Revive and Thrive!

It's been a very busy time for me recently. Quite apart from work, I've been working on a calendar project with photographer Mark Page (more on that soon). And I've been helping to set up the Revive and Thrive exhibition as part of High Wycombe's Celebrate! festival. The town was once the centre of the UK furniture industry and many pioneering brands - such as Ercol and Parker Knoll - began here. The Windsor chair was created here and the town's bodgers and cabinet makers were respected worldwide. During WW2, they turned the furniture factories over to production of the wooden airframe for the Mosquito bombers and the university still has design faculty that attracts furniture and fashion students from around the world. Among its alumni are Jay Blades, creator of TV's The Repair Shop and Noel Fielding. In fact, comedy team The Mighty Boosh formed at the university. I mention fashion because, again, the town was an innovator with many groundbreaking icons -  including Dusty Springfield and Ian Dury - living and growing up here. It was a favourite gigging town for bands and everyone played Wycombe from the Rolling Stones to the Sex Pistols. In fact, the Pistols played their second ever gig in the town and the Punk 'make do and mend' fashion aesthetic was taken up enthusiastically by local youths.  

And that concept of re-use, repair, revitalise, recyle is at the heart of this exhibition which features upcycled clothing and art (including my own) made from materials that would otherwise be thrown away. It's a wonderful showcase of imagination and artisan skill and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Here are some photos from the grand opening at The Wheatsheaf, a 15th century former alehouse and the second oldest building in the town centre (besides the church).