PHIL MAXWELL

The Importance Of Books

December 16, 2016

In recent years over 14 million books have been withdrawn from libraries in the UK.

A boy in Bangladesh with his school books, Sylhet 1993

Colin O’Brien at the launch of his book ‘London Life’ in 2015

A woman looking through second hand books, Sclater street market 2008

A woman looking through second hand books, Sclater Street market, London 2008

A man looking through second hand books in Cheshire Street, London 1984

Young man outside a book shop in Dhaka, Bangladesh 2008

Second hand clothes and books. Cheshire Street, London 1984

Whitechapel Library is now a fashionable restaurant. The books were thrown into a skip when the library closed.

This year the BBC compiled data from 207 local authorities responsible for running libraries through the Freedom of Information Act. Their analysis showed:

Some 343 libraries closed. Of those, 132 were mobile services, while 207 were based in buildings (and there were four others, such as home delivery services)
The number of closures in England is higher than the government’s official estimate of 110 buildings shut
A further 111 closures are planned this year
The number of paid staff in libraries fell from 31,977 in 2010 to 24,044 now, a drop of 7,933 (25%) for the 182 library authorities that provided comparable data
A further 174 libraries have been transferred to community groups, while 50 have been handed to external organisations to run. In some areas, such as Lincolnshire and Surrey, the move has led to legal challenges and protests from residents.

Reading. London 1998 (Bishopsgate Collection)

Reading a book on the underground. London 1998 (Bishopsgate Collection)

A man looking through second hand books in Sclater Street, 2009

A man looking through second hand books in Sclater Street, London 2009

Demonstration against education cuts, c. 1988

Families struggle with the costs of schooling: school dinners, school trips, books, equipment, uniforms and shoes. East London 1980s

Collage From Photographs (5)

December 15, 2016

Here are some recent collages from photographs. To see more type ‘collage’ into the search engine on the blog.

Bangladesh & London with ink 2016

Published photograph on calendar with acrylic , ink & oil pastel 2016

Published photographs in book with ink 2016

Bangladesh & London with acrylic 2016

East London photographs with ink & oil pastel 2016

Published photographs from calendar & book 2016

Photograph of Liverpool with acrylic on yellow & white card 2016

East London photographs with ink & pencil 2016

East London photographs with ink 2016

Photographs from Liverpool & East London with ink 2016

You can support a feature length film I’m helping to make here: ‘Austerity Fight’

On this day in 1984 Arthur Scargill, the mine workers’ president was fined £250 and ordered to pay £750 in costs following his arrest outside Orgreave Coal Works, near Sheffield, Yorkshire. Mr Scargill was arrested as he led about 80 pickets to the plant on the fifth consecutive day of the strike action by miners in protest over Thatchers pit closures. The defence argued in court that any suggestions of manhandling during his arrest, were a lie and that the arrest was “brazen, almost brutal”. It was argued police had taken action as part of a preconceived strategy to remove the miners’ leader from the scene “almost at any cost.” Mr Scargill was told by magistrates his “actions demonstrated a very poor example for those he sought to lead”. Speaking to reporters outside the court he said: “On the grounds that we presented to the court there was only one judgement which should have been given and that was not guilty.” He said the verdict was not surprising and reflected a prevailing attitude from authorities against the miners. “I anticipated the same kind of anti-working class judgement that has been the order of the day throughout this mining industrial dispute.”

The Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign includes ex-miners, Trades Unionists, activists and others who are determined to get justice for miners who were victims of police lies and cover ups at Orgreave in June 1984. In the Light of the Home Secretary’s shocking decision in October not to grant an inquiry into “The Battle of Orgreave” the OTJC are planning their “biggest and noisiest demonstration to date.” They have chosen Monday March 13th at 2pm (Demo 2pm to 4pm) to Demonstrate at the Home office, Unit 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF.

Arthur Scargill, Labour Party Conference, c. 1984

Arthur Scargill, Labour Party Conference, 1984

Posters supporting the miners. Brick Lane Bridge 1984

Posters supporting the miners. Brick Lane Bridge, London 1984

Women in support of the miners, London c. 1984

Women in support of the miners, London 1984

East London women in support of the miners, Kent c. 1984

East London women in support of the miners, Kent 1984

East London meeting in support of the miners, c. 1984

East London meeting in support of the miners, York Hall 1984

NUM banner 1984

Poll Tax Demo with Yorkshire Miners banner, Trafalgar Square 1990

Kiveton Park (on Strike), 1984

Dog supporting the Miners on strike, 1980's

Dog supporting the Miners on strike, London 1984

Albert Bownes, Striking Miner, Kiveton Park, c. 1984

Striking Miner, Kiveton Park, 1984

Arthur Scargill. Labour Party Conference 1984

Paul Winter (left) and John Dunn of the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign speaking in Liverpool, 2016

You can support a feature length film I’m helping to make here: ‘Austerity Fight’

Rivers & Canals

December 13, 2016

“Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time? That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future.” – Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha.