original parking position.
And then we had to start the process all over again.
Luckily, I woke up.
Because of the virus panic situation I no longer had one of my own, and I had to 'acquire' one (borrow it, I mean) from one of those huge semi-Range Rover monstrosity cars which lined all the parking spaces in the car park.
Surreptitiously we pushed the car down all those ramps, one by one, into a bay at the bottom of the car park. It took ages, and was absolutely exhausting, for verily they are huge brute machines.
I got in through the window and dived down through layers of black plastic in a dedicated musical instrument area next to the dashboard, eventually drawing out... an antique balalaika! Beautiful, worn old wood and intricate inlays, fretwood sound hole, delicate neck...
Bugger.
Not a guitar.
I wrapped it up again, packed the layers of black plastic and we pushed and hauled the damn car up all those ramps and back into its original parking position.
And then we had to start the process all over again.
Luckily, I woke up.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Tooth
Yes, in the middle of this, I've had a tooth out.
Ouch.
I was getting a bit long in the tooth, I suppose (ahem).
It wasn't for vanity reasons; in common with Little Bruv we discovered, the cause was the tufty-tufty removal of beer bottle caps with the back teeth back in our mis-spent youth, which is as good a reason as any, I suppose.
More kitchen videos on the way soon.
Ouch.
I was getting a bit long in the tooth, I suppose (ahem).
It wasn't for vanity reasons; in common with Little Bruv we discovered, the cause was the tufty-tufty removal of beer bottle caps with the back teeth back in our mis-spent youth, which is as good a reason as any, I suppose.
More kitchen videos on the way soon.
Friday, March 20, 2020
Bandcamp Fee Amnesty
Bandcamp is waiving its charges to artists today. If you'd been thinking of buying my new miniature album either digitally or as a physical product, now's the time to do it!
Thursday, March 19, 2020
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