Hurrah for Winter ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always designate the winter months as my 'project time'. When the weather's too bad to get into the garden, what could be better than writing a new book or designing a new publication of photographs? So I'm pleased to say I've now started on the fourth of my adult fiction books and have just finished book number NINE of my self-published photography collection. 61 Portraits is a collection of .. hey, you're ahead of me .. but it amazes me to find I still have enough photographs on file to do another book after this one. I know you're itching to buy the new addition, so stay tuned and I'll let you know when it's available .. 

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a tree I pass on my walks and cycle rides, a big old oak I call Gabriel (See what I did there?) It's leafless at the moment, of course, but its rough, gnarled trunk stands solid as ever against the cold and the wind and the weather. How many New Year's days has this proud fellow seen, I wonder. A hundred? Two hundred? And how many more has it got?

One can't help but reflect at this time of year, and it's not escaped my notice that I'll turn 65 in 2025 - an old-aged pensioner before they shifted the retirement age. Time is a'tickin', as they say, and I wonder how many New Year's days I will see before the man with the axe comes to get me? How many .. holy shit! Let's make a New Year's resolution!! Less of the schmaltzy sentimentality, O'Neill. Go get a drink. Happy New Year, everybody. I really do hope it's a good one for you ..

My latest post ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

A shot from my book of portrait photographs, coming out in the New Year. It was taken in the late 80s/early 90s, when I used to do an awful lot of PR photography for the Royal Mail. Back in the day, there was enough money in the company coffers to produce a monthly newspaper called The Courier, with offices in the centre of Manchester and distribution to everyone who worked for the Post Office. Now, the PO is in deep trouble, having been sold off to a foreign billionaire and with branch closures threatened all over the UK. (Sadly, there's talk of shutting down the main Post Office in Eccles .. a branch that opened in 1932!)

But hey, speaking of foreign takeovers, does that mean your post will now be in the Czech?? (Badum, tish!!)

Cancelled ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After seven years of retirement, I've grown used to a life without clients - worrying about getting their bookings, getting my name 'out' to them, doing a good job for them and trying to ensure I got further work from the little darlings. Last night I dipped my toe back into that world again, after agreeing to photograph the new members of a village council. And what happened? The job got cancelled .. a mere ten minutes before I was due to leave the house! Oh, how it took me back to all the fun and games of 'working for a living' ..

Anyway, unashamed plug time. Rob Bremner, a well-respected documentary photographer, has got his sticky mitts on my Café Royal book and felt moved to say he thought it was "up there with the best Café have done". Thanks so much for that, Rob. Really appreciated. (I still have a few available - signed - for just £10 in the UK if you're interested!)..

Another of my favourite Christmas photographs for you today. Taken at least forty years ago. I mean, where would you see a waitress now with a fag in her gob? I love the lady approaching from the right. Looks like she's ready to give her a right b*llocking. I wonder if her job got cancelled ..

Keep on walking ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did something this week that I've never done before in my life .. I gave a public reading from one of my books. I stood in front of an audience and read from 'Page 99, by Joe Bancroft' .. and it felt great! It was so enjoyable to be able to use accents and give accentuation to words I hope people might focus on when they read the book. Anyway, no-one walked out and I ended up reading for an hour longer than I'd proposed to, so that was alright, wasn't it?..

Speaking of walking, today's photograph must be at least 40 years old, but I'm buggered if I can find the negative. Instead, I scanned an old print - a proper 10x8 inch resin-coated black and white photograph - and tidied it up in Photoshop. Looks alright, although the thought did occur to me that 'Jake the Peg' was a Rolf Harris character, so I'm sure someone in this touchy-feely world of ours will now take exception. Well, it's my blog so you haven't got a leg to stand on .. (Groan!)

 

 

Sh*t ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A photograph by William Eggleston has just sold at auction in New York for $1.44m. I mean, I like old Billy's work a lot, but .. a million and a half for ONE photograph?? And this just days after a banana that had been stuck to a wall sold for over six million dollars. (And you don't even get the original banana for that price!) What a load of sh*t the art world is .. 

Although, I do have some lovely prints and photo-books available if anyone wants to put a bid in. Prices start at ten quid and .. erm, end there, too!

 

Copy that ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a kid, I dreamt of becoming a press photographer. All that exotic foreign travel, all that shoulder-rubbing with the rich and famous. In reality, most of my time was spent taking photographs like this .. the mundane, run-of-the-mill, bread and butter shots that filled a local weekly newspaper. (Faces sell 'papers, as they used to say. I talk about it in my fictional novel Page 99, by Joe Bancroft) ..

I recently unearthed an archive of this 'ordinary' press photography and plan to produce a collection of it to add to my stable of self-published books. (Actually, Faces sell 'papers isn't a bad title, come to think of it!) Anyway, my dream came true (obviously) and it's incredible to think but, back in November 1978, I'd just completed my first ever month as a professional photographer. A mere forty-six years ago, for goodness sake. At least photo-copiers have got smaller ..