Author Archives: Ralph Oswick

In 1982 I was awarded a travel grant by Arts Council England which I converted into three months researching the workings of the carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, possibly the biggest piece of street theatre in the world. I managed … Continue reading →

This is a transcript of a talk I gave at the 10th Anniversary of Billy’s Book Club, an august institution which meets monthly at the excellent King William pub in Bath My chums and I graduated in Theatre Design in … Continue reading →

Last week I came across an old photograph of myself from the 1970’s. Apart from sporting a fine pair of sideburns, I look fairly similar to today. Except I have a magnificent crop of blond curls. Ah, one of your … Continue reading →

I have a friend who hates peanut butter and says bananas are the food of the devil. Oddly, these are two of my all-time favourite foods. How can someone be repulsed by something I find delicious? You only have to … Continue reading →

Please excuse any typos in this column! I’m sitting at my desk in agony. Why? Well, I’ve got a trapped nerve in my back and boy, does it hurt! X-rays reveal that I’ve got a sort of slipped disc, probably … Continue reading →

Do young people still hitchhike these days or has the practice become yet another victim of the health and safety brigade? When I was a student (and beyond) we used to thumb lifts on a daily basis. I can barely … Continue reading →

Followers of this column will know that nothing annoys me more than excessive verbiage on notices, instructions and packaging. They will recall how, on getting hot under the collar about an overhead sign advising one to  use the handrail provided … Continue reading →

The Museum of Bath at Work is staging a display all about that amazingly creative organisation of yore, the Bath Arts Workshop. One of the most enjoyable activities back then was the house clearing service offered by the hard working … Continue reading →

I recently complained that parliamentary candidates rarely mention the arts in their manifestos. This was somewhat redressed recently when I attended a seminar organised by our local MP. This featured the launch of the new Arts Council strategy. To me, … Continue reading →

Even I can’t find anything funny about the last couple of weeks. Strained bonhomie delivered from my balcony to acquaintances passing by, endlessly repeated gallows humour scraped off the internet. Yes, I have seen that. No it’s not hilarious. Rather … Continue reading →