Video

Thanks Spencer for your excellent video, which I enjoyed very much. I am a big Nairn fan and feel sure he would have liked it too for its qualities of authenticity, economy, pointedness and humour among others. Great job.

Well done. What a marvellous revisit. I remember the original Nairn films. Watching with my father positively harrumphing at every pertinent point that he made. One point you haven't made though, is the arrival of "logistics" and the frantic grabbing of second rate wealth creation built on imported goods rather than home grown manufacture.

Thanks for this you really summed it up, Nairn would be proud of you.

If you are looking for a fantastic book about Pauline Boty, pick up the just released biography, entitled BRITISH POP ART"S SOLE SISTER.

My inspiration ❤❤

What is the song? Contemporary? By whom?

fantastic,.

Wonderful video

Beautiful haunting song , complimented by the simplicity of the visuals. A song that tells many peoples tale.

I could have written this! If I had any talent for writing cracking songs that is.

Do more of these videos! Would to learn more about northern towns and cities.

What Nairn couldn't know is that they wouldn't just go on to fuck our towns & cities, they've fucked us as well, good n proper. Thanks Spencer Lodge, nice film.

enjoyed that ☑️ Just discovered Nairn recently (a Bob Dylan of summing up post war British architecture, new & old) & do wonder if he ever visited Scunthorpe by any chance? (my home-groan town) but can't help thinking he didn't☹️

Excellent documentary.

Are you coming back to Barnsley town centre? I love Nairn's programmes. He died too soon.

It so sad that Barnsley is losing its Roots, yes we know time moves on but why knock buildings down that have been there for a hundred years for something that will be pulled down again in another 30 years, people lining there pockets for a quick pound, shame on our politicians. Sign of the times doesn't make it Right. Doesn't feel safe to go into town anymore

Really enjoyed this. I wish there were more updates on Nairn’s towns

Brilliant

Brilliant

Awesome

Very good film Spencer. I have had the original film on VHS for years. It was an establishment right wing view of our town and at the time caused a lot of upset. His nauseating 'anything will do in Barnsley' smacks of 'them and us' I like the spontaneity of your content. Keep up the good work. Dave Cherry.

Go now the town centre is amazing the glass works have finished and has got a bowling place and markets inside

I was on the migration from Barnsley to Blackpool

Great thought provoking video Spencer. Think it's time for an update on the councils 'Masterplan' ?

Nicely constructed

Love it!

Ian Nairn taught the interested how to assess their built environment rather than accept it uncritically as a given.What you have done is ask another question, What if the people have changed? How do you look at the ambience and function of the town then?Who do you blame?You care. Who else does?

Great little film!

I am fascinated by Pauline Boty. What a beautiful looking lady.

That was superb Spencer, really enjoyed that. Done so well

Excellent,thought provoking stuff.What we did in name of progress. I was inspired to watch this after reading chapter one of Pie Fidelity by Pete Brown - recommended.

Good work fella. Well put together.

brilliant Spencer, i'm on the Nairn trail for some reason and whilst you havent' lauded him, i can see you respect him.....he went too soon.. thanks for your short film. much appreciated

I now need a piss

I re-watched Nairn's videos just now and linked to your video, and I have to say you created a very good video but after watching this and Nairn's videos my chest aches and I am tearful at what we did to ourselves. It hurts me like the loss of someone you love. World War 2 did destroy a a lot but the planners did worse ripping up all the railways many of which we now need back, and ripping down our heritage and aesthetic beauty for 'the future'. All we got was sink estates, drugs and feral youth, depression and sense of hopelessness and loss. A place does make people and people make a place, pride is instilled, standards and economic development demanded - it all comes from the self, the society itself. We don't care and on the continent they do. The things that made the UK more economically and scientifically successful than Europe and the world, that made our societies strong and unique, all forgotten after the War. We are now in the built environment afterglow of World War 2. Classical architecture has never been bettered. Much of Continental Europe rebuilt theirs in the same style or made a nod to it. Here we keep rebuilding and never match it. The above said, the public realm works and acknowledgement of the above by many in city councils now has led to a public realm revitalisation and I no longer feel that great sense of pain inside that one did in northern cities even as recently as a few years ago. There is an effort to rebuild a better economy and built environment. It cannot be rebuilding the past now - too late for that, but it can be better than living in post-war ruins. The economic prospects for the UK look excellent, the stats from the north support this too over the last decade, but all the opportunity and money in the world isn't worth a damn if we live in the ruins of a once great civilisation. That of course will affect peoples' feelings and attitude. We took centuries to develop the tacit knowledge, infrastructure and ability to do things, that even after the war in the mighty shadow of America thereafter, even they could not do. Nairn alludes to this when he talks of the UK having the skills, knowledge, expertise etc, or something of those words, to get things right, yet we didn't. The UK still had unique scientific and infrastructure capabilites in the world, never mind Europe. We chose to ignore this, and on purpose tear down our entire legacy to ourselves. It is so depressing and even in 2019, we have not recovered, though plans for the 2020's are enormous in Manchester in particular, which is by far and away the largest economy in the north with the governance equal to the task but look how long it has taken. Even now, metaphorically speaking, Manchester is dusting itself down and rising from the ashes and I believe it will get back to its rightful place over the next 10-20 years. But what of the rest of the Northern cities outside Scotland? Time will tell. All cities outside London need mass rebuilding to re-densify them more than anything else. There are still so many car parks in city centres where now there should be shops, offices, leisure and so on. The politicians of the second half of the 20th century have a lot to answer for. Not only did they not believe in the UK, they did not believe in beauty and the legacy of British history - which should have seen more of our town and cities be beautiful. It all makes me so, so angry and there's nothing I can do about it. I just hope Nairn's lessons are learned and your video viewed too.

This is a really good overview for those of us who have seen the Nairn video, but weren't old enough to remember the 80s

Now that is one good looking woman. Goodness me!

This is brilliant Spencer Lodge. We're off to the new market this morning. Nairn's and your words will be in my head. Thank you

I love the song, and would love to play it on my radio show - great driving psychedelia - right up my alley!

Just watched Pop goes the easle..a 1963 documentary by monitor on the bbc. She seemed fascinating, such a sad story though. Great tribute..great song.

Really enjoyed this. I'm a big fan of both Ian Nairn and of Barnsley (well its people, which tend to make a place) and have always toyed with the idea of revisiting some of the towns and cities that Nairn visited on his travels to compare and contrast. This video does a great job.