A BUMPER BUNCH OF GREAT CARTOONS TO CELEBRATE 10-YEAR LANDMARK

The New Year will mark the tenth anniversary of my retirement and the launch of my new life as a fund-raiser for Cancer Research UK. Through my local nostalgia limited edition books and, latterly, my paintings, I have so far raised around £25,000 for the charity. 

 

To celebrate, during 2024 I will be reproducing extracts on my blog from Reflections, the book that began it all. This was a collection of my namesake columns in the Falmouth Packet accompanied by original cartoons created by my lifelong buddy BRIAN THOMAS. 

 

Brian originally worked at Falmouth Library and the Packet before emigrating to Devon to further his journalistic career. 

 

For Reflections, bless his cotton socks, he readily agreed to come up with nearly 50 bespoke cartoons.  

 

Keep an eye out for all of them at regular intervals on this blog. As a taster, here’s one of my all-time favourites, with the original Packet column following below.

(Click on image to enlarge)

  

 

Oy! You could at least be trying to put it OUT!

 

 

BEATING THE FIREMEN TO THE FIRE

I see there’s a plan for North Yorkshire and Cornwall’s fire services to share control rooms at busy times.

This bizarre move throws up intriguing possibilities.  “Yer wot, luv?  Yer ‘ouse is burnin’ down where – Perranar-wotyersay?”

But it also makes me recall a time when life was so much simpler – when local knowledge was just about everything, and when Penryn’s firefighters had a little fan club.

I’m talking late 1950s, when this boy was already displaying promising news hound tendencies.  He discovered the Penryn fire siren, wailing away as it used to do up by Penryn train station.  

Yours Truly assembled a gang of fellow eight- and nine-year-olds who would swing into action whenever the town’s retained firemen were summoned to duty.

The gang would hurtle down St Gluvias Street.  The first to reach the fire station (sadly no more) on Commercial Road would climb onto the window ledge, peer inside and read the words being chalked onto the blackboard beside the permanent prefix “Fire At . . . “

I can still see Fireman Les Burge writing the location of the fire, as he took the details phoned through from Truro headquarters.

Les and most of his colleagues put up with us happily enough, but I can vividly recall a thunderous look of disapproval on the face of the local fire chief, the late Roy Curgenven, as he bemoaned our presence yet again.

Such dissuasion notwithstanding, there then followed another hectic sprint to the scene of the fire – with, just occasionally, the little blighters even arriving there first and waiting patiently for the fire engine to follow.

Ah well, at least we were getting exercise and witnessing drama for real.  Computer games belonged to the future.

That’s the end of that Packet column. So, in closing for now, here’s wishing you a very Happy New Year, along with special thanks to all of you who have bought my books or helped in any way with their creation.  

 

And extra-special thanks to:--

 

Nicky Garvin, who, as manageress of Cancer Research’s Falmouth shop, was hugely encouraging and supportive, and highly professional, in the promotion and sales of the books.

 

Jeanni Grant-Nelson – https://www.visual-awareness.com – the expert behind my paintings, a fantastic teacher and friend who has taught me so much about art.

 

And the Book Printing Company of Peterborough - https://www.bookprintinguk.com – printers of all my books, for their superb service throughout, every step of the way. 

ART SPOT

I wouldn’t normally paint the same dog twice, but Sandra Roskruge certainly knows how to take a good photo – especially of her collie-cross-poodle Raffi, often to be seen on Falmouth’s Gyllyngvase Beach (as featured here earlier this year) and along the seafront. Here he is, racing along the flats at low tide. Oh, how I envy his energy! Acrylic, 20 x 16ins. Teacher: Jeanni Grant-Nelson.

 

JUST FINISHED

Acrylic, 24 x 16ins. From a photo I took myself during a walk around Falmouth’s Pendennis Headland in the summer. I initially regarded it as too difficult when Patricia Brenchley said “go on, paint it.” Then I had second thoughts and decided to “give it a go,” as an artist whose name I forget used to say on a TV series long ago.  So thank you, Trish, and credit as always to my teacher, Jeanni Grant-Nelson

RESULT!

Delighted to confirm that Mark “Rappo” Rapsey’s autobiography book launch last Saturday - the culmination of 18 months’ working together and featured here several times - was a big success. Together with other incoming orders, we have now made a first-stage donation of £1,350 to Cancer Research UK. The project is entirely in aid of the charity and a reprint has been ordered. 

TIME FOR A CHANGE

For various reasons, I have decided to scale back my blog activity, with less frequent but often longer posts . . . to be that little bit more blog-ish, you might say. That’s the plan, anyway.  We’ll see how it pans out.

With a beautiful little grandson now on the scene, and a wish to spend more time on my art, which I have neglected of late, I am frankly feeling the “pressure” a bit – when now, of all periods in my life, my family tell me I should be relaxing that much more in my retirement!

 

The blog difference may not be too noticeable for a little while, as I have a number of stockpiled items awaiting publication.

 

In the meantime, a big thank-you to each and every one of you who have offered so much support and encouragement over these last eight years of blogging.

 

It’s been a particular pleasure to hear from readers who are either scattered all over the world and/or have personally related to my nostalgic trips Down Memory Lane, in Cornwall and especially my home territory of Falmouth-Penryn.

 

But NB: I am not stopping, just changing!

 

And I will continue to flag up my posts on social media in the usual way as and when they are published. 

MORNING GLORY

Evidence just in strongly suggests that at least one reader has taken me to heart over my recent Good Morning moan (“In Passing . . . “, 26 December).

 

First of all, it was a joy just to start the day by walking around Pendennis Point and Falmouth seafront with no threat of rain for once. What freedom, not to have to tog up in my waterproofs.

 

The still bay and the lights glinting on half a dozen ships, with the sun yet to rise, made for a peaceful, soothing sight.

 

Several total strangers wished me Happy New Year, but what really took the biscuit was the exchange with one of my fellow regular Point walkers.

 

I don’t know him by name and we don’t actually chat, but we always exchange Good Morning greetings. His is normally a low-key affair, though.  He’s not exactly a grunter, just four or five out of ten on the Loud And Clear scale.

 

But what a difference this morning! Ye Gods, his Good Morning was all but OFF the scale.

 

Almost rendered me temporarily deaf in at least one ear, I tell you.

 

So that’s what I call a result!

 

Or maybe, who knows, it was just the tail end of festive cheer, and (big aaw) the guy has never heard of my blog.  

 

Next time I see him will be the test. Will I need my earmuffs? I’m hoping I will . . .  

WHAT A HOOT, EH!

A big thank-you (not) to the drunken twerp who simply could not stop sounding his ship’s hooter, with occasional variations on the standard theme, for fully half an hour or more after midnight last night.

But I did get to sleep eventually.

 

And it also set me thinking . . .  

A quick count this morning showed just the one RFA alongside and a couple of merchantmen in the dry docks.

 

Just imagine what it must have been like back in the post-war boom years of the early to mid- ‘50s, when it was the rule rather than the exception to have upwards of 20, repeat 20, ships in the yard at any one time, and with all creating a grand cacophony to usher in every New Year in great style.

 

And perhaps with none of them carrying on for half an hour or so!