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This is the main stopping off point for new stuff. The blog, video-blog or whatever you want to call it.
More...
2004/2005 entries here.
Over the years I've got together a great set of programs that work well for
me. More...
EVENTS
Feast (2008)
Video from Manchester's annual picnic by the lake, in Platt Fields Park, Rusholme.
LOCAL HISTORY
Why the University of Manchester at Whitworth Street may be haunted
Halloween special: it's 1909 and nothing stands in the way of Manchester's universities and their expansion. Not even a graveyard that has only been there for 89 years...
Bank robbery in Didsbury
In 1889 the Union Bank in Didsbury was robbed at gunpoint by a man who seized handfuls of gold and ran off. But he didn't get away with it.
Putting swine flu into perspective
3,000 people died in Manchester in the flu epidemics of 1918/1919. At the time, the population of the city was more than 425,000 and it was heavily polluted with poor living conditions.
Manchester then and now: Sackville Street, St. Luke’s Church & Chorlton On Medlock
This fascinating area was at the heart of the industrial revolution.
Most Haunted
TV show Most Haunted claims that a Granada TV studio is built on the site of an old graveyard. But is it really?
VIDEO MAKING
Creative commons abuse
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives has infringed the rights of a music composer.
Why relatively few good videos get made
Despite the great advances in digital technology.
LGBT
Fooled by a fake
How a fake descendent of the Russian Tsar fooled gay Manchester in 1991 (video).
Lesbian & Gay Foundation: the beginning of the end?
The employment tribunal reaches a decision, Outnorthwest magazine is slashed in a funding crisis, 62% of the annual income goes to pay 23 employees. Read more. Or see the 2007/08 accounts here. Including a cost of £61,589 to generate voluntary income of £100,736!
Robinson Crusoe
The gay love story behind the classic 1960's BBC TV series. A special article for LGBT History Month.
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About g7uk.com
I try to cover some of the events, subjects and issues that don't get any coverage in the mainstream media. Our local news and TV could be a whole lot better than it is.
Ironically many of the videos on my website were shot on a camcorder that I won from ITVLocal, which has now closed.
This site is not about personal attacks or conspiracy theories. Wherever possible
it deals in solid research and facts.
Some of the subjects covered are LGBT related, but much of the site isn't and
relates to my other interests which include film-making, photography, sound recording,
consumer issues, politics and local history. In particular I love Manchester's
industrial past.
The name of the site has nothing to do with the 'g7' meeting of finance ministers
(as some disapproving radical seemed to think one time). It's my middle initial
and shoe size, followed by UK! The aim was to create the shortest possible domain
name, so it would be easy to remember and type in. But choices were limited even
back in 2002.
Always glad to hear what you think. Leave a comment below a post
or send an email.
Donate
I operate on a shoestring and some of the equipment is quite literally dropping to bits. If you like what I do, you can can help by making a donation below via PayPal. Any amount is welcome and will go towards buying new video equipment.
Past coverage
Some of the events I've covered on video and audio over the past three years include:
NO2ID card burning, Hazel Must Go, LGBT Labour discussion, Liberation 09 march, LGBTory protests, World Naked Bike Ride 2007 & 2008, Manchester Pride and protests, Pride poster controversy, a talk by Ray Gosling at Central Library, comprehensive video coverage of Get Bent 2007, Reclaim the Night, protest by Chinese students, flashmob at Piccadilly Gardens, Feast 2008 at Platt Fields Park, Manchester Passion, Chinese New Year parade.
In some cases there would have been no video coverage otherwise.
Recording for history
As well as reporting what's happening, its important that many of these events are recorded for history.
I shoot far more than I can find the time to edit and publish. But all the footage is carefully catalogued and archived (in two separate locations) and, I hope, will be around a century from now, as an alternative to whatever mainstream media material has survived.
Is it important? Yes. As an example, I have what is very likely the only high quality photo and video coverage of the first two years of Manchester's annual gay event (1990 and 1991) and much more.
I've been filming local events since 1979. But my interest in the historical/preservation side really took off in the late 1980's when I interviewed an archivist at the North West Film Archive for a magazine article that I was writing.
The digital world
Is it still important to do this when we live in a digital world that is full of cameras? I think so for several reasons...
Don't believe the hype... They may be armed to the teeth with cameras, but few people have the skills or inclination (it's hard work) to cover events in a comprehensive way.
Digital technology is wonderful but a large percentage of the content will be lost, because it won't be backed up, archived and looked after.
It's by no means certain that even mainstream media coverage will survive into the future, as equipment and formats become obselete, accountants make hard-nosed decisions about how much shelf space costs and companies change hands or go out of business.
Credits, copies and video sharing
Anyone who appears in a video that I shoot should assume that all videos are primarily made for, and intended to be viewed on, this website and that whatever is here on g7uk.com is 'the' finished product.
I'm hot on continuity longterm, so most content is online at the same URL 'forever'. Please link.
I'm very happy to credit you and link to your online spaces in the text that accompanies any video and also, where possible, within the video itself as a caption.
Unfortunately, due to the amount of time involved, it isn't practical to author
DVDs and send out copies to everyone I film. Nor can I hand over raw footage
for people to use.
I'm not
a big fan of YouTube and similar video sharing sites and the embedding of video
files. Been there, done that and had the rip off, so to speak. Too many people
out there are in the business of abusing and making money from embedded or stolen
videos while the performers and makers get nothing.
However,where a video is mainly a performance by an individual or group, there are no third-party copyright problems, and they would like to put a copy on their website, that seems fair and I'm open to the possibility. So let's talk and work out something.
Also I'm interested in running events that are a mixture of live performance and online content. But I don't want to say too much about that just yet.
I know certain people will disagree with me on some of the above, but I've reached these conclusions based on much past experience. The bottom line is, I want to spend as much time as possible making films and, if anyone is going to make money, I want it to be me and any talented people who appear in them.
Having an event?
If you're organising something that you think I might like to cover, and you can live with the terms above, get in touch. |
