Culture

Tuesday was a gentle introduction and today I speeded up. As chance would have it, the next nine or so days are due to be crammed full of cultural activities, reminding me what life was like before Building.

I renewed my long-lapsed cinema membership, bunked off work early and this afternoon went to see Tish, about the photographer from working-class South Shields, Tish Murtha. Superb photos. 'If you want to photograph the tribe you have to be part of the tribe.' I also really enjoyed the way her daughter, Ella, talked with people who'd known her mum, though the friend I was with, who knows loads more about film-making than I do, had reservations. Anyway, it's worth looking out her photos, especially those of children, either in this film or online.

It inspired me to run home and pick up my camera for a dusk walk.

Both my friend and I were seeing the NTLive production of Dear England this evening, though at different cinemas. I know and care as little about football as anyone on the planet, but even I had heard of the impressive letter Gareth Southgate wrote to England fans in 2021 after the team had been booed for taking the knee, and I really enjoyed the recounting of his turning round the fortunes of the England team by facing fears and being supportive of each other.


Text now added to yesterday's blip.