Double tags

Formerly known as Willie, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Engineer, sculptor, cello maker, furniture maker, toy maker Willie Bailey displays his hospital label on his right wrist and his electronic tag on his left ankle.

Previously featured in my occasional series of Norwich characters here

He is currently designing and building a steam engine with the heat source originating from a rechargeable electric battery. When I asked why, he explained that the coal fired one he had built was far too smelly and was thus upsetting the neighbours as well as making his flat uninhabitable.

The court ordered electronic tag he tells me interferes with his digital radio signal and the label reveals his name is not Willie at all but Robert. Which all gives credence to my late mother's theory that he gained the name Willie because of the obscenely short, cut off jeans he insisted on wearing in the days of his youth.

Whatever the reason - Hello Bob.

Idle Thoughts At The Lowestoft Air Show

Cloud Painting, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Units of the provisional wing of the Suffolk Tourist Board painting clouds to "make them less boring and more of an attraction"


.....and how does one apply for a job as a wing walker? Do they advertise for them in job centres or are you supposed to hang around the right bars and wait for a pilot to call out "Hey Kid do you want to earn a tenner tomorrow"?

Seeing the light

Suffolk Clouds Part 5, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Seeing this move towards me I thought I was in for some kind of divine revelation which would have been handy as I was having trouble trying to think what to cook for everyone's dinner

Commerce In Britain - THE VERDICT

Norton Peskett's Little Sunburst, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I photographed this in Southwold as part of my pursuit of Sunburst designs.

Norton Peskett's mission statement is boringly obvious; "Our team approach means that we work together to bring you the quickest, practical and most cost effective solution to your problems." Ho hum. They would generate far more business if they changed it to "We will pepper your small towns with cast iron sunbursts."

That is the problem, in a nutshell, of the malaise that strikes at the heart of all commerce in Britain today; no vision.

Chalk Hill Works Revisited

Chalk Hill Works Revisited, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

I first posted a photograph of this 1930s building to flickr two years ago and it has lain empty since then. The fabric of the building is starting to rapidly deteriorate and clear signs of subsidence can be seen in the car park. Doorways and gutters are becoming choked with weeds and parts of it appear to have flooded. The boards that have appeared on the windows since I first photographed it are there to prevent trespass rather than protect the building.



The site started off as Thomsons ironmongery works in the 19th century and manufacture continued there until after the war. (Production was given over to making shell and bomb casings 1939 - 45 and bombs fell near the entrance to the works during the so called Baedaker Raids). It was Thompson's who subsidised the Ferryman at Pulls Ferry until the start of World War II to allow their workers to take a short cut to the factory.

The factory has a hidden surprise. The buildings go back into the hill behind and join the Chalk caves (really flint mines)that riddle the whole of Thorpe Hamlet.) I was allowed to go down a little way some years back (although not take photos). The metal bunk beds that they used when it was air raid shelter during the war are still there..

Manufacture stopped and Thomsons turned into Decco and the works became a local distribution centre (that's a warehouse to you and me)

Two and a half years ago Decco moved their operation to their Ipswich works and the works have been empty ever since.

The building has Grade 2 listing and in spite of this outline planning permission has been given to develope the site for offices and housing. Industrial buildings are the most difficult to preserve as those of us who mourn the demolition of the fine Art Deco façade to Jarrolds Printing works a few weeks ago well know.



The site presents a lot of difficulty for any developer; Rosary Road used to be called Chalk Hill Road and chalk is not the best medium to lay foundations on. In addition because of its industrial history and because of the presence of at least two petrol tanks under the ground the site is heavily polluted. In addition the presence of 250 housing units will put a lot of pressure on local traffic. For all of the aforementioned reasons it seems likely that it will be a while before the site is developed and probably the land will be banked leaving residents with a view of a gradually rotting building.

Roll Over Max Jaffa

Homework, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

My next project: a recently acquired single string phonofiddle. Made somewhere between 1910 and 1930. Manufacturer (as yet) unknown. There is the remains of a torn paper label below the soundbox which although unreadable is sufficent to recognise if I see another complete one. It was found in the back of a dryish garage.

The string which is played with a fiddle bow sits against a soundbox at its base which amplifies the sound through a horn. Homemade ones were often made utilising the soundboxes (and horns) from phonagraphs. This one, which appears commercially made, connects the string to the mica diaphragm of the soundbox using a piece of cork.

Whats wrong: It is missing its horn. The body is in terrible cosmetic condition. The soundbox needs attention; the mica diaphragm is fine but the pieces of rubber that hold it in place although still intact have perished and become hard thus losing the necessary pliability to offer the best sound. The cork which should be attached to the diaphragm (?using beeswax?) has dropped off. Five woodworm holes in the wood of the body although these appear to be old. It is currently strung with what appears to be a plastic string from a child's toy ukelele.

What next: Acquire a reproduction Phonagraph horn. These are available in brass, enamalled tin and aluminium. Attend to the wooden body. Fix and tune the soundbox. String.

Questions I am minded to get a brass horn because it will look better than an aluminium one. Will the weight make it impractical to use? The price difference is only about seven pounds. Which will sound better?
Which is the best violin string to use?
Anyone done up one of these?
Any tips?
Anyone recognise the manufacture from the remains of the label?

What after that: Learn to play and become a rock god. After all if Norfolk's own Bruce Lacey could play one in legendary band The Alberts I can surely do it too.

Colonel Blinks Bad Trip

Truly unseen Beatles, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Picture the Colonel on a pavement by the YMCA taking photographs of that building ("Just a plain photograph of the front of the building Nothing arty" I had been commanded) when I noticed all these toys in the window of the St Giles Gallery.

I had forgotten that they had an exhibition of photographs of the Fab Four called The Unseen Beatles taken by newshound Frank Herman in 1967. The window featured modern toys from the the 1968 animated children's film "Yellow Submarine" which the Beatles had little or nothing to do with and the display seemed to be more about 21st Century eBay marketing than about Herman's wonderful and revealing photographs.

What I did like was St Giles Street reflected in the strong colours of the window and I took a photograph and then another one of a balloon. Big mistake.

"Can I HELP you............Sir?" This guy in a purple t-shirt had run out of the shop and was looming over me, speaking very loudly.

"um. yes. well I was just taking a picture of er your window" I said

His hand rested on his hip and his lip curled "You should have asked first" he said and with that he spun round and walked away.

"I was just coming in to have a look" I said to his back but the slamming of the shop door hid my words.

Now I knew how the Apple Scruffs felt. On reflection I decided that I would wait a month or so before I visited the exhibition. As I trudged down St Giles Street I found myself singing one of the fabs most famous songs "All You Need Is Cash".

This photograph is my 1000th entry into the Norwich flickr pool.