Thursday, July 26, 2018

Peterloo by Mike Leigh

This is my most eagerly awaited piece of cinema of this year.

Germinal (1994)

One of my top ten movies. The whole thing is up on YouTube for a few quid. Recommended This lavish adaptation of Emile Zola's epic novel about striking coal miners, star Gerard Depardieu as Maheu, a simple miner who struggles to make a life for his wife and seven children whilst working in the mines of Le Voreux. When Etienne Lantier, a Belgian outsider, comes to town

Sunday, July 08, 2018

Saturday, July 07, 2018

Frome Unzipped: from Prehistory to Post-Punk by Crysse Morrison

  • Paperback: 250 pages
  • Publisher: Hobnob Press (2 July 2018)
  • This is a great book about Frome. It's original in its treatment interviewing people from Frome's artistic and cultural scene as well as the history of the Somerset town. Buildings are written about but also the artists and musicians, shop owners and all manner of people.
  • Of course I am biased as I was interviewed for the book . 
  •  Order from Amazon

Wrześniowe Drogi - Trailer

Poland 1939 - lots of interesting equipment. I am not too sure what the English title or date if anyone knows?

Tuesday, July 03, 2018

Ralph and Sue's 1978 in Frome


So what were we doing 40 years ago? Living in rooms above Sue's Dad's tool hire shop at the top of Naish's street opposite the Globe. The rooms were not supposed to be habitable the street was set for a major refurbishment but Sue and I needed a place after I left home on my 18th birthday.The places were pretty run down. Pour buckets of water down the toilet after use - no bathroom etc. We had two cats which we got from Nigel's farm.
Here's Sue in the out buildings with our cat Roxette. We had plenty of space so used to have big water pistol fights in one long room - bucket either end. (The old weaver's cottages were joined on the top floor so work could be easily moved from house to house). Mayhem. We kept ourselves to ourselves - our next door neighbour was a witch and was a little scary chanting and so forth. We had a PA so occasionally the Bad Detectives would drop by to borrow it.
Sue and Tina Naish's street 1978
We had electricity but it was very cold during the winter we lived there - Nigel stayed the night once and declared it the coldest he'd ever been.
The Globe Inn was right next door which was a  problem as it was the hang out of the Frome punks and they used to try and drop in.
Us in 1978 - photo booth
Naish's street
   Naish's street was part of the Trinity area known locally as 'Chinatown' - weaver's cottages from about 1700. In the War black GIs were allowed in Chinatown but not the centre of town but I digress. At the time of us being there most people were squatting and this drew attention from the Frome youths who resented the incursion. There were night battles between squatters and youths and Sue and I just watched out the window. Dreadful really.
   Eventually we had to move out and rented a kosher flat in Frome. This was when Animals & Men started. But that's another story.
The door and window  were the off licence for the Globe Inn. Landlord Keith McKeckney
Where the building on the left has a green street sign was the door to the shop