Showtime!

A sliver of new moon appeared in a darkening sky, Venus glowing above it as the sun went down on Saturday night. In the old French town of Guîtres, the 11th century Abbey of Notre-Dame took on its own majesty as lights came on in the square. A crowd gathered as music began to crackle from a pair of speakers. Divine music, uplifting music, joyous .. The Pop Group, The Cure, Virgin Prunes!

It was the opening of my Joy Division/Manchester exhibition, and a cold-wave (post-punk!) disco sparked the evening to life after speeches by myself and the mayor. I was so delighted with the turnout, as well as the interesting questions I attempted to answer in French. I can only thank the lovely people from 'Asso Biodynaboum', the organisation that offered me the show, for the great job they've done in promoting it. (And the mayor with the funky Converse trainers!) ..

The show is now on view at the Marie (town hall) in Guîtres until the end of June. I hope you manage to see it .. 

Instagramatastic ..

 

 

 

 

 

It's not often I'm at the cutting edge of modern trends, but I allowed myself a wry smile when I realised I'd got in early with one of today's big-name Instagram 'influencers' ..

Model Sophia Peschisolido has 360, 000 followers on Instagram and, as the daughter of renowned businesswoman Karren Brady, appeared in some 'At Home' photographs I shot of Mum and then-footballer husband Paul Peschisolido for OK! Magazine back in the 90s ..

I really must tell my Instagram followers about this. All three hundred and eighty of them ..!

 

Eddie, Eddie, Eddie ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "How's Eddie?" I asked a friend over the internet yesterday. "Eddie?" he replied. "He died last year .."

And so I bid a belated farewell to my old boss Eddie Fuller, the photographic manager at the Warrington Guardian. (That's him giving the 'OK' sign in the group photograph. I'm the young punk at the back!) It was Eddie who gave me the nickname 'Mo', as he would assign photo-jobs to each of us on a Friday evening and scribble what he thought were my initials next to the jobs I was given. Sadly, he's not the only person in this photograph that's no longer here. Rest in peace, guys, rest in peace ..