[bluetagagain]

BBC video about Pompey & the RN

https://www.facebook.com/Ray.Day.RN/post...6688960431

[Deebo]

That's a strange coincidence. I've just finished writing a bit about that old tattoo parlour under the railway arches in my new book and there it was looking every bit as scabby as I remember it.

[bluetagagain]

I’ve got a tattoo that was done there. It was a cover up job ( previous fiancée) and I got it done cheaply as I supplied him with 2 gallons of hibitane ? ( it was a very strong disinfectant used in morgues etc that we also used in submarines for ‘ scrubbing out’)

[Deebo]

Excellent anecdote BT. Time’s a strange thing. I remember Commercial Road looking so modern when you walked down it but now it looks like something off Monty Python. Very, very funny but weird to think that you were actually there. The big ceremonies when the ships came back I remember very well. The old man did a world cruise on HMS Glasgow (I think!) in the mid fifties and I have a clear memory of it docking to a brass band and hundreds of flag wavers. Another thing was a relative of mine on the carriers. The RN used to let the families on for a party in the Solent on a homecoming and then sail into port with the families on board. Bit different from the old Grandpop who used to slink back unannounced on the subs into Haslar and then just turn up at home without a word of warning.

[BilltheCat]

That's a strange coincidence. I've just finished writing a bit about that old tattoo parlour under the railway arches in my new book and there it was looking every bit as scabby as I remember it.

You write books? This is news. Care to elaborate, Deebo?

[Tufnell_Chimes]

"Bit different from the old Grandpop who used to slink back unannounced on the subs "

My great grandad was a stoker on one of the very first subs. I think it sank in the harbour, his name is on the memorial on the common. And my mum talks about the time she was invited onto a soviet sub that had docked - must've been late fifties/early sixties.

[Deebo]

I can vaguely remember that Soviet sub coming to Pompey. There was a huge fuss as it was the middle of the Cold War and there was a feeling the visit heralded some sort of detente. No such luck. My old grandpop was a stoker on subs as well right back to the early ones and throughout WW2.

[Deebo]

You write books? This is news. Care to elaborate, Deebo?

Thanks for asking. It sounds a bit grandiose but I'm very much an amateur. When covid struck it freed up a lot of time so I decided to write a book that had been in my mind for over 50 years but never had the time to write. I found the process quite therapeutic so I then wrote the next one and then the next. If that sounds like Ernie Wise and his plays that's probably about right.

Now I have 3 books to artwork, illustrate (no problem here as I am a designer), market (not a clue re the process) and try and sell (even less of a clue re the publishing business). I have decided to self publish on Amazon which I am finding daunting but slowly getting there.

The books are difficult to describe re genre (Autofiction?) as they are part memoire, part farce, part right of passage, part social history. Mixed bags that are hard to define. Think Confederacy of Dunces meets Cider with Rosie meets On the Road meets Catcher in the Rye but without the talent ;-)

There is plenty of inspiration to be drawn from the Portsmouth area. It was a very colourful place to grow up in during the 60s and 70s.

Encouragingly my editor who was an English lecturer at a well known London Uni says they are funny and well written so I'll take that. I gave it a good go anyway. Now the nice bit's over and the hard bit begins...

[Jezzer]

Great stuff Deebo. Make sure you send us a link to the appropriate amazon page when it's up and running. I'm sure there's a few of us who'll be more than happy to part with our hard earned. 
Just bear in mind that if it all goes swimmingly they might put one of those blue plaques on the front of your house just like they did with Charly Dickens.

[Jizbag]

I’ve got a tattoo that was done there. It was a cover up job ( previous fiancée) and I got it done cheaply as I supplied him with  2 gallons of hibitane ? ( it was a very strong disinfectant used in morgues etc that we also used in submarines for ‘ scrubbing out’)

Me too, the tattooist was a feller called Ron Ackers if I recall correctly. I was 18 and it still looks pretty good 40 years later, needs a re-colour though.
I might pop back and see him 

[Deebo]

Great stuff Deebo. Make sure you send us a link to the appropriate amazon page when it's up and running. I'm sure there's a few of us who'll be more than happy to part with our hard earned. 
Just bear in mind that if it all goes swimmingly they might put one of those blue plaques on the front of your house just like they did with Charly Dickens.

Interestingly my surname is almost the same as Chaz’s (not Dick-end). There the similarity ends. I’m not sure this board will be the correct demographic for my ramblings but I will certainly give them a major plug here when I finally find my way around getting them live on Amazon later this year.

[Tufnell_Chimes]

Deebs, I self-published a book last year - the selling is definately the hardest bit. I didn't go the Amazon route because: A. I don't like Amazon, and B. They take too much of a cut. It was a photobook that I put together on the back of an Arts Council exhibition I was involved in. Sold it mostly through my BigCartel site and promoted through Instagram, but also went directly retail to galleries and independent bookshops. Like yourself, I designed it myself and printed it through Mixam, it covered its production costs pretty quickly. I was never looking for super profits, but what was surprising is all the feedback - its great when people from all over - the US, Japan, all across Europe put it up on all their Insta feeds. Makes you feel that the t'internet isn't such a bad place after all.

Good luck with them.

[Deebo]

I’ve got a tattoo that was done there. It was a cover up job ( previous fiancée) and I got it done cheaply as I supplied him with  2 gallons of hibitane ? ( it was a very strong disinfectant used in morgues etc that we also used in submarines for ‘ scrubbing out’)

Me too, the tattooist was a feller called Ron Ackers if I recall correctly. I was 18 and it still looks pretty good 40 years later, needs a re-colour though.
I might pop back and see him 

My old man had his naval tatts carved with knives in Alexandria when he was a nipper. Or so he says. Either way, at 93 this year they now look like huge black unrecognisable blotches on his forearms. Guess you get what you pay for.

[exgaffer]

I’ve got a tattoo that was done there. It was a cover up job ( previous fiancée) and I got it done cheaply as I supplied him with  2 gallons of hibitane ? ( it was a very strong disinfectant used in morgues etc that we also used in submarines for ‘ scrubbing out’)

Me too, the tattooist was a feller called Ron Ackers if I recall correctly. I was 18 and it still looks pretty good 40 years later, needs a re-colour though.
I might pop back and see him 

My old man had his naval tatts carved with knives in Alexandria when he was a nipper. Or so he says. Either way, at 93 this year they now look like huge black unrecognisable blotches on his forearms. Guess you get what you pay for.

Tatts are fine when you’re young but your skin loses its elasticity as you get older.

Even well done tatts look sheite when you get to your late 60’s, 70’s and beyond, badly done ones look bad earlier.

Some of these sleeve tatts look like a large blob of ink anyway, so they are getting in early   .

[Deebo]

Deebs, I self-published a book last year - the selling is definately the hardest bit. I didn't go the Amazon route because: A. I don't like Amazon, and B. They take too much of a cut. It was a photobook that I put together on the back of an Arts Council exhibition I was involved in. Sold it mostly through my BigCartel site and promoted through Instagram, but also went directly retail to galleries and independent bookshops. Like yourself, I designed it myself and printed it through Mixam, it covered its production costs pretty quickly. I was never looking for super profits, but what was surprising is all the feedback - its great when people from all over - the US, Japan, all across Europe put it up on all their Insta feeds. Makes you feel that the t'internet isn't such a bad place after all.

Good luck with them.

I guess yours was a coffee table hardback Tuffers and had to be well printed? Did you do an ebook? From what I can gather the ebook is a big way to sell novels. Producing anything that looks half decent as an ebook is a major challenge though. Also if I have it right you don’t have to pay print costs up front on Amazon. You supply the artwork file and they print each copy as a one off and take a cut. That way you don’t end up with five hundred copies unsold under your desk. Like you I haven’t done it for the money - I’d starve if that were the case. It was just a lockdown-killer but it has taken over my life somewhat. I’d love to find out more about yours as well. Very well done.

If we could find a way to chat about this sometime it would be great. No politics - just books and design. 

[bluetagagain]

Well done lads, always knew Pompey had a creative soul. Mine was more about managing local bands for about 10 years which I did to some success. My wife is always telling me to write a book for children, as when my nippers were young I was always making up 'yarns' for them which they in turn have passed onto their children.
As regards tattoo's, some are ok but I'm not into these neck and full sleeve jobs, and i know I'm being old and sexist here, but I don't like tattoo's on women (some very small discreet ones are ok). As mentioned,they look cool and good when your skin is young and firm but once you get beyond 50 they're usually a mess.

[Deebo]

The first tat I saw on a ‘lady’ was the woman who served the beans in the Art College canteen in Winston Churchill Road in 1968. She was menacing. I remember being shocked to the core when she handed me my beans and I saw a discreet swallow on her hand. Little did I (and she) know she was to prove to be a ground-breaking fashion icon and 50 odd years later the ladies are plastered in them.

Funny enough it was the Missus who told our nippers stories. Mainly about the adventures of a couple of kids called Sam and Rog if I remember correctly.

Good thread Bluetag - got the old memory juices flowing.

[Tufnell_Chimes]

"I guess yours was a coffee table hardback"

Nope, A5, softback, 80pages, b&w. I put it out for a tenner direct and £7 to retail. Its an edition of 200 and I get them printed off in batches of 50 at at time and I can control every step of the process. It helped that it suited the style of photography: late eighties, bit gritty and making it more mass made it easier for anyone to buy.

Coffee table books come in at about £20k, there's loads of people involved, loads of travelling about, checking off-press and all that, and then you've got to warehouse them and then try and shift them for forty quid a pop. I'm not doing that - too much stress. Though I am considering doing a few dummy book competitions (Aperture and Kassel) and see where it goes.

Would be good to find a way to talk about it a bit more - is there DM on here?

[Deebo]

I haven’t got a clue mate. I couldn’t find anything.

[brian bromley]

Click on the precipitants name.

Bottom left hand corner is a send email option.

[Deebo]

Hi Brian. Thanks for helping. In the bottom left is a contact for site admin only. Is that the one you mean?

[brian bromley]

Hi Brian. Thanks for helping. In the bottom left is a contact for site admin only. Is that the one you mean?

No mate, just checked and it says "send deebo nan emaik"

[brian bromley]

I just looked at duffers - I think he has that option turned off.

[Bluestow]

The first tat I saw on a ‘lady’ was the woman who served the beans in the Art College canteen in Winston Churchill Road in 1968. She was menacing. I remember being shocked to the core when she handed me my beans and I saw a discreet swallow on her hand. Little did I (and she) know she was to prove to be a ground-breaking fashion icon and 50 odd years later the ladies are plastered in them.

Funny enough it was the Missus who told our nippers stories. Mainly about the adventures of a couple of kids called Sam and Rog if I remember correctly.

Good thread Bluetag - got the old memory juices flowing.

1968 - wasn't Portsmouth Symphonia about that time?

I was there in the mid-80's. Had a nostalgia ridden stroll around the perimeter before Xmas. A distinguished piece of architecture now looking a bit 'anywhere' but had great memories of the place.

[Deebo]

Hi Brian. Thanks for helping. In the bottom left is a contact for site admin only. Is that the one you mean?

No mate, just checked and it says "send deebo nan emaik"

Cheers Brian. All sorted now and thanks for the help.