Saturday
Apr122008
Reason to be cheerful
Saturday, April 12, 2008 I've re-read the last few posts and they're a bit depressing. So here's something to cheer you up. I have just bought the May issue of The Oldie - featuring The Oldie of the Year Awards - and there, beaming out from the cover, is the great David Hockney (2008 Oldie Gasper of the Year) whose citation reads:
"One of the country's greatest living smokers, he has campaigned courageously for the right to have his cigarette and smoke it where he likes".
Hockney, I should add, was Forest's Smokers' Rights Champion of 2006, an award he collected in person at The Groucho Club in London. I won't repeat a story I have told (several times) before, but if you haven't heard it you can read about it HERE.
in People
People
Reader Comments (7)
Thanks, Simon, I enjoyed reading that. It brought to mind, however, my long ago second husband who absolutely hated Hockney with all his might. He, too, was a professional artist and contemporary of David. It really was pure professional jealousy of David's highly profiled success.
My ex-husband was a pipe smoker. He succumbed to the propoganda, gave up his pipe, tripled his alcohol intake, and turned avidly to prescription tranquilizer drugs. He later met and married a woman he found by internet dating and during their short marriage he died. His death certificate stated that he died from a heart attack brought on by drugs. The new wife inherited everything, sold up, and disappeared to live somewhere in France.
Well, in case my uncalled for reminiscence has slightly dented your cheerful weekend offering, let me offer further reading.
I flipped into the F2C website when it was restored to us and noticed mention of an article by Peter Thurgood. It was written in August last year and entitled, "Integration? Forget it!" I recommend it to everyone as a superb bit of humorous writing - definitely a cheerer up for the weekend.
I noticed other articles by him on that page and they can also be found in his own superb website - www.thesmokermagazine.co.uk.
Alright, the message of the website is that if we vote Tory not Labour, all our troubles will be over - but never mind that, he is entitled to his own opinions. I do recommend the website, though, it is packed with really useful information. He is a brilliant gifted writer. His humorous articles are a definite chuckle for the weekend.
Thank you so much Margot, for your kind words regarding my writing. I write so much, and most of the time, get heavily criticised for it, although this is usually more for the political content than the actual writing.
As someone who seems to enjoy my work, I wondered if you had come across the piece I wrote last year, entitled "Halloween"?
I found it and added it to a blog which I also have, which you can see here http://peterthurgood-thetruth.blogspot.com/
I hope you like it.
There is no doubt about it, David Hockney, is a great man. I have always loved his art, and unlike many artists, his work is as good today, as it was in your early days, sometimes even better, as in the enormous painting he recently donated to the Tate Modern.
I read an article about him in the London Evening Standard, last night, and I put the paper to one side, thinking that I must write something, as he is not only a great artist, but in my opinion, a great man.
In the article, he says that he has a notice pinned to a lampshade in his studio which reads, "Death awaits you even if you do not smoke". He goes onto say that his other favourite saying is "Life's a killer".
He says that he buys all his smoking requirements in the German health resort of Baden Baden, where he goes for the cures. (I like that).
Ken Livingstone, he says, tells us that we should have dim light bulbs, and a nanny state is good for us if it helps to save the planet. Meanwhile, he says, that in China, they're eating, drinking, and smoking in bright lights, and having a whale of a time.
Good on you David, we need more people like you!
Oh Peter, what a treat that was! What a great writer you are. Really, one can get a bit sad that a talent like yours doesn't get much more of an airing - and reward [if I may be so non pc commerically bold!] I hope others will read your second blog, apart from this weekend perhaps.
I continued reading, of course, and loved your scathing attack on Ken Lingstone. You've made it clear in recent correspondence that you support the conservative Boris Johnson, [of course], but your's and Winston's views on liberty and freedom of speech, etc., still haven't allowed you to even recognise the existance of the fourth most important Mayoral Candidate, Gerrard Batten MEP. He is standing in opposition to Ken and Boris and the Liberal. I would have thought you would appreciate his commonsense policies to help our dear old London back onto its feet and creating a better life for its inhabitants.
His website is up and running at the moment. How long for, I don't know, During the week, it too was hacked and viewers trying to find it were redirected to an Evening Standard video where the three main candidates were given full freedom of speech. I doubt Garard Batten was even invited.
Do please have a look at it and tell us what you think.
That animated photo of you on your site looked as though it was a video, but I couldn't make it speak - so I guess not.
Peter: You second post came in as I was posting my reply to you.
Yes, I too like David Hockney and his irrepressible personality. As you rightly said, in the days when my ex-husband got so irate at the mere mention of his name, his paintings were not of the standard they are now. He was extremely "gimmicky", but maybe that was the path one had to take in those days.
Simon is lucky to have had such fun times with him - but I reckon Simon has earned it. No one works harder than him at a fairly thankless task and still remains sane. [Hope this won't start a new thread!]
Get that feeling that there's nobody around this weekend except thee and me? I'm starving, must get my dinner on!
URGENT: Looks as if the F2C site has been hacked into again.
Yes, it has. How long before this one goes too? Can I point out to everyone that the thread "Message to Smokers from Boris Johnson" has continued on. See the most recent comments. A reply has been received from his campaign office.