What a difference a month makes

Documenting Britain for me feels a bit like a journal, its my monthly sit down on the laptop where I reflect and assess the previous months activity and reflect on what has come to pass… February unfortunately saw the very sudden passing of one of my dearest closest friends Paul Jackson. As I type I am still numb to the idea that one of the closest and most inspirational figures in my life will no longer call me on the mobile and insist that I put down my glass cutter or paint brushes and come for a pint.

I met Paul in the first week of high school back in August 1976 and we immediately hit it off over music and football. I was a massive Beatle nut and he was a devotee of Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel and from that week our friendship was sealed. I don’t know how many people can say that they have truly remained close friends with those that they went to school with? We grow and we develop and eventually we drift off into the world and in most cases we never see those people that we shared boring Maths classes with ever again.

Not so for Mr Jackson and I, we remained close friends—like brothers really.. We both found love and had kids and what a thrill it is now to see our children become friends with each other.

The image that I’m posting is a snapshot of my studio wall, a place where I constantly pin things that inspire me in my work. The week after Paul’s death I found the Xmas card that had sat in my van since mid-December,ready to be hand delivered to him over a beer and which never was…

I’ll keep it on my wall as a reminder of my beautiful friend and it will remain unopened, forever…