tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78149123535791890242024-03-13T02:30:06.678+00:00Rant SpaceA Medway EyeSweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-11476455271639641392013-09-20T13:43:00.001+01:002013-09-20T13:43:54.077+01:00Don't call me brave!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've no doubt that when people tell me I'm brave for home educating my children they think they are paying me a compliment but they are not. Bravery is knowing what you're doing is dangerous or difficult or even wrong in some way but ploughing ahead regardless. Everything that bravery applies to is relative. One man's bravery is another man's stupidity and so on.<br />
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So when somebody tells me they think I'm brave, what they're saying is that I am risking my children's education by doing something inherently fearful. They are projecting their own fears about home education onto my family. If I started telling parents of schooled children that they're very brave for sending their children to school the meaning behind the statement becomes more explicit. It would become more of a judgment. You send your kids to school? Wow! You must be brave to risk that. Or maybe crazy. It would be unthinkable to say this to a parent of a schooled child. But somehow I am different and it's okay to say this to me. I guess the lesson here is 'think before you speak'. Unless you're actually aiming for patronising, bravery is not a word to be thrown about so lightly.<br />
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I am not brave because I know that home education is right for my family and I do not fear it. It's not dangerous or difficult. I don't fear my children will grow up unsocialised because they are growing up <i>in</i> society, not isolated from it. I don't fear that they will have no friends because they already have friends, of all ages. I don't fear that they will grow up stupid because they are not stupid. They are free to find their own meanings and interests rather than being fed chunks of predigested, state-sanctioned knowledge. I don't fear that they will never do exams or get qualifications because I don't mind if they take them or not but I do know that they are capable of preparing themselves should they feel ready to take them. They can decide for themselves what qualifications they'll need, if any, based on the interests they're already determined to follow. If they want to go to college, for example, they can see for themselves what the entry requirements are and if they want to get there badly enough, they will work hard to achieve what is necessary. Children are not a different species. They achieve their goals in the same way adults do when allowed the freedom to do so, with independence, enthusiasm and persistence. My children are home educated and I am not afraid.<br />
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So if you meet a home educator, please don't tell them they're brave for doing it. They are simply doing the right thing by their children, just as you are. Save bravery for those who stand up to injustice even when they might find themselves punished for it. Save it for those fighting physical or mental illness and their families who provide unwavering support. Save it for the kids who face bullying every day because society demands that they don't run away. Save it for them because they <i>are</i> brave and I don't deserve it.Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-64737309540080982012013-09-05T23:26:00.000+01:002013-09-27T19:50:54.308+01:00Why would anyone mind providing evidence of what they're doing unless they aren't doing it?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, really. Someone actually said that so I'll do my best to explain why I do mind. First you should know that my children enjoy their education because it is self-directed. They are happy, motivated, independent and curious. But I do mind providing evidence, as a matter of course, for a number of reasons.<br />
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The first is that I believe in the primacy of the family, i.e. that its needs should be put before those of the state. There is no reason to assume that educational provision will improve with the oversight of the state. I expect it will just lead to more hoop jumping exercises. I don't want that for my children. In short, how does state supervision enhance provision? The answer is simple. It doesn't. And I'd be prepared to wager that it would damage it. So if it's not enhancing provision and it might have the opposite effect, whose purpose does it serve? Bingo! The government's purpose - surveillance.<br />
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The second, wholly connected to the first, is a matter of privacy. My family is entitled to privacy. That includes my children. If they want to share their successes and stories with people, that is up to them. It's not something I'd force on them and, frankly, they can come up with more relevant people to share their experiences with than a clipboard monitor from the council.<br />
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The third reason is that I am not doing anything strange or special. Education is within the remit of parenting. It is my duty to provide education, food, clothes, housing, etc. Nobody is coming round to inspect my fridge and I'd tell them to sod off if they tried it. If I delegate my duty to someone else then of course I'd want assurances that my children were being well cared for and I'd expect the provider to have mechanisms in place so they could be accountable to me, the parent. If I am not delegating my duty, why would I need assurances that my provision was adequate? I can tell that for myself and have no need for a pat on the head from the local council. In fact, I'd find it quite patronising.<br />
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The fourth reason, and I've mentioned this many times before, is that the law in this country is based on the presumption of innocence. We are all expected to go about our daily lives without committing crimes or otherwise neglecting our legal responsibilities. If there is reason to suspect we are not, then the state has powers to intervene. If not, we are left alone. How can it be reasonable to expect families to provide evidence of lawful activity if there is no reason to suspect they are doing anything wrong? I would cooperate if there were genuine concerns but I will not cooperate with a misguided state mechanism of surveillance for the sake of it.<br />
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The fifth reason is that in imposing monitoring on children already damaged by the school system, we are teaching them that as their parents and protectors we cannot keep them safe in their own homes. By allowing these people access to our children, we are teaching them that there are people out there better qualified to make decisions on their behalf than us, their parents. To me, this is extremely dangerous. Children deserve to feel safe and secure and to have faith in their parents' protection.<br />
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There is no final reason as there are so many little things that I dislike about monitoring, but another is that I resent taxpayers' money being spent on non-jobs. If the state does not have a monitoring role which, according to the law, it does not, why is money being spent on monitoring jobs? And why, when no problem has been shown to exist, is money being diverted to home education that could otherwise be spent targeting vulnerable children?<br />
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Generally speaking, I can't think of a reason why someone would want to voluntarily provide evidence of being law abiding without due cause. I'd like to think that most people would question anyone who claimed to have authority rather than give in to their demands without thought for the consequences. Nobody randomly turns up at the police station to say what a good girl they've been. Or is it just me who missed that memo?<br />
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Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-75926807151009134362013-09-05T22:57:00.000+01:002013-09-05T23:43:06.897+01:00All children deserve monitoring because if it saves just one child it will be worth it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some people insist that all children deserve to have their educational provision monitored. To me, this view is warped. I cannot understand it at all. The notion that all children <i>deserve</i> monitoring is like saying all people should be viewed with suspicion, or all people need to be watched because they are inherently untrustworthy. But who is doing the watching? And who is watching the watchers? And who is watching them? No. Surveillance should be kept to a minimum. All children deserve freedom from surveillance is my take on it.<br />
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All children deserve a good education, yes. We are all agreed on that. But no monitoring does not equal no education. The two are not linked at all. So the problem lies in the fact that the state believes it has a duty to ensure that the education is good, which it doesn't. That is the parent's duty. If the state declared itself parent in educational matters it would find itself in a whole heap of trouble.<br />
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In all matters of law, people are considered to be doing their legal duties until such time as there is evidence to the contrary. This is because our laws are based on the presumption of innocence. It is a basic tenet of British law and it applies to all parental duties too. I could be doing any number of things that the state may not approve of, or which may be explicitly illegal, but the state has to assume that I am not. It can't act without suspicion and it cannot discriminate on the grounds that I choose different things to the majority of the population. In short, the state cannot intervene simply because it doesn't know what I get up to in private.<br />
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I don't care that the state doesn't know what I'm doing in the privacy of my own home. Nobody knows what goes on in our house unless I or my children decide to share it with people, which we do, with friends and family. If I was confident that my children would be well educated and properly looked after by the state and I didn't have the time or inclination to attend to their needs myself, I would send them to school. Presumably I would no longer require monitoring if I did that despite the fact that I wouldn't know if I was adequately discharging my parental duties as I wasn't even there! <br />
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Now I appreciate that it is easier to tell if a child is not properly clothed or adequately fed than it is to tell if they are receiving an education or not. This might reasonably lead a person to believe that some other form of monitoring should be required IF it was the state's business. But it isn't, it's lawful and private family business. I won't budge on this point. I've looked at it from every angle and while I accept that there are some horrible people out there, they cannot be allowed to dictate what happens to innocent families. It's bad enough that they have the power to cause horrible things within their own families.<br />
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I hate the notion of collateral damage, but even more I hate the notion of "if it saves one child it will be worth it" because that comes with its own collateral damage; the thousands of children who have learned that their homes are not safe from state intrusion, that their parents cannot protect them from over-zealous social workers, or even that the state considers their loving parents to be a danger to them. And that's assuming that stretching the resources of social services ever further, by introducing compulsory monitoring, won't have a negative impact on those who really need help. That's assuming that making the haystack bigger will make the needle easier to find. A curious idea, wouldn't you say?<br />
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Would I let a clipboard monitor from the council into my home to assess my educational provision? No, I would not. They are no more qualified than the postman to pass judgment and I don't recognise their authority nor do I need their praise or recognition. As for support, I guess some live in cuckoo land on that one. Yes, some LAs are quite supportive, most are not. They don't understand the law, they misrepresent it in their communications and on their websites, they lie outright to new or potential home educators, they fabricate "concerns" and "worried phonecalls from concerned citizens" to get their foot in the door, they turn up mob-handed in an attempt to intimidate, they constantly call for more powers when they abuse, or simply don't use, the powers they already have. That is not to say I know everything or never need support, it's just that I go to my friends and family for these things, because they are the ones who care about me and my children. At best, LAs are paid to provide services, paid to "care", if you like, though I appreciate there are some wonderful people who work in EHE, child protection and, of course, schools. I would, of course, be cooperative if there were proper demonstrable concerns but I make no apologies for not cooperating with unlawful demands, unwarranted intrusion and incompetent and prejudiced state employees.<br />
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If most parents are trustworthy and have their children's best interests at heart, which I firmly believe is the case, why do we need these great protectors of children for all children? I am the great protector of my children. It's tragic that this is not the case for all children but social services should be there for the vulnerable ones. To redirect resources to areas where no problem has been proven to exist betrays a cruel obstinacy. Local authority personnel who behave in the ways stated above are untrustworthy and I wouldn't let them near my children. I don't care if my declining services annoys them or makes them suspicious. It says a whole lot more about their willingness to blindly accept surveillance in their own lives than it does about my ability to educate my children.<br />
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That said, I know people who do accept monitoring. Some do so because they have ex-partners who need placating and an official report from the authorities seems to do the trick. There are all sorts of reasons why people accept monitoring and I respect their right to choose it. I have no power over my children to insist they perform tricks for strangers and I wouldn't want to guilt-trip them into it. They are at liberty to show off their abilities to anyone they choose though I'd caution them against bragging. There may be an assumption that those declining visits have something to hide, but that is not a reasonable assumption. I have nothing to hide under these clothes but that doesn't mean I'd accept or relish the opportunity to reveal myself, not even if I could be sure the world is ready for it, though others might. That is their choice.<br />
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Essentially, I don't want others deciding on a whim what freedoms my family should be allowed to have. I resent the notion that parental rights are at the opposite end of a spectrum to children's rights. They are not. Yes, in this country parents have the right to have their children educated according to their wishes, regardless of where that education takes place, but above all parents have duties. It is my duty (in law) to provide my children with a suitable education, to feed, clothe and house them. It is a pleasure and an honour to do it. It is my duty to uphold my children's rights and I expect the government to intervene only if I fail in my duties. I will always protect my family, I will always love my children, I will always do what is best for them and I don't need payment, supervision or a government mandate to do it. I am a parent and that's all the motivation I need.<br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">This is based almost entirely on a forum post I made earlier in the year.</span>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-10650004079090109212012-11-24T19:38:00.001+00:002012-11-24T19:49:41.215+00:00The Welsh Problem - Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Imagine a scenario...<br />
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The government decides that all parents not choosing to have school dinners, i.e. those preparing packed lunches for their children themselves, must register with the local council, even though they are declining a service (i.e. school dinners) rather than being provided with one. A bit odd, but let's go with it. The parent's failure to register with the council will result in their children being forced to eat school dinners instead, effectively punishing the child for the parent's misdemeanour. School dinners could also be forced on the children if the parents supply the council with false or "inadequate" information. Essentially, a parent could be criminalised on a whim, despite fulfilling their parental duty to feed their child. This can't be right!<br />
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On top of this, to make sure that the contents of the lunch box meet a new state-determined, nutritional standard, the council will be given the authority to inspect the food cupboards and fridge in your home. Instead of sending a nutritional expert, as you might expect if such a thing became law, they will send someone whose business is school dinners or maybe someone whose usual job is in child protection (just to make you feel really bad about having the gall to feed your own children). The lunch box inspectors will be from the same department which is currently under threat of having its duty to provide school dinners removed for failure to adequately feed children.<br />
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These inspectors also want to meet your child. Let's hope your child isn't shorter, taller, fatter or thinner than average. Who knows what they might say to them during the interview? People can be so cruel. And yes, I did say interview. What if the inspectors find your child is a little overweight and spot a cake on your shopping receipt? Will they listen to your explanation that it was a birthday treat or will they write a report stating that cake appears to be a regular feature on your menu? Will they be able to suspend all your food preparing duties? It's really not clear from the proposals. What if the lunch box inspector is one of those people who lives on soup and lettuce? Will they bring their biased views into your private family life? What if you're vegetarian? What if you're vegan? Your local inspector could be a rampant carnivore who is totally ignorant about alternative diets. Oh no, the government can't really interfere in private family decisions, can it?<br />
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Finally, the council will be able to deny or revoke your registration which means that far from being a simple registration scheme (as if that wasn't bad enough), it's actually a licensing scheme. And they want 12 weeks to make their minds up, but it's not clear whether you'd be able to continue to provide packed lunches or whether you'd have to wait for permission while your child ate school dinners. In essence, as a parent choosing to feed your children yourself, you are expected to submit yourself, your child and your home to monitoring and apply for a licence to parent. After all, feeding your child is just part of your parental duty like everything else you are expected to provide for them - clothing, a home, love, an education. Why should you need a licence to feed your child when everyone else can get away with no monitoring at all just because their children eat school dinners? Surely, that's extremely unfair. All parents should be trusted to feed their children, at least until such times as a concern is raised to the contrary. Isn't the presumption of innocence the basis of law in this country?<br />
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There are a few more points to note. The rationale for this scheme is that councils have a duty to identify those children who are not receiving a lunch at all. Apparently, it would be much easier for them to compel parents by law to register their packed lunch provision than it would be to write to all schools asking them to provide details of total children, total school dinners and total packed lunches. With the second approach, a simple sum could be used to determine if anybody is left out. And let's face it, it would be a huge failure on the part of schools if any children were unaccounted for! Seems so simple, doesn't it? I wonder why they don't go for that approach instead. But no. The first option of introducing legislation to force parents to register for a non-service is the bizarre solution they've come up with. Well, that's the rationale for the compulsory register. But what about the licensing? Sorry, totally stumped with that one. It must just be an attempt to control and monitor parents. Or possibly that the council (and the inspector) have more to gain if we invest in their school dinners. What else could it be?<br />
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Even those whose children do eat school dinners would want to hear about this injustice. Even they wouldn't support this government interference, would they? Can they be relied upon to stand shoulder to shoulder against the government alongside the lunch box brigade? It might be lunchboxes today, but tomorrow could find us being inspected to see if we love our kids enough, or if our house is the right temperature, or if our children's clothes are adequate. Will the mums and dads stand united to protect all our families from unwarranted state intrusion? I wonder...<br />
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Now, in case you're wondering what the hell this is all about, this is the basis for the Welsh problem, which is not an imaginary scenario, but a government proposed reality. It just doesn't happen to be about school lunches. Look out for part two.Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-24123884217736472262011-06-22T14:10:00.000+01:002012-08-05T23:56:45.072+01:00Seems I've been ranting elsewhere lately...I love a rant and a moan, me. But I haven't blogged for a while. I blame Facebook. When I rant there people rant back. Or sometimes agree. And it draws me in. Sometimes though, it's nice to just throw ideas into the wilderness and not have anyone notice. It's a bit like having the freedom to stand on top of a hill to shout at clouds. It's liberating. But since freedom seems to send me scurrying back to my box, I'll post something pointful (which is a word if I want it to be).<br />
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My other rants have been tamed into reasonably articulate newspaper articles. I am a bit of a Lefty, but that beats being a blowhole. I wrote the articles for <a href="http://www.themedwaybroadside.com/">The Medway Broadside</a>, an independent community newspaper written solely by volunteers.<br />
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The first was about the provision of analogue hearing aids. Or how some departments of the NHS were denying patients a choice about their treatment. You can read it <a href="http://www.themedwaybroadside.com/2010/11/28/nhsdeaftoyourneeds/">here</a>.<br />
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The second was about a brilliant up and coming artist called Daisy Parris and the exhibition she had back in February. She is currently exhibiting at the Deaf Cat Cafe in Rochester. Her work will be there until the 10th of July so make sure you get down there for a look. That article can be viewed <a href="http://www.themedwaybroadside.com/2011/01/29/onesideofthecoin/">here</a>.<br />
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The third, which I'd actually forgotten about in all the disappointment, was an article about the AV referendum. You can read that one <a href="http://www.themedwaybroadside.com/2011/05/04/yes-or-no-the-av-referendum/">here</a>, not that it matters any more.<br />
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The last article I wrote, which featured in the most recent print edition, was about youth clubs, cuts to youth services and the message it sends to our young people. But mostly, it was about how one community sought to help the local kids rather than demonise them. You can read it <a href="http://www.themedwaybroadside.com/2011/05/10/if-you-build-it-they-will-come-the-good-intent-youth-club/">here</a>.<br />
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My photos keep turning up in unexpected places too, most recently inside the sleeve of the new Lupen Crook album, <a href="http://www.lupencrook.com/2011/06/20/waiting-for-the-post-man-out-now/">Waiting for the Post-Man</a>, which you must buy immediately as it's stark raving genius. If you don't want to take my word for it, there are a few reviews around. You could start with <a href="http://www.themedwaybroadside.com/2011/06/14/lupen-crook-waiting-for-the-postman/">this one</a> which is pretty thorough.<br />
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That is all.Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-23940965011830538462011-02-13T00:08:00.001+00:002012-08-05T23:57:51.109+01:00TwelveSaturday's child. Five days early. Seven pounds, nine ounces. Ten fingers, ten toes. Jet black hair. See what happens when you're fed on milk and kisses and given room to grow....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_iOQ0vKtPb8ekCLZTGZG_prtIgA6e1phYfL7bhKRii2zDxpkstToAqizAy0Qky6dctoKeK9zCwneh2wz7MOiaTjOrmMvTW_GTjxamrs4xrHpkEtqH90rGHpOpw_mDDV-3a4FPW1g9yfN/s1600/IMG_0089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_iOQ0vKtPb8ekCLZTGZG_prtIgA6e1phYfL7bhKRii2zDxpkstToAqizAy0Qky6dctoKeK9zCwneh2wz7MOiaTjOrmMvTW_GTjxamrs4xrHpkEtqH90rGHpOpw_mDDV-3a4FPW1g9yfN/s320/IMG_0089.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><br />
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One... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FfOJ0AAgTZhIi_q_-HgdMZHG-9qtsb-dcO77SYcjnF5omKFwvTdCUiwTOizFeW1eSa5k-lgZwmvVj4O107BX2bP78yuUJJierne_DQy8fis379pxg_Vx_CBfGRNCZJDmqnmJDo4nGGGa/s1600/IMG_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FfOJ0AAgTZhIi_q_-HgdMZHG-9qtsb-dcO77SYcjnF5omKFwvTdCUiwTOizFeW1eSa5k-lgZwmvVj4O107BX2bP78yuUJJierne_DQy8fis379pxg_Vx_CBfGRNCZJDmqnmJDo4nGGGa/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>Two...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4J9Cxo3ErA37NAtLig14893guK1I4uSHvabJ7f5spXnIzOt83z_4ZPzEdG6DGGsR_qoBE0ZNyX_At9xRCWcdBrUarmLL-DwHd5V9YL7N7CQ-jZVbJisInd8c08F9N3Q7tYNscaF1FQ9A/s1600/IMG_0031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4J9Cxo3ErA37NAtLig14893guK1I4uSHvabJ7f5spXnIzOt83z_4ZPzEdG6DGGsR_qoBE0ZNyX_At9xRCWcdBrUarmLL-DwHd5V9YL7N7CQ-jZVbJisInd8c08F9N3Q7tYNscaF1FQ9A/s320/IMG_0031.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br />
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Three...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvot0q5HEJYPd2aex7NgUCJcioD45PdUbUuDC0Tub5BIxaUo6PQT5KsslI4dTtACgbHKvGxFv4qElOSatkcCh2zcYny4qbplsqheVEO8v8CPt6Ihyphenhyphenuo0UIher9Us9u8odR0BghOKJnEuN/s1600/IMG_0045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvot0q5HEJYPd2aex7NgUCJcioD45PdUbUuDC0Tub5BIxaUo6PQT5KsslI4dTtACgbHKvGxFv4qElOSatkcCh2zcYny4qbplsqheVEO8v8CPt6Ihyphenhyphenuo0UIher9Us9u8odR0BghOKJnEuN/s320/IMG_0045.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><br />
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Four...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBwH-4SlA4WI5WXOLhxeEi8GiahAfDKkm5XzSnOZQw00TZyd4-uwix0m5qL6iKpGy5RCLyJ3QcBs7zky_JoD_zuYQyX6a9xMkrdtXBSKMpp_fmxuobNd3cmuUNpV-xDMq-N-DDZ2hZCtD/s1600/IMG_0065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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</a></div> Five...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSegDu0vf04ZwbSj5rLfhom9cZRIJMclV-hRfYCo5a7I94EVWwaj_u0cR-JsZ8_GaomUd_LIrd2_WYSYJMpsmE_UkrVEe1n0aFoNLxSPPcqpAH0Z88ydz-8dFuVL2agW2QqFrOq70Cx6gw/s1600/276208486_c96bff74ab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSegDu0vf04ZwbSj5rLfhom9cZRIJMclV-hRfYCo5a7I94EVWwaj_u0cR-JsZ8_GaomUd_LIrd2_WYSYJMpsmE_UkrVEe1n0aFoNLxSPPcqpAH0Z88ydz-8dFuVL2agW2QqFrOq70Cx6gw/s320/276208486_c96bff74ab.jpg" width="253" /></a></div> Six...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7CA7cWajFHuDrm-Y2Irs_CqDhr39dT2KY56UszCCJHCNnarW1ndChPvbd1WFXlGUTfmJiyhMIfUIi9fEVgDw-HKv69vrwqgnaEM7WblyKsUPlr9U80ipw2RAW8RZ_joynfKQJmrIscvq/s1600/276210446_dd528a583d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7CA7cWajFHuDrm-Y2Irs_CqDhr39dT2KY56UszCCJHCNnarW1ndChPvbd1WFXlGUTfmJiyhMIfUIi9fEVgDw-HKv69vrwqgnaEM7WblyKsUPlr9U80ipw2RAW8RZ_joynfKQJmrIscvq/s320/276210446_dd528a583d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Seven...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_c0HyooY-MwIhWvtn7NTRe7OvJF4Ku1BcHE_rC9zfW-bonP1NaH5PKpkPIJzTDmMXwBkr-X5j5AEPmwqDvymh26qBmT6rfEQbyZpinKI1QhUnMsLQ1IEyypUsp8_bUSd6zOUhIaiVpfV/s1600/276059302_674bcabd95.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_c0HyooY-MwIhWvtn7NTRe7OvJF4Ku1BcHE_rC9zfW-bonP1NaH5PKpkPIJzTDmMXwBkr-X5j5AEPmwqDvymh26qBmT6rfEQbyZpinKI1QhUnMsLQ1IEyypUsp8_bUSd6zOUhIaiVpfV/s320/276059302_674bcabd95.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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Eight...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmMfzo_zosTlii23-P2KbhInw7R6ZBqcXx6n3Eo_692ONEZfNJ-1tcsACXZGvsKTbu2mvXUCu_ExekP_xXY_K-9QEYMmRWSbGKqRULr9h0zLiLr3OvuP-8kInm4QULXEuBohNv2VXfT5E/s1600/1107939648_627d02ecb5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmMfzo_zosTlii23-P2KbhInw7R6ZBqcXx6n3Eo_692ONEZfNJ-1tcsACXZGvsKTbu2mvXUCu_ExekP_xXY_K-9QEYMmRWSbGKqRULr9h0zLiLr3OvuP-8kInm4QULXEuBohNv2VXfT5E/s320/1107939648_627d02ecb5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Nine...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFhIzGQbLStgzYddvBSZOh774NlkE4t0LSzxqv9rGqBZ8K3CDtNqpIKXyVzCV0PuZnxdeiwv6QWo5NagY7C2djxMl1un3pmjvTHHNlog6XRAPtbm5Z5_G3tH6fkm3gFxoAZyqcLSlaqFK/s1600/2406031186_21c7164355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFhIzGQbLStgzYddvBSZOh774NlkE4t0LSzxqv9rGqBZ8K3CDtNqpIKXyVzCV0PuZnxdeiwv6QWo5NagY7C2djxMl1un3pmjvTHHNlog6XRAPtbm5Z5_G3tH6fkm3gFxoAZyqcLSlaqFK/s320/2406031186_21c7164355.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Ten...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSGFrsfCT4bpbG3rGITqN1CsWKo0XgGYPDHcwY63jXvhLeblsa-b0gg34fhbqOf1XKZ-AYb54GqB3KtO012_h4RXhyumq_PipnmGUL8pXWqVFyFwl91PdaxL61V-6AoMc7ERCEDLqak8z/s1600/3998659431_18c12c1a16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSGFrsfCT4bpbG3rGITqN1CsWKo0XgGYPDHcwY63jXvhLeblsa-b0gg34fhbqOf1XKZ-AYb54GqB3KtO012_h4RXhyumq_PipnmGUL8pXWqVFyFwl91PdaxL61V-6AoMc7ERCEDLqak8z/s320/3998659431_18c12c1a16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Eleven...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vhMkg1sjcNkReDnAgY4NYMmGZ4BGMBP-2cDFHw19QCVpQ-Eq2TiCYJmt7gQmo5kpl9KPN2-WA4dLFXIFTStDOK4vmRAQ1swDaGuBsd_yAA_X7BsPip57_B5Bhb7hOiF5-wVJ_qTcg8um/s1600/P1180608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vhMkg1sjcNkReDnAgY4NYMmGZ4BGMBP-2cDFHw19QCVpQ-Eq2TiCYJmt7gQmo5kpl9KPN2-WA4dLFXIFTStDOK4vmRAQ1swDaGuBsd_yAA_X7BsPip57_B5Bhb7hOiF5-wVJ_qTcg8um/s320/P1180608.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2W56NGT09jJxkNZWjomMmkToUokekUJw41Y8tEDXUn7MwQ9HydwbZ0w9Xh5SuU23_-6PiLh1BuI-o1swRSUrLJ6l8VD_EshqF8YZ7Pzg8yiCiHKZDOBMi3lLxEjwVSqL_RBbH_lDsNK6/s1600/4648226822_785214d67e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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Happy Birthday to my baby. Twelve today.<br />
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Today will bring me sunshine because you are here xo<br />
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UPDATE: Twelve...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4voAF0QuvV08OaIBHTXD6KKVyWiGp9wNHQ90e-JoCSmTE_VxGVNNr9F_wtUiNajhODK9tgd8aee5V9rhE6b6m43EPCKOKgmdsyiFIlCsbENpnFJbHk2NeJjV2hCcvtwUo3ES8GzaiJl6d/s1600/270447_2242888597171_1396796056_32601404_1290328_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4voAF0QuvV08OaIBHTXD6KKVyWiGp9wNHQ90e-JoCSmTE_VxGVNNr9F_wtUiNajhODK9tgd8aee5V9rhE6b6m43EPCKOKgmdsyiFIlCsbENpnFJbHk2NeJjV2hCcvtwUo3ES8GzaiJl6d/s320/270447_2242888597171_1396796056_32601404_1290328_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-12496889406598684502010-11-03T00:56:00.000+00:002012-08-05T23:58:53.766+01:00Love and Hope<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today has been a tough one. I don't believe in gods. It seems almost beyond reason that I should. Why would any god create something so utterly beautiful if he meant to destroy it? No, I don't believe in gods. And so I don't have the comfort of unwavering faith to still me. I have instead an easily broken heart and a lump in my throat. I have tears, some spilled, some frozen, in waiting. I skitter about in the peripheral vision of a friend, helpless and horrified. I have hoped with all my might. I have lingered over photographs and sent my invitation, and if that doesn't do it, nothing will. I have sent thoughts and love into the wild. I have chewed my restless fingers and shaken my head in anger. I've been here before.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tonight I hope there is a god because I'll spend the night on my fucking knees praying. I will be all heart and silence. Any god who pulls off a miracle tonight, will have my conviction by morning.</span>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-79922184686280029942010-08-22T19:49:00.001+01:002012-08-06T00:00:34.569+01:00Medway City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW10osPtY8g4Wdaf6UIL0DTbBdWC1sTza3M1p2OU9ZMsIpZoeG7b_wVYymjd85CCQUVLJYeTUOFupUqOpwRMwXUQkrMlyhiMaZhEW3p-HSJ1yWmjJ6cKqvc0E8COj4jx1viwfLWYNoZB3/s1600/3875713671_9d975796d2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW10osPtY8g4Wdaf6UIL0DTbBdWC1sTza3M1p2OU9ZMsIpZoeG7b_wVYymjd85CCQUVLJYeTUOFupUqOpwRMwXUQkrMlyhiMaZhEW3p-HSJ1yWmjJ6cKqvc0E8COj4jx1viwfLWYNoZB3/s400/3875713671_9d975796d2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<i>I tumbled down the stairs, eager to find out what had just thudded onto my doormat. It sounded quite heavy. Surely it must be the weighty brochure I'd been expecting from Medway Council. A brochure which explained the benefits of city status should Medway enter its bid, and win, with a great big questionnaire at the back and lots of blank space for the much-valued residents to give their views. I peeked along the hallway, and there it was, on the doormat, its glossy front page sparkling in the sunlight. I flicked through it. Could I wait until I'd eaten to fill this in? No, I decided. I couldn't. It was just too exciting. I went in search of my favourite pen, a massive grin on my face. Just as I turned to the first page, I woke up.</i><br />
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Hmmmph. So not happy. I'd fallen asleep reading Medway Matters, a shameful Pravda-esque attempt to keep residents informed of the council's work. Somewhere between reading what young people had been told to think and wondering what percentage of Medway's residents were likely to have realised that it was a propaganda rag, my brain had shut down. On the plus side, the editor had said that Medway residents had already been consulted about city status, and that 68% were in favour of Medway's bid, which would've been nice had all Medway's residents had their say. But still, 400 people had a say, so that's not bad is it? So 272 people out of Medway's quarter of a million residents are in favour. And of course, there's Will Young. He backs the bid. So do Status Quo. Damn good of them really. And let's not forget The Saturdays. I mean, when 2012 comes around, and say Medway does get its city status, will anyone remember who the fuck The Saturdays are? I don't even know who they are, but they back the bid for my town to be turned into one fifth of a city, so I should be thankful, right? Well I'm not. Because I wasn't asked. I don't know a single person who was.<br />
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So, how would Medway Council prove that its bid is well supported if it doesn't consult its residents? Well, in the aforementioned propaganda rag, there is a bunting flag, which we are allowed to cut out and colour in, before sending it off to Gun Wharf. Isn't that nice?<br />
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There was me thinking the council was ignoring us all, but I was mistaken. The council is treating us like idiots.Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-11006446335129504302010-07-09T23:57:00.000+01:002012-08-06T00:01:08.851+01:00A Rainbow of Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitq2zFGs6lnQ9jaetmgYp06BQ2ugCx9qFA4x4HEI67RtR-IkQMc4kHRYMF8kE1POwb9UNYUOvQZcd01H9cNpnpYXo9oE2jP6p7IeD9xnIILGbK_lqITPfOUxJ6LYl1FwGovRrTO7quxPpT/s1600/3127357043_086a903d9a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitq2zFGs6lnQ9jaetmgYp06BQ2ugCx9qFA4x4HEI67RtR-IkQMc4kHRYMF8kE1POwb9UNYUOvQZcd01H9cNpnpYXo9oE2jP6p7IeD9xnIILGbK_lqITPfOUxJ6LYl1FwGovRrTO7quxPpT/s400/3127357043_086a903d9a.jpg" width="400" /><span id="goog_1837098799"></span><span id="goog_1837098800"></span></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZMlwnbEcRi-2INGO0_mjB7DaecjNFRAIqNoPRXAs2C7-dyWDGbYZGLt6xNUmVVPj0FVPhHwARsuwU8h_ys8Xrq4owhrq3IDC_IucqdrI0KSpLC5p0EAQA5vJ_Odzey2gDyW6nNBPxZfs/s1600/2617987999_379c4b5146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZMlwnbEcRi-2INGO0_mjB7DaecjNFRAIqNoPRXAs2C7-dyWDGbYZGLt6xNUmVVPj0FVPhHwARsuwU8h_ys8Xrq4owhrq3IDC_IucqdrI0KSpLC5p0EAQA5vJ_Odzey2gDyW6nNBPxZfs/s400/2617987999_379c4b5146.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-5977676952753537352010-06-20T18:03:00.000+01:002012-08-06T00:02:22.489+01:00Happy Father's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCsp9lJWy90L5wWudYw6l4OaUINzOqGJzgl3wnsSU95Q6Rr9y4vlfLNuRt8oP208DDRKuU8cB094ClZKHLopTQLykjKcpVE6x5adjLG-AY5BU15jk_P30028HcH-oOi0pue4lZ87tuzpa/s1600/dad-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCsp9lJWy90L5wWudYw6l4OaUINzOqGJzgl3wnsSU95Q6Rr9y4vlfLNuRt8oP208DDRKuU8cB094ClZKHLopTQLykjKcpVE6x5adjLG-AY5BU15jk_P30028HcH-oOi0pue4lZ87tuzpa/s320/dad-1.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><br />
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My Dad threw John McCririck out of his shop for taking bets in the corner.<br />
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My Dad threatened to set fire to a man in a wheelchair for being rude to a checkout girl.<br />
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My Dad told an extremist minister to fuck off for preaching racial hatred on his doorstep.<br />
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My Dad was better than Gene Hunt. Yeah, you heard me.<br />
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Miss you always, Dad xoSweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-31086333727049623982010-05-13T00:24:00.000+01:002012-08-06T00:03:50.088+01:00A Promise to a FriendI am a shameful lamb, letting out an indulgent noisy bleat before condemning myself to cry silently in the dark, with all the crushed hearts and battered souls. For this hole is not mine to fall into, this sickening grief not mine to claim, and if I could take away an ounce of pain and inflict it a thousand-fold upon myself, I would. And not complain. I'd smash it and beat it and melt it down, dilute it with tears and make it wish it had never been born.<br />
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Every year on your birthday, I won't light a candle for you, or bake you a cake. I'll make myself a findus crispy pancake sandwich and eat it in the dark, with ketchup, and a headlamp on so I can see my Hanjie puzzle. I'll bob about like an angler fish and I'll try to laugh. I really will, but I'll be missing you. My love goes with you always. Bleat over, and out.Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-4405231836621018882010-04-02T01:54:00.004+01:002012-08-06T00:06:35.219+01:00Goodbye 2000s #3Roughly one and a half per cent of all the photos I've ever published are of reflections. So, as I'm reflecting on the last decade, here are four of them. <br />
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<b>Rainy Reflections</b> Taken in June 2007, this is one of my most popular photos, having been viewed over 500 times. It's attracted 51 comments and 37 faves. <span style="font-size: 14px;">The following comment is taken from my old blog.</span><br />
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<blockquote><span style="font-size: 14px;">The day I took it was the day that I really got hooked on photography again. I was trying to explain to a friend how I felt when I took this photo. For some reason (perhaps it was the cider) I was unable to put this into words. But essentially, it is this; it was knowing that I alone had spotted these reflections in the pavement - amid the rushing crowd, I alone had stopped to stare in wonderment. It made me feel special - like I understood the world. It was showing us all something beautiful, but nobody had noticed. Just me. I couldn't find those words at the time, so I told my friend it was like catching a fairy.</span></blockquote><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Winter Walk</b> Taken in January 2008 on the lovely little Kodak that my son now uses, this one has only been viewed 74 times, but it's been faved 7 times, not a bad hit rate. And it did manage a respectable 9 comments. It was a particularly grey day. Most of the photos I took this day were immediately converted to black and white because that's how I saw them when I took them. I was seeing in black and white all that day, so much so that when confronted with all this glorious purple, my poor eyes popped out having almost forgotten what colour was. This is the shot that prompted the comment that I always make Chatham seem so interesting, and so it is, if you squint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Self Portrait with Stripy Legs</b> This one has only been viewed a pathetic 35 times. I can't even really explain why I like it so much. I wanted the reflected man to be in the middle of the left hand door panel, so I waited for him. Then the bugger started to run and I almost didn't catch him at all. Now I'm not saying he should have let the car hit him, but without the reflected running man this is just a daft self portrait with banana-striped legs. Still, I guess that would've been enough to keep me amused.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Shop Girl (Retail. Detail)</b> This is another one taken in June 2007. It was originally posted in colour and attracted 70 views and just one comment. I decided to post it in ever so slightly cross processed black and white a year and a half later to see what response it would get. I figured that since there was so much going on, so much to look at, a black and white conversion would allow the eye to concentrate on form and contrast. The newer version has been viewed just one more time than the colour version, although it's had half as much time to gather views. It has ten comments and five faves. Does this prove anything? Do people prefer black and white imagery? Do photographers prefer black and white imagery? Or is it just the photographers I know that prefer black and white imagery? It puts me in mind of that observation that nothing can be proven, something about one half of one sheep in Scotland being black, a philosophy joke. So what do we see? Modern life, mobiles phones, the boredom of retail, the stride of the woman on the left which implies she is wearing the bag in the shop window, consumerism, sale, sale, sale.</span><br />
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</span>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-3910581511007587642010-04-01T23:53:00.000+01:002012-08-06T00:10:55.400+01:00The cost of destroying heritage.At a meeting of Medway Council last year, Councillor Hubbard asked the Leader, Councillor Rodney Chambers, the following question:<br />
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<blockquote>"In the Assistant Director's (Housing and Corporate Services) letter of 5 May, she details the financial reasoning why the Council is committed to demolishing the Aveling and Porter building on the former Civic Centre site. There is little information given for the reasoning behind the figures: for example, ' to spend £70,000 to secure and underpin the old building and £65,000 to replace service supplies'. For the public record can the Leader set out in detail the reasons behind costings, and how they were formulated, which have been used to justify his Cabinet's decision to demolish the said building?"</blockquote><blockquote><br />
The Leader, Councillor Rodney Chambers explained that in the Assistant Director’s letter she outlined what the expected costs to the Council would be if the Aveling and Porter office building were retained. This included £70,000 to secure and underpin the building, £65,000 to replace service supplies and ongoing annual costs of up to £139,000.<br />
The £70,000 was to underpin the building at the point where it would be severed from the remainder of the Civic Centre building and would stabilise and waterproof the building.<br />
Services to the Aveling and Porter office building, such as electricity and water, were supplied through the Civic Centre building and would be severed if the building were demolished. Utility providers had estimated the costs of replacing these services to be approximately £65,000.<br />
On top of these one off costs would be up to £139,000 of annual costs which include £20,511 for rates, £10,800 for insurance, £5,000 for utilities, £7,000 for essential maintenance and up to £96,000 for security.<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow; color: black;">These figures do not include the backlog of repairs estimated to be £624,000</span> and other underpinning work which may have to be undertaken at a cost of £80,000. There would also be an additional cost if the building were later demolished of £200,000.<br />
The Leader stated that it is far from clear that the Council could get a return on this investment once the site is made ready for re-development. The value of the site had been considered and it was believed that, if the building were retained, the reduction in the value of the site would be approximately £850,000.<br />
He added that it was on the basis of these financial and safety implications and the view of English Heritage about the historic interest of the site, that the Council had decided it did not have the resources available to retain the building.</blockquote><br />
Well, that's all very nice, but what are we to make of the backlog of repairs? Does Medway Council routinely neglect the buildings it occupies? Can we expect the council to bulldoze Gun Wharf for a bit of prime riverside redevelopment money when that backlog of repair costs start building up again? Just something to think about.Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-32855055003612723402010-04-01T23:35:00.000+01:002012-08-06T00:12:14.897+01:00Triptych of Destruction: Aveling & Porter Building<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ddf5fliVVgEeIcNIaCnPwU09mKa0gHEVB6-1HX-XLPGuROBijYLvXt-WBl3Pvs8s8mWYmMXgWQ3OodWzvJczvRdkMSH3GSPqRINF_ppcB13hMI8YbxTC0unahp57I26aVTA-hpGyA4l_/s1600/4296691770_3a2600c083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ddf5fliVVgEeIcNIaCnPwU09mKa0gHEVB6-1HX-XLPGuROBijYLvXt-WBl3Pvs8s8mWYmMXgWQ3OodWzvJczvRdkMSH3GSPqRINF_ppcB13hMI8YbxTC0unahp57I26aVTA-hpGyA4l_/s320/4296691770_3a2600c083.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Medway painter Peter Reeds goes to the site of the Aveling & Porter building in Strood for a third time to record the unnecessary demolition of the building and bring something new and colourful to the situation. The time-lapse video can be viewed <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/10244961">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Medway Council and Medway Renaissance Bombers have chosen to demolish this beautiful building to create a car park. This has cost the tax payer £800,000. The building could have been saved for the same amount.<br />
<br />
Medway Renaissance Bombers' Robin Cooper is on record as saying that the building had "no purpose".<br />
<br />
One Medway photographer is on record as saying that Mr Cooper has "no imagination".<br />
<br />
If we tolerate this, then Sun Pier will be next.Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-15556250666018548872010-02-10T00:53:00.000+00:002012-08-06T00:20:17.551+01:00A Story In Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<br />
This is my town. Built of bricks and chewing gum stars.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLGt5q_iBtNPQv5M0np0sw-DsGgwa2TVIWSzLPYf2St3djKfLGBXwLig0eY9mZpCvGP_QVqicxbBsYSLQscPrZZA2CWrwiWbQ27zplMbAsfkYpZzqj6Yf2XSyJERWV1SjQ6IXmMDBg-2_/s1600-h/664809004_d86b01c640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLGt5q_iBtNPQv5M0np0sw-DsGgwa2TVIWSzLPYf2St3djKfLGBXwLig0eY9mZpCvGP_QVqicxbBsYSLQscPrZZA2CWrwiWbQ27zplMbAsfkYpZzqj6Yf2XSyJERWV1SjQ6IXmMDBg-2_/s400/664809004_d86b01c640.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The men without souls want to tear it down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJdGw5cspjGktF-0iy8MVDrRuFrIu2lm74nJcAICIdcBiCuFpiY0I-jsZMg5H_mvALAF_0pwI28UIiZwpUivVJ7-XHLcqw29CdheIeab9OCqlJXkqqlmPujRPDFiydVGhuUG6nzGcZ_wv/s1600-h/4344180569_14c42ff90b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJdGw5cspjGktF-0iy8MVDrRuFrIu2lm74nJcAICIdcBiCuFpiY0I-jsZMg5H_mvALAF_0pwI28UIiZwpUivVJ7-XHLcqw29CdheIeab9OCqlJXkqqlmPujRPDFiydVGhuUG6nzGcZ_wv/s400/4344180569_14c42ff90b.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We couldn't save the flyover, it cut the town in half apparently...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnVkTLaVryh3t6RAqOJ42NZPPRh_6r5rHZ53ga3ejdx3swXGJDVUSNxcYmdTthhjY7cY_SdKjIsIpnjwfGxjl0mgCiyBaKmXlS43Yv5kXozsSJfPRAABb2KSYWtd2hH4OLUT_8K3Kupzt/s1600-h/879380102_e041106c84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnVkTLaVryh3t6RAqOJ42NZPPRh_6r5rHZ53ga3ejdx3swXGJDVUSNxcYmdTthhjY7cY_SdKjIsIpnjwfGxjl0mgCiyBaKmXlS43Yv5kXozsSJfPRAABb2KSYWtd2hH4OLUT_8K3Kupzt/s400/879380102_e041106c84.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wonder where the council put all the junk it was storing underneath it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUj9V-kE-Fw15rlqiGBZNlq5T4mqzReCPA0InEu6eRT0SYj49RsgY0RX3yxRs27qXSrPF4r_Sgfrhqjgr5Pwg1WNCxMopGFLEzUEIe1roSlyDIs-0hy8s-o5FL88UrjGYPQorz58-R-Nr/s1600-h/2053372414_85bea5ddab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUj9V-kE-Fw15rlqiGBZNlq5T4mqzReCPA0InEu6eRT0SYj49RsgY0RX3yxRs27qXSrPF4r_Sgfrhqjgr5Pwg1WNCxMopGFLEzUEIe1roSlyDIs-0hy8s-o5FL88UrjGYPQorz58-R-Nr/s400/2053372414_85bea5ddab.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We couldn't save the theatre, too damp, too dangerous...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5FVtILidglJRdK_Hh4EFcw0CILZiPLmzWg6eCyTgrRMJ1V9p2YjXwC_D4PiLXUhrO_d04uj1-YdW03g3eW9AQbgMrEu0HocFtLfZR_mzp2HeSJFgVd_b7CBhCGuZIrEcmzub9DVAJ7Fg/s1600-h/3841258974_a69e50c21c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5FVtILidglJRdK_Hh4EFcw0CILZiPLmzWg6eCyTgrRMJ1V9p2YjXwC_D4PiLXUhrO_d04uj1-YdW03g3eW9AQbgMrEu0HocFtLfZR_mzp2HeSJFgVd_b7CBhCGuZIrEcmzub9DVAJ7Fg/s400/3841258974_a69e50c21c.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We couldn't save the Aveling & Porter building. What this town </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">needs is another car park, pay and display and pay and pay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhA2c5YW5d232-OOPSEMUNybhG-_HVso6GJlX3d4J5BwH5IvlzlY0X-N0zH8NnIQ3c7BajgggVNmH7qaftx3gOzUFK7EaOm-XxxwJ7REr3uFzbbDF70beCjsfTijS7X5XB1yv2wXLNKB7V/s1600-h/4296672038_1540c2255f(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhA2c5YW5d232-OOPSEMUNybhG-_HVso6GJlX3d4J5BwH5IvlzlY0X-N0zH8NnIQ3c7BajgggVNmH7qaftx3gOzUFK7EaOm-XxxwJ7REr3uFzbbDF70beCjsfTijS7X5XB1yv2wXLNKB7V/s400/4296672038_1540c2255f(2).jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And we couldn't save the trees. Park your buses here please.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3UsG80uTeBfQWddT8Nu2itF54CWZPGlBWzjWOn8t2ZwfupS6gPUb6mOPp09FYSpau0szSGrT63QLWT8idp0kEw8_YGSgmzeU1wTkWFoaVHp8sVMVEbCqqJMUPei_XIP_xpE1tk4dpQSr/s1600-h/3338611727_5d48dd318f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3UsG80uTeBfQWddT8Nu2itF54CWZPGlBWzjWOn8t2ZwfupS6gPUb6mOPp09FYSpau0szSGrT63QLWT8idp0kEw8_YGSgmzeU1wTkWFoaVHp8sVMVEbCqqJMUPei_XIP_xpE1tk4dpQSr/s400/3338611727_5d48dd318f.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This has gone. We can't have boats landing, not boats on a river, no,no, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">it'll have to go...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhAOF1mA3TdtTGw2dlR4GOqOWKguyIz6XGVxRWyJABESici-K0fvT1mMdK3ZRqgJ1FipCOGOQoNEv0RpIZ1wmB6oO1NYluCgjHlt78KCf1osjS2DDo-lRkix10va9ZX6IY3EHft2Ubxtj/s1600-h/556704578_bac6d36d8b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhAOF1mA3TdtTGw2dlR4GOqOWKguyIz6XGVxRWyJABESici-K0fvT1mMdK3ZRqgJ1FipCOGOQoNEv0RpIZ1wmB6oO1NYluCgjHlt78KCf1osjS2DDo-lRkix10va9ZX6IY3EHft2Ubxtj/s200/556704578_bac6d36d8b.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugFOuKipN5RctdCKswe-9IHaBfjbG43llZve9eSsfIUt1N2ehoEuzXGacBQLa4DC6oKc3HcEw64NczHbvTRo592p-CF6JUyr1iLu7CNlf8eEYD7xzj24yCQtW4mu1RATTJarWt6Nziijr/s1600-h/556704602_b4a254db37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugFOuKipN5RctdCKswe-9IHaBfjbG43llZve9eSsfIUt1N2ehoEuzXGacBQLa4DC6oKc3HcEw64NczHbvTRo592p-CF6JUyr1iLu7CNlf8eEYD7xzj24yCQtW4mu1RATTJarWt6Nziijr/s200/556704602_b4a254db37.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7-WJNG3P5WiVnGv3Onot0MRgay-NlMsYhsa75PhSF1WWfDDCzkxLArwAc_Mtg0ZpGsR-6T8GMcI8BMCA93VfwvKieGSpxjH8Zq9K-hBcgcuGqd7ZC7udoKdERuN_ructOlQBo8BY_sd_/s1600-h/558558723_54870e8f90.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7-WJNG3P5WiVnGv3Onot0MRgay-NlMsYhsa75PhSF1WWfDDCzkxLArwAc_Mtg0ZpGsR-6T8GMcI8BMCA93VfwvKieGSpxjH8Zq9K-hBcgcuGqd7ZC7udoKdERuN_ructOlQBo8BY_sd_/s400/558558723_54870e8f90.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And this will follow, declared a danger to the swans...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW5N-1FfFEQtmPi_D7tI9i8RVGYdF8FZUHC1BZgEdW6DTD-NxYXiRmmPoOHFVaZPpOKposfH8jLZJ21kJwtX_vtNxJwTkzFYo4Z0PphKyEERslwkLQlba78xpI4Uw0QYfrt_QKwqQEYQR/s1600-h/2460482008_d927a2b10a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW5N-1FfFEQtmPi_D7tI9i8RVGYdF8FZUHC1BZgEdW6DTD-NxYXiRmmPoOHFVaZPpOKposfH8jLZJ21kJwtX_vtNxJwTkzFYo4Z0PphKyEERslwkLQlba78xpI4Uw0QYfrt_QKwqQEYQR/s400/2460482008_d927a2b10a.jpg" width="360" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Piled high then bulldozed low to make way for 40% affordable...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuvEJW0LruMCYE9GQrd0tkMRf5892i-mPjEM48IKQ7JTbgpI2gfs060m5WtIV2sPCqeATEuN7IxG_YafTctg_rYR-I6Wx9Ng_hDXPW4LRwTgEkOxIwZ-ccvYkr_sDclsK7vr9TuTC7KOq/s1600-h/1908347548_d7fc659f7a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuvEJW0LruMCYE9GQrd0tkMRf5892i-mPjEM48IKQ7JTbgpI2gfs060m5WtIV2sPCqeATEuN7IxG_YafTctg_rYR-I6Wx9Ng_hDXPW4LRwTgEkOxIwZ-ccvYkr_sDclsK7vr9TuTC7KOq/s400/1908347548_d7fc659f7a.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and 60% unaffordable housing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPceucSaUcQ0e2EC_j51pMJTZAlJMGn8-GKRfNnRmENkitXOTSYmCzWlNjnlx98MerUowEUpArBmybNLcRsgW2UhWhdoHXiBaKt6OHYbC2ek1qtzilLmzEbgZWKyQTfr3NiCg8_ooKD41F/s1600-h/1907505223_a34f0153c6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPceucSaUcQ0e2EC_j51pMJTZAlJMGn8-GKRfNnRmENkitXOTSYmCzWlNjnlx98MerUowEUpArBmybNLcRsgW2UhWhdoHXiBaKt6OHYbC2ek1qtzilLmzEbgZWKyQTfr3NiCg8_ooKD41F/s400/1907505223_a34f0153c6.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Views obscured forever by the tall, the bad and the ugly...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBy2l_06UiBknRcNfSoP8xR2mXbVFoayFaIlTAKZJVg3hShHIxiPpQTQSWbrdFRN250-tYfzAjbvrVL2mO8SzwZ_eF-zftWy3WT_fckw3vJ9B_7UEq4nEDARQXMrx6q4Sswqn3zqF3RhyphenhyphenI/s1600-h/2617987999_379c4b5146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBy2l_06UiBknRcNfSoP8xR2mXbVFoayFaIlTAKZJVg3hShHIxiPpQTQSWbrdFRN250-tYfzAjbvrVL2mO8SzwZ_eF-zftWy3WT_fckw3vJ9B_7UEq4nEDARQXMrx6q4Sswqn3zqF3RhyphenhyphenI/s400/2617987999_379c4b5146.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Money to burn, our money to burn, burn the character of these towns,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">until all this...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDwP5iEG5cPRMV08mK7sbD6I4FgiDEjBlNyKUpTKRbl8OnvMTPdOlDV0k48Pv7IaXVfeUkQiNsNfKBD9Jn4CIbaCZee-EZDbyK08limp9HRYSfxVzO4T8Vb4dY2tquqkdqe6wGw3PQT0f/s1600-h/3876504814_be53af008e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDwP5iEG5cPRMV08mK7sbD6I4FgiDEjBlNyKUpTKRbl8OnvMTPdOlDV0k48Pv7IaXVfeUkQiNsNfKBD9Jn4CIbaCZee-EZDbyK08limp9HRYSfxVzO4T8Vb4dY2tquqkdqe6wGw3PQT0f/s400/3876504814_be53af008e.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">has gone...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DWim3QCGQjb2376b0xiV0qZggKJguxplKtQ4QUIPLEmnLxr9ogvtEbuj32r_q17C74aEF_3LCiZdFGdxLfrvlucDpi5rKNsc_myxjqdPURcmDwFUsVxkG48LyzQP-VBnYVDX4eeeqBwb/s1600-h/3875674801_4825ba9da2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DWim3QCGQjb2376b0xiV0qZggKJguxplKtQ4QUIPLEmnLxr9ogvtEbuj32r_q17C74aEF_3LCiZdFGdxLfrvlucDpi5rKNsc_myxjqdPURcmDwFUsVxkG48LyzQP-VBnYVDX4eeeqBwb/s400/3875674801_4825ba9da2.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and nothing can survive here...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkd-8d7_PhgmhjoKiqFJmkjBsKd2qGFe5_INOtUwZs4BLOUF2AQHXv_u3cFfXQrmJFyUkn3PtOYEMxiTV9veVQXwidCaRS9qeNJOkgj103lbtB-JTb7O78VSj9IP00A6zbg1ptEaD5KWL/s1600-h/3875675555_8063c9d20b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkd-8d7_PhgmhjoKiqFJmkjBsKd2qGFe5_INOtUwZs4BLOUF2AQHXv_u3cFfXQrmJFyUkn3PtOYEMxiTV9veVQXwidCaRS9qeNJOkgj103lbtB-JTb7O78VSj9IP00A6zbg1ptEaD5KWL/s200/3875675555_8063c9d20b.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQOwtbKSHPE6NwDs39PfMxviA2g-TKwEeATqtuSPCx1859rUjOl4u6puNKoQWB5zrWjXibDoGz5TtYc4d5KCMP_2D4m12e2pACtyXV1P7awAG_WNj_WEMS5kMjy3Cgfpmz_cyXp7QxzaZ/s1600-h/3876464870_4baf97f754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQOwtbKSHPE6NwDs39PfMxviA2g-TKwEeATqtuSPCx1859rUjOl4u6puNKoQWB5zrWjXibDoGz5TtYc4d5KCMP_2D4m12e2pACtyXV1P7awAG_WNj_WEMS5kMjy3Cgfpmz_cyXp7QxzaZ/s200/3876464870_4baf97f754.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">until infinity?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEiwF_TaO8vDkIZXFL5I3py_l_Q9J34C3dQGOJzmUYYGzOttorTwDsp9nsa653FmLBx2MqS9Yl5BvDBJEnzsVYFQ_9B2raGsjaQQds9gL1FAFYcnYTPmrln0UFsLNYjhZTCX3u3uXunXm/s1600-h/3876464226_329b36324f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEiwF_TaO8vDkIZXFL5I3py_l_Q9J34C3dQGOJzmUYYGzOttorTwDsp9nsa653FmLBx2MqS9Yl5BvDBJEnzsVYFQ_9B2raGsjaQQds9gL1FAFYcnYTPmrln0UFsLNYjhZTCX3u3uXunXm/s400/3876464226_329b36324f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Except for this...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPzxZXeS0qWg3g26JSj6c0LmSL7sh3sjX8vf25Sa1B7aSyD6eUVqdvHY0nUWl3PREt1IdlAbYngDEWmg2gaKBrtoU4mphCTPin3PPLLVVwA7MAh3GuoOTI1WHpfUi-Df3jjuaucrdXZxv/s1600-h/2210070019_4620d61106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPzxZXeS0qWg3g26JSj6c0LmSL7sh3sjX8vf25Sa1B7aSyD6eUVqdvHY0nUWl3PREt1IdlAbYngDEWmg2gaKBrtoU4mphCTPin3PPLLVVwA7MAh3GuoOTI1WHpfUi-Df3jjuaucrdXZxv/s400/2210070019_4620d61106.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hollow burgers for a ghost town. Would you like fries with that?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DjOTs4jEewGHj5TwzMZX9f-7g3rkYHB5veo5jfJz2P9ZaK4d2GYzd5cXqvhT-KD4fNi1cdooRV04CXXL3DF8TsUW6aEmpBmDE5WGe-Y5FC-6H8ISF27EcQ52MAqQq0Y9bkxc8uPqn-0a/s1600-h/2219882592_07547848da.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DjOTs4jEewGHj5TwzMZX9f-7g3rkYHB5veo5jfJz2P9ZaK4d2GYzd5cXqvhT-KD4fNi1cdooRV04CXXL3DF8TsUW6aEmpBmDE5WGe-Y5FC-6H8ISF27EcQ52MAqQq0Y9bkxc8uPqn-0a/s400/2219882592_07547848da.jpg" width="373" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And if all the world's a stage...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYZO4ddUnRxzjl0kWvm8WyHJNbaWK3Sk8ImC7l_2O0kcc5tflskFUBOEyJQvNEOooeYDirwrTuN_qe5nP8DwUknlj58jcgaEZInwH6gHRjn2T0Osi3o01uwAVY2UwIYUrhF2leDiA98Qu/s1600-h/1323793209_78b529b0dd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYZO4ddUnRxzjl0kWvm8WyHJNbaWK3Sk8ImC7l_2O0kcc5tflskFUBOEyJQvNEOooeYDirwrTuN_qe5nP8DwUknlj58jcgaEZInwH6gHRjn2T0Osi3o01uwAVY2UwIYUrhF2leDiA98Qu/s400/1323793209_78b529b0dd.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then the most beautiful prop must hold her place...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbfMJtoJKfZbNgA8d1ihlAHZRIn_OgTbkawX9niQlUrBwu-sx8cJQUCOEsQdAIwyDcLtcQjtQf32Y8Lw62VJ2KFzX3ehNr3bJ3TSi_36r8QJvZvNfeY6LKkjkdot2TdZfq-fSzR6NMJoZ/s1600-h/1907545846_fe6a26e8aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbfMJtoJKfZbNgA8d1ihlAHZRIn_OgTbkawX9niQlUrBwu-sx8cJQUCOEsQdAIwyDcLtcQjtQf32Y8Lw62VJ2KFzX3ehNr3bJ3TSi_36r8QJvZvNfeY6LKkjkdot2TdZfq-fSzR6NMJoZ/s400/1907545846_fe6a26e8aa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not be brought crashing to her knees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the players will pay for swapping their souls for bulging pockets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-5424605984146238742010-01-23T00:18:00.003+00:002010-01-23T18:45:20.700+00:00Goodbye 2000s #2More photos from the archives...<br />
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Slap Alice came along to the Aveling & Porter building for the demo yesterday. Afterwards, we went along to the Nag's Head where the ME1 album was playing. She slipped away before her song came on, but I stayed behind alone to listen. If you haven't downloaded the ME1 album yet, <a href="http://www.medwayeyes.co.uk/me1.html">do it now</a>. The 21 track album is FREE, but there is a button so you can donate to Oxjam and Amnesty International if you like. Slap Alice is playing at Poco Loco on 30th January.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">At Medway Eyes presents... Sounds of '67 - January 2009<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">At Medway Happenings - August 2008<br />
</div>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-8357455187601006162010-01-23T00:00:00.001+00:002010-01-23T00:00:46.209+00:00Legitimised Vandalism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvzVQn1vL1NnPS4C-yC86kJlDXfzg-GWjNPh752QGBIOfTo5qWo4kmkgHmTF1IG5oVtjhHrBYkzUPkZVtvzOZfdAe5icdvriQuh7aZuO6GFM_N1kMk_kCsPReO_DD3C46P9FGQAjhF70E/s1600-h/4296624918_e19f01aba0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvzVQn1vL1NnPS4C-yC86kJlDXfzg-GWjNPh752QGBIOfTo5qWo4kmkgHmTF1IG5oVtjhHrBYkzUPkZVtvzOZfdAe5icdvriQuh7aZuO6GFM_N1kMk_kCsPReO_DD3C46P9FGQAjhF70E/s320/4296624918_e19f01aba0.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Another George Bond building is being bulldozed, to make way for a car park - a charming view for visitors to Rochester Castle. At the Aveling & Porter demolition protest on Thursday, it was rightfully pointed out that if the average citizen did what the council are doing, they would be arrested. Medway Council seems to think it has the right to strip our towns of their heritage, to ignore our voices and violate its own code of conduct. The council seems to have forgotten that it does not own these towns, it is just a caretaker, yet is not taking any care at all. What will this mindless minder be passing on to the next generation? All that will be left is a clinically beautiful historic Rochester surrounded by rubble; the remnants of the council's destruction.<br />
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Criminals. Vandals. Liars. Thieves. Oh, and kerb crawlers. Medway Council. Serving You.Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-25186774984002943122010-01-22T23:23:00.003+00:002010-08-22T22:57:10.207+01:00Memories #1I've been scanning lots of old photographs recently. My nan is something of a hoarder, which has brought both delight and misery.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwWnE2dnsOzMj1MMMVFmlbiIBVjzN5Oojbwccc1_lZ1J-pW_fBmFQu1jd0E5uXoVfg31nHee0hWQoOg1-FR-irTjmCGBiLeTIKJrAQT_qTDJPwtBIC4OTy4t_G6xKDR31GlBPUWS3eyKn/s1600-h/4290983655_886a6ec2c6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwWnE2dnsOzMj1MMMVFmlbiIBVjzN5Oojbwccc1_lZ1J-pW_fBmFQu1jd0E5uXoVfg31nHee0hWQoOg1-FR-irTjmCGBiLeTIKJrAQT_qTDJPwtBIC4OTy4t_G6xKDR31GlBPUWS3eyKn/s400/4290983655_886a6ec2c6.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br />
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I found this letter with a postmark of 1957 when my dad was seven years old. I've left the spelling mistakes in because it's sweeter that way. I know that my dad broke his arm at around this age so I imagine he may have had to stay in hospital. Unfortunately, there's nobody left to ask. Dad is dead. Grandad is dead. Nan has dementia. It's hard to imagine that my dad was ever so vulnerable, that he was once the age of my own young son....<br />
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<div style="color: #444444;"><i>Dear mother and father<br />
Please buy me a model Air-craft or nelsen ship. I'm getting on all right. It is nise here but I'm still afraid. I wish I coude go home but I can't. hope you are well.<br />
Love from Sammy. </i></div>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-25624380686886321112010-01-14T22:25:00.001+00:002010-01-14T22:28:17.419+00:00Talking About Regeneration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPROhOXlEvPETPE9tl8GeYUAfljTBK_HWNMNNwlz-KEgtOiRlWsGHQ8Hidd8T-M7Dh-zpqFCADrvmXJO68UbQAhSrAzCGDNJmhUDIbthWdCdXJbXZs-e21AB8ondtFfbqPfhb3FiW3vzW/s1600-h/3876504814_be53af008e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPROhOXlEvPETPE9tl8GeYUAfljTBK_HWNMNNwlz-KEgtOiRlWsGHQ8Hidd8T-M7Dh-zpqFCADrvmXJO68UbQAhSrAzCGDNJmhUDIbthWdCdXJbXZs-e21AB8ondtFfbqPfhb3FiW3vzW/s400/3876504814_be53af008e_b.jpg" /></a><br />
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The demolition of the Aveling & Porter building began today.<br />
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Please read the <a href="http://medwayeyes.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/talking-about-regeneration/">Medway Eyes</a> blog<br />
and get angry enough to do something.Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-481965146554422762010-01-13T00:15:00.002+00:002010-01-13T00:18:15.925+00:00Goodbye 2000s #1All that faff over the new millenium and here we are, ten years later, saying goodbye to another decade. With a desire to put the last few years behind me and embrace whatever happens next, I've decided to share some of my favourite photos here. Some will make the cut because they are aesthetically pleasing, interestingly composed or beautifully executed (for me at least) and some will make the cut because my favourite people are in them.<br />
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This lot are all strangers, but still they are my favourites.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8vQdPrX69LcHF3E_DbmYPq0SVwtyBIrxV9macciqMQ-eRPlGaf1hY76xCdtxAtTEWyKbF3XUNwiTkPA6Jmjyo1x2Pk6rBiu240GhDkAttJ1A3DFztwRkOSU5Hi7kvka9Poexd97siTSt/s1600-h/2919376301_47df455fb0_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8vQdPrX69LcHF3E_DbmYPq0SVwtyBIrxV9macciqMQ-eRPlGaf1hY76xCdtxAtTEWyKbF3XUNwiTkPA6Jmjyo1x2Pk6rBiu240GhDkAttJ1A3DFztwRkOSU5Hi7kvka9Poexd97siTSt/s400/2919376301_47df455fb0_b.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Taken at Riverside Live '08. I was intrigued by her expression and body language. I have no idea who or what she was looking for and I still spend way too much time wondering about that. I wish that I'd asked her. She could have been waiting for a pizza or a lover, watching the skateboarders or the distant clouds, or simply trying to decide if she should have another drink. I'll never know, and she's probably forgotten. It'll be one of those tiny forgettable moments in her life, but will have me wondering for the rest of mine.<br />
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</div>Taken back in July 2007. The guy on the left insisted I take his photo as soon as he saw my camera. His friends kept walking, somewhat embarrassed by his flamboyant posing. I get a lot of people asking me to take their photos, especially when I'm out at gigs, and they always ask for a card or what website they'll be appearing on. There is an assumption that photos will be made available online, especially when people are captured out clubbing. It's a fairly new sort of an assumption, strange, interesting and slightly alarming. I found it refreshing and fascinating that this guy insisted on having his photo taken but showed absolutely no interest in seeing it. As he walked away, he said "Does my bum look big in this?" I made the mistake of looking. He laughed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSpRTQWHp3Q_4Uu7mMM_xHmWitWUGD42KqnSeFz827rqsKfZy8gGsEvtvvjKnvxz_YNmLPs29halRQgTYYPQwTGCdXeR4U5s4xtCmens70hjfz_IPNd72-SnT8BWs8vawJBFs0kJynPmn/s1600-h/2478229582_c9961db251_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSpRTQWHp3Q_4Uu7mMM_xHmWitWUGD42KqnSeFz827rqsKfZy8gGsEvtvvjKnvxz_YNmLPs29halRQgTYYPQwTGCdXeR4U5s4xtCmens70hjfz_IPNd72-SnT8BWs8vawJBFs0kJynPmn/s400/2478229582_c9961db251_b.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Taken at Sweeps Festival, Rochester, 2008. If this geezer was in a Guy Ritchie film, I'm sure we'd all be scared shitless, but he looks so at home in his pink glittery hat, with his lovely black handbag, giant teddy and dolphin balloon. This shot typifies that family man/gangster character which is so prevalent in those 'ard man films, not that I'm making any assumptions about this actual man - I'm sure he's very lovely, and he does look gorgeous in pink. I'd like to thank his family for abandoning him with all the fairground paraphernalia, an act which led to one of my favourite candid shots of 2008.<br />
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More coming soon...Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-71580277802597638062009-11-30T14:42:00.000+00:002013-09-06T00:46:18.543+01:00From the Mouths of Twats #3<div>
"We will also clamp down on the flood of ‘asylum seekers’, all of whom are either bogus or can find refuge much nearer their home countries." - Random Twat #3 (BNP)</div>
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Because when you're a refugee you want to flee to the country nearest the one you're escaping from. Why is it always a flood of asylum seekers? Why can't it be a bouquet of asylum seekers? </div>
Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-71298149520000412332009-11-30T12:33:00.000+00:002013-09-06T00:47:20.451+01:00Monaxle interviewed on BBC Radio Kent<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3UKCCxxO24iQ_nck8RLtHFTL1Kb1qY5rJRvRz9hGB4G0CyPU1hrzqFBN0tlNsdEcfIG3Jn6nO7mdoguXWN5YrVY3pBgc652hazkdj6J8ijPVF8PH4hTllDFntVWMMT7BjTWW22vR1DNX/s1600/3739688599_cef3ff9f6e+(1).jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409878747665604274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3UKCCxxO24iQ_nck8RLtHFTL1Kb1qY5rJRvRz9hGB4G0CyPU1hrzqFBN0tlNsdEcfIG3Jn6nO7mdoguXWN5YrVY3pBgc652hazkdj6J8ijPVF8PH4hTllDFntVWMMT7BjTWW22vR1DNX/s200/3739688599_cef3ff9f6e+(1).jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 167px;" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Monaxle was interviewed this morning on BBC Radio Kent about his arrest in Chatham High Street on July 8th 2009. He was arrested UNLAWFULLY under terrorism laws for having a camera/ being too tall/ obstructing a police officer/ acting suspiciously. The interview can be heard on <a href="http://monaxle.com/2009/11/30/arrest-interview-on-bbc-radio-kent/">his blog</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My comment referenced others which had just been made and was read out on air:</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Alex's experience is far from isolated. Amateur Photographer is a weekly magazine yet has a column dedicated to this issue, every single week.</span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm part of an artists collective called Medway Eyes which organised a photo walk back in August in response to Alex's arrest. During the photo walk, a security guard from Poundland asked us what we thought we were doing and that he had to worry about terrorism. So bizarre and quite unfounded attitudes towards terrorism in Kent extend beyond the police. With more people being given extra powers (or assuming them regardless); PCSOs, council representatives, bouncers, security guards we can expect more interference in our civil lives.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's not good enough to say if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear. It's not good enough to say, just tell them what they need to know - this will not lead to an easy life. Say no to these people. Stand up for your rights or they will be eroded, bit by bit.</span></div>
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</span>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-39903832195572580182009-11-30T12:20:00.000+00:002009-11-30T12:32:35.402+00:00From the Mouths of Twats #2<div>"Actually I believe the only justification for home school education is easy access to holidays outside term time - they do not give a toss about education only saving themselves a few quid - this at least is a plausible reason rather than the other bullshit which has been used to justify this activity!" - Random Twat #2</div><div><br /></div><div>So...</div><div><br /></div><div>cheap holidays, fair enough!</div><div><br /></div><div>But...</div><div><br /></div><div>shit schools on special measures</div><div>good academic schools with poor pastoral care</div><div>schools with good pastoral care but crappy academic record</div><div>unmotivated teachers</div><div>bullied children</div><div>unmet special needs</div><div>philosophical objections to institutionalising children</div><div>wanting to provide a broader learning experience than the national curriculum allows</div><div><br /></div><div>... that's all unjustifiable, irrelevant bullshit.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-23769509665296892552009-11-30T12:10:00.000+00:002012-05-20T19:13:47.705+01:00From the Mouths of Twats #1<div>
"Can you not see that learning how to behave in an institutional context is an acquired skill, one that is acquired slowly and surely over the years, and that children who are not used to institutional behaviour and have to learn it later will need to be carried by those who have already acquired the skill?" - Random Twat #1</div>
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Apparently, only children who have been to school can function in the "real world". Now, let's see, home educated kids do lots of things with their parents in the "fake world", shopping, banking, dealing with council twats, walks in the park, negotiating public transport, ordering food, posting letters, weighing up the badly informed arguments of the ignorant. All the while, school children are sitting quietly, in neat little rows, while a much older person is talking at them about prescribed subjects in the "real world". No, hang on...</div>
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<br /></div>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814912353579189024.post-24539197650675048852009-11-30T10:37:00.000+00:002009-11-30T15:49:53.274+00:00Every Child Matters. That's a good thing, isn't it?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenYu7Jawwdcz6-By7y-xaGm9evER5syIFmlQlot4RQrAHpojlrxBAoE8JfExA_I39VG91ZVFbVQiIJ4E1vgTpJ-eRFgdH19UnmVFEiae26KH3CbxMcNAhE_PfTl0Rdv74u9TeXcVMp0Z2/s1600/2210070019_4620d61106.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenYu7Jawwdcz6-By7y-xaGm9evER5syIFmlQlot4RQrAHpojlrxBAoE8JfExA_I39VG91ZVFbVQiIJ4E1vgTpJ-eRFgdH19UnmVFEiae26KH3CbxMcNAhE_PfTl0Rdv74u9TeXcVMp0Z2/s200/2210070019_4620d61106.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409853656610892722" /></a><br /><div>Things that could be justified if we fall for the Every Child Matters rhetoric...</div><div><br /></div><div>The Government's aim is for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>* Be Healthy</b></div><div>- monitoring in homes to make sure parents aren't smoking around their children</div><div>- monitoring in homes to make sure parents aren't drinking around their children</div><div>- monitoring in homes to make sure parents aren't taking drugs (apart from those we give them for free in chemists) around their children</div><div>- shopping receipts to be analysed for junk foods and sweets (implementation of shopping card so random spot checks of supermarket data can be made at any time)</div><div>- junk food outlets to refuse unaccompanied children under 16 (ID required)</div><div>- junk food outlets to monitor very regular customers with children - may refuse to serve habitual "users" and demand ID in order to pass personal details onto the authorities.</div><div>- fluffy menu of sports activities made available to children (for free) usually in out of town leisure centres that require a car or a decent transport service (which we'll get around to eventually) - loyalty cards in operation to determine who is a "service refuser"/bad parent</div><div><br /></div><div><b>* Stay Safe</b></div><div>- monitoring in homes of single parents</div><div>- monitoring in homes where single mums have boyfriends</div><div>- monitoring in homes where children are home educated</div><div>- monitoring all families during all school holidays</div><div>- "surgeries" for children who wish to speak to a "trustworthy adult" about their parents</div><div><br /></div><div><b>* Enjoy and Achieve</b></div><div>- questionnaires to all children to ensure they are enjoying their education</div><div>- questionnaires to all children to ensure they were consulted about all decisions made concerning their education and well-being</div><div>- questionnaires to all children asking if they are happy with their parents' parenting skills (with compulsory parenting classes for those parents falling short of their child's expectations)</div><div>- meet 50% into university target by any means (devaluing the degree means very little to the parents of children who are the first in their family to achieve such a qualification so we should get away with it)</div><div>- ensure all children get at least 5 GCSEs by any means (including, as is currently the case in further education, allowing the tutor to complete the work over the phone by putting helpful words into the students' mouths because failure is not an option when budgets depend on students passing courses)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>* Make a Positive Contribution</b></div><div>- provide jobs for the drones (improving lives for subsequent generations of children)</div><div>- allow the drones to mate (subsequent generations will be more pliable)</div><div>- ineffective citizens to be sterilised (Hitler did have <i>some</i> good ideas)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>* Achieve Economic Well-Being</b></div><div>- imposing intervention and pronouncing judgement on families without jobs (for the benefit of the children)</div><div>- sending social workers into homes of poor families to make them feel bad about themselves (this will surely lead to increased self-respect at which point they will magically go out and find a job)</div><div>- this, in turn, will lead children to believe that working increases self-worth and make them more pliable as future workers, even though they'll have no evidence of this because they won't actually see their parents any more since the jobs will typically be low paid and require greater working hours to make ends meet and afford child care costs (this might need more work)</div><div>- provide more jobs for the drones (improving lives of more subsequent generations)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Every Child Matters, my arse!</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>And because it's worth pointing out again...</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation." - Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;color:#333333;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Sweet Fannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15653369026746270492noreply@blogger.com0