Kmflett's Blog

Beard Liberation Front

18^th March

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Beard Liberation Front updates COVID-19 guidance for beard wearers

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has updated its COVID-19 guidance for beard wearers on how to protect themselves against possible transmission of the virus.

The campaigners say the key thing and absolute priority is to follow the advice of the NHS:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

There are however a few beard specific issues:

1] Shaving the beard off is not something that will protect you against the coronavirus. Stories which circulated in the media about this were fake news:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

2] Some medical staff who need to wear surgical masks and/or respirators to do their job may however need to shave their beards, particularly if they are organic beards

3] NHS advice is to avoid touching the face with hands that have previously not been washed. The BLF advises washing the beard at the same time as washing the hands to be safer on this

4] For most people wearing of the beard is a voluntary matter and if having one during the current health crisis makes the wearer feel uneasy there is no reason why it should not be temporarily shaved.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett, most of the things the BLF does are quite light hearted, albeit sometimes with a serious undertone. This advice is much more serious but they key thing is to follow NHS guidelines at all times.

London Socialist Historians Group

18^th March

Contact Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266

At Home? Socialist Historians say much research can be done on-line

The London Socialist Historians Group, which convenes the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, has said that with the current COVID-19 outbreak causing many to be based at home rather than at a workplace, there remains ample opportunity to research history on-line.

Many key research facilities such as the British Library in London and the John Rylands Library in Manchester are currently closed.

However great strides have been made in digitising historical sources in recent years and much original material is available free on-line.

A key example is British History on-line:

https://www.history.ac.uk/research/digital-history/british-history-online/subject-guides-british-history-online

While historical research will still require, in due course, access to physical books and documents, a good deal of investigatory work can be done on-line.

An interesting example is Michael Rosen’s recent volume The Missing, which combines on-line research leads with physical research. https://kmflett.wordpress.com/2020/02/06/michael-rosens-missing-a-model-of-research-history-a-vital-message-for-our-times/

LSHG Convenor Dr Keith Flett said, with people at home a lot more often, there is a great opportunity to research some history, whether it be family history or local history, or more widely that of protest.

Beard Liberation Front

18^th March

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Sporting beards bristle in Beard of Spring shortlist

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that voting is now open for the coveted Beard of Spring Award.

Beard of Spring is the second of four seasonal awards that lead to the Beard of the Year in December.

The campaigners say that while the second seasonal award of the year traditionally focuses on new beard growth with Easter so late, the focus is more on those whose beards have appeared in a positive public light during the quarter.

With the cessation of sport because of COVID-19 the list contains rather more sporting beards than usual.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, the short list for Beard of Spring has a majority who have never appeared before so it will be interesting to see how the public vote goes

The vote is open now and will close at midday on Good Friday, with the winner announced on Easter Saturday

Beard of Spring 2020

Richard Osman, Pointless

Vaughan Gething, Welsh Health Secretary

Wayne Rooney, footballer

Mikel Arteta, football manager

Alun Wyn Jones, rugby player

Eric Cantona, philosopher

Daniel Norcross, broadcaster

Steve Bell, cartoonist

James Calder, CEO, SIBA

Jeremy Paxman, broadcaster

Roger Waters, musician

There are of course plenty of excellent Irish craft beers around so it was a liking for big beer (Guinness is owned by Diageo) that made me decide to drink a Foreign Extra Stout (7.5%) to mark St Patrick’s Day. It was the fascinating if perhaps disturbing (albeit well hidden) history.

It was first brewed for export to the West Indies in 1802 and later to a range of African countries. In some cases it is now brewed there with extract from Dublin so the beer originally called West Indies Porter is sometimes known as Nigerian Porter.

But why West Indies? What were the Irish doing in the Carribbean in the early nineteenth century?

The answer inevitably lies with British imperial endeavour.

Cromwell who was not keen on most of the Irish despatched some to the West Indies in the 1650s, where they became indentured servants working on plantations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_immigration_to_Montserrat

150 years on some had become wealthy and no doubt slave owners (slavery was not officially abolished until 1833 by the UK Parliament). No doubt the stout was primarily for their consumption.

The spread of the Foreign Extra Stout around the world was also of course in large part to what was once known as the British Empire.

The strength now at 7.5% appears to have been once as high as 9% but has been at is current ABV for over a century.

Reportedly 500,000 bottles were requisitioned by the Government for hospitals in World War Two.

Its now available as befits a product of Big Beer in many large supermarkets.

It remains though an excellent beer (albeit as Roger Protz and others remind us, it would be better bottle conditioned, as it was until 1948) and imperial in more than one dimension.

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release 17^th March

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

RICHARD BRANSON SLAMMED FOR BRINGING THE HIRSUTE INTO DISREPUTE

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has slammed Virgin boss Richard Branson for bringing the hirsute into disrepute.

Branson has told workers at Virgin Airlines to take 8 weeks unpaid holiday and at the same time demanded a Government bail-out for the Company of £7.5bn.

Branson himself is a man of significant wealth including the ownership of a private island.

The campaigners say that his actions are bringing the hirsute into disrepute, far from the first time this has occurred. They say however that terms like ‘Beardy Branson’ should be avoided.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, Richard Branson started out as the epitome of the trendy young businessman, beard and long hair, with a record shop above a shoe outlet in Oxford St. At that time beards in business were hardly to be seen. 50 years on beards in boardrooms are commonplace but Branson is not a good role model for them.

Beard Liberation Front

Press release 17th March

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Beard of Ireland 2020 emphasises the positive not the Pogonophobia

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that there was a record turn-out in voting for the Beard of Ireland 2020.There were 12,086 votes cast in total when the poll closed at midnight on Sunday.

It was a close shave but Professor Peter Coles, a theoretical astrophysicist at Maynooth University, beat Adohan Michael Connolly, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, for the annual  accolade in an on-line poll. Broadcaster William Crawley was third

The campaigners say the poll is about the positive impact of beards against a background where pogonophobia has featured in Irish beard news

PSNI officer Gordon Downey won an Employment Tribunal in October 2019 after he had been ordered to shave his beard off. Even more recently in January 2020 Carrick McClean protested against a rule at St Columb’s College that he had to shave his beard to continue his studies

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, beards are popular in Ireland but the fight against pogonophobia goes on. We look forward to the Beard of Ireland 2021.

Steve Agnew, Renewable Energy Administrator

Bundee Aki, rugby player

Gerry Carroll, politician

William Crawley, broadcaster

Stuart Dallas, footballer

Colum Eastwood, politician

Sam McBride, journalist

Damian Mackle, WWE performer

David Norris, politician

Lee Reynolds. Politician

Peter Coles, academic, Maynooth University

Shane Lowry, golfer

Aodhán Connolly, Businessman

Rob Herring, Rugby player

Beard Liberation Front

Press release 17th March

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

MAYNOOTH PROFESSOR BEARDS N.IRELAND RETAIL BOSS FOR BEARD OF IRELAND 2020

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that there has been record turn-out in voting for the Beard of Ireland 2020.

There were 12,086 votes cast in total when the poll closed at midnight on Sunday.

It was a close shave but Professor Peter Coles, a theoretical astrophysicist at Maynooth University, beat Adohan Michael Connolly, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, for the annual  accolade in an on-line poll. Broadcaster William Crawley was third

The 2017 winner was politician Colum Eastwood who bearded broadcaster William Crawley for the annual Award.

In 2018 the DUP’s Lee Reynolds shaved writer Dominic O’Reilly for the honour with Colum Eastwood in a steady third place.

In 2019 Lee Reynolds retained the title

The BLF says that while traditionally a land of predominantly clean-shaven cultures, Ireland has in recent times become something of a centre for stylish and trendy beards.

Contenders for the title in 2020 include a diverse range of the hirsute- actors, comedians, political activists, journalists and rugby players.

The campaigners say the poll is specifically about the impact the beard of an individual has made in Irish public life and no other factor.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, congratulations to Professor Peter Coles and commiserations to Adohan Michael Connolly, hairs were being split right up to the close of the poll

Steve Agnew, Renewable Energy Administrator

Bundee Aki, rugby player

Gerry Carroll, politician

William Crawley, broadcaster

Stuart Dallas, footballer

Colum Eastwood, politician

Sam McBride, journalist

Damian Mackle, WWE performer

David Norris, politician

Lee Reynolds. Politician

Peter Coles, academic, Maynooth University

Shane Lowry, golfer

Aodhán Connolly, Businessman

Rob Herring, Rugby player

It has been a bad day for the pub trade and workers in it. Boris Johnson while,it would seem, at last starting to listen to good advice on COVID-19 at the same managed to dump pubs and workers in it. Solidarity. Below is classic excerpt from Richard Boston’s 1970s Guardian column on pubs and beer

Richard Boston on a traditional pub

The late Richard Boston wrote a column mainly about beer for The Guardian in the mid-1970s. Boston was a kind of green anarchist having been involved in the first wave of CND in the early 1960s and very much involved with environmental concerns.

He lived in Aldworth, Berkshire, near to the Bell pub which continues to be a CAMRA award winner to this day.

I was looking back through some of his Guardian columns in the British Library this week. They were important in promoting the early move away from old style keg beer and the promotion of cask beer.

They also however reflect to a degree a world we have lost (for better or worse).

Here for example is an extract of a visit he paid to a Greenall Whitley pub in Chester. Greenalls were then the UK’s largest independent brewer (Guardian 5^th June 1976)

The customers.. were all men, all smoking, all silent and all extremely serious.

There is a particular variety of gloom that is only to be found in the pubs of northern towns and the plays of Samuel Beckett.

The old man got up and carried his empty glass to the bar. The guvnor filled it up, the old man put some coins down and the drink was bought and sold without a single word being exchanged.

Not quite your local craft beer bar..

Unite the Union secures pay deal for Greene King workers

Abbot House

Following a lengthy dispute and the threat of a strike last week, Unite the Union, has secured an acceptable pay deal for workers it represents at Greene King

A joint statement from the Bury St Edmunds brewer and Unite the Union said: ‘Following collaborative talks we have reached an agreement that has been approved by Unite members within Greene King’s brewing and distribution teams which remains fair and consistent across the brewing division.

https://www.burymercury.co.uk/news/greene-king-workers-call-off-strike-action-following-talks-1-6553990

In an industry, which outside of the very large brewers such as Greene King, remains unorganised by trade unions it is a powerful reminder of the power of collective representation.

The comedian and actor Roy Hudd has died at 83

Among his many roles was playing the compere in the radio version of the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Its to be found in Volume 2 of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy which is 42 this year.

The comperes name was Max Quordlepleen,described by Wiki thus:

Max Quordlepleen is an entertainer who hosts at Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe and the Big Bang Burger Bar (or “Big Bang Burger Chef” in the original radio version). His feelings about the Universe outside of his onstage persona are unclear, but he has witnessed its end over five hundred times.

In the book Quordlepleen says

‘I’m your host for tonight..and I will be with you right through this historic occasion, the End of History itself