Wonderful to see that you are exhibiting your own work. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. The image of the defaced man was very powerful. What is left of us in the end, other than the memories others have of us or the legacy of any children we might have? The Belfast of my childhood had many damaged buildings - the collateral damage of the Troubles. Often it was felt there was no point rebuilding (as the edifice would just get damaged again), so these zombie buildings just stayed standing until the regeneration that came post the Peace Agreement. It was disturbing to see them finally cleared away or, if more fortunate, restored. The past can be a familiar, comforting place, for all its horrors.
The defaced paintings came about partly through memories of defaced murals in Belfast. I saw a lot of those (through the media - never actually in person) in the 1970s and 1980s. There is a painting in the show that I hoped Ulster Museum might add to its collection. Unfortunately, the money went into the Titanic project, so that never came to pass.
It is spooky how many of our memories and tastes overlap!
Absolutely! Yes, the public planners and ‘powers that be’ in Belfast became obsessed with all things Titanic after the 1997 film. It’s odd, as growing up in Belfast there wasn’t really much talk about the doomed vessel. There was a display devoted to it at the Ulster Transport Museum and at the Ulster Museum (we regularly visited as kids), but that really was it. My great-grandfather worked on Titanic as a young apprentice welder at Harland & Wolff shipyard, between 1909 and 1912. He always said that there was a sense of shame and bewilderment that the great ship had sunk on her maiden voyage. They felt a sense of responsibility even though, of course, the ship’s demise was nothing to do with construction issues. He always said ‘well, she was right enough when she left here!’.
Predictably when the Troubles ended and regeneration came, it was decided to cash in on tourism and the Titanic centre was built on part of the site of the great shipyard. Harland & Wolff employed over 25,000 men at the time my great-grandad worked there (the biggest employer in the city by far). Generations of men in my family worked there. Its decline is yet another example of de-industrialisation.
Yes, you wonder if some of the tourism money couldn't have helped sustain the ship-building industry. It is the same near where I live. The Tyne shipyards were a centre of pride, identity and riches. I don't see why Korea can do what we used to be able to do so well. But I suppose if the shipbuilding goes then so do the coal and steel industries....
Totally agree. The province of Ulster has experienced a boom in tourism since the end of the Troubles, boosted enormously by gargantuan success of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’. Having spent childhood holidays at the locations for the series (when we’d have the place to ourselves), I was dismayed to find coach loads of Chinese tourists at various spots along the Co. Antrim and Co. Down coastline when last there. I guess I should’ve been pleased (the economy) but some of the charm has been lost. Someone is making a huge amount of money, but whether any of it is being pumped back into local arts, crafts and industry I could not say. The two massive cranes of Harland of Wolff shipyard (Samson and Goliath) still dominate the city skyline in Belfast like relics of a bygone age, which I guess they are really.
There definitely are more tourists around in Britain generally (many non-European) and I wonder how much they are actually spending outside of hotels and souvenir shops. I see that they barely interact with locals so I can't see how (unless you actually work in a hotel or tourist shop) much of that money is reaching you. But it is better than no industry and no tourism!
Yes, it’s the same in Australia. Huge numbers of Chinese tourists with little or no interaction with regular people. Designer stores in the Melbourne CBD rely on their custom, it certainly isn’t regular Aussies that are shopping in these places! They’re often on guided tours, carefully curated to show them Uluru/Ayers Rock and various aspects of Aboriginal culture, whilst ensuring they do not meet an actual Aboriginal, as that might shatter the illusion. Alice Springs in the Northern Territory is pretty much a ‘no go’ for tourism due to the ‘Abo crime wave’. The Australian government would rather people didn’t see that aspect of ‘Down Under’.
In Hull theres the facade of an old theatre that all the locals know. It was bombed during the war and left untouched for decades, only now is it getting turned into some community enrichment thing. A striking image on a road of asian takeaways. It was hosting a screening of ‘The Great Dictator’ when it was hit.
I know that old theatre - the National Picture Theatre on Beverley Road. I used to travel to Hull a bit for work when I lived in Yorkshire. I’d also take my children to The Deep, then we’d go for an explore around the town. I’m glad it is getting restored - maybe not as a ‘enrichment centre’ but hopefully the outside of the building will return to some glory! I remember reading that the building had won some funding from the National Lottery for restoration.
Wonderful to see that you are exhibiting your own work. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. The image of the defaced man was very powerful. What is left of us in the end, other than the memories others have of us or the legacy of any children we might have? The Belfast of my childhood had many damaged buildings - the collateral damage of the Troubles. Often it was felt there was no point rebuilding (as the edifice would just get damaged again), so these zombie buildings just stayed standing until the regeneration that came post the Peace Agreement. It was disturbing to see them finally cleared away or, if more fortunate, restored. The past can be a familiar, comforting place, for all its horrors.
The defaced paintings came about partly through memories of defaced murals in Belfast. I saw a lot of those (through the media - never actually in person) in the 1970s and 1980s. There is a painting in the show that I hoped Ulster Museum might add to its collection. Unfortunately, the money went into the Titanic project, so that never came to pass.
It is spooky how many of our memories and tastes overlap!
Absolutely! Yes, the public planners and ‘powers that be’ in Belfast became obsessed with all things Titanic after the 1997 film. It’s odd, as growing up in Belfast there wasn’t really much talk about the doomed vessel. There was a display devoted to it at the Ulster Transport Museum and at the Ulster Museum (we regularly visited as kids), but that really was it. My great-grandfather worked on Titanic as a young apprentice welder at Harland & Wolff shipyard, between 1909 and 1912. He always said that there was a sense of shame and bewilderment that the great ship had sunk on her maiden voyage. They felt a sense of responsibility even though, of course, the ship’s demise was nothing to do with construction issues. He always said ‘well, she was right enough when she left here!’.
Predictably when the Troubles ended and regeneration came, it was decided to cash in on tourism and the Titanic centre was built on part of the site of the great shipyard. Harland & Wolff employed over 25,000 men at the time my great-grandad worked there (the biggest employer in the city by far). Generations of men in my family worked there. Its decline is yet another example of de-industrialisation.
Yes, you wonder if some of the tourism money couldn't have helped sustain the ship-building industry. It is the same near where I live. The Tyne shipyards were a centre of pride, identity and riches. I don't see why Korea can do what we used to be able to do so well. But I suppose if the shipbuilding goes then so do the coal and steel industries....
Totally agree. The province of Ulster has experienced a boom in tourism since the end of the Troubles, boosted enormously by gargantuan success of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’. Having spent childhood holidays at the locations for the series (when we’d have the place to ourselves), I was dismayed to find coach loads of Chinese tourists at various spots along the Co. Antrim and Co. Down coastline when last there. I guess I should’ve been pleased (the economy) but some of the charm has been lost. Someone is making a huge amount of money, but whether any of it is being pumped back into local arts, crafts and industry I could not say. The two massive cranes of Harland of Wolff shipyard (Samson and Goliath) still dominate the city skyline in Belfast like relics of a bygone age, which I guess they are really.
There definitely are more tourists around in Britain generally (many non-European) and I wonder how much they are actually spending outside of hotels and souvenir shops. I see that they barely interact with locals so I can't see how (unless you actually work in a hotel or tourist shop) much of that money is reaching you. But it is better than no industry and no tourism!
Yes, it’s the same in Australia. Huge numbers of Chinese tourists with little or no interaction with regular people. Designer stores in the Melbourne CBD rely on their custom, it certainly isn’t regular Aussies that are shopping in these places! They’re often on guided tours, carefully curated to show them Uluru/Ayers Rock and various aspects of Aboriginal culture, whilst ensuring they do not meet an actual Aboriginal, as that might shatter the illusion. Alice Springs in the Northern Territory is pretty much a ‘no go’ for tourism due to the ‘Abo crime wave’. The Australian government would rather people didn’t see that aspect of ‘Down Under’.
In Hull theres the facade of an old theatre that all the locals know. It was bombed during the war and left untouched for decades, only now is it getting turned into some community enrichment thing. A striking image on a road of asian takeaways. It was hosting a screening of ‘The Great Dictator’ when it was hit.
I know that old theatre - the National Picture Theatre on Beverley Road. I used to travel to Hull a bit for work when I lived in Yorkshire. I’d also take my children to The Deep, then we’d go for an explore around the town. I’m glad it is getting restored - maybe not as a ‘enrichment centre’ but hopefully the outside of the building will return to some glory! I remember reading that the building had won some funding from the National Lottery for restoration.
Beautiful work, thank you for v sharing it, along with your inspiration.
luuvin that!