Manchester's 10 Commandments

Manchester's 10 Commandments

Manchester's 10 Commandments poster featuring Alan Turing

Here is the updated edition of my Manchester's 10 Commandments poster, with Alan Turing replacing Ian Curtis as the cover star. This is to celebrate the Royal Exchange Theatre, in October, putting on Breaking the Code, the play about the troubled computer genius and war hero who was shamefully hounded to his death by the establishment because of his homosexuality. The computer pioneer, who helped decipher German messages in the Second World War, worked at Manchester University and remains one of the city's greatest ever figures. Without him, the Allies may very well have lost the war, while the development of computer technology would arguably have been delayed by years if not decades.

Bramhall poster by Statement Artworks

Bramhall, which is actually in Stockport but feels more like hard-core Cheshire and has a fabulous Tudor Hall to prove it, now has more gastro bars than you can shake a feta and olive brioche at. Good thing, bad thing? Who am I to judge? But I would add that the Mounting Stone is the best addition to the high street in 20 years, maybe more. This poster, which you can ponder as we go through the Brexit divorce and beyond, is available through www.statementartworks.com

Lymm poster

The Cheshire village of Lymm, hogging the scenic limelight between Warrington and Altrincham, has a lot to offer. It has a dam (a catch-all title that includes a tiny weir and largish lake), a quaint village centre complete with stocks, the curvaceous Bridgewater Canal, and more chi-chi shops and eateries than you can shake a baguette at. It even has something called the Bongs, like something from Lord of the Rings. Then there are all the ducks - the real ones around the lake and canal - and the plastic ones that compete in the annual duck race. All very hunky-dory, except that all those attractions come with a price - the crowds that flock there every weekend, clogging up the paths, roads, car parks...in fact everywhere. Oh the perils of being pretty...

Poster available from statementartworks.com

Lymm poster from statementartworks.com

This is the North by Eric Jackson, Statement Artworks

That errant 'r', pronounced in bath and path, and probably a few other words, by people from the south of England, is just wrong, wrong, wrong - a stupid affectation probably brought over by the Normans, whose linguistic influence generally stopped at the point now known as the Watford gap. The little 'r' is the one thing that truly separates northerners and southerners. In most other respects we're exactly the same, at least genetically. This poster is available at markets around the Greater Manchester and Cheshire area, and online from statementartworks.com

That little 'r' - the true definer of where you are from in England

Timperley wins by a head...

Timperley, the home of the late, great Frank Sidebottom, is one of those places that instantly evokes the description of 'nice'...a safe, pleasant, middle-of-the-road suburb of Altrincham. But as we all know, things aren't always what they seem. How else could it have inspired something as surreal as Frank? And what's normal or nice anyway once you get behind closed doors? Think about that the next time you go for a pint at the Stonemasons Arms in the village centre...

This poster is available from Statement Artworks (statementartworks.com), from numerous markets around the north west and some shops and galleries.

Bollington poster by Eric Jackson

The folly of White Nancy stands sentinel over the Cheshire town of Bollington in the foothills of the Pennines and on the edge of the Peak District National Park. From White Nancy you can see across the Cheshire Plain, with Manchester in one direction and Jodrell Bank and the Welsh mountains in the other. Cheshire's Chamonix then? Well the people have a kind of mountain man sensibility, judging by the amount of Gortex and Nordic walking poles on show. It's a lovely place, though, albeit mostly strung along one winding road, so it's hard to pinpoint a centre. The cricket ground is amazing, as are some of the pubs and parks, and to top it all there's a micro-brewery. So when you finish any of the many walks on offer, there's always a great pub and a pint to look forward to. The very big one downside for me - no railway station. But that's not Bollington's fault, just that cretin Beeching who closed half the stations in the sixties. The poster is available at markets and online at www.statementartworks.com

Bollington Poster by Eric Jackson

Manchester's 10 Commandments

Ian Curtis, the late singer of Joy Division, may have been born and raised in Macclesfield, but he's still the cover star of my new Manchester's 10 Commandments poster.

Why? Because Curtis, along with the other band members who went on to form New Order after the singer's death, came to symbolise the renaissance and spirit of the new Manchester. The band and its label, Factory, spawned the Hacienda, which became the coolest club in the world and made Manchester one of the coolest cities in the world.

In my mind it still is - I still marvel at the architecture and luxuriate in the special attitude of the city's people - and my 10 Commandments hopefully reflects that love, albeit with a healthy dose of humour so we don't get too saccharine about this.

Below are the words, but they work best with the image. The whole package is now available on my website, www.statementartworks.com, and at markets around the regions, including Knutsford, Altrincham, Wilmslow, Northern Quarter, West Didsbury and Macclesfield.

MANCHESTER 10 COMMANDMENTS

Thou shalt have no rock gods before Ian Curtis and the rest of Joy Division/New Order, Morrissey and Marr, John Squire, Guy Garvey and Noel Gallagher. Anyone found worshipping Chris Martin from Coldplay should be taken to a doctor straightaway.

Thou shalt not make false idols out of anyone who has played football for Liverpool, Chelsea or Leeds United (with the exception of Eric Cantona), or any of the local wannabes who have sung in a boyband.

Thou shalt not take the names of Maxine Peake, Christopher Eccleston, Steve Coogan, Tony Wilson, Alan Turing, Emily Pankhurst or Anthony Burgess in vain.

Remember the last day of the football season, when either United or City or both will have some new silverware in the trophy cabinet.

Honour thy father and thy mother, especially if they have taken you into Piccadilly Records from an early age, introduced you to any of the beers from the Marble brewery or bought you tapas at El Rincon de Rafa.

Thou shalt not play Meat is Murder by the Smiths too often, as good though he is, Morrissey can be a bit of a veggie bore at times. And anyway, Strangeways Here We Come is better.

Thou shalt not commit the adulteration of any of the beers in the Castle, Britons Protection, Peveril of the Peak or City Arms pubs.

Thou shalt not steal any of the clothes or goods from Afflecks Palace as it works on very tight profit margins and if it goes all we will be left with is high street chains.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. OK, go on then if they are on a two-year secondment from Cambridge with Astra Zenica and the only places they ever go to are Wilmslow and Prestbury.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, especially if she prefers the Trafford Centre to Manchester for shopping or ‘just doesn’t get’ Alan Partridge; or thy neighbour’s house, if it’s packed with pretentious artefacts picked up in Peru or Myanmar (what’s wrong with Debenhams on Market Street?); or thy neighbour’s ox (and the bloody chickens and guinea pigs too).

Statement Artworks posters of the north west at Bistro West and DWF

When I was editing the arts or sports pages of newspapers and magazines, I thought working life couldn't get more interesting, but becoming a full-time artist seems to be trumping that.

Sunday saw me back at Knutsford market following the festive break. It's always a joy to be at - especially when the sun shines - and I had a great day, which included selling some of my work to one of my heroes, presenter and DJ Mark Radcliffe. 

Then on Monday I set up a small exhibition of my posters at the fabulous Bistro West 156 restaurant on Burton Road. There is a mixture of A2 and A4 framed posters for sale, including, of course, the 'media whore' Didsbury picture, and my latest poster, Urmston, which has already sold well at markets and received lots of internet orders.

Bistro West 156 is a great little place and is right at the epicentre of the hip Burton Road district. Hopefully the diners won't choke on some of my 'acerbic' observations of north west towns and villages.

On Tuesday I staged my first art sale - at leading Manchester law firm DWF. I was invited to do it by one of the firm's founders. Jim Davies OBE, who bought my Liverpool poster at the Christmas Makers Market in Spinningfields.

After a slow start - the lawyers seemed bemused that art, rather than the usual books, were being sold adjacent to the company's restaurant - the trade picked up and at the end I did as well as I do at a reasonably good market.

Now that I am no longer a corporate events virgin, I will be looking to do a lot more in the future.

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The Statement Artworks stand at Manchester law firm DWF

A better bruschetta! Hale, the new poster from Eric Jackson

On the outskirts of Altrincham, Hale is the chi-chi suburb most people in Trafford aspire to. It's the place to be seen and, occasionally, spot the odd celebrity. It's got the lot, from artisan bakeries to trendy bars and restaurants. It's a bit of a mystery how the very wonderful Railway pub has survived. It's only a pub, for god's sake. Of course, it's not all sweetness and light - most locals hate the clock tower, and it's a constant niggle that although posh, Hale isn't quite as posh as Bowdon, which is just 'up the hill ' and is where most of the celebs actually live. This is my latest poster and it will be available at numerous markets in Greater Manchester and Cheshire from this weekend (Jan 16-17) onwards. It's also available on the www.statementartworks.com website

Eric Jackson

Are you local....? Then try this stimulating local art

Fancy a bit of special stuff? Are you local and fancy a bit of local art? Good, so say goodbye to images of remote places such as Ponte dei Sospiri in Venice, Machu Picchu in Peru or especially cliched skyscrapers in New York - about as relevant to most people as Nigella's avocado on toast topped with pomegranate jus  - and say hello to places and sentiments you can relate to. 

That's what Statement Artworks is all about, and which is why, for our new banner, we've happily taken inspiration from the League of Gentlemen. It's about putting the fun back into art, which can so easily be po-faced, boring and up its own paint pot.

We were hoping to unveil the banner for the first time this weekend at the Cheadle Makers Market on Saturday and the Northern Quarter Makers Market in Manchester on Sunday, but we've been told it's going to be Monday before we can get our hands on it.

Both are new venues for us - we've only been doing this trader malarkey for a month - and really excited about them. 

I grew up in Cheadle, so know the feel of the village, while the Northern Quarter is home to my two favourite pubs - the Castle on Oldham Street, and the Marble on Thomas Street.

It would be great if you could join us. We now have mugs for sale along with framed prints, posters, fridge magnets, greetings cards and keyrings. You can also order lots of lovely stuff online. 

Eric Jackson

Statement Artworks