Filofax 1998
<< Filofax 1997 / Filofax 1999 >>
06.11.98 / 01 / new glasses
Rectangular ones by Alain Mikli, from David Clulow in Wigmore Street. I was in early on the new rectangular glasses, so people stared a little. OH on a train: "he must be Norwegian" - referring to my long blond hair and 'foreign' glasses.
27.08.98 / 01 / greenbelt 25
27th August - 1st September, the last time at Deene Park, the last time under canvas until 2014. The previous year's weather debacle had left Greenbelt's finances in a very poor state. As part of the solution it was proposed that Greenbelt should split - a Christian music event for teenagers and youth groups on the August bank holiday, in collaboration with another organisation, and a family/adult oriented event at another time in the year, maybe in a city. So Greenbelt 25 looked like being the last of its kind, and it was possible that it would be the last one ever if things didn't work out. I photographed it as a record, in case.
This time I went as part of the Grace team. We did two services, the second of which was called The Last Supper because it might have been the last ever service at Greenbelt. And I did a long meditation at 1-2am on the Tuesday - the last programmed event to start, although the comedy and dance tents ran later. So I could have been the last event at Greenbelt, ever - but it didn't turn out that way.
From this one on I had a contributor's ticket - ie I didn't have to pay - up to 2018. I didn't go every year, especially after the move to Boughton, but it was 15 years out of the 20.
26.07.98 / 01 / hair show
Modelling in a hair show for a friend’s salon. I had very long blond hair then.
13.07.98 / 01 / surfing lessons
So I booked a one-week surfing course with Surf South West in Croyde (a place I know well from childhood holidays). From an email afterwards:
I found it very difficult and only really made good progress on Thursday and Friday - shame I hadn't been at the Friday stage on Wednesday. I learned a lot which I just have to go away and practice. Doing two hours in the morning then two hours in the afternoon, every day in all weathers and wave conditions, is exhausting work, but you make more progress that way. At the end of the day we'd just go for a meal then to bed. The Surf South West guys are very nice and very patient.
I got a cracked rib and broken toes from the rough conditions. When I got home I came down with a flu-like virus which may have been a polluted-water thing - sadly not uncommon in those days. In spite of this I loved it.
26.06.98 / 01 / abundant surf
26th-29th June Abundant Surf weekend at Georgeham in Devon, surfing at Putsborough nearby. Weather was nice but sea was choppy and rough in a useless way, not much good for learning to surf.
07.06.98 / 01 / massive attack at the albert hall
On the Mezzanine tour, at their peak. With Liz Fraser, Horace Andy.
30.05.98 / 01 / deep c
Deep C, a spectacular charity rave at the London Aquarium by Westminster Bridge. Four bands, three dancefloors, two basement levels of aquaria as chillout zone. Scuba diving attendants feeding the fish. Partying in the corridors, Playstations, people dancing outside on the Embankment, free ice cream. It was wonderful. Nothing like it happened again because they worried about the effect on the fish.
08.05.98 / 01 / reimagining worship
8th-10th May was the 'Reimagining Worship' conference at Clapton Park Round Chapel in Hackney. Alt worship people from around the country. It was Doug Gay's church, his alt worship group Host hosted of course. There were also services by Grace and LOPE and probably others. This was the first worship event I photographed.
28.03.98 / 01 / another city
Diary note: ‘Another City’ group at Rosy Fairhurst’s. First meeting under the new name. Now Nic Hughes could make a logo.
14.02.98 / 01 / millennium worship committee
‘Millennium Worship Committee Day’ at St Stephens Westbourne Park. In late 1997 various alt worship people in London began to plan a series of events for the millennium, involving as many of the groups as possible. Somehow I became the co-ordinator. It was herding cats.
This meeting was when I came up with the name 'Another City' for the project. I had tried before to give it a name for various purposes, but no-one could ever agree on anything and my efforts were rejected. This time my suggestion met with delight. After the meeting I sat dazed in a coffee shop at Notting Hill Gate, wondering how I had gone from nowhere in 1996 to leading millennium events in 1998. It felt like my life had turned into a movie.
The plan coalesced into a series of events in 1999, starting with an Abundant NYE party at the end of 1998. This was the only one that actually happened, because groups were unable to commit to dates and venues. I designed publicity and a website, the site went live but the flyers could never be printed because of constant changes. I ended the project in July 1999 after too many people had dropped out and we had missed our intended schedule again.
It wasn't a waste. Two significant things came out of it. The St Paul's Cathedral Labyrinth had been intended as a 1999 event but got pushed back to March 2000. This was a multi-group collaboration, Another City in one event. The Abundant team had found St Peter's Kennington Lane as a venue for a worship event - this became Vaux.
19.01.98 / 01 / sheppard robson
I started with Sheppard Robson, on a contract job based in Leatherhead until the end of October. I would work with them for a couple of years, and it would lead indirectly to my specialism in corporate fitout.
xx.xx.98 / 01 / exploring alt worship
Church now was St James the Less and Grace. Being in these places opened doors to many others. There was at this time a vibrant experimental and alt worship church scene in London, and I visited all I could like a kid in a sweetshop. I was a regular at Epicentre in Clapham until they closed in 2002, it was easy to get to from Surrey. I went to 148 and other Russ Jones events, and Holy Joes a couple of times. I got to know everybody.
This was an expression of a network effect. If you were in one part of the scene you could see all of it, and if you were outside of it, it was invisible. I had been looking for this for years and not finding it, and it was close at hand. I just needed to be pulled into one of the hubs. This experience of not-finding made me an ardent publicist, for the sake of other searchers out there.
