FLOWER POWER!

If you fancy a bit of 60s flower power, then have a peep at these fabulous flower designs on plates!

The 'Flower Power' range was produced by Washington Pottery Ltd in the 1960s, and these cheerful and crazy ceramics would brighten up any kitchen.

They also feature in the Miller's Collecting the 1960s book!

If you're a fan of the Swinging Sixties, then I've got the perfect day out for you!!

This Sunday, on the 27th May, the BRIDPORT VINTAGE MARKET, is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the St Michael's Trading Estate, and will be doing a special 60s themed celebration!

And if that wasn't enough, you can actually buy the Flower Power plates at my stall there!!!
So come on down to the lovely town of Bridport in Dorset and find me at this amazing event!

F.A. CUP FINAL 2018

Despite all the messing around its received over the years, the F.A. Cup still retains that old magic, sending a shiver down the spine.

With the endless possibilities for upsets by smaller clubs, the most unlikeliest of teams and players can have their moment in the sun. Just think of Ronnie Radford and Hereford United in 1972!

Even at the other end of the footballing scale the Cup can be a valuable way of ending the season with a shiny trophy in the cabinet.

Which is exactly what tomorrow's final can provide for two of the biggest teams in the land.
While Chelsea have failed to reach the golden top 4 this season, Manchester United have hardly had a memorable season, having spent heavily last summer.

Add to that the spice of this undoubtably being Chelsea boss Antonio Conte's last match in charge before the inevitable chop. AND Jose Mourinho facing his old club!

It could of course descend into a tactical bore, with both managers reverting to their defensive instincts, but lets hope its a corker!

And if you know your history, take a look at my exclusive retro artworks of both clubs.
Packed with memories of these two unique teams.

Retro Chelsea featuring Peter Osgood, Peter Bonetti, Bobby Tambling, Roy Bentley and going back even further 1920s star Andy Wilson and 30s striker George Mills.

Retro Manchester United, with George Best, Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, Alex Stepney, Bryan Robson and Norman Whiteside.

King's Road legend Peter Osgood, was an F.A. Cup winner with Chelsea in 1970, scoring in the replay played at Old Trafford. He also won another winners medal with Southampton in 1976, ironically against Man Utd.

The incomparable George Best. Although he never won the F.A. Cup, he did win a priceless European Cup winners medal in 1968.

It would be wonderful to see these two players in the modern game. Their transfer values would be insane!!

GIG FLYERS

As a fan of Alternative Music I've been to hundreds and hundreds of gigs over the years and acquired boxes full of flyers and leaflets advertising future gigs and clubs.
I've always taken them, as they are thrust into your face, on the way to the venue. 
In the pre-internet days they were a handy way of knowing what gigs were on. 

But I wonder how many people actually kept them?!

Delving into those boxes was a treat, seeing the gigs I went to and what clubs and gigs were happening at that particular time.

I presume most people chucked them away, but now is your chance to relive those half-remembered gigs you went to!!

I've picked out a few spare ones and framed them up, and they'll be exclusively on my stall at the fabulous music festival, ALICE'S WICKED TEA PARTY, on 2nd June. 

Here is a selection of some of the flyers I found:

A Killing Joke flyer advertising three gigs in 1994 on their Pandemonium tour. One of the best live bands ever.  I went to the one in Wolverhampton!

A typical KMFDM design. They've always had the most striking and easily recognisable posters and album artwork. 

Laibach gigs are always momentous occasions. A really unique experience from a truly unique band.

Another stunning performer is Jarboe, she has massive stage presence and an immense voice.

Quite a rare appearance from the Canadian band Skinny Puppy. Hilariously the security down the front had wised up and protected themselves, as singer Ogre does have a habit of showering them with strange substances!!!

One of my all-time favourite bands, especially live. The Swiss maestros are always a joy to watch.

This tiny flyer is probably quite rare. After Fields of the Nephilim split, singer Carl McCoy formed The Nefilim, and played possibly their only London gig here at the old Astoria in 1996. I've framed and spray-painted it in a suitable looking frame. And, by the way, the gig was absolutely stunning!

I also found these two gems featuring The Sisters of Mercy.
Bizarrely they were cut out from copies of teeny mag Smash Hits!!!
Above is an advert for the classic Floodland album, with Andrew Eldritch and Patricia Morrison on the cover, from 1987.

And below, the unlikely hit single Lucretia My Reflection, from a Smash Hits in 1988.
I've no idea how I had copies of Smash Hits, not unless it was to get these adverts!!

As mentioned above, I'll have these on my stall at ALICE'S WICKED TEA PARTY, the fantastic Alternative Music Festival near Wareham in Dorset. 
The festival is on Friday 1st June – Saturday 2nd June, and my stall will be up and running throughout the whole of Saturday, so come along!!!

Alice's Facebook HERE

ELVIS PROMO PIX

I've got a great selection of rare Elvis Presley photographs to show you.

All dating from around the early 1960s, they are black and white prints and postcards.
Either given away as promo, or perhaps sold via his Fan Club, they are all numbered and were printed by an agency called Brel.

The one above is a promo shot from the 1963 film Fun in Acapulco, which was a musical comedy romp co-starring Ursula Andress.


The next two are the postcards:

These rare prints show a particular time in Elvis' career, and of course he looks super-cool!


And Elvis fans you are in luck!

I'll have these on my stall at The Customs House Sunday Market at West Bay in Dorset this Sunday, the 13th May!!
You can have a peep at them and maybe add them to your Elvis collections!!

CANNY COLLECTION OF CANISTERS!

Got these fabulously retro canisters to show you!!
They would brighten up any kitchen and give it a real vintage twist!

First up are these completely iconic Cornishware pieces.

The timeless blue and white stripe design was first produced in 1924 by T.G. Green & Co Ltd. 
They are highly collectable, and expensive(!), but you'll be able to pick up a bargain with these!



These are slightly more unusual, and I'll have to call them 'Retro Style'.

Produced in France, they are actually authentic looking reproductions of old tea and coffee canisters. The range are called Damier Rouge, after their distinctive red checkerboard designs, and they look very stylish as well! 



I also have three of these splendidly groovy 1960s canisters!!

In a very original olive green colour, they also have a fantastic circles, squares and stars pattern.
They would make a brilliant display in a funky looking kitchen!


I'm keeping fingers firmly crossed for the weather to behave at The Customs House Sunday Market in West Bay, Dorset on 13th May. I'll be down there and displaying these on a stall in the courtyard of this magnificent building. 
So come on down and grab some retro bargains!

TOUR DATES!

Got more exciting dates for the ArtPix Roadshow!!

First up is the very popular SUNDAY MARKETS at THE CUSTOMS HOUSE next to the harbour in the beautiful seaside town of West Bay in Dorset on 13th May.
I already have a unit at this amazing Antiques Centre, so you can have the double-delight of visiting my stall AND my unit there!!!

I'll be back at the brilliant BRIDPORT VINTAGE MARKET on  27th May, for a special market celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the St Michael's Trading Estate, which is right in the middle of the iconic Dorset town of Bridport.

Then for something completely different!
ALICE'S WICKED TEA PARTY MUSIC FESTIVAL.
On 2nd June I'll be at this fantastic kaleidoscope of alternative music down at Knoll Farm, near Wareham in Dorset. Had a fantastic time there last year, so can't wait to be back!

So just to re-cap!

SUNDAY 13th MAY
THE CUSTOMS HOUSE SUNDAY MARKET
West Bay Harbour,
West Bay,
Dorset
DT6 4EN

SUNDAY 27th MAY (Bank Holiday Weekend)
BRIDPORT VINTAGE MARKET
St Michael's Trading Estate,
Bridport,
Dorset
DT6 3RR

SATURDAY 2nd JUNE 
ALICE'S WICKED TEA PARTY MUSIC FESTIVAL
Knoll Farm,
Soldiers Road,
Wareham,
Dorset
BH20 5DU

DEATH OF THE FOOTBALL PROGRAMME?

I couldn't believe it when I read the English Football League is considering freeing clubs from their obligation of producing a matchday programme for every game.

WHAT A DISASTER!!!!

The rising costs and declining sales amongst clubs outside the Premier League are forcing them to think of ditching their programmes.

But even in today's digital age, the football programme still plays an iconic part of going to see a match. As a souvenir of the day, a collectable of the future and a handy way of catching up with everything about your club without trawling through the internet for ages.

I recently bought a whole collection of programmes off someone, over 650 in all, dating from the late 1950s to the early 2000s, from nearly every League club.

And they are fantastic! 
A snapshot of that club at that particular time in history.
From some very basic efforts, with barely a paragraph of text throughout, the teams for that match and a League table if you were lucky, to mammoth super-glossy 60-odd page programmes, with everything you ever wanted to know about the Youth team, the opponents and their dogs.

And for me the designs are brilliant to check-out, again from the simple, unfussy programmes of the 50s and 60s, to some crazy 70s typography and illustrations, to the late-90s burst of Photoshop designs everywhere!!

They represent another way to track the social history of this country.

And so they MUST continue, even if it's in a smaller, more affordable format.

Start a campaign today...
SAVE THE FOOTBALL PROGRAMME!



Incidently, I'll be blogging about some of my favourite programmes in the near future, so keep tuned if you are a fan of retro football programmes!!