Ed’s Crack

For nearly thirty-five years I have been writing Editorials for the Journal of the British Society of Scientific Glassblowers. Here’s one from January 2020. It was written in November 2019 long before the meaning of the word “lockdown” was felt!!!!

Who’s in charge? Who can make a difference? Who can alter the controls to stop the rocket crashing into the dark side of the moon? Apparently it’s me! It is also you, yes you the reader! It’s all of us of course. You want to know something about the BSSG then ask the Chairman. You want to find something about how this Society operates then again, ask the Chair. You want to change something within the Society’s activities then go ahead and do it yourself. I came to this conclusion last year when, as Chairman of a local art group campaigned for a fairer deal in renting a school hall, where the rent had increased from £900 to £3000! I pleaded my case in letter and in person to anyone who would listen and who I thought might help. This included HRH the Prince of Wales, the Lord Lieutenant of Caithness, my local MP, two Councillors and Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. For extra “oomph” I wrote to the local press and spoke passionately on the radio. All to no avail and so fulled by other people’s apathy I resolved the issue by negotiating a better and fairer deal with the college next door to the school where my art society had held annual exhibitions for nearly twenty years. It seems the two establishments may look as if they are only separated by a small field. In truth a huge gulf exists between them in the shape of a cultural hole in the heart of the management of the school!

Space is not all about the final frontier or vacuums waiting to be filled but is to be celebrated with life and to do this must be understood effectively. My local Council has decided for reasons only it knows to measure the space in school halls by comparing such spaces with the size of badminton courts. Apparently they haven’t heard of square metres! So a small hall is less than two badminton sizes and a large hall, surprise, surprise is about the size of four badminton courts. This would seem slightly sensible although not to those who have never heard of badminton and think it’s all about horse trials! It might even at a stretch appear to be logical except that the Council include in their dimensions the stages which by definition are elevated from the main floor of the hall and impossible to play badminton on. Only an accountant would try and play this sport with one leg on the floor and one leg on a stage!

I hear some jobs are under review based on occupancy of space which I can identify with. In 1990 my job as a scientific glassblower with the then UKAEA based at Dounreay ceased to exist and I was offered to stay in employment but only by accepting a post of an archivist, a skill I had zero experience or interest. However in an act of self preservation I accepted this false kindness but at the same time set about starting my own glass art business to protect my sanity and to continue to release my creative juice into the World. In 2018 I retired from Dounreay having gained promotion as an archivist which by that time had been redefined as a Records Manager. My own business celebrates thirty years this year and whilst my craft skills have been maintained at one level my artistic “bluff” has developed beyond all recognition. We have to take control of our own lives in order to fulfil our destiny.

On my way to join in the celebrations of the Scottish Glass Society’s fortieth anniversary I popped into see their annual exhibition at Glasgow’s Trade Hall. Imagine my surprise when I was greeted by two gentlemen wearing gold chains. Great welcome for a glass show! Then I realised the exhibition coincided with a public open day of the Hall and the two gentlemen were actually the current Mayor and new Mayor. Fascinating building with a very interesting history. www.tradeshallglasgow.co.uk Trades Hall is the home of The Trades House of Glasgow, established in 1605 and now a registered charity (SC040548).Trades House and the fourteen Crafts focus support upon deserving causes and individuals across the City of Glasgow, making donations of more than £750,000 per annum. It was the fourteen craft disciplines that intrigued me as I was keen to see if and where scientific glassblowers fitted in. I asked a smart gentleman who seem to be acting as a guide and he thought for a long moment before saying that scientific glassblowers could if need be fit into several categories or they might not fit in at all. Hmmm sums our life up perfectly eh?