ARTS

STAG’S WORLD OF ROCK

‘Touch the Rocks’ – An Album Worth Waiting For. Chartered Hurricane’s album, ‘Touch the Rocks’, is finally released. The Porthcawl band - formed in 1980 - featured Phil Jones vocals, Mark Jones and Rob Millar guitars, Mitch Mitchinson bass and Terry Thomas drums. They released a single, ‘Cathy Come Home’, and recorded some good demos that sadly didn’t get fully finished as the group disbanded in 1983. Fast forward 35 years and Phil wanted to re-record the songs featuring the original members. Sadly, drummer Terry Thomas passed away a few years ago but his drums can still be heard on the CD, as samples were used from original demos. The recordings were finished by summer 2020 only weeks before the shock passing of singer Phil, who had dedicated his life to music. However, Mark bravely soldiered on to complete the project. And what a great album it is! Standout track? They are all standout tracks! From rock songs like ‘Touch the Rocks’ and ‘Never in a Million Years’ to the ballads ‘So Many Words’, ‘Porthcawl’ and the poignant – and my favourite – ‘Beds in Heaven’. A class album and a fitting tribute to Phil and Terry’s memory. Buy the CD on the band Facebook page, with proceeds going to Phil’s family. You won’t be disappointed!

Stag Marks 07549 728356

Photo: (left to right) Phil, Rob, Terry, Mitch and Mark

A FILM MAKER’S POINT OF VIEW

Possibly the most glorious years of the cinema were those that coincided with the heyday of the newsreels which, in my opinion, were the 1930s, when news and current affairs, often dominated by sport and politics, were brought to the big screen in a series of short documentarystyle films, sometimes tragic, often comically irreverent, with a chauvinistic attitude that would be considered scandalous in today’s somewhat sanitised world of twenty-four hour television news. And it was television, albeit that of the 1950s and 1960s, that brought the happy, carefree, knockabout world of the old-style newsreels to a slow but inevitable end. Their practitioners were not known for the artiness of their craft, unlike their featurefilm equivalents, and yet they brought their own curious art form to what might now be considered the forerunner of the documentary film. The typical newsreel cameraman was certainly no shrinking violet, for he had to push himself and his bulky equipment to the front of the queue, and get up to all sorts of tricks to ensure that his own company got the scoop over the other rival newsreel companies. And the newsreels themselves were assertive and full of self-confidence. A different world indeed.

Anthony Hontoir, Downwood Films 07510 934299

Photo: Anthony Hontoir with 1930s newsreel camera

PYLE & PORTHCAWL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

We recently held our annual Clyne Jones Trophy competition, which due to the Coronavirus restrictions was held via video conferencing. It was a very close competition with John Corcoran winning the trophy with three excellent images, congratulations John. We’re a very friendly camera club with a mix of male & female members and welcome new members of all ages and skill levels, it’s all very informal so if you have an interest in photography why not join us, we usually meet on Thursday evenings at 7:30pm at St Clare’s School, Newton CF36 5NR but our meetings are currently suspended due to the Coronavirus situation so we’re currently holding competitions etc online instead. Our program is available at www.pyle-porthcawl-ps.co.uk

Geoff Baker