Exhibition at Selsey Cricket Club

On June 8th, we spent a weekend in Selsey and attend the unveiling of a permanent 3D-art exhibition at Selsey Cricket club one of oldest cricket clubs in the country (celebrating its 180th anniversary this year). The piece, created by Arts Dream’s Meryl Penning commemorates the life of one of the club’s former Secretary, President and Life vice President Sir Patrick Moore. Apart from being a world-renowned astronomer, author and television personality Sir Patrick was an intrepid Cricketer and Meryl created this wonderful recreation of his study at “Farthings” (where many of the club’s committees were held over the years) in a corner of the Pavilion (now renamed the Sir Patrick Moore Pavilion) in his honour. The piece, complete with thatched roof and leaded windows contains photographs, memorabilia, and artwork from Patrick’s study and the attention to detail is amazing. Everyone that looked in through the glass would say, “oh look there is his….” Filling in the gap with something that they recalled seeing when they visited Farthings.
Each time we looked in we would noticed another familiar item, from his famous Woodstock typewriter to the tankards hanging from the beams. The shot glasses that lined the walls, his cuckoo clock and his mother’s paintings. Also amongst the memorabilia on the walls is one of my paintings, ‘Moon Base Farthings’ which I painted for Patrick back in 2011. A gift, thanking him for allowing Beth and myself to spend what was to be our last weekend at Farthings, and for the use of his garden as a backdrop for my proposal to Beth. Last time I spoke with Patrick he told me that the painting had “Pride of place” in his study so I was delighted to find that it now lives on at the cricket club in this magnificent display. (The artwork also featured on the back of the commemorative booklet made available on the day raising proceeds toward a new clubhouse for the club)
Following on from the unveiling we had a glorious day of brass band and sunshine before Selsey played against the Lashings All Stars competing for the Sir Patrick Moore Cup. We had a marvellous time and commend all involved.
Meryl's fantastic work can still be viewed at the club on the following dates:
10-4pm on Thursday /Friday through June and July.10-4pm every weekday through August.
I urge you to visit and see this magnificent piece for yourselves, and be sure to pick up a commemorative booklet too!

Wearing my Halley's Comet Society 2061 tie

© Arfon Jones 2014. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

RIP Rik Mayall/ Richard 'Richie' Richard (1958 –2014)

To be perfectly frank, 2014 has been a rubbish year for me as far childhood idols, mostly due to them dying on an unsettlingly regular basis. This is not an exaggeration I have actually found myself refraining from dedicating blog posts to each one for fear of these posts becoming monotonous. However I felt that I had to address the latest as it took me (and not to mention the nation) completely and utterly by surprise. Rik Mayall, star of The Young Ones and Bottom died on the 9th of June aged only 56, a ridiculous waste, and the loss of a unique talent that the world will never see the likes of again.
Best known as Rick in The Young Ones, Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman or Lord Flashheart in the Blackadder Rik Mayall’s television career started around the same time that I first became aware of television. He had piercing eyes a gurning face and a ‘dangerous’ persona that appealed to my snot joke loving, preteen sensibilities fuelled by his uncanny ability of appearing in programmes that didn’t appeal to my parents. Yet, despite this I was still able to catch his work on a regular basis if not the occasional episode of The Young Ones he would be reading George's Marvellous Medicine on Jackanory or the Grim fairy tales on Grim Tales leading up to the movie, Drop Dead Fred. Opinions of this movie have varied over the years, personally I loved it and watched it several times when it was released on video, the film not only delivered the before mentioned preteen sensibility requirements but also poignant moments of sentiment appropriately enough relating to growing up. I say appropriately because when I “grew up” a year later, crossing over to my teenage years, there was Rik again not only promoting Nintendo’s latest games but also in the guise of Richard "Richie" Richard in Bottom, perfectly paired with Adrian Edmondson as Edward "Eddie" Elizabeth Hitler. Bottom is one of my all time favourite comedy shows, there simply was nothing else like it. It not only appealed to those snot joke loving, preteen sensibilities that I refused to let go of but it also catered to my love of comedy slapstick and insane comedic scenarios. I have fond memories of staying over at my friend Marc’s house watching the tapes and endlessly laughing and quoting them at each other. As I became a student (harbouring aspirations of making animated superhero movies with Rik Mayall cast as the main villain) I would watch the Bottom Live videos. Sadly I missed out on attending their last live tour but having finally attended a Red Dwarf episode recording back in 2012-I thought another ambition would soon be realised when it was rumoured that Mayall and Edmondson would be reuniting for a Bottom spin-off. I was fired up and ready to snag front row tickets but alas it was not to be, it seems that the project was cancelled prior to production. Although disappointed at this outcome, I believed that it would only be a matter of time before they tried again and that all we had to do was wait a little longer, sadly we must now accept that it will NEVER happen, a truly sad prospect.
Rik Mayall, Bigger than Hitler - Better than Christ will be missed by all but never replaced.

© Arfon Jones 2014. All images are copyrighted throughout the world. Although I should imagine that the above image belongs to the BBC, no copyright infringement intended.

Operation Bath Duck Update: Scout Duck 002

Firstly, regular visitors to this site will have noticed some changes to the layout, one of them being that Operation Bath Duck now has its own page. As a fair amount of time can elapse between Scout Ducks reporting back I thought it best to file them in their own individual page. By separating them from other projects, news and mitherings I hope to make it easier for casual duck related browsing.
All reports can be found under ‘ducks’ located at the top of the page.
Secondly… Scout Duck: 002 reported in from Brunel University, Uxbridge and in the care of inventor Professor Heinz Wolff! Known for his passion for science and practical jokes Professor Heinz Wolff has a tremendous gift for inventing and encouraging others to learn. He is fondly remembered in the United Kingdom for presenting shows such as The Great Egg Race, Young Scientists of the Year and Great Experiments Which Changed the World but he holds numerous other achievements! He qualified in physiology and physics in 1954. Subsequently, whilst with the medical research council, he chose to work on the interface between engineering and the biological sciences, calling himself a bioengineer, thus giving a name to the new discipline. He became head of the divisions of bioengineering at the national institute for medical research and subsequently at the clinical research centre. He was made an honorary member of the European Space Agency in 1975, for which he was chair for the Advisory committee looking at the uses of micro-gravity for scientific research. He was also scientific director and co-founder of Project Juno, the private British-Soviet joint venture that sent Helen Sharman to the Mir space station, which saw Helen Sharman become Britain's first astronaut in 1991. In 1992 he was recipient of the Edinburgh medal, awarded in recognition of an outstanding contribution by a scientist to society.

He founded The Brunel Institute for Bioengineering (BIB) in 1983 a multidisciplinary innovative research and development organisation, which is now closely aligned to the School of Engineering and Design. The Institute has developed from a renowned space research facility into an organisation with a multi-purpose Laboratory, which the Professor retains, devoted to his research projects. Over the years they have developed instruments used for biological research in the weightless environment of orbiting spacecraft and Tools for Living, i.e. the use of technology of all kinds to improve the quality of life of elderly people. In one instance the conversion of three-wheel BMW bubble car to run on electricity as a prototype for a new mode of transport for older people.
Having long admired the Professor’s work and achievements over the years I was delighted to see how Scout Duck 002 was getting on. I thank the Professor and Maura Donnelly for their time and kindness in helping with this project. It’s good to know that Scout Duck: 002 is in safe hands!

Information courtesy of the Brunel University website.
For a detailed account of the project please read 'Operation Bath Duck'
© Arfon Jones 2014. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

Wales Comic Con 2014

This Sunday I will be attending Wales Comic Con at Glyndŵr University, Wrexham standing alongside the good folk of Hellbound Media peddling comics and art.
I had a great time last year and I am very much looking forward to going again, encouraging everyone to read Slaughterhouse Farm#1 ‘hyping up’ issue #2 and selling my art. Incidentally, I will be launching my latest series of paintings ‘Patty Portraits’ original art (hand painted/drawn) in a choice of colours featuring Patty the Sasquatch.

© Arfon Jones 2014. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

Download your free Bellamy Eco-Postage Label!

Like many of you out there I am a regular user of eBay and Amazon and I am staggered by the amount of newly bought padded envelopes and postage packaging that accumulates over the months. Although some are made from recycled paper, I rarely see a reused envelope these days and surely it would make more sense to re-use recycled envelopes? Surely this would save us all money and the environment in the long run? I use this method all the time but I find that others are put off by my example as they think it might make seem cheap or thrifty.  So I have created a label that will hopefully make up for it by both encouraging the reusing of envelopes and postal packaging and highlighting the environmentally friendly aspect of this method, hopefully compensating for the ‘second hand’ look that the package might have. Harking back to my Science Spotlight series the label reads, “Professor David Bellamy says: “Save money and the environment by reusing old envelopes postal packaging!” and is fully endorsed by Professor David Bellamy OBE. "Britain's best known botanist" doesn’t really need an introduction with over 40 books, 80+ scientific papers on ecology and the environment along with dozens of television programmes to his name it has been a privilege working with him on this project.

Simply download the free label by clicking on the above image, print it off, add the recipient’s name and address on the right hand side and stick them to your envelopes and parcels.  For maximum green effect print the labels with environmentally friendly Soy ink on 100% recycled or FSC sourced paper/stickers! Please note these are © Arfon Jones the label may be freely printed for all except commercial purposes!

© Arfon Jones 2013-2014. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

RIP Kate O’Mara (1939 – 2014)

I grew up in the 1980’s and my parents watched both Dynasty and Howards' Way so naturally I knew who Kate O’Mara was. But when you consider that The Vampire Lovers and The Horror of Frankenstein are on my list of all time favourite Hammer movies and that I adored the Rani in Doctor Who, you will understand how saddened I was to hear of Kate O’Mara’s passing yesterday. Having been a fan of her for years I had the privilege of meeting her once at a convention in 2004. In what would prove to be an extremely rare moment I found myself to be the only one in her line and so able to have a nice chat with her without being ushered on. She was an amazing lady, genuine and friendly and she posed for a photo and signed an autograph for my daughter, “how old is she?” she asked. I told her that she was three, “so she won’t have a clue who I am then?” she said, “Oh she will” I said, “count on it!” she laughed and thanked me. That would be the last time I saw her, but I made good on my promise, my daughter knows who the Rani is and as soon as she’s a little older I will let her see the above mentioned Hammer movies too!

© Arfon Jones 2014. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

Bangor Museum & Art Gallery’s 2014 Open Art Exhibition

Just back from the official opening of Bangor’s Museum & Art Gallery’s 19th annual open art exhibition. This year I decided to take the plunge and submit some entries and I am delighted to say that both were accepted.  Both the Womble and Fingermouse are now on display amongst works of other local artists from the 8th of March to the 21st of April. Each year they offer artists living and working in the area the opportunity to showcase their work to the public. As a former Bangor student of art, I have visited the Museum & Art Gallery a few times over the years so I’m pleased to have this opportunity to display something within its walls before its relocation to Bishop’s Palace (The Town Hall that Beth and I were married in last year). So pop along to the 2014 open art exhibition and check out the work housed inside, and be sure to vote for your favourite in the ‘people’s choice award’ awarded when the exhibition ends in April.

© Arfon Jones 2014. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.