Savile's Travail's

Have been wanting to write something about the Jimmy Savile 'affair' for some time but the news changes daily. And what more can anyone say? I have no axe to grind and no judgements to make. But...

What I will say is this:

1. Do not, for one minute, think the kind of sexist, sexual bullying that people such as Savile allegedly practiced only went on at the BBC and in care homes, hospitals, etc. It went on in every workplace: print shops, advertising agency's; school staffrooms; offices; shops; factories and so on. Girls and women had to endure painful, humiliating exchanges with male colleagues every day and it was all seen as 'fun'. If complained about, the perpetrator would more often than not be protected by '...but he's really good at his job..', '...his workmates will back him and they'll all come out on strike...', 'whats wrong with you darlin' can't you take a bit of fun?'

2. IF the Jimmy Savile rumours were suppressed because people were afraid funds, and ultimately therefore salaries, would dry up then shame on them and they are as culpable as, allegedly, Jimmy Savile. I fail to see that if these heinous things were going on in an institution such as Stoke Mandeville that a nurse, therefore a sister, therefore a ward manager, therefore a department head, therefore a higher executive, etc., didn't know it was going on or have heard rumours that it might be going on?

Have these people waited until the funds have now dried-up before coming forward? Before making any accusations? Shame on them. Shame, shame, shame on them. And how pathetic to be claiming to be acting on behalf of the victims. Now their pockets can't be impacted, it can all come out. Sickening. As sickening as the original, alleged, acts.

If newspapers had stories, why weren't they printed? The tabloid trail is littered with ruined careers and reputations based on little more than tittle-tattle and opportunists seeking their five minutes of fame and willing to sell their story to the highest bidder. Quite remarkable that a story this BIG didn't make it onto the front page of the NOTW or that other paragon of virtue, The Sun. Were the stories held back for the same 'the cash for the charity will dry up' reason? Bad show if that IS the case and worthy of another investigation surely?

3. This is in no way meant to be an excuse for sordid, depraved and selfish behaviour, but... the environment of the 60's and 70's pop world was one of glamour, fame and a lot of teenage dreams. Jimmy Savile wasn't the only radio DJ that took his roadshow around the country, wasn't the only DJ whose aides would invite local girls backstage to 'meet the star'. And it wasn't only DJs. All the bands, singers, etc., were in on the act too. Allegedly. That was the territory, that was the scene. It was so wonderfully illustrated in the movie 'The Boat That Rocked' when a boat load of teenage girls turned up to claim their magazine prize and spend a day at the pirate radio station...! Of course, we all laughed along with that film... but maybe it doesn't seem so funny now? Well, maybe it should because that is how it was. And maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge the behaviour patterns of 40 years ago by today's standards?

Of course, the knives are out for and at the BBC. New DG is in an insidious and un-enviable place. Newsnight Editor Peter Rippon has 'stepped aside' and had his blog 'corrected' in what appears to be a quite Orwellian step to me. What the BBC and those getting their knives out fail to see is that most of us are not that blind or daft that we can't take what we see on the screen or hear on the radio in a report with a pinch of salt and make up our own minds.

Further reading:
Mark Easton (BBC) Blog: Jimmy Savile and workplace culture today

The Golden Age of Rock n Rail...

Ian Hunter and the Rant Band
When I'm President

The crafty old devil has released this just as America gets caught up in election fever! That said... this... is a finely crafted and beautifully executed record.

And who'd have thought, back in 1975 as we listened to that opening "…'allo!" on his debut solo offering that 20 albums and 37 years later we'd be saying 'When I'm President' is maybe Ian Hunters best?

But it is! And that voice -- that never made it as a poll winner back in the day -- sounds just the same as it ever did. Its all quite comforting really. So, cue the opener 'Comfortable (Flying Scotsman)', which has all those Hunter trademarks: rocking piano, chopping guitar intro, a bit of sax and some thunder-thighs-ish 'oohs and ahhs' and a reference to days gone by with a '...that's all' added for good measure.

Essentially, this is a great rock n roll record. Sounds American, has the usual Dylan-esque touches but, it could be said by now as IH has earned this -- they are the usual Hunteresque touches: tracks like the simply wonderful 'Black Tears' (Now, this IS going to become one of his stand-out tracks. Its up there with the best of them. Epic and immense and has reduced me to tears... wonderful) along with 'Fatally Flawed', 'Just The Way You Look Tonight' and 'Life' spring to mind.

And then there's the title track. This could (and should) be a big hit for the Oswestry 'lad'. It really is a finely crafted, mature song delivered with panache and style. Very, very airplay friendly so I expect to hear it from many sources!

Ian Hunter has never chased stardom, he's been more than happy to be an artist writing, recording and performing what he wants to write, record and perform rather than delivering to record company orders. That said, I really do hope that this record brings him the wider recognition and reward he truly deserves.

Brilliant and inspirational.

Ian Hunter official web site >
Buy the album on iTunes >

Trumpet Voluntary...

I'm sure you've heard of the expression 'blowing your own trumpet'? Naturally, some are better than others at blowing that trumpet. Some people are quite happy to tell you what they've done, how they're doing it, how good it is and why you should part with some money to experience it! Others are not so ready to put the trumpet mouthpiece to their lips and blow. But perhaps they should play a tune more often.

I'd like to do a bit of trumpet blowing. Its not for me, well, not directly...

This week issue 53 of Aceville's Let's Make Cards magazine was published. Craft magazine? This is Rock 'n' Rail, not craft 'n' sew! Never mind, today we'll talk arts 'n' crafts.

Not for the first time, an issue of this magazine comes complete with a full kit of stamps, papers, die-cuts and more. And, not for the first time, this kit has been designed and produced by our dear notjustmum or, as crafters know her, Sharon Bennett. The theme of the kit with issue 53 is 'Retro Baking'.

Sharon has been producing these kits digitally now for a couple of years. She shares the task with others: they do one month, she does the next. But, rest assured dear reader, Sharon produces EVERYTHING in the kits that bear her name.

Lets's Make Cards comes from Colchester based publishers Aceville and, amongst other title in their stable, is another craft superstar magazine, Crafts Beautiful. At the time of writing, Sharon is no longer a contributor to CB -- as it is affectionately known -- however she had contributed for the previous 20 years or so; ceramic painting, glass painting, painting on wood, card making, painting on metal, lino printing, silk painting, rubber stamping. You name the craft, she's produced a feature for Aceville on it and our house is full of many items that once adorned the pages of the magazine.

Now, there are plenty of ladies -- and some gentlemen -- out there making cards, scrap-booking, creating photo-frames and so on and plenty of them also contribute to CB... but what sets Sharon apart is that she originates everything in the project. Nothing is purchased at the craft shop and then put together at the work bench. No, Sharon designs the motif, she then works that into a design for the given medium and then applies it. She does it all.

Because what sets Sharon apart is that she is not a crafter; she is an artist, an illustrator, a designer. She can design, illustrate, paint and design both traditionally and digitally. Sharon has been using Adobe Photoshop for about 10 years now and an awful lot of her work is either originated in Photoshop or, at some point in its life-cycle, is manipulated in Photoshop.

Some people seem to think that 'digital' means that it is delivered via e-mail as a JPEG or PDF. Well, that's true up to a point... but with Sharon, digital really means DIGITAL. Her work is no longer painted on metal, wood, glass or fabric... it's digital. Its a file on a hard disc on a MacBook Pro.
And that is how the 'free' kit on Let's Make Cards 53 has been generated: digitally.

Others have made cards that are in the magazine using the kit but, as I say, Sharon is the originator.
In the past year, she has also designed several ranges of rubber stamps for Hobby Art. These can often be seen on Create & Craft TV channel. Again, we also see an awful lot of the cards made with the stamps on screen. But, let us not forget, the original drawing, design and development of the stamp is by Sharon Bennett.

Sharon has 6 books to her name, has a wikipedia page, went to the same art college as Tracy Emin (there the similarity ends), teaches craft techniques on P&O Cruises, used a dot in her designs before certain other and more famous 'crafters' and regularly gives away some of her designs on her own blog. She's not one, however, to blow her own trumpet. But she should. The tune would be magnificent as the many who use her kits or rubber stamps would surely testify.