handsworth songs…

I went along to the Watershed this afternoon to see ‘Handsworth Songs’ - part of their ‘Cinema Rediscovered’ series. Described, according to the Watershed’s blurb, as a “groundbreaking experimental film essay on race and disorder in Britain”, by John Akomfrah from the Black Audio Film Collective in Birmingham and London during the riots of 1985. I grew up in Handsworth and effectively left home when I started at Oxford School of Architecture in 1967… and so I didn’t experience the inner-city riots of 1985 (which included Handsworth) first hand, but I was certainly aware of the deep-rooted colour prejudice views that many long-standing residents (including many members of my own family) held. Such views appalled me then and still appal me today.
Today, I was part of quite a large, ‘learned’ audience (film students and academics?) at the Watershed and am pretty confident that I was the only person there who’d grown up in Handsworth(!). Needless to say, no one asked for my ‘take’ on the subject!
I don’t intend to provide any ground-breaking insight into the documentary(!), but it was fascinating to view the inner-city riots 40 years on from the event. The film is a rich and layered ‘essay’ which explores the complex factors of race, class and identity in the context of Britain’s colonial history, alongside media bias.
Among the things that particularly struck me were: a) the comments of one of the members of the Sikh community – who essentially said “don’t think that this is something that has just bubbled up recently (ie. 1985) – it’s been building over a number of years” (I would agree), and b) there was an overriding sense that the ‘heavy-handed’ policing played a huge part in what led to the riots (over several years and, in particular, following what was the recent appointment of a new Chief Constable of West Midlands Police). Thank goodness no one’s suggesting an Inquiry today(!)… there’s so much water under the bridge (unlike, the recently-announced Orgreave Inquiry after the events in 1984 - when 6000 police officers, confronted a protest of striking miners who had responded to a call by the NUM for a mass picket of the pit. Absolutely ridiculous in my view, given the time that has elapsed).
A fascinating, illuminating and somewhat depressing documentary – which only underlines how little has changed.
Note: just in case you were thinking that the woman in the photograph was holding a knife - no, she wasn’t – it’s a factory lever handle!

very first test match…

During the course of my life, I’ve watched an awful lot of cricket… BUT, ridiculously, I’d never ever been to a Test Match (I know).
This all changed on Thursday, when my wonderful brother treated me to a day at Edgbaston. And it wasn’t just any old Test Match – it was the first day of the first Ashes Test against Australia.
Very, very special.
We had a wonderful day. Alan lives just a short bus ride and 20 minute walk from the ground. We arrived there early “for the full experience” (even though, somewhat annoyingly, we and other early spectators were kept queuing outside the ground well beyond the advertised ‘gates open’ times). Alan provided the match tickets, all the food (prepared in advance, of course)… and I was left merely to buy the beer at the bar (and inadvertently bought two pints of cider for our ‘first round of the day’!! Duh). I think we each had four pints during the course of the day… which paled to insignificance compared with the group of Aussies seated alongside us – who were constantly passing us on their way to the bar for re-fills – and must have consumed much more than a dozen pints each!

Of course, as you might imagine, both Alan and I had spent the previous week or so checking out weather forecasts – as we know only too well, even the best laid plans can go horribly wrong. In my glass half-full way (and given the pretty gloomy advance weather predictions), part of me was convinced that the day would be a complete wash-out... and the forecast given out the day before the start pointed to a 50% chance of rain and some of it heavy (there were times that I’d have gladly accepted seeing ANY play, however brief).

In the event, we were incredibly lucky – a full day’s play (much of it in bright sunshine) with only 20 minutes lost to a brief light shower, which they were able to make up at the end of the day’s play.
There’s something quite magical about watching a sporting occasion when the ground is full to capacity… with expectations and emotions running high, people in fancy dress, the cricket pitch looking perfect, all the banter (most of it light-hearted), the noise and the entire ground feeling akin to an arena for gladiatorial combat.
In the event, it proved to be an absolutely fascinating day’s play. Australia won the toss and elected to bat – despite probably being very tempted to bowl first, given the cloudy conditions. England got off to a wonderful start and took three wickets before lunch and followed this up by reducing Australia to 122-8 (largely thanks to Stuart Broad’s 5-86 and despite bowler Anderson having to leave the field after only 4 overs due injury)… before a brilliant recovery, led by former captain Steve Smith (who ended up scoring a wonderful 144 runs), to finish on 284 all out.  The England openers survived the final two overs to finish the day 10-0.
It was a truly memorable, magical day.
We got home feeling physically drained after watching a compelling day’s play. We’d just WATCHED for goodness sake… we hadn’t bowled 37 overs or spent five-and-a-half hours scoring a century… but we were happy just to relax and reflect on the day. The players and, no doubt, some spectators would be up the following day to do it all over again!
Photo: “Brothers in Arms”: taken by one of our Aussie ‘friends’ before the start of play.
PS: My greatest cricket experience HAD been attending the Oxford v Cambridge Varsity match (perhaps more than 20 years ago) at Lord’s. I’d been guest of a friend who was a long-standing member of Middlesex CC (and someone who appeared to ‘know’ everyone associated with both the club and ground). At lunchtime, he took me into the Old Pavilion and into the ‘home’ (England!) dressing room… and, from there, we walked down the stairs, through the famous Long Room, down the pavilion steps, on to the green, green turf and up to the hallowed cricket square itself. BUT, this was nothing compared to witnessing the first day of the first Test Match against the Aussies!

mirga grazinyte-tyla: beethoven’s fifth with the CBSO…

Oh. My. Goodness.
Moira, Lesley, Alan and I went along to the Symphony Hall in Birmingham yesterday afternoon to see/listen to the CBSO perform Haydn’s Symphony no.31, Mozart’s Piano Concerto no.27 (with the wonderful Francesco Piemontesi on piano) and Beethoven’s Symphony no.5.
But, I have to admit that the main reason we were there was to see the orchestra’s new conductor ‘in action’.
Her name is Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla.
You’ve probably never heard of her… but she’s been described as “conducting’s next super star”. She was appointed Director of the acclaimed CBSO last year at the ridiculously young age of 29. She’s from Lithuania and she’s already worked with some of the world’s leading orchestras after winning the Nestle Conducting Competition in 2012.

But, look, what do I know? I’m certainly no classical music expert(!) and I don’t know a huge amount about the art of conducting (understatement)… and, for goodness sake, watching the “Maestro” television series hardly makes me an expert (although I DID love it)! Having said that, we have been very fortunate to have been able to follow the rather brilliant conducting career of our very good friend Daniel Harding (who we’ve known from his childhood… and who is currently principal conductor of the Orchestre de Paris). Daniel was hired by Simon Rattle to be his assistant with the CBSO (small world!) at the tender age of 17! I’ve watched Daniel on a number of occasions and recall being hugely impressed on hearing his interpretation of Mahler’s Symphony no.5 (one of my very favourite pieces of music) some years ago and suddenly realising the importance of the conductor to any orchestra or piece of music.

The Symphony Hall had a virtual sell-out audience for this Sunday afternoon concert (yes, Sunday afternoon). You could sense a tangible level of anticipation and excitement as Grazinyte-Tyla took to the rostrum and, believe me, within the very first minute of the Haydn’s Symphony no.31, you just KNEW you were witnessing something VERY special.

This tiny, pale, pretty woman was utterly captivating to watch… she was absolutely mesmerising. She already appears to have created a wonderful rapport with the orchestra. It was simply bewitching to watch… complete control, spellbinding grace, hugely charismatic… and completely magical.

Look, I know you’ll think I’ve gone stupidly over-the-top about Grazinyte-Tyla (Mirga-mania?) but, believe me, she IS something very, very special. I strongly urge you to witness her performing alongside the CBSO (warning: go online, check out the CBSO programme and book EARLY!!)… I can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.  

She has clearly already forged a formidable relationship with both the orchestra and the audiences.
Birmingham loves her.
The orchestra loves her.
I absolutely love her.
Photograph: Benjamin Ealovega.

valentine’s day massacre…

Yesterday, for the first time for over 20 years (yes, I know, shameful!), I attended a Villa home game.The opponents were Liverpool and I sat alongside my great mates Steve and Dan Eyre (great mates – even if they’re also Liverpool supporters!)
Well, as anyone who has the remotest interest in football will know, things didn’t go too well for the Villa… This is a slight understatement.
They lost 0-6.
It was their worst ever home defeat in the Premier League.
Liverpool didn’t actually play brilliantly either... they really didn’t need to (they scored six goals from nine shots on target!).
Villa’s performance was extremely painful to watch… embarrassing for all concerned. Lack of skill; lack of passion; lack of leadership; lack of ideas; lack of organisation; lack of talent… and, perhaps not surprisingly, complete and utter lack of confidence.
Villa were pretty much clueless in defence (frequently statuesque). In their current plight, the manager must surely look to the senior players to use their experience and to help and encourage the younger players. In the event, Lescott and, in particular, Richards (both England internationals) had terrible games. Lescott’s positioning was dire throughout the afternoon and Richards just didn’t seem interested in playing at all (and he’s the team captain!)
Villa’s midfield was poor (they failed to support the attack in any numbers and left the defence wide open): Westwood was one of the few players who seemed prepared to battle (but I really question if he’s a premier league player – not for much longer anyway!); Bacuna had an awful game (riddled with errors); ironically, defensive midfielder Gana looked reasonable going forward, but lacked any the cutting edge to counter the opposition’s midfield; Veretout was largely anonymous and never really got involved.
All too often, when Villa DID attack, it involved just one isolated forward. Agbonlahor was ineffective and apparently went off with vertigo (yes!); although Gil was probably Villa’s most skilful player, he again lacked support; the “talented” Sinclair (he came on after 58 minutes) consistently fails to “produce the goods” (but he did hit the post and was Villa’s most effective player - not particularly high praise in the circumstances!).
Villa’s performance yesterday was abject.
They’re clearly going to be relegated this season – on paper, they COULD escape but, in reality, based on this performance, it’s just not going to happen… and, frankly, they don’t deserve to avoid relegation.
People talk of Villa being “too big a club for the Championship” and that they’ll have no problem bouncing straight back up to the Premier League the following season. Frankly, without a wholesale cull of the existing playing staff and new investment, this is just a fairytale.
I’m old enough to remember Villa dropping down from the old First Division to the old Third Division in four seasons (1967-1971)… and, believe me, it was a very tough job clawing their way back to Division One (which they did in 1975).
One might have imagined that the fans would have booed the team off the field at the end (yes, there were SOME boos, but not that many in the circumstances) or to have simply staged a mass walk-out 20 minutes before the end… but no. Instead, the wonderful Holte End supporters ended the game in full voice (constant chanting+clapping)… and bragging to the Liverpool supporters that THEY were making more noise at the end of the game!
Dan+Steve were very magnanimous at the end of the game – almost embarrassed by how easy it had been. In the meantime, I’m expecting a letter from Villa’s Board of Directors asking me not to attend another home game for at least another twenty years!
Photograph: the huge Villa banner being paraded at the Holte End before the game (the “exit” sign, top right, seems somewhat apt in the circumstances!).

june 2015 books

More book stuff:

The Borgias (Mary Hollingsworth): The front cover of Hollingsworth’s book describes the Borgias as “history’s most notorious dynasty” and it would be difficult to dispute this claim. The book outlines the family’s “progress” from the early years of the 13^th century to the mid-14th. Even before the election of the first Borgia pope in 1455 (77 year-old Alonso Borgia, choosing the papal name of Calixtus III), advancement and power was only secured through blatant corruption… and a second Borgia pope (Rodrigo, taking the name Alexander VI) followed in 1493. Once in power, other Borgia family members were promoted to ridiculous positions of power and influence… and massive wealth. Certainly, at that time, the idea of celebate popes was something of a joke – Alexander, for example, had a long affair with Vannozza dei Cattanei while still a priest, but before he became pope; and by her had his illegitimate children Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, Gioffre Borgia, and Lucrezia. A later mistress, Giulia Farnese, was the sister of Alessandro Farnese, and she gave birth to a daughter while Alexander was in his 60s and reigning as pope. Alexander fathered at least seven, and possibly as many as ten illegitimate children, and did much to promote his family's interests (like a 9 year-old being appointed an Archbishop!) - using his offspring to build alliances with a number of important dynasties. He appointed Giovanni Borgia as Captain General of the Church, and made Cesare a Cardinal of the Church - also creating independent duchies for each of them out of papal lands. Two descendants of pope Alexander VI also became queens of England, Scotland and Ireland (Catherine of Braganza married Charles II and Mary of Moderna married James II)! The Borgias even make FIFA look pretty tame by comparison!
Vintage Stuff (Tom Sharpe): Re-read another Tom Sharpe book (well, they make easy summer reading and are entertaining!). I apparently read this one shortly after it was published in 1982… but I couldn’t remember ANYTHING about it! It’s about a very minor public school with assault courses for over-active underachievers, cold showers and beatings – you get the general idea. Predictably farcical.
Vietnam! Vietnam! In Photographs and Text (Felix Greene): I was very much opposed to the Vietnam War in the 1960s. My copy of this book (published in 1966 – one year after large scale US troops were deployed) is an ex-library copy that I bought for 20p at a jumble sale some time ago… and which I’d only really “flicked through” until now. Greene was born+educated in the UK (he used to work for the BBC), but lived most of his life in the USA. The book combines more than 100 awful, stunning pictures by world-renown photographers together with Greene’s cogent comments. I think it’s one of the most shocking, saddening books I’ve ever read – and a powerful indictment of American aggressive intervention in Vietnam. It’s frightening to be reminded of how the US used its giant resources to argue the case for the “defence of freedom”. This is not the place for a history lesson(!), but I AM going to include just a few quotes from the book: “The facts are plain. This war was begun by armed American aggression aimed at perpetuating the unnatural and unintended division of Vietnam into North and South, in full violation of the Geneva Accords of 1954”… “It would probably come as a painful surprise to many Americans to realise how universally the war in Vietnam is viewed not as a ‘complex issue’ but as a simple and blatant act of aggression by the United States”… “morally, politically and militarily unjustifiable”… “We have used our power with great restraint” (President Johnson, May 1966)… “US Air Force flew no fewer than 26,858 sorties against Vietnam in a single week” (Newsweek, October 1965)… Believe me, I could go on and on! It’s a truly remarkable book and, even now, nearly 50 years on, one that you should read if you have an opportunity.
A Month In The Country (JL Carr): This is a rather lovely short novel (first published in 1980 and, apparently, also made into a film in 1987) about two men who meet in the quiet English countryside of a hot summer in 1920. They’re both survivors of the Great War. One (Tom Birkin) is temporarily living in a church uncovering and restoring a historical wall-painting and the other is camping in the next field in search of a lost grave. Birkin is the narrator – looking back in old age of his memories of his idyllic summer spent in Yorkshire (at the very end of the book, he dates his account as 1978), when he felt he’d glimpsed happiness and contentment. However, this is countered by his lack of money, his horrific wartime experiences, the painful break-up of his marriage and things that might have been.
It’s a gentle, tender and elegant book which I read during the course of a beautiful summer’s day.
Britain In The Sixties: The Other England (Geoffrey Moorhouse): The “Other England” is what Moorhouse calls everywhere else other than the “Golden Circle” around London. I was somewhat taken aback by the condition of my rather battered copy of this book… until I realised (rather like “Vietnam! Vietnam! above) that this might be due to the fact that it’s over 50 years’ old (first published in 1964)! How can that be?! Yes, this is definitely a book for ME – because it outlines the time of my youth (I started at university in 1967). Fascinating to be reminded that, at that time, Britain had not yet joined the Common Market (the EU if you’re too young!) and was about to swallow the implications for the nation’s railway network as a result of the Beeching cuts. It’s sobering to realise how communications have changed so dramatically over the past 50 years – at one point, Moorhouse talks glowingly about the huge telecommunication advances everyone had experienced thanks to the introduction of telex and STD! It was written less 20 years since the end of WW2 and the need for slum-clearance throughout the country is referred to constantly (and also the levels of appalling pollution). Moorhouse was also clearly very enthusiastic about what was going on in Birmingham (where I was born and stayed until 1967) in the 1960s – describing it as the “most go-ahead city in Europe”. Yes, much was happening but, in my view, the highway engineers were given far too much of a free hand and, sadly, the quality of much of the architecture (and the materials used) was desperately disappointing. Reading the book today also makes you realise just how many of the country’s key industries of that time have disappeared or changed beyond recognition – mining, textiles, heavy machinery, manufacturing, shipbuilding and steelworks, to name just a few. I was also struck by the following incidental comments: a) talking about age 50-something redundant millworkers in Lancashire having “a life expectation of anything up to 20 years” ahead of them (these days, we might anticipate a few more years!) and b) one person in eight was a car owner in 1964 (it’s now probably more like 1 in 2?).
An absolutely fascinating book - well, to read now at least!

a few recent coincidences…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites.

Growing up in Birmingham, I was very fortunate that the city’s art gallery had an outstanding collection of Pre-Raphaelite work (perhaps that’s why I became a fan?).
Over the past few months, I’ve visited Birmingham Art Gallery on a number of occasions and always make straight for the rooms featuring the works of Holman Hunt, Rossetti, Madox Brown, Burne-Jones and Millais and others.
On my last two visits to the gallery, I’d be particularly drawn to two pictures in particular: “Sigismonda Drinking the Poison” (1898-99) and “The Sleeping Beauty” (1903) – see above.
Joseph Edward Southall (1861-1944) was the artist.
I knew virtually nothing about Southall, apart from the fact that he was one of the “Birmingham Group” of artists.
Well, over recent days, I decided to look out for other examples of Southall’s work and was particularly drawn to two paintings he undertook much later in his life (when he was approaching 70 years of age): “The Botanists” (1928) and “The Return” (1930) – again, see above!
At the end of January, I posted a photograph I’d taken of a fresco at the Birmingham Art Gallery as my facebook “cover picture” (entitled “Corporation Street, Birmingham” and dated March 1914). I didn’t know the name of the artist at the time, but very much liked the image – see above. Two days ago, after “researching” online, I discovered the name of the artist… it was, surprise, surprise:
Joseph Edward Southall.
I’ve subsequently looked into Southall’s background. He was born in Nottingham in 1861, but moved to Birmingham at a very early age. He was educated at Quaker schools in York but returned to Birmingham in 1878 and was actually articled as a trainee with the leading local architects' practice Martin & Chamberlain, while studying painting part-time at the Birmingham School of Art (at Margaret Street, I think).
I’ve just completed an elevational drawing of Vittoria Junior School of Arts+Crafts, Birmingham - the secondary school my father attended from the age of 13 (now Birmingham School of Jewellery). The Birmingham School of Jewellery and Silversmithing was established in 1890 in a converted goldsmith's factory as a branch of the School of Art The building incorporated a school for educating subsequent generations of silversmiths and jewellers. The architects for conversion project were Martin+Chamberlain – to whom, you might recall (if you’ve been paying attention) was articled a certain individual by the name of:
Joseph Edward Southall.

Small world!
Photo: top (L>R): “The Sleeping Beauty” (1903) and “Sigismonda Drinking the Poison” (1898-99); middle (L>R): “The Botanist (1928) and “The Return” (1930); bottom: Corporation Street, Birmingham (1914).
PS: Yes, I appreciate that Pre-Raphaelite art isn’t to everyone’s taste (and, frankly, I personally prefer Southall’s later work). I came across this quote from artist/art critic Roger Fry, who described Southall as "a little slightly disgruntled and dyspeptic Quaker artist who does incredible tempera sham Quattrocentro modern sentimental things with a terrible kind of meticulous skill". That’s telling him!

vittoria junior school of arts and crafts, birmingham

I’ve just completed the last of three elevational drawings for my brother Alan (and his wife Lesley!). The first two were of Queen Square in Bristol, but the final one ended up being of Vittoria Junior School of Arts+Crafts, Birmingham (now Birmingham School of Jewellery). A slightly strange choice you might think – although I just love Brum’s Jewellery Quarter. In fact, this was our father’s school from the age of 13 until (we think) he was apprenticed to Dams and Lock (printers) at the age of 16. The new school had been opened in the (then) factory building at 84 Vittoria Street in 1890 as a school for the jewellery and silverware industry - housing up to 460 boys from the age of twelve and a half years.

We don’t really know how or why Ron (as a working class youngster) attended this school, but it might be linked to the fact that his father Fred had been a “jewellery worker” (according to the 1911 census). The Birmingham Jewellery and Silversmiths Association had been keen to set up a school for the industry and so perhaps they had encouraged attendance by boys (yes, just boys at that time!) of their own workers?
Who knows?
Photo: a poor quality image, I'm afraid, of the completed drawing (too big to scan!)
Background: The Birmingham School of Jewellery and Silversmithing was established in 1890 as a branch of the School of Art when Martin+Chamberlain converted a goldsmith's factory, built in 1865 to a design by J. G. Bland. The top storey was added in 1906 by Cossins, Peacock & Bewlay who also designed the south extension in 1911. The school was acquired by Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University) in 1989, along with an adjoining site.
The university commissioned Associated Architects who designed a further south extension which was constructed between 1992 and 1993. They also redesigned much of the interior, creating a full-height atrium with gallery access to workshops. The reception area can also be used as exhibition space. The project won the 1995 RIBA Architecture Award and the 1996 Civic Trust Award.