Thursday 30 October 2008

Funny As F##k Friday

I know I'm a day early but I'm not around tomorrow and I really wanted to show you this. It's brilliant till right at the end and then it goes all American and spoils it a bit. I didn't need that last bit to get it. but hey ho first bits top.

Found over on the always cool and greatest photography blog titled "Reciprocity Failure" http://reciprocity-failure.blogspot.com/

Martin Parr & Eric Kessels present: Vernacular Photography.

Found over on Foto 8 this great sideshow presentation. It's 55 mins long so best go make a brew....... http://www.foto8.com/home/content/view/699/216/

The Deutsche Borse Photographic Prize 2009 Shortlist.


Paul Graham's "A Shimmer of Possibility"
Press Release:


The Photographers’ Gallery have announced the four shortlisted artists nominated for its annual Deutsche Börse Photography Prize. This year the Prize will take place at the Gallery’s new location of 16 –18 Ramillies Street, London.


The four shortlisted artists are:

Paul Graham (b. 1956, UK) is nominated for his publication, A Shimmer of Possibility (steidlMACK, October 2007).

Emily Jacir (b.1970, Palestine) is nominated for her installation, Material for a Film, presented at the 2007 Venice Biennale (7 June ­– 21 November 2007).

Tod Papageorge (b.1940, USA) is nominated for the exhibition Passing Through Eden - Photographs of Central Park at Michael Hoppen Gallery, London (7 March - 12 April 2008).

Taryn Simon (b.1975, USA) is nominated for her exhibition An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar at The Photographers' Gallery, London (13 September -11 November 2007).

The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2009 is presented by The Photographers’ Gallery, London. The annual award of £30,000 rewards a living photographer, of any nationality, who has made the most significant contribution to the medium of photography in Europe between 1 October 2007 and 30 September 2008.

The Jury this year is: David Campany (writer/lecturer, University of Westminster, UK); David Goldblatt (photographer, South Africa); Chus Martínez (Chief Curator, Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Spain); and Anne-Marie Beckmann (Curator, Art Collection Deutsche Börse, Germany).

The Director of The Photographers’ Gallery, Brett Rogers is the non-voting Chair.Brett Rogers, Chair and Director of The Photographers’ Gallery, said: "The finalists this year redefine the medium of photography and its possibilities as both a conceptual and creative tool. Each, in their distinct way, attempts to represent the unrepresentable: Taryn Simon in her compelling dissection of the invisible forces that rule our lives; Emily Jacir in her installation which proposes new narratives for approaching recent Palestinian history; Paul Graham whose new series of books encapsulates the poetry of the everyday, and Tod Papageorge who transforms the subject of Central Park, New York, into a Shakespearian paean to urban leisure."

Alexandra Hachmeister, Corporate Responsibility for Deutsche Börse, commented: "This shortlist is impressive, with four very strong positions in contemporary photography. The variety can be seen in the different approaches to the medium, not only in their content, but also in their visual concept. We are looking forward to exhibiting the work of the four shortlisted artists at C/O Berlin and in our headquarters in Frankfurt in 2009.

"The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize continues as one of the most prominent exhibitions at The Photographers’ Gallery and is amongst the most prestigious of the international arts awards. Deutsche Börse Group is one of the leading exchange organisations and a major sponsor of photographic art. The Group owns an extensive art collection of contemporary photography which, to date, includes more than 700 works by over sixty international artists. Further information can be found on the Deutsche Börse Group website.

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Robin Schwartz

Image copyright Robin Schwartz
"Never work with animals and children" so the old show business saying goes! Obviously that's not something that Robin Schwartz www.robinschwartz.net seems to take to heart. I've featured a few photographers in the past who photograph animals as part of their work and I'm always glad when I come across another one who does it well. I think it takes a special kind of talent to make serious work and to avoid sentimentality when making pictures which include animals. Throw children into the mix, this case his daughter and well. Robin manages to avoid "cheese" and various other pitfalls and gives us some unique and thought provoking images instead.

Tuesday 28 October 2008

Joy Gregory

Image copyright Joy Gregory
Your chance to hear Joy Gregory give a talk about her work at Impressions Gallery Bradford on Saturday 1st November details here http://www.impressions-gallery.com/events/event.php?id=64 and Joy's work here: www.joygregory.co.uk

Fashion Tip


Fashion tip and maybe a good way to plug the blog? http://www.chipchick.com/2008/10/w-41.html

Insight America


Insight America http://insight.magnumphotos.com/ is an ongoing and live website brought to you by Magnum www.magnumphotos.com and edited by Fred Ritchin from www.pixelpress.org It is supplied with photo's exclusively by Magnum photographers on a daily basis and will be until the election in six days time.

Sunday 26 October 2008

Yoshihisa Kajioka

Image copyright Yoshihisa Kajioka

Badly scanned grainy black and white shots of the seedier side of Japanese life uploaded to a pretty basic website, http://www.digikazi.com/ Ring any bells? Maybe www.moriyamadaido.com but I still love them. Check out the diary section as well called "Digital Hate"?


Signs of Life (part 1: Liverpool)


100 Seel Street, Liverpool
6 – 23 November 2008 http://www.threeweeks.org.uk/

Thursday – Sunday, 1pm – 5pm
Preview: Saturday, 1 November 2008, 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Thirteen artists tackle a derelict town house in the centre of Liverpool to create new installation artworks that respond to the suggestive atmosphere of the building. Stripped down to an empty shell through dilapidation, it is a view into the past; but one that is at once absurd, disturbing and poetic as each room conjures up disjointed narratives and fantasies.

Signs of Life emerged out of a dialogue (Three Weeks) between artists, Pippa Koszerek and John O'Hare, it is the first project to involve artists from Final Intervention, a recently formed UK-wide network of early and mid career artists and curators interested in exploring overlooked and derelict spaces. Considering what constitutes a disused site they have both chosen spaces in their respective environments, South London and Liverpool that offer very different perspectives on notions of 'final' and 'Intervention' taking the mystery of each location as a point of departure.

Bram Thomas Arnold explores drawing directly onto the different surfaces available within the dilapidated interior, drawings that wander through the building.

Justine Blau appropriates photographs taken from the web to create miniature 3D landscapes that deal with common ideas of Utopia and fantasy.

Anna Chapman integrates sonic manifestations of 'hanging around' with the existing soundscape of the building.

Gordon Culshaw undermines the privacy of the home whilst humorously discarding the evidence of surveillance so that the viewer quickly becomes obsolete.

Dave Dixon creates an impermanent installation using particle-based materials, quartz powder and dyed rice flour in a process-oriented exploration of the house.

Jemma Egan will appropriate one of the rooms as she tries to welcome birds back into the house.

Sharon Haward plays with lurking shadows of the spiral staircase that runs through the heart of the house to explore the forces of nature that have weathered and shaped the building.

Ruth Martindale uses the garden overgrowth as source material to create objects which hover between functionality and uncanny artefact.

John O'Hare attempts to perfect nature through planting painted artificial trees, accenting the waning colours of the unkempt autumnal garden at Seel Street.

Laurence Payot responds to the patterns and shapes on the walls that have emerged through years of neglect, revealing the moment when reality becomes artificial and the artificial becomes reality.

Emily Speed responds to a book found in the house 'The House Under the Water' and constructs miniature and submerged landscapes amidst the dust and debris

The Unasked-for Public Art Agency announces a new heritage scheme for 100 Seel Street, playing with the aims and techniques of preservation.

Elizabeth Willow takes the intrusion of nature and the ivy creeping through the windows as a starting point for her delicate sculptural process.

This project involves artists from a number of networks including: Final Intervention, Post, Royal Standard, and Wolstenholme Projects. It has been generously supported by The Art Organisation who have facilitated the use of 100 Seel Street.

Watch out for: Signs of Life (Part 2): Colliers Wood mid-November
Sent as an Email,

Friday 24 October 2008

Funny As F##k Friday

I can't believe it's Friday again already, anyway I give you Dave Chappelle. Although it's Clinton V Bush it's still timely. Oh and funny. Hope you have a good weekend, It's sunny today in Manchester, nice one. I'm going to take my camera and go out to play....

Ryan Giggs Dream Eleven.

Interesting. No Beckham no Rooney. I like it but would have to swop Neville for Jap Stam and Hughes for Rooney. This is from the players that Giggs has played with, all except fo one! No prizes for spotting that player.

Thursday 23 October 2008

Colin Blakely

Image copyright Colin Blakely

I've wanted to avoid posting anything about the American elections and so far with the exception of some nasty photo's of John McCain http://manchesterphotography.blogspot.com/2008/09/on-greenburg-v-mccain.html I've managed it. There's many reasons why I've been an American election free zone, like for instance, every other blogger and his mother already has posted & posted about it, I'm sick of seeing it, I don't know enough about American politics even though British telly is trying to get me up to speed by showing some programme on the US of A almost every bloody night. And I know I could pretend to be absolutely fascinated by the elections this time like everyone else, but to be honest I'm not bothered. Sorry, but I'm not.

I can see though that these are pretty dramatic times for Americans. A time of change, A culmination of an uncertain journey started way back in 2001. And I am interested in how American photographers will come to explore and record this period in Their countries history. Which brings me to the work of Colin Blakely www.colinblakely.com and in particular his series "Somewhere in Middle America" http://www.colinblakely.com/swima/ This work, by this artist is a fantastic start to what will no doubt be an interesting time for anyone who enjoys pictures more than politics.


Manchester Criminal Masterminds Caught on CCTV!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1138237012/bclid1137745824/bctid1871011335

Kelly Mark

Image from "Full Body Fun Fur Suit" by Kelly Mark

I have just spent a fun packed hour or so on the website of Kelly Mark an artist based in Canada. Her work is funny, clever obsessive etc, Take for instance the picture above, making a fun fur suit for her cat? She admits she doesn't know why. Or take "Smoke Break" a site specific piece from 2004. With this she spent 8 hours chain smoking outside a building with two 15 minute breaks and 1 hour for lunch where she didn't smoke! effing brilliant. Kelly Mark www.ireallyshould.com


The School in August by Phillip Larkin


The School in August

The cloakroom pegs are empty now,
And locked the classroom door,
The hollow desks are lined with dust,
And slow across the floor
A sunbeam creeps between the chairs
Till the sun shines no more.
Who did their hair before this glass?
Who scratched 'Elaine loves Jill'
One drowsy summer sewing-class
With scissors on the sill?
Who practised this piano
Whose notes are now so still?
Ah, notices are taken down,
And scorebooks stowed away,
And seniors grow tomorrow
From the juniors today,
And even swimming groups can fade,
Games mistresses turn grey.
Philip Larkin
The title of and inspiration for, my next series. Which I am working on at the moment. Looking at the history of The Whitworth Street School which was founded in 1900 and is still going today as The Shena Simon Six Form Collage. Using typology to explore that history. I'll put up a link when it's on my homepage.

Wednesday 22 October 2008

There and Back

Image copyright Tadhg Devlin

Newport has, for a number of years had a fantastic reputation for turning out the next generation of talented Documentary photographer's. Judge for yourselves with this years MFA graduates. Here: http://www.thereandbackphoto.moonfruit.com/#

A Long Exposure: 100 years of Guardian Photography.

Image copyright McPhee/Guardian. That could have been me on that Chopper!
Don't forget to go to The Lowry and see this http://www.thelowry.com/WhatsOn/EventDetail.aspx?EventId=3466 I'm hoping to get there early next week. I'm looking forward to seeing the legendary Don McPhee's http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1002/1002942_don__a_life_in_pictures.html pictures as I missed them when they were at Manchester Art Gallery. Here for a good selection of Don's Guardian Pictures: http://www.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,8542,1384820,00.html

Tuesday 21 October 2008

An Invitation To You.

Image copyright Simon Norfolk
Your invitation to a unique photography event…
Special guests: Simon Norfolk, Jacob Aue Sobol & Simon Roberts Friday, 7 November 10am-5pm Business Design Centre, London N1


BJP’s essential annual event for pro photographers
Come and learn from the best in the business at Europe’s only event dedicated to aspiring professionals and early career photographers.

Vision returns with a packed programme of talks, seminars and folio reviews at an upmarket new venue at the Business Design Centre in London Islington, providing inspiration, information and essential ideas to get your career moving.

This year’s show features talks by two of Britain’s hottest photographers – Simon Norfolk and Simon Roberts – who’ve carved an international reputation for their fine art documentary work, while continuing to shoot for the world’s top magazines. We are also flying in one of Magnum Photos rising starts, Jacob Aue Sobol, winner of the most recent Leica European Photographers Award Many of the industry’s leading manufacturers will also be there to showcase the latest products and services announced at this autumn’s Photokina trade show, providing a unique opportunity to meet key innovators all together under the same roof. With an emphasis on creative cutting edge, and focusing on effective tools and solutions to further your business,


Vision is this year’s don’t miss photography event
7 November, London IslingtonTickets £10 + £5 portfolio review
Sent via email from BJP

Should Magnum Do Fashion Photography?


Is a question being asked by Alec Soth www.alecsoth.com over on the Magnum blog.
By Alec Soth
"Lise Sarfati just released the latest edition of Magnum's Fashion Magazine. All of these pictures were made in Austin, an area Lise previously mined in her book The New Life. She also chose to photograph many of the same people; none of whom are professional models." ... http://blog.magnumphotos.com/2008/10/should_magnum_do_fashion.html

Monday 20 October 2008

Duckrabbit productions.




"Chucking Out" from the DUCKRABBIT crew.


I'm a huge fan of digital storytelling, ever since I first saw the work of Daniel Meadows http://www.photobus.co.uk/ So imagine my utter chuffedness (is that a word? I'm not always sure) when I got an email from the founder member of Duckrabbit http://www.duckrabbit.info/ Benjamin Chesterton. He together with photographers namely David White a Bristol based photographer www.nospin.co.uk make compelling narratives using digital storytelling techniques. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_storytelling

The above presentation "Chucking Out" is about that common site in most British cities on a weekend, to0 much ale and it's effects. It also features a gobby Manc, which I guess is also pretty common! There is also an interesting connected blog at http://duckrabbit.info/blog/

Along the same lines, last year I registered www.manchesterdigitales.blogspot.com and although so far it's just sat there gathering virtual dust So this seems like a good time to ask if anyone out there has any digital storytelling connected to Manchester/Salford send it in and I'll upload it and we can get the ball rolling.

OK, bloody great way to start the week!

Friday 17 October 2008

Funny As F##k Fridays

Still one of my all time favourite stand ups. Eddy Izzard.

Pause To Begin.

Above is a taster of Pause To Begin. A new and interesting project brought to us by Flak photo www.flakphoto.com and photographers David Wright http://www.davidwrightphoto.com/davidWright.html and Ethan Jones http://www.ethanaarojones.com/. They have travelled across the USA & Mexico to conduct interviews and discuss contemporary (American)art photography with a selection of 15 photographer's. It should be interesting if not a little narrow. Different images and work will be uploaded to the Flak website during October.It's just a hunch but I'm expecting a lot of large format stuff!

Thursday 16 October 2008

There's an old Anglo Saxon word for you.

How would anyone think this was a good idea for a photograph?
http://www.thefstopmag.com/?p=275 words fucking fail me. Whats the point? I know people who could knock that up in an hour on photoshop without the cruelty. Maybe there's some concept behind it? or maybe just some advertising revenue?
And we wonder why people find it hard to take photography seriously as an art form. You will have noticed how I've kindly not linked your name with this post, as I'm sure that one day you will be ashamed of these ridiculous and humiliating images.

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Shaw & Shaw



I first met Shaw & Shaw at the start of this year as I nervously attended a selection night for Projection 08 at Redeye's www.redeye.org.uk scary HQ on Edge Street in The Northern Quarter. I'm not great at social occasions or indeed in mixed company, or in fact in the Northern Quarter, and even a couple of plastic cups of dodgy red was doing little to help me relax. It was then I started to talk to one of Shaw & Shaw. It was Shaw I believe and they made me feel right at home.
I heard about their book project "Lost in the post" then, and I'm glad to say it, along with their new website has finally arrived. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/interactive/2008/sep/10/communities.post
Looking forward to taking a closer look at this one. Here for Shaw & Shaw's website www.shawandshaw.co.uk

P.S how cool are those flyer's? they arrived together done up with Royal Mail elastic bands like that in the post!


Tuesday 14 October 2008

Matt Siber

Image copyright Matt Siber
I think it was Martin Parr who said "Consumerism should be the new front line for documentary photographers" Well, Matt Siber may not be a documentary photographer in the strictest sense, but his work is playfully and skillfully pulling apart consumerism and branding. www.siberart.com

Fraction Magazine

Found out today that my just finished "25 Potential Weapons Descending In Order of Desperation" http://www.manchesterphotography.com/gallery_174768.html series is to be featured as part of a group show on typologies, in the next issue of Fraction Magazine www.fractionmag.com out November 8th.
It's the first time that my work has been featured overseas (as far as I know) and I'm well pleased............

Tom Wood Interview.

Image copyright Tom Wood
Regulars will know the high esteem with which I hold Tom Wood, so imagine how chuffed I was when I found this interview!
JWD: But with “Photieman,” which is the nickname you were given over the years, that means people must have sort of accepted and liked the fact that you’re the man with the camera.


TW: Yeah, but that related to my own particular neighborhood in New Brighton. I’ve got to know many people and I’m pretty open about the whole thing and I live there amongst everyone else and I’d always give them copies of pictures. In the Chelsea Reach nightclub, drunk partygoers would say, “Hey take our picture,” and you would take it just to shut them up. And then I’d bring it back and give it back to them and they’d be made up. And then the next time I saw them I’d say “Hey, how you doing?” and after a while I could maybe photograph them freely without asking them. And some people would always resent me.


Friday 10 October 2008

Funny as F##k Friday.

This is probably only going to be funny if you like/own a cat. I do so I found it funny. I give you "Simon's Cat"

Stefan Abrams

Image copyright Stefan Abrams

I love candid portraiture, and Stefan Abrams is a flipping master at it! www.stefanabrams.com


Thursday 9 October 2008

Nexus Cafe, busy busy busy.


I have to hand it to this lot they certainly are "pro-active". Out of all the Arts organisations, galleries etc in Manchester town this lot have to be one of the most hard working and inclusive lot there is. They always seem to to be calling out for submissions, open to all and following through with shows. Well done to you lot, less talk more action fair play! And this is the latest call from them:

"Nexus Art Cafe is a busy venue in Manchester City Centre. We are looking for artists to exhibit in the following exhibition:

"GIFT"
In a season of gift giving and receiving this exhibition offers the opportunity to pause in a culture dominated by consumption. Does you work celebrate or examine the idea of Gift and Gift Exchange? If so then please submit it for consideration. Any medium will be considered.

Deadline for submission is: 31st October

Exhibition dates: 1st December 08– 11th Jan 09
For further details contact: Ben Edson on 07951170511"

Wednesday 8 October 2008

Hanne Van Der Woude

Image copyright Hanne Van Der Woude
I really love Hanne Van Der Woude's striking portraits in her series
" Natural Red Heads" (English translation) http://www.hannevanderwoude.nl/index.html

Fuck Shares Buy Art!


Why not take a leaf out of Charles Saatchi's book and start your own Art collection?
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/ now there's a man who knows how to make a few quid. You could start this weekend at Urbis, as "The Buy Art Fair" rolls into town www.buyartfair.co.uk Over 40 galleries showing/selling the work of artists from all over Europe, prices apparently start from as little as £100. what else could you get for that? Well OK at the moment probably a British bank but under normal circumstances what could you get for that?
It promises to show work in various media including photography, and I know that Richard Heeps for one will have work there www.richardheeps.co.uk
Buy Art Fair this weekend @ Urbis, Cathedral Gardens Manchester. www.urbis.org.uk

Tuesday 7 October 2008

Brandon Sorg

Just came across Brandon Sorg's "Where Fun Goes To Die" great stuff take a look, www.brandonsorg.com

Test Your Colour Vision


When I was doing my foundation year at college, We had a painting tutor who brought in two trestle tables and several bin bags of paint swatches all cut up. Before he let us do any painting we spent a whole week laying them out on the tables in order of hue and also colour saturation. Well I found this digital version http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77 over on Rachel Hulin's smashing "A Photography Blog". http://rachelhulin.com/blog/ It's called Test your colour ID
I got 64 which is really crap, all the commenter's on Rachel's blog seemed to get below 5 (0 being the best) I think they "fib". Although I am colour blind and my monitor on this laptop is rubbish and the cat kept scratching at the door and I'm in a bit of a rush and.........

Monday 6 October 2008

If Photographers appeared in Fairytales........

This Man, Miroslav Tichy or as he is also known the "Stone age photographer"

using this camera and other equipment of similar design, made images like the one below.

You couldn't make this shit up.
Here for what I'm talking about: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/aug/02/art.photography
And here for the website that looks after his lifes work www.miroslavtichy.ch

It all reminds me a bit of the discovery of Angelo Rizzuto's photographs found by Michael Lesy http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/art/15229/ wonderful & sad at the same time. I would love to know what the MET would make of these pair? http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Antiterror_police_defend_campaign_targeting_suspicious_behaviour_of_people_with_cameras_news_195594.html



Sub-plotting, It's The New Bitmapping.

Last year at The Cornerhouse you had Bitmapping http://www.cornerhouse.org/art/info.aspx?ID=364&page=0 and now for the second installment Sub-plotting.....
Want a photographic challenge? Sign up to Sub-plotting!
A new mobile phone / photography project invites you to take part in a unique story-telling experiment that promises to put YOUR photographic ideas on a gallery wall, at Burnley's Mid Pennine Arts.
You'll be sent an image to your mobile at any random time (daylight hours) and you have just 3hrs to respond with your own image which moves the story, this image will be automatically sent to the next person in the chain and so on. All images will be exhibited in the gallery. If you can't get to the gallery to see your photo, visit the online gallery www.subplotting.com
It's a visual game of Chinese Whispers...sign up & join a story.
To sign up simply text.. BITMAP SITE to 60300

For details of what happens next and for terms and conditions visit www.subplotting.com. Texts cost 50p

Sunday 5 October 2008

Will Steacy

Image copyright Will Steacy

www.willsteacy.com


Seba Kurtis @ The Kiosk Gallery

Finally got off my increasingly fat arse and made my way down to The Kiosk Gallery http://www.kioskgallery.co.uk/Artists/index_CurrentShow.html to see Seba Kurtis's "700 Miles". The Kiosk can't be the easiest space to put on a show but I think they've done a good job with this one. I loved the way that a lot of the work was shown as pages from a scrapbook, I thought that this really added to Seba's non fussy photographic style which in turn works so well with the subject of the work. Nice one Seba. www.sebakurtis.com

Sunday

Image Mark Page

Friday 3 October 2008

Funny As F**k Fridays

Following on from the last post, the brilliant Bill Hicks.

Now don't get me wrong, I can see that smoking is a pretty stupid thing to do. That's the ex-smoker in me talking. I quit after 26 years of caning them. I'm proud of that fact, although it had more to do with the drug Zyban http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100004174.html than any great will power on my behalf, I can't even open a bag of Haribo http://www.haribo.com/planet/sprachauswahl.php without scoffing the lot, but this new campaign is too much. It's just bullying, plain and simple.http://www.independent.ie/national-news/antismoking-images-for-cigarette-packs-1374934.html?start=2
Maybe we could start putting pictures of car wrecks on cars? yeah or rotten livers on bottles of Cotes du Rhone ? or how about pictures of fucking bankers on loan applications.............................
It's nice though to think that photography still has the power to shock.

Thursday 2 October 2008

On being Mark Page

Today I was contacted via my home page with this message:
"Hi Mark,
Have you just registered markpagephotography?I looked a couple of weeks ago and they weren't registered, in the meantime I was looking for a cheap host and then oops it's gone. Anyway at the moment it's just a hobby for me so it's probably better that I didn't beat you to it. Just out of interest was it your first choice? Enjoyed the photos on your site, keep up the good work.
Regards
Mark Page"
What a nice guy (it must be the name) anyway I've asked him to send me a link to his site when it's up and I'll post it here......................

Wednesday 1 October 2008

Richard Barnes

Image copyright Richard Barnes
"Murmur" by Richard Barnes, stop what your doing and go see. www.richardbarnes.net

Happy New Year !

Image copyright Marc Asnin

One of the things I've always loved about Manchester is our large and historical Jewish community. Manchester Jews go back as far as the 18th century when immigrants from Eastern and Central Europe arrived to work in textiles and other areas of the industrial boom. http://www.movinghere.org.uk/galleries/histories/jewish/settling/manchester_jewry_1.htm#
We now have the largest Jewish community in the UK outside of London (35000). It's one of the things that I think makes us a proper city, just another exciting and vibrant ingredient.
So coming across the excellent "Rebbe" by Marc Asnin www.marcasnin.com and the fact that it's Rosh Hashanah http://www.chabad.org/holidays/jewishnewyear/default_cdo/jewish/High-Holidays.htm led to this post. Happy New Year to you all.