George Monbiot's new blog

Alongside his regular column, George Monbiot now has his own Guardian Blog

Coming Up Here in February

In February, along with the photos, snippets and information, there will be two longer articles -

• The Visual Arts Scene in Norfolk/The East Coast
• A Review of poet Martin Stannard's 'Faith'
• Norwich Bloggers

Lots happening in real life too! I'm slowly bringing a small press together and an e-zine will accompany it...

The Paston Book

At £1,125 the Paston Book is expensive! However, it is a large limited edition hand printed book containing dozens of original etchings with accompanying poems hand bound in leather. The book is the result of huge efforts by Paston Letters scholar Lucy Care, involving The Paston Heritage Society, InPrint and artists, printmakers and poets from Norfolk and Suffolk.

Shirley Tolliday and Rupert Mallin have a collaborative piece in the book (our print is visible, on the left hand page, of the EDP article).

The Paston Book can be viewed in the Heritage/Local History section of the Millenium Library, Norwich, until the end of February.

Norwich 20 - art and poetry collaboration

Norwich 20 group are hosting a collaboration between artists and poets for an exhibition in May. Luckily I'm working with Linda Chapman whose figurative etchings on slices of plaster wall really moved me at an exhibition last year.

Brilliantly Norwich Railway Station is our subject - the interior landscape, people, pets and wild life. Linda has produced a series of drawings which I will respond to in words, though not to illustrate or explain he work. Linda's drawings will then become a series of etchings to be exhibited at the Norwich 20's exhibition along with my texts. A website, catalogue and CD will be produced.

Setting out

From May 15 until May 31 I am taking part in Norfolk Open Studios Art Factory Exhibition and am working towards creating a series of watercolour paintings for the show. I'm nearly at the starting line as I've spent some weeks pushing various techniques aound. I'll be blogging some of my drawings and paintings as I go as I need to justify to myself any sense of progression achieved!

The BBC: Comic Relief?

The logic of the BBC's banning of the Gaza Appeal broadcast poses the question: for their Comic Relief Red Nose Day will there be two types of children - the underserving poor of Gaza and the deserving poor of the Rest of the World?

Actors, journalists and performers worth their salt should have nothing to do with the BBC's Red Nose Day. Indeed, we need to turn it into Mark Thompson's Black Eye Day...

Public Meeting on Peace for Palestime in Norwich

Lamentable BBC

It's five years since the BBC caved in to the government and Greg Dyke was dumped via the Hutton Report. Dyke says the BBC's coverage of the US/UK war on Iraq has been lamentable in the years since.

Worse, the BBC has adopted a weird analysis of "impartial" since it received tens of thousands of complaints for not screening an Appeal on behalf of the starving and homeless of Gaza. Both ITV and Channel 4 broadcast the Appeal.

Here is Mark Thompson's response: "we wished to avoid any risk of compromising public confidence in the BBC's impartiality." Errr? What confidence does Mr Thompson believe the people have in the BBC's impartiality given its recent history?

The Lords are Dinosaurs

While the rest of us are suffering the worst Slump since 1929, The Lords of The Upper Chamber are doing alright-thankyou, allegedly. A superb article by George Monbiot shows how and why today's sleaze (payments for bypassing democratic accountability) is far worse than the sleaze that found the Tories out of office twelve years ago. It's a mad world my masters...

Meanwhile, what's been happenin' in Colton?

A slightly smaller number of people attended the disco on Old Year's Night at the village hall, but a larger number turned out for the New Year's Breakfast.

However, a good time was enjoyed at both events with food being exceptionally delicious.

Breakfast could be full or continental and papers were available for those wanting to read.

Meanwhile, what's been happenin' in Hellesdon?

At the WI meeting Mike Wabe entertained members on the medieval world. He was dressed the part of a Sergeant Templar, an armed fighting monk in the year 1175.

The competition for a picture of a castle was won by Ada Johns...

Meanwhile, what's been happenin' in Old Catton?

Due to unforeseen circumstances neither speakers could attend the January meeting of the WI...

Mrs J. Levers and Mrs M. Steward stepped in with a devised table game which resulted in an hilarious evening with everyone participating. Birthday posies were presented and the raffle winner was Mrs B. Mudd.

Meanwhile, what's been happenin' in Costessey?

Costessey Methodist Ladies Night group met in the Norwich Road Church Hall.

Doug Scales gave a talk on his own life called "Yes, I remember it well."

Marlys Gaskell thanked him.

Anglia Square, Norwich

No Worries

I no longer have to worry about such accessories as I am now a devout non-smoker (two weeks, five days, five hours, fifty-five minutes...)

A World of Lego

Only in California: they've reconstructed Obama's presidential White house inauguration in Lego.

Like the bubble that was 'subprime' mortgages and 'hedge funds' some just can't face their own or others' reality...

Still, we can rely on the bible. No plastic in The Brick Testament ?

Winter Sky

2009

What is the BBC up to?

You'll all have seen the utterly terrible images of Gaza - dead and maimed children, women and men in a sea of rubble. It is a humanitarian catastrophe and as such a BBC broadcast appeal for aid would seem a priority. No, apparently the BBC fears such an appeal wouldn't be "impartial."

Even the Government is up in arms at the BBC, who want to keep their banning of such a TV appeal secret. What is the BBC really hiding? Their limited coverage of the war?

Even the Archbishop of York is outraged.

More details on voicevisual.

Get in Quick!

Everyone's for broke.

Over The Fence 1

I have begun a series here, 'Over The Fence.' I'm charting the Rich, the way they make money out of us, together with their playthings. Here's One!

Beauty be: Err, no

This is a beautiful spot between Dereham and Norwich near the silly Dinosaur Park at Weston. Indeed, this is part of the Weston Park and I SO, SO wanted to walk from wood over grassland to the wood beyond but...

This is a bloody Golf Course! I detest Golf and Golfers and Golfing Fans because they privatise the countryside. And Golf is such a crap game (it isn't a sport): wacking a tiny ball across the countryside into a tiny hole. It says all about Golfers and their sexuality (THE LACK OF!).

St. Withburga's Well, Dereham

Here's St. Withburga's well, Dereham. A fascinating story from the Seventh Century...

Radical Involving Online Response/Celebration to Obama

Leading US-based poet Cris Cheek, in collaboration with others, is inviting contributions to an online Anthology in response to Obama taking the US presidency in a few days. Please read and respond to the following:-

We are looking for "correspondents" to perform throughout these historical moments
we are not expecting "proper" reporting, but passionate, off-the-cuff, provocative, oblique, creative,
thick descriptive and off-the-wall contributions.
The links GO LIVE this SATURDAY 17th January!!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A Radically Inclusive Online Anthology of Responses
to the Inauguration of the President-Elect Barack Obama
Presenting a monument to tolerance and an experiment in radical democracy:
post - LIVE on January 17th-21st 2009 - - - right through the Inauguration

Easy to take part!! Send ANY and ALL responses to this historic event (no matter what your point of view)

. . . in TEXT, POEM, PHOTO, SOUND-FILE, SPEECH, SONG, TWEET and SHORT VIDEO forms.

MAKE YOUR Contribution now!! Comment: - - : www.postmoot.net
Email: postmoot@gmail.net
Tweets: http://twitter.com/postmoot
Sound/photo/vid: post@postmoot.posterous.com
This is an initiative of the post _ moot collective (cris cheek, william r. howe and cathy wagner)
in collaboration with Christian McLean

Sign of The Times

There's a sale with a difference at Oxfam, Magdalen Street, Norwich: masses of golf equipment, including hundreds of clubs and trollies. Recession hits hard.

'Jig On' Desk Top Poem

Click here to view 'Jig On,' my first Desk Top Poem.

The Dark Path Into Town

TV Warfare

One of a series of monoprints

A Virtual Cup Of Coffee

I've received a hot cup of virtual coffee for this blog's fourth birthday! Thanks Mark

Fog Lifting

Fog lifting from Old Catton Park this morning.

FIREWORKS, CROWDS & CLOWNS: "WE" ARE FOUR!

Bin poem binned

Way back in the summer I promised readers I would write a poem about wheelie bins for the local paper. Unfortunately putting together "wheelie bin," "poetry" and "local paper" together made me feel ill after four short lines, so it was never completed...

My bins, grey, green and blue.

My sins, red, black and rude.

My winnings are all for binning.

Oh waste: my nose and guts are singing.

Martin Laurance: Exhibition

Martin Laurance's vibrant landscape paintings can be viewed at The Grapevine Gallery, Unthank Road, Norwich, from January 25.

A HUGE CROWD GATHERS!

Rupert's Blog is four years old and a huge crowd gathers...

1080 pages of articles, reviews, snippets, quips, news and photos. Via this blog writers, researchers and artists have been in touch.

Each page entry is labelled for research purposes and now there are over 100 links to browse.

Why not search the archive and even visit page one!

Thanks to you all for visiting. The fifth year will be this blog's best!

World Order

An illustration for a booklet I'm working on. Slide show of images here.

Given Up!

For health reasons, I'm now into my sixth day of non-smoking. I'm also on a low fat, low sugar, low salt diet and have cut my drinking... What pleasures left? I've acquired the best walking shoes ever made! More about food and observations on The Asparagus Shed.

The Wall - monoprint

Two of over thirty monoprints on the theme. View slide show here.

The Wall - monoprint

Walking on Water

Egyptian Goose, I think, walking on water at Whitlingham Broad, Norwich today

Enjoying the Sun

Another photograph by Shirley Tolliday from Whitlingham Broad.

Papermaking resumes

I've resumed making my own paper for for printing and collage.

Walled In

I've also resumed image making. Here is 'Walled In 1,' first layer of a monoprint.

Anglia Square, Norwich 1

Two photos of Anglia Square, Norwich

Anglia Square, Norwich 2

10,000 reasons

for giving up smoking. I'm all patched up and chewing like a rabbit.

Any web designers out there?

Unfortunately, The New Writing Partnerhip (East of England) - a wonderful organisation - has probably the worst website I've ever encountered. Is it poor or just postmodern?

VARIANT Cultural Magazine

VARIANT - cross currents in culture - is in its 33rd edition as a cultural newspaper with attitude. Though published in Glasgow, it has a vibrant internationalist flavour to its indepth articles. Best of all, it allows its writers to be opinionated. Online, Variant has a very expansive links list

VARIANT is available free from numerous outlets. I found my copy at The Project Arts Space opposite Norwich Art School, or you can subscribe online.

Advertisement

Awaiting Guests

Feature on a holiday chalet Potter Heigham, Norfolk

Sky Tub, Arts Factory, Norwich

Why I Abhor Damien Hirst

BritArt itself is wrapped up with Thatcherite Charles Saatchi. Without Saatchi there is no BritArt, no Damien Hirst. Ridiculously, Hirst claims his recent million dollor Southeby's auction of his work was a swipe at art dealers - the middle men. Err, Hirst is his own middle man! Politically, the notion of the "end of history" following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, is encapsulated through Hirst's work in the marriage of Thatcher and Tony Blair: what you perceived as a division between - or even a contradiction between - is the same but with a different expression. That is, 'Jaws,' the film, was the drama; 'Shark' cut in half was the end of the drama.

Whether a cow, a shark or a sheep, butchery (as history) was captured in aspic: a kind of clinical advert in place of truth or seeking truth.

Hirst must be measured by his art. His art stinks. He claims to be somekind of follower of Francis Bacon. Not artistically, that's for sure. Bacon - whatever his politics - struggled in paint for images of the 20th Century, while Hirst craves a non existing future, just like advertising - the very 'advertising' John Berger wrote about in his ground breaking "Ways of Seeing."

Advertising is the endless publicity of Capitalism. This is Hirst and Saatchi. Capitalism is broke - again. I hope Hirst goes down with his paper ship.

How the world looks...

New Year Bridge, Norwich

Caught!

Geezer caught blogging!

"Oh no. I usually have the curtains pulled around me to do this. Ok. It's like a diary but not entirely My Diary. Well, it is. I mean, it isn't a blog-magazine or a website but I try to stay behind the curtains..."

"Actually, today has been good because I've had more visitors this week than ever. By January 14th all the curtains will be pulled back; and by a trick of the light I'll be out of view too."

Worstead, Norfolk

Given what's going on in the World, don't you just want to climb these broken steps and curl up with the mice and rats in the hay?

Breaking News

The First Norwich Gay Pride Event will be taking place in the city in July. Art, poetry, comedy, ballroom dancing and much more. Details to follow...

Across the Marshes at Potter Heigham

Taken with a Minolta SLR

Minolta SLR camera

Here's a tree root at the edge of Salhouse Broad shot on the Minolta 5000 SLR I bought at a car boot for £15. I've shot two rolls of (low quality) colour film and will be shooting a reel or two of quality black and white film this week.

The prints were good, though I'm having a little trouble getting the disc images up to scratch.

A Francis Bacon Holiday

Food for Francis Bacon

Welcome To 2009!

To pick up an electric shaver from Argos my friend and I had to travel 27 miles from Norwich to Lowestoft to pick up the last advertised 'low price' shaver available in the area. So, Argos advertises a Sale Bargain nationally but it's the buyer who has to travel bloody miles to pick up the item. I know about "out of town shopping" but this is ridiculous!

While in Lowestoft we took part in the 2009 New Year Ritual: the death of Woolies! I wasn't surprised that the shelves were emptying towards the Woolworths Death but the shelves were being sold before they were emptied of products! Wayne had bought some shelves - as had Jennings...

I'd send you running to the likes of Poundland (yes, everything is a pound) but, if I were a betting man, the success Poundland is presently experiencing is but a mirage for its crisis later this year: Poundland sells both liquidated stock from the UK and its own brands from China.

Two things: because of the Recession the likes of the UK and USA imports of even the cheapest products from China are collapsing (Chinese factories are also closing). The fall in waste products we export to China (plastics and metals) has slumped as a result. The whole recycling effort is heading for a landfill near you. Secondly, the fall in the value of the pound means it is increasingly more expensive to important inexpensive consumer items.

If I were a betting man I'd put a tenner on Poundland going down in 2009 and the '99p Shop' making it big on liquidated stock! But it's an utterly ridiculous world we've inherited this year.

Worse, the bloodshed in Palestine of course. Still, governments always find a way of manufacturing arms over food, loo rolls and shavers...

Signing Up To The New Year

Happy New Year!