Just to say I am very happy that all my friends across the Atlantic are safe including my writing partner David Baron.  I watched all night as the 800 mile Hurricane Sandy hit the coast of America and my heart goes out to those who have been affected.

Blackpool postcard Aug date unknown ‘I am having a jolly time here but the weather is not very nice’

I am also relieved Obama is back in- another marathon news watching session.  If you ever want to know about the history of the United States, watch Alistair Cooke’s series on it and you will wonder at how any one man could ever be able to preside over a country (if you can call it that) so vast.

My friend noted last night that I had not updated my news for a while and this has been on my mind recently which is why I went to the Ephemera Society’s latest postcard fair to feast my eye upon some new and interesting stuff and I have also been very busy with my day job- this week working 11 hour days.

60s Pop Group unknown

Unknown Boy Band (date unknown)

I am also retiring from gigging for the time being opting to record more.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy playing live but rehearsals, travel (sold my Ford Escort and it didn’t go very far anyway) but I have played London at least four times since May but again it’s not cost effective to do lots.  Sadly, I cancelled a gig in Colchester.  I don’t wish to let anyone down but if I’m not told where to go and at what time and for an event that already had been cancelled once (at quite a lot of rehearsal cost to me) I’d rather be at home painting plates!

Girl Painting a Plate Royal Delft Ware Factory Fa. W. A Reijinders Delft Holland

My head is better when it’s set to either secretary mode or music mode.  When I try and mix them all up in the course of a week it all goes wrong.  The heady days of touring with Peter Murphy in 2009 where I was a month and a half being spoilt on a tour bus seems now a distant memory!

Foto W Masshardt Kino Interlake Tel 1086

Hoverllolyd produced by Barnes Harris Associates London

When I was going to do a date in Europe I had suggested in the days when I was working with Mike we take the Hovercraft not remembering that they had been phased out of existence some time ago.

Inside Hoverllolyd produced by Barnes Harris Associates London

Instead I’ve been enjoying other events such as seeing Das Fluff support David J, the wonderful Ceasarians and meeting Dave Barbarossa (Adam Ant, Bow Wow Wow), basically enjoying other people’s work!  A big thank you to Guy Sangster Adams for running such great evenings now at the top of the Betsey Trotwood two weeks in a row.

Guy Sangster Adams and Dave Barbarossa at Mustered Plectrum Pick Live Edition Betsey Trotwood 25th October 2012

Pamina Caruso Brassey with Bird on her head Halloween 31st October 2012 for Guy Sangster Adams The Cultural Pick Plectrum Presents

The Witches Mill, Castletown, Isle of Man (Copyright John Hinde Studios)

I spent most of my student days writing gallery and gig reviews in between working as a chambermaid for the Malmaison hotel!  Here I am at a five star hotel in Kennybunkport called the White Barn Inn:

Chambermaid at the White Barn Inn, Kennybunkport, Maine (the window was dressed for Halloween)

I’ve been going to a lot of gallery openings for inspiration.  If I had the money I would buy  – maybe one day!  In the meantime, I’m trying to help organise a show for Michael Seymour’s work hopefully in Soho next year.  His photographs of Terence Stamp, Julie Christie and a little known Pauline Boty are wonderful. Here is a photograph I suspect is from behind the scenes of either a film shoot or advert.  Michael was nominated for his work as Art Director on ‘Alien’ (1979) but worked on so many more projects.  It is quite incredible to see his diary from the 80s where he literally is every other day in a foreign country.  I love his behind the scenes photographs when everything was handmade.

‘Eddie Butler and partner’ by Michael Seymour from behind the scenes (copyright of Michael Seymour)

I’m now a member of the Ephemera Society and get a beautiful quarterly magazine on lovely thick matt paper.

The Ephemerist Journal of the Ephemera Society No. 158 Autumn 2012

I browse as an amateur and listen to the chit chat of these very knowledgeable people.  The lady did say that the young aren’t very interested in all these things because of the internet and she said it was refreshing to see someone younger perusing.

Unknown unmarked postcard

I looked up and did note that I was the youngest visitor in the room possibly by a few decades!  So I will be going to the Ephemera Christmas Party as I don’t really work in an office and pretend it’s my office party.  Last year I spent my ‘office party’ having a glass (or two!) of wine with my friend Christopher Battye, a wonderful Soho painter.

Charbleroi le 17 Septembre 1939

This postcard above is just as World War II is breaking out.

This looks like just after World War II.

Unknown postcard

I have just left a job working for a man born in 1920.  There are very few people left who remember World War I.  It’s amazing to think that. The poppy.  Within a few decades there will be nowone who remembers the World War II either.

Other things I have enjoyed since I last wrote was David Byrne and Matthew Herbert talking about music and do we need it anymore – pretty inconclusive but very interesting conversation I thought but few answers for artists trying to break through which really is the holy grail for anyone.  It’s called creating a seminal work of art (in a painter’s life) or in a musical one ‘ a hit’!!  Maybe it requires patience.

Die Patience (La Patience), 1943 by Balthus The Art Institute Chicago Joseph Winterbotham Collection copyright VG Bild-Kundst Bonn, 2007

This is from Atlanta Airport January 2012 on my way back from Mexico.  I had a stop over of a few hours.  It was one of the most amazing airports I have ever had the pleasure of dropping into.

Do Drop Inn by Sheila Turner at Atlanta Airport (photograph of a photograph January 2012)

I very much enjoyed Noble and Webster at the Mott Collection, Walton Street, shouting ‘optimist, nihilist’ for about a minute against a backdrop of some portraits of them.  She said it was a bit like having an argument with two words.  I really like their work.  They create shadows from sculptures.

Another shadow work copyright of the artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster from Creative Review Blog 200

So I’m finishing off my new song next week called ‘Hold It’. Here is the studio.

David of the Friendly Ghost Recording Studio, near Brick Lane Oct 2012

It’s called ‘Friendly Ghost Recording Studio’ and we did wonder when we were there, whether or not there was a ghost in the room.  The lava lamp behaved very strangely creating strange amoeba like patterns and none of the instruments worked.  Anyway, the track is sounding very good.

I really enjoyed the showing of a film by Ed Edwards and produced by Sam Edwards ‘The Promoter’ about Robert Pereno.  We had a great talk and show of the film at the Sanctum Hotel in Soho.

Another final highlight was seeing Hugh Cornwell perform not only his new album ‘Totem Taboo’ but also ‘No More Heroes’.  Just incredible!

It was very hard to sell my boss’s teddy bear on ebay as there was something really special about him but he had to go….!  He went to Durham!

Steiff Teddy Bear Sold on Ebay September 2012

From New Larousse Gastronomique The World’s Greatest Cookery Reference Book published by The Hamilyn Group 1978

When did food become so sexy? I was looking at this old cookbook and really the pictures are anything but.  In fact they’re really surreal!  I think i might have a Christmas party and try these out. I had to redeliver a parcel for a N Lawson last week.  After a bit of googling I knew exactly who it was intended for!

I’m going away soon to an island! From one island to another…X

Lettie with her bedside light globe