Extras
Respect and fond memories for Colin Wood who died 17th October 2021
‘Mitch’ Mitchelson emailed: “You may have heard from Dave Holland and Rolande Thomas about the passing of Colin Wood. I think he first appeared on the scene with the company Ritual Theatre who I remember seeing in the Parade Gardens during one of our festivals. Exploded Eye worked with Colin for their leg of the Other Outing (mystery tour) at Beaford Arts Centre. There’s a photo of him playing the cello surrounded by paper flowers in the book.”
Photo: Roger Perry
“I also worked with Colin in the Exploded Eye ‘White Piece’ at the Parade Gardens which Georgina Carless also appeared in. He then performed and toured with Dave Holland and Lol Coxhill as the Johnny Rondo Trio, who had their first incarnation with Dave, Ian Spittal and Colin Mansfield in the Exploded Eye Cabaret in the Organ Factory. I remember Lol Coxhill providing the live music for Original Mixture’s community circus show in Victoria Park with the ‘A’ team in Tower Hamlets. I still have a single the Johnny Rondo trio released. Colin then, according to Dave Holland, joined IOU that originally sprang from our old friends Welfare State. When I was organising the lunch time programme in the Parade Gardens , one musician who featured was Lou Glanfield who later joined IOU and was integral to them for many years. Another musician who appeared at the Parade Gardens was Billy Currie. He later found fame in Ultravox. I remember bumping into him in Soho and he told me he had just joined the band. A woven tapestry of links and connections down the creative years! R.I.P Colin Wood. xMitch”
Roland Thomas emailed: “he was a lovely guy and his improvised cello playing became a staple accompaniment to all of Exploded Eye's landscape performances.”
Dave Holland emailed: “For your entertainment, I have attached one of the photos by Dutch photographer Jan Smagge, when the Johnny Rondo Trio toured Holland. On this occasion we were the "house band" at a fashion show for all the family in Eindhoven; and we took our turn on the catwalk. A moment to be savoured.”
Colin Wood is on the left in this picture, Lol Coxhill centre, Dave Holland on the right.
Photo: Jan Smagge
Phil Shepherd emails: “ I didn’t know Colin very well personally but remember his gentle and impressive creativity at many great events”.
What people are saying about our book
“Just got my copy of the BAW book. You and the team have done a fine job.
A rush of pure nostalgia for me – I vividly remember Phil Grimm's Progress and I played in bands at the festival with Micky Godwin aka Brian Damage. I was brought up near Frome which was stuck in the 50s back then so Bath seemed like an exotic new bohemian world of possibilities. A rush of pure nostalgia for me – I vividly remember Phil Grimm's Progress and I played in bands at the festival with Micky Godwin aka Brian Damage. ”
— Edward
“An astonishingly researched and compiled history of a seminal arts/culture/community movement that was rooted in Bath but had influences around the world. Detailed, readable and packed with illustrations.”
— Luke D
“Just got the book this morning and devoured it! I think it is great – Well done! It has struck the right tone between being informal and serious. All the excerpts are just right and it never gets boring. The front cover is brilliant.”
— Georgina C
“It’s a fascinating history, and in the era of arts funding starvation that we are surely entering, an important history to share. People - it CAN be done!”
— David Curtis, author, London’s Arts Labs and the 60s Avant Garde
“Such a wonderful document of those times. It is hugely entertaining and informative and remarkably well put together...a visual treat which sources must have involved a considerable amount of work tracking down.
It got me thinking about my life and activities at that time as they touched on BAW...sadly I missed most of the heyday of BAW. (I went to the wrong city!) I do remember wild evenings in Walcot Village Hall, Walcot Beanos, Johnny G, and London to Brighton bike ride. I did some roadside theatre for you on the L to B which was so knackering I couldn’t stay awake to see the Balham Alligators, one of my favourite bands of all time!
And so it is wonderful to piece in those missing years, albeit second hand so thanks for that. And now I remember Rocky Ricketts and the Jet Pilots of Jive at Bristol Arts School at Bower Ashton when I fell in love with a Rockette, can’t remember which one, Yvonne probably. Hey ho, happy days!”
— Bill C
I like the book, bigly, but in the middle of the night when it slipped it was a real nose banger, but you get that with big books.
– John A
Just to say that I am really enjoying the book. Congratulations to you all!
– Vic K, Isle of Wight
Congratulations to the book group for your resolve, commitment and art. Great to have those days chronicled and curated in book form.
– Mitch
Book is brilliant. Hooray to us all. Actually it's probably hurrah.
– John Potter
I absolutely love the book.
– Rob Llewellyn
Brilliant – great memories
I was only there for a short time (74-77) but the experience will stay with me forever and everyone I met certainly influenced what I did next in my life. Thanks to BAW and everyone who was involved.
– Paul ‘Spider’ Lawrence
You and your friends made history and like countless others we were glad to be part of the story. And it’s not over. How we need that vision now!
– Mike Westbrook, Jazz musician
Inspirational!
“Beautifully produced book which captures the extraordinary creativity that flourished in the seventies. The Bath Arts Workshop did so many things to enliven people’s lives, from music festivals to bizarre ‘happenings’, practical recycling projects and renewable energy – years ahead of their time. While challenging the dominant ideology they brought humour, parody and wit to challenge conventional attitudes and deliver practical help to the community.”
— Amazon reader
Feedback from Luke’s English podcast
Good night Luke! I’ve just listened the interview, so interesting, I didn’t know about Bath and this counterculture, but I enjoy learning very much, and love these stories of art workshop in the community, I agree with Penny, we should get back to these routes. Thanks for your upload!!! Greetings from Argentina
– Patricia Gladys
Thank you Luke for introducing us to this unique art movement called Bath Arts Workshop. As far as my understanding goes, these guys tried to make life easier in general. It kind of was an experiment to see life through this amazing venture.
– Hilal
I didn’t hear anything about band Hawkwind. And now I watched them on YouTube and I found out that Lemmy played with them about that time. Fantastic! Penny saw Lemmy with Hawkwind in Bath in early seventies! Kind of weird and Fantastic!!
– Yury V
This woman is amazing! Big love for her.
– Laila
That initiative bears some similarity to programs aiming at teenagers from dysfunctional families that I know from my country. Sometimes psychologists and volunteers are involved to make teens engaged in arts, in helping others, in creating a community...It helps them get socialised, find some sense in their life, discover passion, learn new skills that may come in useful in their adult life. Inclusive communities like that in Bath may be therapeutic. Congratulations on that.
– Iwona O
Young people are so talented and all you need to do is just give them a bit money and freedom and all the rest they will do themselves. Leave them in poverty and they will waste their energy and passion.
– Vera B
Feedback from Richard Wyatt’s interview with Phil
Fascinating! Thanks Richard and Phil. Do you have feeling that Bath is again at risk of forgetting that there’s more to the city than its Roman and Georgian heritage? Will definitely visit the exhib at the Museum.
– Anna B.
This is a great interview Richard. I was in the audience of Phil Grimm’s Progress at the Walcot Beano in 1979. What a time that was, so much creativity I clearly remember walking through somebody’s house as the ‘Progress’ continued. Probably the best street performance I have seen. I must go to the Bath at Work Museum and watch a bit more of those halcyon days.
– Richard F.