tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7779136.post7647435873542909613..comments2023-10-10T13:31:24.972+00:00Comments on Waking Hereward: Tony Hart...Alfiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135869751268396259noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7779136.post-35999486113278739332009-01-23T10:59:00.000+00:002009-01-23T10:59:00.000+00:00I was at Ravensbourne (Bromley, Kent) in the early...I was at Ravensbourne (Bromley, Kent) in the early '70s and spent fourteen years working, mostly on but sometimes 'off', in graphics. On a couple of occcasions I came close to setting up with others but things didn't work out and eventually Mr Jobs and Nigel Lawson, as well as some other, more personal, factors - my first wife amongst them - combined to put me out of business. I've never really recovered from the losses. I still have my drawing board but it sits unused in a secure depository in Berwick-upon-Tweed, slowly decaying with almost all of my possessions.<BR/><BR/>I went to university after that, as a mature student, just before the massive increase in student numbers - my university had 5,000 students in the early sixties, and about 10,000 when I was there. I believe the figure now stands at over 27,000. The city itself has a population of about 400,000 I believe and the last I heard more than 110,000 of them were in education.<BR/><BR/>Further and Higher education has just become a way of soaking up youngsters and others who must otherwise inflate the unemployment figures.<BR/><BR/>It's a bloody shame.William Gruffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02434757003701117714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7779136.post-11040255996694561082009-01-21T15:10:00.000+00:002009-01-21T15:10:00.000+00:00I was at Liverpool College of Art in the early '70...I was at Liverpool College of Art in the early '70's. Arthur Ballard (John Lennon's tutor) taught us sometimes - and it was a great time to be there then. I eventually did a degree course in graphics - that was when it was a proper profession. LCA was, at the time the best college to go to outside London - and when we graduated there was just 25 of us...<BR/><BR/>My eldest son qualified 3 years ago - in graphics and also in 'fly-through technologies'. We went along to the ceremony which was held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool (he went to Blackpool and Fylde College. We stood for 3 hours while nearly a thousand students went up in their gowns to get their scrolls... Hundreds of those kids qualified in some field of graphic arts... only 1 person from my son's course has got a job in the industry - the rest are doing MacDonald tables etc....Alfiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04135869751268396259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7779136.post-46207793472292282832009-01-19T18:07:00.000+00:002009-01-19T18:07:00.000+00:00I couldn't forgive those twee little neckerchiefs ...I couldn't forgive those twee little neckerchiefs he used to wear but, like Sir John Mortimer, he was a decent chap who did some good and will be remembered for it. BBC children's TV was so civilised then.<BR/><BR/>Mrs Gruff is a Scouser too.<BR/><BR/>What was your career in art?William Gruffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02434757003701117714noreply@blogger.com