Editorial
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Editorial
The Whistler – December 2020
It’s officially winter. The nights have closed in, the straw hat is back in it box and coats are the season’s must-have accessory. Still, we’re out of lockdown and we’re allowed out. Remember that? Out? And if we’ve got to have a substantial meal, well that’s OK too. Lockdown’s had its moments. We’ve met people, well we’ve seen people on small screens, and as long as the West Hill quiz keeps going, so will we (even though we were robbed at the last quiz, positively robbed. Who knew what a Star bar looked like?).
But remember, if things are hard, if you have trouble getting out and about, Lovely Vinod at Bright News is doing deliveries and helping those who need it. It’s what community’s for.
Finally, a quick word about us going all 21st century – the website’s got a new look, there’s a new Instagram (@westhillwhistler) and Twitter (@WestHillWhistle) and a re-vamped Facbook page. You can probably guess what that’s called. It’s all very exciting.
And, as always, if you’ve got something to say, drop us a line. Join in. Life’s better that way.
Merry Xmas / New Year. See you on the other side.
XXX
The great Eddie Thompson
Peter Batten pays tribute to one of the great British jazz pianists
One wet Friday evening in November 1961 I was about to leave my place of work, the Stevenage College of Further Education. As I came to the main entrance I met a bachelor colleague. Like me he was new to the College; we had both arrived in September.
“What are you doing this evening?” he asked. I explained that I was going to a jazz club run by one of my new neighbours.
“May I join you?” he asked.
Later that evening he gave me a lift and we arrived at the club just as Eddie Thompson was about to play. His dog was already settled comfortably under the grand piano.
Eddie [1925-86] had long been recognised as one of our finest jazz pianists. Born blind, he attended the same school as the great George Shearing. Like some other people with his disability, he turned to piano tuning as his trade. However his talent for jazz soon began to shine through. He performed solo and with bands in a variety of styles. That evening, although I had heard several of his recordings, I was to hear him in person for the first time. I fell in love with his playing. What I did not know was that his dog was about to retire. A few months later Eddie took a very brave decision to try his luck in the clubs of New York.
He was away for ten years. Although he won great respect in New York, he knew that the experience would enhance his ability to make a living in London. By the time he returned I was working at a new college in South London. He often appeared nearby at a pub called the Leather Bottle in Merton. One of my friends played bass with Eddie at his regular gig at the Playboy Club as well at Merton so I was introduced. At that time I was very fond of a great song by Tadd Dameron called “If You Could See Me Now.” Eddie played it superbly, so it became a regular request from me.
Then I decided to give myself a special treat. The music studio at the Sutton College was equipped with a small Bosendorfer grand piano, one of the world’s finest pianos. I arranged for Eddie to give a solo performance for an audience of about 50 people. He loved the piano. The result was an evening of outstanding jazz. I never heard him play better. And there was a bonus. Eddie had a very sharp wit and a stock of jokes, most of them unsuited for polite company. It was an “Evening with Eddie Thompson” to remember.
As we entered the 1980s he was playing better than ever. Sadly his years were limited. He was diagnosed with emphysema. Within 18 months he declined rapidly, was housebound, confined to bed and died, aged 61. He had been a very heavy smoker. ]
If you want to know what a great player he was, call up some of his recordings on Youtube. I would particularly recommend “One Morning in May” by his trio with the great Martin Drew on drums.
At 87 years of age I have been shielding at home during Lockdown. That is my excuse for leading you back through my memories of a lovely, gifted man. One special evening comes to mind. It was August and very hot. I went to the Bull’s Head at Barnes, a famous jazz venue, to hear the great American saxophonist Johnny Griffin. To my delight Eddie was at the piano, with Martin Drew on drums. The music was fantastic, the room was packed, the sweat was pouring off us and even seemed to be running down the walls. Through it all I could see Eddie, exactly opposite me at the grand piano, a broad grin on his face, enjoying the chance to accompany such a great musician.
A final story. One of Eddie’s friends had given him a lift home from a gig. Eddie invited him to come in for a coffee. The curtains were drawn, the house was in total darkness and the friend began to collide with the furniture. “Sorry” said Eddie, “I’ll put the light on. I’d forgotten you could see”.
A Biba-esque emporium
An Aladdin’s Cave where Frida Kahlo sits next to beautiful vintage kimonos while Tintin and Buddha look on. Jed Novick goes in search of the Objet D’ials
I want people to feel that they’ve disconnected with the outside world and engaged with the shop when they’ve walked through the door.”
Karin Pratt is putting the finishing touches to Objet D’ials, her new art emporium. She’s at that lovely point – halfway between excited and exhausted, and I just asked her the stupidest question. What are you selling here? It all looks like Aladdin’s Cave here. Look around and… there’s Mexican the window, a row of beautiful Japanese kimonos, a Buddha, a bit of Frida Kahlo, vintage books, art, Tintin, a red velvet sofa… Everywhere your eye lands, there’s something for it to feast on.
“When people walk in and look around, I want them to feel like they’ve gone on a journey,” says Karin. “I want people to engage with the shop. You know how many shops you walk in and then walk out, as an experience it leaves you empty. I want people to come in here – even if they don’t buy anything – I want them to feel they’ve disconnected with the outside world.”
Pushed for a description, Karin says “I want it to be an all-encompassing Biba-esque experience.” And if you’re going to have an aspiration, that’s not a bad one.
“You just browse. There’s a café – but only a small percentage of our life is as a café. We’re going down the cafetiere or pot of tea route. We’re not doing takeaway or trying to be a café. The shop is artisan and in the summer there’ll be tables and chairs outside.”
So let’s go back to the beginning. Who are you and how did you get here? “We live next door and this shop used to be the garage for the house. My husband has looked into the history of the house and has always wanted to put it back together, to bring it back. I’ve worked in shops (and the oil industry, and tourism and hotels…) but I’d never had a shop. I had a feeling it was going to come on the market and one day we were sitting in the garden and a friend said ‘Come here, there’s a guy in the street with a clipboard outside the shop.’
And you ran outside and said “Stop!”?
“More or less.”
To anyone opening a shop in 2020, it’s the obvious question to ask, so let’s just ask it. You’re setting up a new shop from scratch, how much of a nuisance has lockdown been? “Not really that much of a problem because I knew it was coming. We’ve had a four-week turnaround – we bought it at the end of November and…”
Hang about. Stop. You only got hold of this at the end of October?
“Yes, the 23rd. We came straight in after getting the key and started with the paint…”
That’s just… That’s amazing.
“Was it longer? I’m so tired… It’s gone really quickly, I know that.”
While it’s Karin’s shop, Karin’s idea, Karin’s dream, she’s very keen to support Sussex based suppliers for my local goods. “The idea of helping and promoting local produce and business is really important. We’re very lucky to have a shop and while it’s OK to be online, if you can have somewhere to show your goods, that can make all the difference.”
So you’ve got?
“Well, we sell Craft House Coffee, which is based in Wivelsfield. There’s Katie’s Nuttery, who do all sorts of organic nut butters and they’re based in Henfield. We’ve got Park Farm honey, from just up the road. J.Cocoa, the chocolatier from Hassocks, and Slice, the local Seven Dials bakery and sweetmaker.”
And it’s not just about the small producers; there’s a place at the table for shops, too. “We’ve got stuff from ‘And More Again’ in Upper Gardener Street because they – Penny –goes to India a lot and she’s going to have a permanent feature in the shop because she fits what I like, the vibe.”
So are you going to expand into things like local cheeses? “My core is art, that’s what the vibe is. The heart of the shop is community, but my core is art. If we can bring those things together…”
We hear so much about the death of the high street, about big stores closing, about how people only shop online. But maybe this is what the future will look like, post-Covid when big high street shopping has recalibrated. Community-based shops that work together, that help each other, that support other local businesses.
“There are so many lovely people here and if we can all work together we can only make everyone stronger, and have more fun while we’re doing it”
The Whistler – October 2020
Idly flicking through the TV the other day, I chanced upon “Dad’s Army”. Haven’t seen it for ages, but still it’s so familiar. The bumbling incompetence, the mind-numbing arrogance, the hubris. The idea they know what they’re doing, but behind their eyes we can see that even they know they’re absolutely clueless. But then on closer look, I realised they were wearing suits, not fatigues and I was actually watching a Government briefing about the new Covid guidelines.
Oh well. Strange times. As The Whistler goes to press, we don’t know whether there’ll be a second wave or a second lockdown, whether six people is a group or five is a bubble. As ever, the people who do best are the ones with the positive attitude, like Mark and Hatt at The Eddy, like Pam and Philippe at The Red Snapper. That’s what we’re buying into here. The positive. And as long as it’s linen suit and straw hat weather…. it’s all good.
Finally, a quick and very large “Thank You” to Joanna Bettles for her time as designer of The Whistler. For Jo, as for the rest of us, new challenges await.
And don’t forget – if you’ve got something to say, drop us a line. Join in. Life’s better that way. XX
The Whistler – August 2020
The sun’s shining, the birds are singing and OK, life’s still a bit odd but it’s the summer and, no matter what, we look for the positives. We’re going out now, it’s better. We can order in a restaurant and we can talk to the waiters and even if we can hear them we can’t understand what they’re saying because we’re all wearing facemasks – we are all wearing facemasks, aren’t we? But slowly life is getting back on track, and so in the next few weeks, if you find yourself in a pub garden and you see a bloke in a linen suit and straw hat, co-respondent shoes and red socks nursing a vodka and tonic… come up and say Hello.
And don’t forget – if you’ve got something to say, drop us a line. Join in. Life’s better that way. XX
Jed Novick
thewhistler1976@gmail.com
The Whistler – June 2020
Well, this isn’t how I expected things to be when, last Christmas, Colette asked if anyone fancied taking over at The Whistler. I thought I’d be holding court in the garden of the Duke of Wellington, meeting people, writers, contributors. We’d share a chat and a drink as the wonders of West Hill revealed themselves. I didn’t expect to be locked in and locked down, spending time doing pub quizzes on my laptop, dancing in the kitchen and doing this strange social distance sideways skip on the pavement every time I ventured out. But then, I don’t suppose anyone expected that.
A strange couple of months? You could say that. But it’s been an interesting time, too. Despite spending all our time Zooming, it’s been a time to slow down, to consider and reflect. What does life look like? How does it work? Maybe there’ll be some changes – we’ll see. But amidst all the isolation and distancing, there’s been a lovely coming together. So often you see people on the streets standing apart yet together, sharing a chat and a laugh in a way we wouldn’t normally see. The community pulls together.
Vinod and Meena, the absolute cornerstones of West Hill, took it on – no surprises there – keeping the shop going, keeping the smiles going, making deliveries. The oil keeping the engine of community running.
They were awarded the Mayor’s Gold Certificate – “in recognition of your dedication, passion and hard work in supporting the community”. Quite right, too.
“It’s nice that people in the community recognise what we do” said Meena.
“The people in the community don’t need to be told” I replied.
And talking of keeping the community going, a word of thanks to Colette who has steered the good ship Whistler for so long. What an absolute star. Unsurprisingly, she’s been fantastically supportive and helpful since handing over, probably thinking “Was this a good idea?” more than once. But if she thinks that’s the end of her Advice Hotline… Not a chance.
Like most other things right now, we’re only online this edition. Next time round, who knows? But we’re here, we’ll always be here. And in a few weeks – or months – time, if you find yourself in a pub garden and you see a bloke in a linen suit and straw hat, nursing a vodka and tonic… come up and say Hello.
If you’ve got something to say, drop me a line. If you want to write something, drop me a line. If you want to draw, photograph, contribute in any way… drop me a line.
Jed Novick
thewhistler1976@gmail.com
The Whistler – April 2020
The current editors of The Whistler have been doing the job for over 23 years and we think it’s time we handed it over to someone else. Jed Novick has lived in West Hill for 6 years and when he heard at the WHCA Christmas Social that we were looking for a new editor he stepped forward. He says he wants to get involved because this area and community is fantastically important to him, now more than ever. So, look out for his first issue as Editor from June and, meanwhile, Sylvia and Colette wish him well and know that The Whistler, 44 years old this year, is going to be in very good hands for the next 44!
In the light of the current situation with the coronavirus COVID-19, WHCA has cancelled its forthcoming events, including the AGM on 28 April and, most likely, the Quiz at the end of May. The local history talk, ‘Beardsley’s Brighton’ was planned for May 12, but is now postponed until October. All of the regular activities in West Hill Hall have also been suspended for the time being.
STOP PRESS!
With very many thanks to our March Quiz Setter, Sue Williams, we held a very successful Quiz on Zoom on 31 March at 8pm with many of our regular participants that we usually see at West Hill Hall on the last Tuesday of the month. Next Quiz via Zoom will be on 28 April.
The Whistler – February 2020
Come and Join Us
WHCA held its twenty-first Christmas Social in December 2019 and, judging from the reaction of people on the night and the letters we received about it, we can say that it was pretty darn special.
If you’ve ever thought about joining WHCA, 2020 is the year to make that thought a reality. We are looking for a Hall Administrator. Ideally, someone who lives near the Hall and has, on average, 3 hours a week to spend on bookings, liaising with hirers, a little bit of ‘care’ taking and generally a whole lot of loving West Hill Hall to ensure it stays the way that works for everyone who uses it. Apart from keeping an occasional quick eye on the Hall at weekends, mostly it involves activities that can be done at any time of the day from the comfort of your own home. Interested? Even if you’re slightly intrigued and would like to know more about what being part of the WHCA team entails, Colette would love to hear from you. Write to her at westhillhall@gmail.com and seize the moment to become an active part of the community.
We’re grateful to local artist Adrian Ventura for his marvellous drawing of ‘House Sparrows’ above, which we think complements perfectly Lorraine Bowen’s suggestions later in this issue for attracting more sparrows to West Hill.
New at the Hall – Spanish Club Conversation Sessions
Tuesdays 7.30pm – 8.45pm
¡Hola amigos! Whatever your level, come to our Spanish Conversation Sessions on Tuesdays at 7.30pm. We have 3 different groups: beginners, intermediate and advanced level, all working at the same time in their own groups. Practise, have fun and meet lots of wonderful people.
Sessions include games, activities and exercises: all of them encourage speaking and listening.
Spanish Club has been teaching Spanish in Brighton for the last 5 years; doing one-to-one lessons, groups and camps in Spain. We want to help you in your journey and get to know you. Come on your own or with a friend but the most important thing – have fun!
For more information call 07760 665414 or email inefsay@gmail.com
The Whistler – December 2019
Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The entire East Wing at Buckingham Palace, home to some of the most splendid objects commissioned by George IV and once displayed at the Royal Pavilion, has been decanted of original furniture and decorative objects to make way for essential construction work, giving the opportunity for 123 of these items to be lent by the Queen to the residence for which most were originally acquired. For the next two years, the Royal Pavilion will look more magnificent than it has ever done since the reign of George IV. The image on above shows a clock designed by Robert Jones and made by BL Vulliamy, with gilding by Fricker & Henderson, c 1819. Worth a visit before the end of the loan period in September 2021.
In between writing copy for this edition of The Whistler, the editors have been sourcing and buying sustainable, biodegradable partyware for the West Hill Social on 14 December. Even the balloons will be compostable! Tickets are selling fast but if you have not ordered yours yet, there are still a few left at Bright News. Do come and join us for a great evening of catching up with old friends and making new ones from the neighbourhood.
The local history talk on ‘Notorious Women of Brighton’ given by Louise Peskett at the Hall in October was a great success. If you know of a speaker, or you are one yourself with an interesting take on Brighton, please get in touch with Clare Cochrane at westhillhall@gmail.com as she is planning next year’s talks in May and October.
In September a well-attended sung mass of requiem was held in the church of St Michael’s and All Angels for Father Raymonde Robinson SSC who, in his retirement, was a popular resident of West Hill Street. Fr Raymonde, an Anglican priest in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, was an unmistakable figure often seen wearing a black cassock and biretta whilst making his way to assist in services at St Michael’s.
There’s a great sense of community in West Hill and it is important to preserve it as we say goodbye to the 2010s decade, and look forward (perhaps with some trepidation) to the next decade and all that it holds.