Ceasefire in Gaza……‘Alternate Title’…...From Talbot Rice Gallery…
by Bernie Bell - 08:24 on 17 January 2025
Ceasefire in Gaza….
I received this from Oxfam…..
“A temporary ceasefire in Gaza has been agreed.
After 15 months of bombing, death, disease and destruction, people in Gaza will begin to have a reprieve from violence, and hostages from Israel and Palestinian detainees will begin to be released.
We heard from Oxfam GB’s Chief Executive, Halima Begum, after the ceasefire was announced yesterday and she said: “It is an enormous relief that even an interim ceasefire has been agreed. This pause in hostilities is beyond overdue.”
You’ve campaigned for this moment of peace. You are part of a movement of people who have written to your MPs, signed petitions, and spread the word internationally by sharing our emails or posts with people you know care about this as much as you. Nearly 400,000 have added your name to our petition for a ceasefire. You are part of a global community who have helped contribute to real change.
This is a moment of hope.
But, while the bombing may cease in the coming days, people will continue living with the devastation and destruction following 15 months of brutal military assault. The whole of Gaza is at risk of famine, hospitals have been destroyed, and the majority of the population have been displaced from their homes multiple times, with many homes now turned to rubble. They urgently need help now as it’s a fight against time to survive.
This temporary pause in fighting does not mean this is over. The deal is fragile and the next stage still needs to be negotiated. This is the first step in the long road to justice and dignity for Palestinians. This means our campaigning is just as important as ever. We need your help to hold the UK Government to account for its role in the crisis, and for them to play their role to secure a long-term peace.
Thank you again for all your support.
Helen,
Head of Campaign Engagement (Gaza)
***************************************************************************
“Alternate Title
I’ve not been all that, but the book moves forward, in one way or another. I’ve just written a death scene, the first one I’ve ever attempted, and it was fun to do. I’m one of those writers who step around sex scenes, because… well, just because. Unless you are a genius and the actual sex moves the story forward, why bother? Most people have some idea of what happens, by and large, and even fictional characters deserve a degree of privacy. I nicked the best way to write sex scenes off Evelyn Waugh. So most of my sex scenes begin with the word; ‘Afterwards..'
Death, though is a less common experience. None of have yet experienced it directly, but I have lost family and friends, and have sat at two death-beds, though I missed the main event, as t’were, by a few minutes in both cases. So I had a crack, using the experience of several other friends who have sat and watch their loved ones die of cancer. I kept it short; that seemed the best thing to do, and anyway, my hands hurt a lot.
The other thing I’ve been doing is making notes for a scene that occurs during rehearsals, where the band do a ‘Tiny Desk’ - type broadcast, but for Dean Forest Radio, rather than NPR. Because the Breaking Wave are doing a 30 minute session during a four hour show, I thought I’d better put together a 3 1/2 hour playlist to fill the rest of the time. This was very fun, and helped me feel that I was still involved in moving the book forward.
For four years of my life I hosted and attended a dinner party at Arvon Totleigh Barton, four nights a week. Imagine. Please don’t make me eat salmon ever a-fucking-gen. So I have a very strong base for putting together a realistic account of genial dinner party chat. And one issue that has come up between a younger character and one of the old-timers is when the DJ plays this track by the Monkees.
I think that a younger person not understanding why the Monkees are next to Krautrock, the Velvets, Roxy and Throbbing Gristle in The Breaking Wave’s founding document (a postcard notice pinned on the noticeboard in Warwick University’s Student Union in 1977), would spark a healthy round table debate about the nature of ‘manufactured’ pop music, a subject guaranteed to cause bad blood between people who like the Monkees, the Supremes, the Sex Pistols, Wham, etc, and those who believe in the existence of ‘authentic’ music, which is often folk, but can sometimes be jazz, or, Heaven help us, ‘classic rock.’ I shit classic rock.
This song was written by Micky Dolenz. All four Monkees play on the track.
Today’s soundtrack - Randy Scouse Git by the Monkees
Today’s writing tip - ‘If the prose isn’t there, then you’re reduced to what are merely secondary interests, like story, plot, characterisation, psychological insight and form.’ - Martin Amis
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Jan 16
From Talbot Rice Gallery…..
“Upcoming events
Check out what's on at Talbot Rice Gallery this January
Little Creative Morning (ages 5+)
Saturday 18 January, 10am
Make your own sculptural shrine or play Tripa Chuca, a traditional game played by Guadalupe Maravilla as a child. This is a part facilitated, part self-led drop in session. Little Creative Mornings welcome all people aged 5+, with a particular focus on families and children.
Academic Tour | Khudejha Asghar
Monday 20 January, 2pm
Khudejha Asghar is a Research Fellow, studying mechanisms for interrupting the intergenerational transmission of violence. With over ten years of experience on preventing and responding to violence against women, children and people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in different parts of the world, she will look at our exhibitions through the lens of emotional trauma.
British Sign Language (BSL) Tour
Saturday 1 February, 11am
Join Trudi Collier for a deaf-led tour of our current exhibitions Gabrielle Goliath / Personal Accounts and Guadalupe Maravilla / Piedras de Fuego (Fire Stones). The session lasts one hour and will begin at the welcome desk, next to the BSL tour sign.
50 years of Talbot Rice Gallery
Hello 2025! This year we are delighted to celebrate 50 years of Talbot Rice Gallery. We've been programming, curating and exhibiting art for 50 years at our home in Old College and while we've definitely changed over the years, some things have stayed the same... We are open to everyone and free to visit!
There will be plenty of exciting events over the course of the year and we'll be digging into our archive from time to time, taking a trip down memory lane. Check out these posters from 1983 and 2004!
In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for our newsletter and socials to be the very first to hear all about our exciting plans - it's going to be a good one!”
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