My Beachside Office

Poldhu Café, Cornwall,  a place of inspiration and good coffee. This is my beachside office, where I gathered the inspiration for my novel Mr de Sousa's Legacy.

David Bowie is............a bit of a disappointment really.

I've just come back from London and amongst other things I went to see the the David Bowie is Exhibition at the V&A and was very disappointed.

 

The first thing I saw was his famous Tokyo top bodysuit, which measured about a metre across and I thought, ‘I’m in for a treat here’.

 

Oh how wrong could I be? The design of the exhibition felt quite bewildering. The first thing I came across was an installation of oranges, and a film of the artists Gilbert and George! The room was packed to the gunwales with people all queuing to look at, well, not a lot actually. I stood in the queue to take a peep into a couple of spy holes in a heavy wooden door, only to see, an artist studio in one and a Buddha in the other.  Feeling very claustrophobic and hot I decided not to continue queuing with the hordes and make my own way around the exhibition, nipping in and out of openings only to find the odd film about the Moon landings which had some reference to Major Tom, but whether it was because I couldn’t see some of the exhibits properly through the mountain of people I just felt, some of it didn’t seem to have any reference to David Bowie.  After being in there 15 minutes the next hoards of people came into the room and the feeling of being hemmed in was quite unbearable.

As I turned a corner I found a few people flipping through his albums as though they were browsing in HMV and had an overwhelming feeling of boredom. Things brightened up a bit when I came across a few photo shoots of how he came to choose the cover photo on Aladdin Sane. There was also a tiny sketch that became the album cover for Diamond Dogs, and story-boards that took you through his thinking. There was also a crayon-drawn cover for the single of Ashes to Ashes which was exactly replicated in the finished product.

There were some of his costumes but not the kimono he wore at his last ‘Ziggy’ performance, which was a huge disappointment to me. This was and still is the most memorable costume he ever wore to me. I had headphones on and as I stepped near the exhibits Howard Goodall commentary faded in and out giving clipped versions of his life, but most of the time I couldn't get near enough to make the commentary kick in . His songs were played is tiny snippets and there was a whole wall of posters advertising things like Lionel Bart’s musical ‘Oliver’!?  and ‘Cabaret’ yes, I can see the connection there.

 

Half way through the exhibition things became a little ghoulish. Kansai Yamamoto's geometrical bodysuits, Alexander McQueen's distressed union flag frockcoat, and a ghastly pair of platform-heeled turquoise boots were modeled by a succession of white, blank-faced dummies that look like statues in a Greek temple, while Ziggy Stardust seemed to be laid to rest in a glazed coffin.

What I did like were the lyrics, there were loads of them, some written quite neatly but others scrawled or typed, as he apparently experimented with the William Burroughs ‘cut-up’ method. His lyrics, which were the highlight for me, were written on notepaper, graph paper, and scrap paper, with lots of crossings out and amendments.  To a Bowie fan like me, these pieces of paper are holy relics.

The exhibition was meant to take 90 minutes to go round, after 35 I had had enough, I know I missed a great deal due to the enormous amount of people in there, consequently, I came out feeling very deflated. 

I don’t know what I expected, but I know I didn’t get it.

Ann E Brockbank is the Author of Mr de Sousa's legacy, available to download from the Amazon Kindle Store.

 

My new novel Mr de Sousa's Legacy will be published on 5th July 2013

I am proud to announce my new novel will be available to download from Kindle
on Friday 5th July 2013.
If you like a good old Cornish based love story in a similar vein to Santa Montefiore or Rosamunde Pilcher, this may be something that appeals to you.
Let me take you on a journey, from Cornwall, to Tuscany, Yorkshire, to war torn Devon, Mr de Sousa’s Legacy spans the decades in an intense and epic love story…..a perfect summer read.

Kneehigh production of Tristan and Ysuelt at the Hall for Cornwall

I Had the great pleasure of seeing this production last night and would highly recommend you seeing it if possible. It was without doubt the most spectacular and moving piece of theatre I have ever witnessed. The theatre was electric from start to finish.   The cabaret-style setting was intimate; the acting was powerful, gloriously comical and heartbreakingly passionate. A more talented group of actor’s musician and singers would be had to find.  It had moments of heart-wrenching poignancy, which moved me to tears. The memory of this production will stay with me for a long time and thoroughly deserved the standing ovation it got at the end.

 

Ann E Brockbank Novelist : Gweek - The setting for my new novel Mr de Sousa's...

I just thought I would give you a little insight into the beautiful Helford...

Gweek

Gweek, Helford, Cornwall

The setting for my new novel

 

 

I just thought I would give you a little insight into the beautiful Helford river village of Gweek which gave me the inspiration to write my novel.

 

This is the view of the bridge in the middle of the village, as mentioned in the first chapter of Mr de Sousa's Legacy. Photo © Ann E Brockbank

 

Gweek is a village and civil parish in the Kerrier district of Cornwall, England

The name derives from the Cornish word wyk meaning creek.

 

This is a view of the river from the first bridge. Photo © Ann E Brockbank

 

This lovely village nestles at the upper reaches of the tidal limit of the Helford River which is a ‘drowned river valley system which was formed thousands of years ago when the land sank and the valleys were flooded by the sea. It is located on the soft side of the lizard (the most southerly point in England.)

 

The Helford River is one of the loveliest and most unspoilt rivers in Cornwall. Deep sheltered valleys covered in ancient oak woodlands, lead down to hidden creeks, century old villages and gardens and is far removed for the wild jagged cliffs and treeless heaths at the west of the peninsula

 

The Ancient Harbour of Gweek

The old port of Gweek is at the head of navigation of the tidal Helford River

History books show there was a port in Gweek as long ago as 450 BC when tin was traded with the Phoenician merchants from the eastern Mediterranean. The Romans named Gweek ‘Vicos’.  In Mediaeval times Gweek was the busiest harbour with its own Customs House, when Helston port ceased to be workable owing to the build up of shingle and silt at Loe Bar.

It was here in Gweek that the pilchard-fishery carried on extensively, with 200 boats being employed in bringing the fish, which were cured in the various creeks and coves within the limits of the port. In addition to the fishery, the chief trade consisted in the exportation of copper-ore, corn, and oysters, and the importation of limestone, timber and coal; the latter needed to run surrounding mines.

 

Now in the 21st century the river is still navigable at high tide through a small channel and is now mainly used for pleasure craft.

Gweek is once again a beautiful thriving bustling village where the village facilities are well supported, making it a busy community within a tranquil river village setting.

Gweek Quay Boatyard keeps the village live and vibrant and is a thriving workplace which houses several boatbuilding, repair and maintenance companies. The Boatyard also has facilities to overwinter some 250 yachts. The Old Custom House still stands within the Boat yard

 

View of the Old Custom House in Gweek Quay Boatyard Photo © Ann E Brockbank

 

 

The Black Swan Gweek

This is where is all begins.

 

 

 

 

 

Authors note: Mr de Sousa's Legacy is now available to download from the Amazon Kindle Store
and in paperback from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

Falmouth Art School Summer Festival

We had a great day out yesterday at Falmouth Art School Summer Festival, looking around their Graduating year Degree shows. I must say I was impressed at the some of the work there, defiantly a few artists to watch in the future. It’s on until the 14^th July if anyone wants to have a look.

24 May - 14 July
The Falmouth Summer Festival degree shows are a celebration of the outstanding creative work produced by Falmouth's talented graduating students. They now have University status, this year is especially significant for all involved, as the Class of 2013 are the first students to graduate from Falmouth University.
The 2013 festival is packed full of not to be missed events and exhibitions, starting with the Foundation Diploma in Art & Design End of Year Show on 24 May, and including the Fashion Show on 29 May at Falmouth Wharves, the Art & Illustration Shows from 15-19 June, and the Design Show from 15-21 June. The Pixelate film festival takes place on 20 and 21 June, and an extensive programme of choreography, music and theatre performances will be held at the world-class Performance Centre between 19 and 23 June.