Kmflett's Blog

Beard Liberation Front

23^rd July

Media Release contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

2019 Beard, Shorts & Sandals Season reaches peak but caution urged

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that after an indifferent start the 2019 Beard, Shorts and Sandals Season is set to reach a peak in the next couple of weeks as warm to hot weather is forecast.

The BLF has relaxed guidelines for the 2019 season and brought in a new framework governing types of footwear and the length of shorts but not on the controversial issue of socks after a People’s Vote:

1] Shorts may be half length (to the knee) or three-quarter length-‘culottes’. The length of shorts is particularly important as climate change may mean that unprotected legs get sunburnt.

2] Footwear should be casual. There is a considerable range of sandal type footwear now available. Some leave parts of the feet and toes open to public view, while some does not. The BLF is not prescriptive about the matter.

3] Socks should generally not be worn following a People’s Vote on the issue

4] There is no prescription or definition on what type of beard may be worn, or how this may match with the shorts and sandals. This is left up to the individual.

The campaigners say that in warm or hot weather precautions need to be taken. These include:

A Beards may be trimmed

B Shorts should be three-quarter length to avoid sunburn to legs

C Sandals should ideally be closed toe for the same reason

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, our message to Beard, Shorts & Sandals wearers as the Season hits its peak, is enjoy, flaunt your beard, shorts and sandals but take care out there in the warm weather

Arsenal v Spurs: now its Craft Beer Wars

The Tottenham brewery Beavertown who have a micro-brewery at the new Spurs stadium, and who Heineken have a significant stake in, made the first new beer brewed at White Hart Lane, a Kolsch, available at their taproom last Saturday.

Monday brings news that North London rivals Camden, owned by AB InBev, world brewing giant, have signed a deal to be the beer partners at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium. They won’t have a brewery on site but according to the press release will have a branded presence at all bars across the ground.

https://www.arsenal.com/news/camden-town-brewery-becomes-official-beer-partner?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arsenal-news+%28News+Feed%29

Camden Town founder Jasper Cuppaidge claims to be a lifelong Arsenal fan whereas Beavertown co-owner Logan Plant is a noted Wolves fan (to be fair the Wolves manager Nuno has an excellent beard).

I wouldn’t expect some of the collabs and one-offs Camden do to appear at the Emirates anymore than you’d expect Beavertown’s Tempus range at White Hart Lane.

Rather this is about providing well brewed, highly drinkable beer at North London’s football stadiums. Its Big Beer in both cases but I’m not sure too many Arsenal and Spurs fans see that as a number one issue when, after all, they are attending football games at clubs who are very significant corporate outfits in their own right.

The fact that well brewed beer is now available at the Emirates and White Hart Lane is worth raising a small glass to whichever team you support

Beard Liberation Front

22^nd July

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

The fall & re-appearance of hirsute golf

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that the victory for fully bearded Shane Lowry in the 148^th Open Golf Championship held at Royal Portrush represents a return to the hirsute golf that was common in the early, late Victorian days, of the competition.

The last winner with a beard was Bob Ferguson in 1882. Some biographical details are this link:

https://www.prestwickgc.co.uk/history/open-champions/bob-ferguson/

In the final years of the nineteenth century through to the end of World War One (The Open was not played in the war years) a moustache was not uncommon. However from the 1920s and most particularly after 1945, golf became one of the most clean shaven of sports.

It resisted facial hair in a previous period- the 1970s- when it was relatively common amongst footballers and cricketers.

Facial hair has never been banned by golfing authorities but it has been frowned upon until the re-appearance of the golfing beard in recent years. It may be seen as part of a wider trend, including women’s golf, of making the sport more inclusive

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, its not just a matter of appearance. A beard properly aligned with air currents can help a golfer guide the ball when a shot is made.

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release 22^nd July

Beard Campaigners back trimming as heatwave is forecast.

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has backed beard trimming, as a heatwave with temperatures up to 34/35C is forecast for some parts of the UK this week.

The campaigners say that while facial hair can protect against the sun, a full organic beard is likely to be uncomfortable particularly, as it typically the case in urban areas, high humidity accompanies high air temperatures.

It is possible to cool the beard by using hand held fans, visiting air-conditioned offices and shops and also by briefly immersing it in chilled beer or lager but during a heatwave a prudent trim of the beard may be the best way for the hirsute to cope

There is precedent for beard trimming.

While in Algiers in 1882 ,towards the end of his life, Marx wrote to Engels that he’d had his ‘prophet’s beard’ shaved. A photo of a comparatively clean-shaven Marx however is believed to be a mock-up rather than an actual picture

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, of course we’re not the beard police and some may prefer to keep their beards ‘as is’. However in very hot weather it is certainly permissible to trim the beard a little

Beard Liberation Front

21st July

contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Open Golf: campaigners salute Shane Lowry, the first winner with a beard since 1882

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has saluted Shane Lowry the winner of the Open Golf at Royal Portrush as he became the first person with a beard to take the claret jug since 1882.

Another hirsute golfer England’s Tommy Fleetwood was second

All the winners of The Open since 1945 have been clean shaven although there were some moustache wearers in the earlier years of the twentieth century.

The last winner to wear a beard was Scotsman Bob Ferguson who won The Open three times from 1880 to 1882

The campaigners say it was not just about the beard but how golfers managed to get their beard to interact with what were often difficult air currents to allow maximum advantage in terms of both ball distance and accuracy.

The campaigners say that golf has been the most clean-shaven of sports for so long that the media have struggled to grasp the significance of a hirsute winner with the exception of the Telegraph’s golf correspondent the slightly hirsute James Corrigan

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, golf has gone from being one of the most clean-shaven of all sports ten years ago to one where Beard Power was centre stage on the last day of The Open. It’s truly a sign of the hirsute times.

The Ambridge Socialist

Reporting on the class struggle in Borsetshire

21^st July

Lilian appointed Chief Operating Officer. Time for a People’s Vote

The Godmother has opened her Ambridge Trust to the whole village and promoted Lilian as C.O.O. to deal with the matter. Peggy has appeared on the front page of the Borsetshire Echo Website and Lilian is expecting significant interest… Perhaps there should be a People’s Vote to decide the eventual winner.

Tom Watson expected in Ambridge

The Labour MP Tom Watson has been tweeting about agricultural reform this week and sounded as if he is very much on the same page as Adam. An Ambridge visit is expected. He may be planning an entry for Peggy’s Conservation money…

Lilian’s attempt to revamp The Bull rebuffed by Kenton

Lilian who is attempting to have a bigger presence at The Bull has attempted to draw up plans to revamp it. Kenton has rebuffed the idea on the basis that there is no money available. Perhaps if he sold some decent beer….

In Other News

Ben has passed his driving test and Leonard has taken him for a burger

The Professor has been to Stratford on Avon

Alastair has made a phone call

Beard Liberation Front

21st July

contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

The most hirsute Open Golf ever but can a beard win it?

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that as the Open Golf at Royal Portrush enters the final round the prospects of the first winner with a beard since 1882 look good.

All the winners of The Open since 1945 have been clean shaven although there were some moustache wearers in the earlier years of the twentieth century.

However the last winner to wear a beard was Scotsman Bob Ferguson  who won The Open three times from 1880 to 1882

For the last round on Sunday the two hirsute golfers at the top of the leader board Lowry and Fleetwood are last out at 13.47

The campaigners say it is not just about the beard but how the golfer manages to get his beard to interact with what look to be difficult air currents to allow maximum advantage in terms of both ball distance and accuracy.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, it’s the most hirsute Open ever. The issue now is whether a beard can win

The Ambridge Socialist: Tolpuddle 2018 special issue

All the news of the class struggle in Borsetshire

Tolpuddle 2019 special

In 1834 six Dorset labourers were sentenced to be transported to Australia for 7 years for trying to form a trade union. They became known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs.

The issue of proletarians in rural Borsetshire remains a key one and much under reported by the BBC. The Archers remains obsessed by the affairs of the Borsetshire bourgeoisie while demeaning the honest working class of Ambridge from Eddie Grundy to Jazzer as uncouth simpletons

Fruit pickers

Adam, who voted Leave, has continued to struggle with fruit pickers this year as workers from the rest of Europe have steered clear of Ambridge. He has been forced to try and recruit local labour which given the low wage rates he pays is no easy matter

Neil Carter Patrician

Neo-liberalism doesn’t rule in every area of Ambridge. Despite attempts to undermine his authority Neil Carter manager of the Berrow Farm pig

Trade Unions

Our main concern is that there is so little obvious sign of trade union organisation in Ambridge. There is work for Unite the Union to do. Mike Tucker was an effective local union organiser but since then, nothing it seems.

We say:

Organise, Organise, Organise

Beard Liberation Front

20th July

contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Open Golf: could there be the first winner with a beard since 1882?

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that as the Open Golf at Royal Portrush enters the final round the prospects of the first winner with a beard since 1882 look good.

All the winners of The Open since 1945 have been clean shaven although there were some moustache wearers in the earlier years of the twentieth century.

However the last winner to wear a beard was Scotsman Bob Ferguson  who won The Open three times from 1880 to 1882

For the last round on Sunday three hirsute golfers are at the top of the leader board Lowry, Fleetwood and Holmes

The campaigners say it is not just about the beard but how the golfer manages to get his beard to interact with what look to be difficult air currents to allow maximum advantage in terms of both ball distance and accuracy.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, golf has gone from being one of the most clean-shaven of all sports ten years ago to one where Beard Power is centre stage on the last day of The Open. It’s truly a sign of the hirsute times.

The March for Change 20^th July: Once again on the size of protests

I wasn’t on the March for Change on 20^th July (being engaged on trade union activities elsewhere in the UK) and in terms of my interest in the size of protests it probably wouldn’t have helped all that much if I was. When you are in a march unless it takes ages to move (a sign of large size) its difficult to judge numbers.

The composition of the march was possibly of as much interest and the Guardian report gives some flavour of that:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/20/march-for-change-anti-brexit-protesters-take-to-london-streets

Differing views clearly on Brexit and 2^nd Referendums but definitely opposed to Boris Johnson as PM. For those keen on pursuing that further there are central London demonstrations next week. The People’s Assembly will gather at Downing St on Monday evening and the Labour Party has called a rally for a General Electlon next Thursday at 5pm in the Parliament Square area.

Anyway while I can find no report which estimates size fortunately social media, judiciously checked, is the research historians friend.

The Met Police reported that the march left Hyde Park at 1pm and the head of the march was in Parliament Square by 2pm. The rally had concluded by 4pm and diverted buses were back on route.

On that basis I’d estimate the attendance at between 50-100,000. This is not as large as earlier demonstrations and until I can find a picture of the crowd in Parliament Square which can definitely be attributed to 20^th July as opposed to some other occasion I cant go further than that.

Why smaller? The main reasons I suspect are firmly material. It’s the start of the school summer holidays (they have already started in some parts of the UK) and its also a peak holiday season. Many who might have gone at other times might well have been otherwise engaged.

A reminder that there are better and worse times of years to hold demonstrations, and the demo season is to some extent seasonal. Here the imminent coronation of Johnson dictated but expect much bigger protests in the early autumn.