RIP Jack Stokes (2016)
Although not one of the Optical Busstop group Jack was a friend to most of us. We haven't got his exact dates nut he was around 70 years old.
Mick Hayes 1951 to 2015
It is with great sadness that we report Mick has died aged 64 years old in the Royal Bolton Hospital on the 9th December 2015.
Wood Street Writers
In Autumn 2014 Paul approached Chris Chilton at the Bolton Socialist Club to discuss the possibility of hosting a writers's group at the club. It was decided to start the group in November 2014 and to host it at 10am every 2nd Saturday of the month thereafter. The group has workshops that are led, at different times, by Paul, Chris Chilton, Peter Street, Hannah Middleshaw and Allan Gray.
If you are interested in attending the writers' group then please use the Contact page here to get in touch.
Live From Worktown
In October of 2013 Cumbrian poet Geraldine Green contacted Paul to see if he could help New York poet, George Wallace, get bookings for his 2014 tour. Paul approached Scott Devon, who runs a night in Bolton, who decided to arrange an event for George in June.
Scott then discussed promoting the event with Dave Morgan and together they decided to create Bolton's first International Poetry Festival and successfully approached the Arts Council to get funding for it.
They then approached Paul to create and host a website for what had become the 'Live from Worktown' Festival - click here to view it.
Paul also assisted in organising and publicising various aspects of it. The main events were in the last week of June though there were other events throughout June and early July. It included performances from Anjum Malik, Insyt Media as well as an international night which led to the formation of the Bolton International Writing Project.
After the successful 2014 festival, Dave asked Paul to become a director of the organisation and to help organise the 2015 festival. The festival was a huge success and took place largely over May 2015, it included performances from John Hegley, Jackie Hagan, Mandy Coe and Brian Patten.
For both festivals Nat was asked to developed special works for the Festival, the first one was a talk with music about the 60s and the second concerned the seminal year of 1965. Both events were tremendous successes and attracted large audiences.
2013 Performace and Interviews
For anyone who missed the third neo:live night in June, 2013 you can still see Nat and Paul’s guest set, and check out an exclusive ‘morning after’interview - click on the link below - in which Nat and Paul talk openly about their performances, inspirations and reflect on their times together.
http://www.neoartists.co.uk/blog/?p=9128
Here's what the Neo people said about Nat and Paul:
Nat Clare Paul Blackburn |
Video Makers
We are now film makers (titter ye not).
The first film is Speedhead and the second The Exorcist
You can find these in the Video section of this site