A Strange Coincidence?

I'm not really a believer in coincidence, but I came across something strange yesterday.

Whilst at Farnstock, I came across a folk singer, with a touch of punk called Paul Carbuncle. I've not heard of him before, but wouldn't mind again, as his songs were quite amusing. Especially the one about squirrels.

Anyway, when I got home, I logged on, and popped my SD card in, ready to start downloading the photos that I had just taken. While my Mac wad doing this, I caught up with Twitter and Facebook. On Twitter I came across a Tweet from someone that I follow, and guess what; they had mentioned Paul Carbuncle, as some of his songs were being played on a local folk radio station.

Then on Facebook, there was a comment from someone called Helene on the secret Beestonian magazine group page that I am a member of, as that's the local magazine that I write for. She mentioned that she has just met Matt, the chief writer and was keen to write for the magazine herself. She had written a bit about herself and had put in a link to her blog. So naturally I went to have a look, and yes, the first entry that appeared was about Paul, as Helene had seen him perform at recent Oxjam event, and had enjoyed his performance.

Now that is quite odd, don't you think? Three incidences concerning a perfect stranger. As Harry Hill used to say; "What are the chances of that happening?".

Photo Of The Year

The City Daily Photo theme for January is 'your best photo of the year'. So for my entry I'm going with this one that I took on 27th March.

It's probably not the best photo that I've taken during 2015, but it's one that has the most relevance for me for a number of reasons.

This is Barton's 'Ghost Bus'. An old rusted and decayed coach that was built in the 1950s and has spent the last 20 odd years in a farmers field. Only to be rescued and brought back to their garage in Chilwell.

I saw an advert for an event at Barton's that was featuring the bus, so I went along, as I had seen it before. But in the daytime, and wondered what it would look like in the dark. The event included a screening of a short film that had been created by Italian visual artist Roberto Alborghetti, and based on close up photos that Roberto had taken of the Ghost Bus.

After the show, I got to interview Roberto for the Beestonian magazine that I write for. In fact someone else was meant to be covering the event, but couldn't make it, so I did it instead. Serendipity I think they call it. Roberto was pleased with the article and I have been his friend ever since. I also made friends with Marysia, the organiser of the event.

To cut a long story short, this friendship resulted in Gail & I going to Tuscany in October with Marysia, her son and four other travelling companions. Besides seeing different parts of Italy, one of the aims was to get Tuscany twinned with Beeston. To help this along we met two mayors and Marysia presented them with a 'Beeston goody bag' which contained a copy of the Beestonian, a locally produced lace shawl, some postcard and a scale model of the Ghost Bus itself.

I'm not sure if any progress has been made with the twinning, but Gail and I both agree that we loved seeing Tuscany and plan to make many more visits to Italy.

Full Of Christmas Cheer

I met up with some of the other writers that contribute to The Beestonian magazine that I am involved with.

We all got together at a local pub to celebrate Christmas and how successful the local, almost monthly magazine has become this year.

I usually get an article plus some photos in every month. The latest issue contains my report on the trip to Tuscany that we went on in October.

Whilst we were chatting and drinking, a load of people piled into the White Lion, all dressed up, some in fancy costumes, all with a Christmas theme.

There were a couple of guys dressed as turkeys, a Christmas cake, some Santa's, Joseph and the star of Bethlehem.

But I was drawn to this guy in his bespoke snowman suit. He looks a bit of a joker, with his toothy grin and Christmas stocking.

It's A Knock Out

When I was growing up in the 1970s, every Saturday afternoon I would sit with my dad and watch the wrestling on the TV.

Names like Pat Roach, Mick McManus, Kendo Nagasaki, and of course Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy. Besides the staged fights, which everyone knew about, I remember seeing old ladies hitting some of the 'bad' guys with their handbags and umbrellas.

I  went to the Victory Club, a local working men's club tonight to take some photos of some wresting matches that were taking place. I was taking them for a magazine called The Beestonian that I write and take photographs for.

After watching one match, I realised that things hadn't really changed much over the past forty years, and that the matches were still rigged. But tonight there didn't seem that many old ladies in the audience, it was mainly children for some reason. They seemed to enjoy the five scraps that took place over the course of the evening.

Bear Grills

I went down to a local recreation ground today to take photos and do some interviewing of a local American Flag Fottball team called the Beeston Bears, for a local magazine that I am involved in called the Beestonian.

For a winter's day it was very sunny, so it made taking the photos more interesting and the light gave the pictures some life, as you can see.

The visit made me remember when I was at school, as we went there for our PE lessons.

The Beestonian is available on line, and here is the LINK, so you will be able to read my article when the next issue is published.

Lights, Camera, Action

A fab night tonight at the local film club that Gail and I go to on a Monday night. It was extra special this week, as film director Shane Meadows paid a visit to discuss a number of his short films that he was going to show us, including his first ever one made in 1993 and some that have never been screened before. He also did a question and answer session about his work and gave a bit of an insight into the film making business.

As an added unexpected surprise, the actress Vicky McClure also came to visit. Vicky has appeared in Shane's This is England series of films and TV series. They are about to start work on the latest instalment. She was recently in the crime drama Broadchurch, which starred David Tennant.

It was a great evening, helped along by Roya's wonderful buffet. All vegetarian food and very delicious. Of course I had my camera with me to capture the event, which had been organised by my pal Matt, who runs the Beestonian magazine. Here's a shot of Shane, Vicky and film journalist Ali Catteral, who had made the journey up from London to introduce and interview Shane, and to also get his DVD box set autographed.

Remembering

As much as I realise that I have to work to pay my way through life, and to afford the odd treat now and then, I do get annoyed that I have to drag myself to the office everyday, when I could be doing something much more interesting.

Today has been such an example. As while I was typing away on the computer, a whole host of famous thespians were in Beeston to unveil a plaque in the memory of the much missed actor Richard Beckinsale, who lived in the area as a child.

As the plaque says, Richard's two most famous and well loved roles were that of Lennie Godber in the prison comedy Porridge, and Alan, the long haired student in Rising Damp.

His actress daughter Kate Beckinsale, Kate's mother Judy Loe, who is also an actress, Little Britain's David Walliams and Michael Sheen, another actor who has played local football legend Brian Clough and Carry On comedy star Kenneth Williams in films also turned up.

My friend Matt, who runs the Beeston Film Club managed to get an invitation to the unveiling at the local school and to meet the stars. He has posted his insight on his blog LINK and will no doubt be writing an article for the next issue of his great magazine The Beestonian. If you want to have a look at what the Beestionian's all about, here's a LINK to that too.

A great shame that Richard died at only 31. He would be 65 now. I wonder what sort of acting and parts he would have done now.

Here's a clip from Porridge, so you can remember just what he was like:

http://youtu.be/wGTQ5c0a7zU

Monday Night At The Movies

Something new started in Beeston last night. A film club situated in a small vegetarian restaurant called Cafe Roya.

It is the brainchild of a local go-getter and journalist called Matt, who produces a local magazine called The Beestonian. You may have seen him appear on a few of my blogs in the past, with his involvement in Oxjam. There he is below, saying a few welcome words to the small, lucky audience.

We saw four films in all; three shorts, including one starring a very young Noel Fielding (Sweet; 2000). The main feature was one by local film maker Shane Meadows called Le Donk and Scor-zay-zee, which he made in 2009.

The basic story concerns a roadie who also looks after an up and coming rapper, the Scor-zay-zee on the title and how they manage to do an opening slot at an Arctic Monkeys gig in Manchester. It was an amusing film, done fly on the wall style, so you sometimes get to see Shane with his camera.

In many ways it was better than being sat in a multi-plex. More intimate and personal. And the popcorn was a lot cheaper too.

The aim was to make some money for Oxfam, so after the show, people duly popped their coins and notes into the collecting tim.

We've not eaten there yet, but looking on the small, but exciting menu, I don't think it will be too long before we do. I hope there will be another show very shortly, as Matt is intending it to be a regular event. In fact he's started asking for suggestions through his Facebook page.