In the picture he is about eighteen, ten years my junior, looking smart, handsome, walking down the promenade with his father, who looks at the camera, with some kind of annoyance, discomfort, or sadness. That was Bridlington, though / Brid / And that was my father, not me.
And I have decided to re-take this photograph in Blackpool, not Bridlington., on Monday afternoon. I will be walking on the stage right and my father will be to the left, one stage behind.
The new photograph will be taken by Philip Sykes, who has been my friend now for some years. I am going to put on my new suit. It is light grey with white pinstripes. It cost £7.99 from The Children's Society in Lancaster, and it looks the business. I am going to structure a walk through Blackpool with my Dad, based on the structure of that Album by Trespassers W. Phil is going to document it from a distance, video and digital stills, very likely. My mum is going to tag along so Dad has some company on the train. He has to get back for a choir practice that night, otherwise we would spend the whole 24 hours together. That is far as the planning has gone. It will be good to spend some proper time with Phil, as well. Sometimes you are too busy to have friends, so I am calling the time we will spend together "work" in order to justify it.
I found something in an interview with Cor Gout from Trespassers W, where he cited a review they got from a critic. He said: A man and his son are orientated on places and spots which don’t exist anymore", but that was Drederich Diedrichsen, not me.
I think this is a piece I am making as a reader, which is to say, an interpreter. The rules aren't hard and fast, I think they cut you loose and teach you self-reliance, perhaps, but solo work isn't really my bag, normally, and it's strange to be working like this, normally I just have a little idea, do it, then another little idea and do that. So all in all I'm feeling the benefit, and it's lovely to be up here.
