Got my first pair of reading spectacles today. To mark my declining eye-power I've posted the only British comics character I can think of noted for his poor eye-sight: Colonel Blink, the Short Sighted Gink from Beezer Comic.

For three days there have been strong winds. These gales and a quick look through a 1962 copy of The Ladybird Book of the Weather made me want to draw this sketch-book strip.

Here's an illustration completed last week for Plan B magazine. The article is about an online poll called Jock'n'Roll where people can submit their favourite ten 7" singles by Scottish artists. The Associates are currently number one in the chart and usual suspects like Orange Juice and Belle & Sebastian are there also.

I'd be very surprised however if The Krankies crashed in with a bullet.

Favourite Shops No.1 - Parkin's Menswear, North Road, Durham City.

It goes without saying that multiple chain stores hold very little interest for the discerning shopper. The increasing sameness of every British high street is a depressing trend.

As you wander past ugly plastic fascias, shuffle through noisy, over-lit interiors and encounter robotic staff who've been brainwashed by cynical "Customer Care" training courses your senses are over-loaded and your heart sinks. Of course shop assistants have no say in the matter, but why must the simplest purchase be the target of a "Meal Deal" offer, a money-raking repair warranty or a "3 for the price of 2" multibuy? Because shopping has become a science in the eyes of marketing experts and both consumers and workers are sadly just numbers.

Finding long-established shops which defy fashion and miraculously survive is rare. It's a delight to come across an establishment like Parkin's Menswear here in Durham. Aside from the prices and concessions to colourful "casual shirts" most of the drab stock could come from the 1950's! Here you can buy caps, cardigans, ties, trilbys, braces and long-johns. They are piled high in the windows in a refreshingly un-stylish manner. The dingy interior is an Aladdin's Cave of nostalgia, stuffed with racks of tweed jackets, grey or beige slacks and waterproof macs. Wood and glass counters contain interlock underwear, socks and initialled handkerchiefs. Behind the counter is shelving for a huge range of old-fashioned hats and caps and there is a curtained fitting room for un-hurried trying on of trousers, suits or zipper anoraks. The two middle aged female staff in navy blue cardigans are un-pushy and polite and receipts are always hand-written.

Apparently most of Parkin's revenue comes by being sole stockists of local school uniforms. I suppose this explains how such an unusual anachronism stays in business. Apart from the odd pair of socks I don't buy much there myself but love to browse the racks while OAP customers praise the smartness of the antiquated togs. I would hate the place to close down.

These two photos were taken on a Saturday afternoon before Christmas and the drawing was part of a mock Parkin's advert/tribute which I included in Bagnall's Dailies #1.

Driving over the Pennines to Blackpool this afternoon - so Merry Christmas everybody!

King of the peoples
come and save man
whom you made from the dust of the earth.

While I'm being educational, did you know that before turkey the traditional Christmas meal in England was Pig's Head and Mustard? And did you know that mince pies in Victorian times were in fact filled with beef, and flavoured with spices? Of course today's sweet mince pies are fruit filled, but similar spices still remain....

The late northern club comedian Bobby Thompson included some sharply amusing memories of pit-village Christmas and New Year celebrations in his Little Waster routine. About seasonal hangovers he observed:"You're that dry you could sup ink...and your head's throbbing like a melodeon."

Quoting from the great man's Little Waster scripts doesn't give enough of the true flavour of Bobby's workshy, beer sozzled persona. Most of the magic was in his delivery and onstage demeanour: a short waiflike figure in flat cap and over-sized jumper, Woodbine cigarette permanently in left hand.

Bobby Thompson had two showbiz careers: his pre-1960s act which was curtailed by the disastrous TV series Wotcheor Geordie. Only a handful of viewers could understand his regional accent during that flop national TV series. As I've recorded in the above strip, Bobby hit hard times following his failure to crossover from regional comedy to a wider audience and could in later years only be found broke in betting shops or drunk and alone in seedy Newcastle pubs.

Veteran BBC Radio Newcastle DJ Frank Wappat claims he rescued Bobby Thompson's career by offering him unpaid comedy spots at his evangelical Byker Mission church nights. From these increasingly popular appearances Bobby's observations about debt, avoiding work and being hen-pecked hit a note of recognition and the second, more successful phase of Bobby's comic life began. He became one of the highest paid working men's club acts of the 70's & 8o's - a once thriving entertainment circuit which is now in decline. Not too much of Bobby Thompson's act remains: one DVD and a 3 Disc CD set, both of which are 100% recommended and most of which I can quote verbatim. His following is still active, every year Tyne-Tees TV runs ads for Bobby's DVD, but now his Woodbine is blacked out by some politically-correct editor. I've also seen posters locally for a Little Waster Tribute act, but not surprisingly have heard negative reports. Everyone round here knows there's only one Little Bobby.

Can't wait for your Turkey Dinner? Well, here's a Disappearing Phrase you might want to use when you fancy something more substantial than an Avocado Salad...

Not everyone can look forward to a Christmas holiday of lounging about on the couch supping Double Diamond and scoffing Cheese Footballs. Seasonal People like those above carry on working like stalwarts.

It's not too pessimistic to say that we've lost Christmas to consumerism. Even if you're a strict Carthusian with no possessions spending 12 hours a day in solitary prayer, market forces would somehow and someway weedle their increasingly subtle way into your consciousness and hey presto, suddenly you'll find yourself desiring a Sky subscription for your hermitage.

Neither is the commercialisation of the season a new thing. As post-war rationing gradually relaxed we British became nearly as eager to consume and spend as our American cousins. Yet coming across this ravishing 1955 Fortnum & Mason Christmas brochure is the revelation of an infinitely more graceful way to peruse the purchasing of goods than flicking through 2006's blinkin' Argos Catalogue.

The primary reason is Edward Bawden. Yes, we're back to the Saffron Walden sage once again. Fortnum & Mason commissioned Bawden not only to paint the exquisite cover but to contribute the beautiful woodcut style spot illustrations you can see above. Bet those who could afford Fortnum & Mason prices had an absolutely spiffing 1955 Christmas....

Most desirable Christmas gift this year by far - the 1939 facsimile edition of the first Broons Annual.

Launched in 1936 in Scotland's Sunday Post newspaper, The Broons is still one of Britain's most popular children's comics. The regular annual still sells over 100,000 copies. An original of the first annual will set you back £5,390 (2003 auction price.) The facsimile reprint costs only about £13.

I must admit I only discovered Dudley Watkin's great Broons stories when I moved to North-East England (not too far from the Scottish borders I suppose.) Being able to buy The Sunday Post from all local newsagents, I instantly fell in love with this lovable and skilfully characterised family strip - my favourite Broon being the portly daughter Daphne.

However, much as I'd like too, I still haven't found the right opportunity to use Broon's phrases like "Jings" and "Crivvens" in everyday conversation....

Here we are once again in the season of Advent, hurtling toward Christmas. In the church calendar this day is dedicated to good St. Nicholas, otherwise known as Father Christmas or Santa.

But did you know Saint Nick once had a diabolical travelling companion?

This seasonal posting first takes us back to November when I uploaded my Prague holiday photos, in particular the above snap of what I thought were figures of the Devil and St. Nicholas on display side by side in Prague's Toy Museum. At the time I couldn't guess why the two should be associated....

Thanks to an email from Comics Comics magazine cover star and ace cartoonist Pshaw, I now know who the devilish figure from Eastern European legend is. "That's Krampus! He's my favourite Christmas character" Pshaw wrote. He explained further: "Over the centuries, the legend of the good St.Nicholas grew. As a friend of all children he would give them special gifts and food. In the past he rewarded only their good behaviour because he travelled with a cloven-hoofed demon who knew who had been bad. Stories vary, but typically Krampus was a dark, shaggy monster with horns, a tail and a long red tongue who rattled iron chains! St.Nicholas would arrive with a full sack of toys and Krampus brought an empty basket to carry away boys and girls for punishment."

Phew, personally I think it's only fair that kids should be deprived of their Playstation gifts if they've been wicked...don't you?

Two Disappearing Phrases for the price of one. You'll notice the factory setting - I chose this drawing to keep the week's industrial theme going for a little longer...

More old style Industry. This comic strip recalls the humiliating pranks that first-day factory workers would have inflicted on them by their experienced elders. Other joke tasks included being sent to the Parts Department and instructed to ask for "a long stand". This, of course, resulted in the innocent apprentice being left to wait for at least half an hour. Once these "rites of passage" had been endured (as the smug sociologist character in the last panel comments) the new worker was accepted as another one of the lads/lasses.

Comics as documentation?

About two years ago I drew this Industrial Estate page after discovering some unusually old fashioned buildings tucked behind some more modern local manufacturing units. These half empty brick structures really did deserve the title Industrial Estate, definitely not a Business Park or an Enterprise Zone. I could almost see ghosts of cig-smoking men in boiler suits and noisy machinery in use through the dusty windows. Sensing their inevitable demolition I took some digital photos of the buildings and then drew the silent comic strip. The above photo is how the site looks now. Even the modern factory units have gone. Next year there will be retail outlets built here and the promise of several fast food restaurants.

Want to see my holiday snaps?

The activity of blogging seems to appeal to the self-indulgent so I may as well go the whole hog and post some of my Prague holiday photos. Prague is certainly a beautiful city and there are hardly any buildings (in the old town) which could be described as ordinary. The display of devils and Santa figurines is from the city's excellent Toy Museum and the religious graphic above comes from a carrier bag bought in the Museum shop of the church of Our Lady Victorious. The famous Holy Infant effigy is housed in this interesting Carmelite church - no photographs were permitted but I'll treasure the memory of seeing the little tyke in all his baroque finery.

This still from Paul Wegener's 1920 silent movie Der Golem is posted today not because it is Halloween. The reason is because I'm going on holiday tomorrow to the city where the legend of Rabbi Loew's Golem originates: Prague. Looking forward to seeing a bit of Eastern Europe and also the miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague.

When I was at Art School Kenneth Rowntree was the Professor of Painting. He was a bluff and jolly old bloke with trade mark round horn-rims and pipe, but what few sightings I had of his art made me sneer at what I thought was very provincial, middle-class and irrrelevant art.

Needless to say I've now changed my opinion and it's with some shame that I only recently learned Rowntree died in 1997. I also discovered an Edward Bawden connection. From 1941 to 1947 Kenneth Rowntree lived in Great Bardfield near Saffron Walden, Essex. This was very near to Bawden's home and he became part of the Bawden's circle of artist friends. During this time Rowntree was employed on the Recording Britain Project - a scheme devised to make a pictorial record of Britain before the anticipated destruction of World War 2.

The first of these three Kenneth Rowntree paintings comes from this wartime period and is titled View Through A Window (1944.) The next two are both from 1953 and are titled Last Minute Decorations and Country Celebrations.

My giddy aunt! Here is another beautiful Edward Bawden drawing sent to me today by Marc Baines. I doff my trilby to you, Marc...

Post War British art, I just can't get enough of it. Here's another illustration by the wonderful Edward Bawden from a 1949 book: Flower of Cities - A Book of London. This is co-incidentally another collaboration by Bawden and John Betjeman, illustrating Betjeman's words about the long demolished neo-classical Euston Arch.