Richard Servian
@serwianski
Sometime Social Worker, voyager, County Cricket fan, Labourist, 60/70s Rock Gods concert goer,old fogey, inhabitant of the Black Country…. Read lots of fiction…
Good to see on the @basw-uk.bsky.social AGM agenda a Motion calling for an Apology on forced adoption , following Government and Church apologies
Remembering my Dad. An old photo from the 1950s, where he looked , maybe, a little like Harold Wilson in the same era. Remembering this as HW winning in 1964 is my first political memory as was Dad’s pleasure at this.
Great Poetry and short Play event at Lych Gates, Wolverhampton yesterday by Black Country @basw-uk.bsky.social and Blakenhall Writers with music by Peter Unwin (great and apt updated version of Eve of Destruction). Fifth Annual event!
Wandering if the Wolverhampton Greens are right to deliver an election eve leaflet showing the Burning of Wolves Civic Centre, given Arsons elsewhere. Delivered long after the Postal Vote.
Hearing Cuba is being further sqeezed by the US, and a reminder to me that life got in the way of a visit 30 years ago. Two books: to the right a US Socialist Classic from 1960, and on the left: is this by @simoncalder.bsky.social of the @the-independent.com from 1996 ? #booksky
Some interesting close calls in the forthcoming local elections if Pollcheck is to be believed. 'Too close to call between Lab and Reform in Wednesfield North& Oxley and 3 ways with Tories in Merry Hill. 2 up in Wednesfield South & Lab and Reform predicted one each. Green predicted to gain Park.
I wander what make the good folk of a wet Stafford escape to a drama set in the Channel Isles...
Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah. Beautifully written like all his books , set in Tanzania but with England having an impact . AG's books on Africa, England, the experence of migration are all worth reading. #Booksky
Maybe in for interesting political times in Wolverhampton. No Green Councillors locally but this is a local chippy...
So ex Tory MP for Wolverhampton NE, not heard of during or since her reign, fulminates about Wednesfield High Street
Wolverhampton Reform highlighted in latest @privateeyenews.bsky.social . Believe Ms Hibbert stood for Labour in Harborough in the 2019 General Election
So, Day one of Willenhall Station. Only one an hour each way. ; Diesels on an electric line: 25 Bus from Wednesfield not back on its old route passing the Station. But very welcome all the same!
Coming From Behind : Howard Jacobson’s first book , with main character teaching at Wrottesley Poly, very recognisably set really in Wolverhampton where Jacobson taught at the Poly. I think this is his funniest book. Wander why he’s never spoken at the local Literature festival… #Booksky
Good to see The Turkish Detective again on BBC4. Barbara Nadel's Detective Ikmen books are well worth a read #Booksky
With another illegal war coming up, time to read some Cuban fiction. Translated from the Spanish 'Mascaras', Havana Red is the first of Leonardo Padura's Lt. Conde atmospheric detective stories. Padura claims 'Mario Conde is a metaphor, not a policeman..' Perhaps all Detective stories are. #Booksky
Best known Epstein work is probably the St Michael & The Devil at Coventry Cathedral. The Devil’s face is based apparently on Epstein himself. Apparently some of the Clergy weren’t keen on a Jewish artist’s work given prominence…
Their daughter Esther was said to have a strong Black Country Accent, having been brought up locally...
Looking forward to Living in a Fragmented Society, I mean the Poetry and Flash Fiction event by Black Country Social Workers & Blakenhall Writers at The Lych Gates, Wolverhampton on 11th May from 7pm . Is this their 4th or 5th Annual event? Free event. All welcome, particularly Poets.
Haile Selassie sat for Epstein to raise awareness of the Italian invasion of Abyssinia in the 1930s
Always surprised how empty the New Walsall Gallery can be. Great Jacob Epstein sculptures, donated to the old Wednesbury Council by his wife who was born there. His sculpture of TS Eliot looks to me like a SS General , reflecting perhaps some of his poetry....
2024 result: The runner up had a few weeks before got 70,000 votes in the WM Mayoral election. Wander if the Green will stand given there seemed to have been an agreement with Corbyn and Galloway not to stand in Gorton & Denton….
Blimey The underpass to the Wednesfield Road is finally open at Wolverhampton Station!!!