In the afternoon of day 8 I went to the laundrette where I learnt that for communality to work you need a lot of signs.
Tuesday, 3 March 2020
Day 8 - Part One
Day 8 (2nd March)
My schedule today is to
- Go on a behind the scenes tour of Luton Town F.C.
- Take my laundry to the laundrette
- Check in with Quiet Down There on the phone
- Go to Next Generation Youth Theatre's dance rehearsals for their forthcoming performance Laced within our Borders
This is me prepared for the day (orange jacket ready for my tour round Luton F.C)
It was my birthday on Sunday - 35! So I was in London celebrating. But now I'm back... a little tired but ready for my second week in Luton.
This week I want to return more to the central question of this residency - joy. In particular I want to think about collective joy - what it means to share joy with others. This is in part inspired by a podcast (thanks to artist Chloe Cooper who will be doing a future residency with QDT for the reminder) by Jem Gilbert, Nadia Idle and Keir Milburn who discuss collective joy as part of their occasional podcast ACFM on Novara Media.
http://novaramedia.com/2019/05/07/acfm-collective-joy/
The podcast starts with a question - when was the last time you experienced collective joy? They talk about raves, and protests - some of the more obvious things that might come to mind for people (on the political left), but then they say that perhaps you can you get collective joy through a library and from doing yoga.
Key to their ideas is a critique of neoliberalism, which makes it difficult for people to experience collective joy. It (neoliberalism) ‘wants us to experience the world in such a way that the only kind of joy we know is the joy of private consumption’.
So with that in mind... onto todays visit (I will be returning to the podcast later!)
First up is the visit to Luton Town F.C for a behind the scenes tour. I wasn't sure what to expect, but what a treat. Our tour guide Graham is a massive fan of the club, and has attended all or most of the home games over the last 35 years. He volunteers his time to give these tours. Joining us is a couple of men from Denmark and Sweden who are touring lots of football grounds in UK (maybe they're writing a blog too?) and another couple one of which is a long time fan of Luton Town.
So onto the good stuff. The gems on the tour are pretty immediate. Firstly the corridor full of every team photo (apart from one missing year in the 1920s) - they are lovely team photos - showing difference in age through the team's kit, hairstyles, and black and white images through to the more recent colour images. Then onto the Eric Morecambe bar - a great old bar full of charm and lots of pictures of Eric Morecambe.
Then at some point we go to the changing rooms - getting a proper inside look. There is 'genuine mud on the floor' Graham says 😂and there is a smell of sweat that immerses me momentarily in the speed and intensity of the game, and creates a sudden contrast with the pace of our nosying around. Then through to the baths. And thats where I learn something new. Football teams like collective baths! Brilliant.
This picture does not do it justice. I love the design, the big LT tiled up in black creating a strong contrast with the white. I think its pretty joyful both visually and because of what it's for. Architecture for collective joy?!
In a recent podcast on Novara (sorry again) the writer and journalist Owen Hatherley discusses socialism and architecture, and how theres been a 40 year assault in the UK, on buildings with communal infrastructure - there are dozens of examples still found in Vienna or Berlin. He says in the UK today you have to look towards projects made by hippys and anarchists - the idealists - where its possible to find more examples of intentional communality built into housing projects (he references Lilac Co housing in Leeds). https://soundcloud.com/novaramedia/novarafm-how-we-might-live-architecture-and-culture
But has he been thinking of communal baths in football clubs?
We move on to the away teams bathroom, and I realise Luton must know that the bath brings collective joy as they have stopped the away team from having one.
Big on my mind on our trip is the proposed redevelopment of the club. Graham is inspirational in his attitude towards this, saying the club needs to move on. The reality is he says that the club needs to make money and their small hospitality rooms won't provide the money they need to keep going. They also need to provide more seats. I'm interested in how these smaller clubs sustain themselves in an era of mega bucks football. The closure of Bury club last year, showed how vulnerable clubs are to the economy. I later find out that Luton used to financially sustain itself in part because it owned the row of houses behind the grounds, as well as the grounds itself, (which was sold to the local council). Now it doesn't have the same assets and ticket sales and hospitality are vital.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/aug/27/bury-and-bolton-two-of-englands-oldest-clubs-face-tuesday-expulsion
Its clear from talking to Graham how important the club is to him. He tells me that he has thought about moving away now he is retired but whats stopped him is Luton F.C. 'There won't be a dry eye in the house' on the last game at the ground. I ask Graham whether he has met many people over the years - of course - theres people who come and sit in the same seat week after week. I can see when we are walking round how well he knows the grounds. There is a moment when we walk round the side of the pitch that Graham says - be careful that corners always a little bit soggy. Its strikes me that its in part an awareness of these funny details that make these public spaces so personal and like home. I notice the handmade supporters signs hanging up. Even the stairs where the away side fans come in - you can see into the houses of the neighbours next door.
I think back to the podcast about collective joy. In it Keir Milburn talks about collective joy he feels at a football match - the chanting, the feeling when your team is doing well, and the hugs with complete strangers. The value of the community of fans is massive and I can really see this here.
My schedule today is to
- Go on a behind the scenes tour of Luton Town F.C.
- Take my laundry to the laundrette
- Check in with Quiet Down There on the phone
- Go to Next Generation Youth Theatre's dance rehearsals for their forthcoming performance Laced within our Borders
This is me prepared for the day (orange jacket ready for my tour round Luton F.C)
---
It was my birthday on Sunday - 35! So I was in London celebrating. But now I'm back... a little tired but ready for my second week in Luton.
This week I want to return more to the central question of this residency - joy. In particular I want to think about collective joy - what it means to share joy with others. This is in part inspired by a podcast (thanks to artist Chloe Cooper who will be doing a future residency with QDT for the reminder) by Jem Gilbert, Nadia Idle and Keir Milburn who discuss collective joy as part of their occasional podcast ACFM on Novara Media.
http://novaramedia.com/2019/05/07/acfm-collective-joy/
The podcast starts with a question - when was the last time you experienced collective joy? They talk about raves, and protests - some of the more obvious things that might come to mind for people (on the political left), but then they say that perhaps you can you get collective joy through a library and from doing yoga.
Key to their ideas is a critique of neoliberalism, which makes it difficult for people to experience collective joy. It (neoliberalism) ‘wants us to experience the world in such a way that the only kind of joy we know is the joy of private consumption’.
So with that in mind... onto todays visit (I will be returning to the podcast later!)
So onto the good stuff. The gems on the tour are pretty immediate. Firstly the corridor full of every team photo (apart from one missing year in the 1920s) - they are lovely team photos - showing difference in age through the team's kit, hairstyles, and black and white images through to the more recent colour images. Then onto the Eric Morecambe bar - a great old bar full of charm and lots of pictures of Eric Morecambe.
Then at some point we go to the changing rooms - getting a proper inside look. There is 'genuine mud on the floor' Graham says 😂and there is a smell of sweat that immerses me momentarily in the speed and intensity of the game, and creates a sudden contrast with the pace of our nosying around. Then through to the baths. And thats where I learn something new. Football teams like collective baths! Brilliant.
This picture does not do it justice. I love the design, the big LT tiled up in black creating a strong contrast with the white. I think its pretty joyful both visually and because of what it's for. Architecture for collective joy?!
In a recent podcast on Novara (sorry again) the writer and journalist Owen Hatherley discusses socialism and architecture, and how theres been a 40 year assault in the UK, on buildings with communal infrastructure - there are dozens of examples still found in Vienna or Berlin. He says in the UK today you have to look towards projects made by hippys and anarchists - the idealists - where its possible to find more examples of intentional communality built into housing projects (he references Lilac Co housing in Leeds). https://soundcloud.com/novaramedia/novarafm-how-we-might-live-architecture-and-culture
But has he been thinking of communal baths in football clubs?
We move on to the away teams bathroom, and I realise Luton must know that the bath brings collective joy as they have stopped the away team from having one.
I do a bit more research and find this set of images, https://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2014/apr/09/memory-lane-football-communal-bath-pictures-gallery which show communal baths in use by football teams in the UK through the ages, and these more recent photos https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/feb/26/footballers-celebrating-communal-baths-knowledge-special and article which confirms that sadly this infrastructure is most likely on its way out. Here, the writer proposes that in an era of social media the communal bath might cause some bad publicity for the footballers - I note the players in the last 10 years or so wearing their kits in the bath. I wonder whether the change from the communal bath to the individual showers is something more than just social media and I wonder what might be lost in this change. Is it a heightened fear of communal physicality thats causing it? Being naked together?
Big on my mind on our trip is the proposed redevelopment of the club. Graham is inspirational in his attitude towards this, saying the club needs to move on. The reality is he says that the club needs to make money and their small hospitality rooms won't provide the money they need to keep going. They also need to provide more seats. I'm interested in how these smaller clubs sustain themselves in an era of mega bucks football. The closure of Bury club last year, showed how vulnerable clubs are to the economy. I later find out that Luton used to financially sustain itself in part because it owned the row of houses behind the grounds, as well as the grounds itself, (which was sold to the local council). Now it doesn't have the same assets and ticket sales and hospitality are vital.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/aug/27/bury-and-bolton-two-of-englands-oldest-clubs-face-tuesday-expulsion
Its clear from talking to Graham how important the club is to him. He tells me that he has thought about moving away now he is retired but whats stopped him is Luton F.C. 'There won't be a dry eye in the house' on the last game at the ground. I ask Graham whether he has met many people over the years - of course - theres people who come and sit in the same seat week after week. I can see when we are walking round how well he knows the grounds. There is a moment when we walk round the side of the pitch that Graham says - be careful that corners always a little bit soggy. Its strikes me that its in part an awareness of these funny details that make these public spaces so personal and like home. I notice the handmade supporters signs hanging up. Even the stairs where the away side fans come in - you can see into the houses of the neighbours next door.
---
Lastly... I also had some more joy spotting some orange details around the grounds
Saturday, 29 February 2020
Day 7
Today I'm keeping writing to a minimum. I'm taking some time out to think about next week and how I want to approach it. In the meantime heres some pictures of things that I either found really satisfying or made me smile.
---
A real highlight of the day was going to meet Labour councillor Tom Shaw during his surgery at the Chaul End Community Centre. I'd prepared these questions before we met.
Why do people mainly come to speak with you about?
Who mainly comes to surgery?
Do people ever come to tell you about good stuff thats happened?
Tom has been a councillor for 35 years and is clearly dedicated to the work and his community. I admire his passion. He does a surgery for local residents every week at the community centre and upstairs in a nearby mosque on a Friday.
He says mainly people come to talk about housing, or cuts to their benefits, or noisy neighbours. Then my questions fall apart - its better just to chat. We talk about the housing crisis and he explains how difficult it is to create new council housing stock. Luton is next to beautiful countryside, but outside Luton its a largely Conservative area and they don't want council housing to be built. He is very proud of achievements made in Luton. We talk about MPs who spend time prioritising visiting their constituents and going to community events - he says how Mo Mowlam and John Prescott used to regularly visit Luton on their way elsewhere.
I ask him about how he came to be a councillor. It was because of a threat of closure to his daughters school. He campaigned to keep it open and not be developed. He says that the Labour MPs at the time were getting old, and when one died the others said - right Tom you'll be a councillor then. Here he is 35 years later.
We talk about the community centre we are in. It’s one of the busiest community centres in Luton. At the time of our meeting there was a boxing club in the back room and an English language learning class next door. There are NHS services in the building. A cafe with a painted sign saying - food is what binds is together. He says the rifle club are downstairs - ‘they always make sure to clean up their shells after themselves’. I'm a bit shocked that a rifle club exists. He says well their payment to use the room downstairs allows other things to happen.
I think there is a lot more to write about this place. I hope I'll be coming back.
Day 6
Today my schedule is to
- Go to Aqua Fit at the Community Pool in Stopsley Village
- Go to the Market Hall in the shopping centre for lunch
- Have a mentor session
- Go and see the Informers play at O'Sheas Bar and Grill
Instead I head to the centre of town to find the Market Hall hidden in shopping centre in the middle of town. The shopping centre is pretty dominating in town - its a huge space and it takes me a while to find the Market Hall. When I do I'm happy I have. It's full of little stalls - refreshingly unique compared to the usual high street shops in the rest of the shopping centre. There are some guys watching football on a small tv screen, a strong smell in the air - the nail bar, and opticians, fabric and food stalls. It reminds me of some of the best indoor markets in London - Seven Sisters Latin Village (currently under threat because of developers) and the Nags Head Market in Holloway Road. I love how relaxed it is here. I try to slow down, be more conscious of taking everything in. Bright pinks, yellows, and green colours zip through the space.
I find somewhere to eat. There are lots of choices - jamaican, kenyan, thai, and indian food... Tea and coffee 75p. Cash only. I find the one I want to stay in - a small cosy looking cafe with Malaysian food.
There are two guys ordering food in front of me. One sits ontop of the cafe's chest freezer. He says to the chef 'I want to watch what your doing. I really like cooking.' He eagle eyes the chefs movements who looks a bit nervous from the attention. ‘I want the very best of the best. With lots of vegetables’ ‘can I have some more vegetables’ 'eat my greens.' he starts to sing.
I listen to a man making a tune with his knife and fork in the cafe opposite and spend time just sitting enjoying where I am.
- Go to Aqua Fit at the Community Pool in Stopsley Village
- Go to the Market Hall in the shopping centre for lunch
- Go and see the Informers play at O'Sheas Bar and Grill
Today I have a small but sore wound on my leg - so no aqua fit for me today (doctors appointment on Sunday).
Instead I head to the centre of town to find the Market Hall hidden in shopping centre in the middle of town. The shopping centre is pretty dominating in town - its a huge space and it takes me a while to find the Market Hall. When I do I'm happy I have. It's full of little stalls - refreshingly unique compared to the usual high street shops in the rest of the shopping centre. There are some guys watching football on a small tv screen, a strong smell in the air - the nail bar, and opticians, fabric and food stalls. It reminds me of some of the best indoor markets in London - Seven Sisters Latin Village (currently under threat because of developers) and the Nags Head Market in Holloway Road. I love how relaxed it is here. I try to slow down, be more conscious of taking everything in. Bright pinks, yellows, and green colours zip through the space.
I find somewhere to eat. There are lots of choices - jamaican, kenyan, thai, and indian food... Tea and coffee 75p. Cash only. I find the one I want to stay in - a small cosy looking cafe with Malaysian food.
There are two guys ordering food in front of me. One sits ontop of the cafe's chest freezer. He says to the chef 'I want to watch what your doing. I really like cooking.' He eagle eyes the chefs movements who looks a bit nervous from the attention. ‘I want the very best of the best. With lots of vegetables’ ‘can I have some more vegetables’ 'eat my greens.' he starts to sing.
'What’s that sauce please?'
I wonder what they are doing, where they’ve been before, where they’re going after. I guess they’re good friends. I like the interaction. Sometimes, I feel people are so boundaried with strangers. I have friends like this, people who really enjoy interacting with strangers and places. Making the most of where they are. Enjoying through talking touching moving, making people laugh.
I look over at the chef who looks a me a bit in disbelief. The two guys take their take away.
I really enjoy the noodles and green tea. Some great chilli oil too. Delicious.
I listen to a man making a tune with his knife and fork in the cafe opposite and spend time just sitting enjoying where I am.
Later in the evening I head to O'Sheas. I'm a bit nervous about this. Since being in Luton I have been hyper aware about how cautious I am going out at night. It's the same in London. My bike becomes my safety and I really rely on it as a way to create space and protection in the night time. I text my boyfriend saying I don't really want to go.
I'm happy to go out on my own in general to places - cafes and restaurants, but its something about doing things in the nighttime as a woman alone - particularly going to a pub I don't know.
Just one drink I tell myself, and I assure myself that it's very close to where I live.
I arrive and the band are just playing their last song before they take a break.
David Bowie comes on the speaker
Whoa whoa
Lots of people in couples, or big groups. Loud cheers. A row of men on bar stools at the bar.
It's a friendly pub and I'm welcomed into the space, but for now I don't feel like being in a pub alone.
Massive claps
Drunken Friday night
Whoah whoah
I hide in my phone.
If I was a man maybe I’d be up at the bar chatting away meeting someone? A sense of guilt comes in - should I be meeting people?
Deep breath in. I’m going to finish my pint soon
We’re on a road to nowhere... we're on a road to no where. my head nods along then the song fades out.
I fought the law and the law won!!!
The clash.
£4 a pint - this would be like £6 in London.
I lost my girl and
She’s the best girl I ever had
I think back to times I have been made to feel unsafe or had unsolicited advances from men. How this becomes internalised. There are terrible statistics about violence towards women world wide - the UN states it effects 1 in 3 women and the statistics increase if you are a trans woman, and more in certain countries if your a trans woman of colour. I go on google. I find this article - What would a city that is safe for women look like? https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/dec/13/what-would-a-city-that-is-safe-for-women-look-like and I remember the women's night march Reclaim the Night http://www.reclaimthenight.co.uk . I read an article about Pxssy Palace a queer club night in London that centres Queer womxn, Trans, NB & Intersex POC. They have started to offer free taxi rides home for trans people of colour which is paid by donations on the door and fundraisers. I am really inspired by this and think more about what could be done to support each other. https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/38887/1/this-club-night-is-making-sure-trans-people-of-colour-get-home-safely
For now Im sitting here and I have a small amount of beer left. I think I've been here 15 minutes.
Rock the Casbah, rock the casbar.
I notice the informer have their own band sign behind the stage.
Rock the casbah rock the casbah
Golden brown
Whay hay.
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