Let loose the dogs of war...

The staircase up to the second floor of the Penwerris and our flat was patrolled by Melville's two alsatians - don't be fooled by the recumbent and placid looking fella here.  Sure if you knew him.  But if you didn't I'd give very little for your chances...

Shrouded in darkness (the Ponderosa was mostly like that even on a sunny day...) here sits Melville J Brooks, the proprietor.  Engaged in his favourite pursuit, the card game Euchre.  I never really understood it...two teams of two competed and some games took forever whilst others ended almost instantly usually with roars of cusses.

Amigos

Four of the amigos...from the left, Shaks (David Shakarian), Jimmy (James Whitehead), David (Weekes) and Paul (Guidici).  Jimmy, David & Paul were also Painting students from 1970 to 73.  Shaks was in the year following (71 to 74).  

About this blog...

Ponderosa Days blog is an occasional and quite random recollection of my days as a student at Falmouth School of Art from the autumn of 1970 to 1973 when I 'graduated' with a Diploma in Art & Design and went off to Birmingham School of Art & Design to do a post graduate course.  It owes almost everything to my pal and fellow student Allan Green (on the right in the photo of us both, winter 1970) who took most of the photos here ( the colour ones are slides of mine) and who wrote the snippets of his epic poem 'Those Ponderosa Days'.  The Ponderosa (besides being the home of the Cartwrights in Bonanza) was the public bar of the Penwerris Inn.  Allan and myself (and quite a few others) lived there on and off for some two years or so.

The wider context

I came across this

site whilst looking for information on the marvellous Lionel Miskin for one of my other blogs. Lionel was just one of the exceptional people that populated the staff at the college and his eccentricity and individuality seem to me to be exactly what art schools should be about.  I imagine he wouldn't last five minutes in one of our University Art Faculties...and nor in all probability would he have wanted to!

portrait from Dennis' site

• "Chiraa-Khoor" - Huun Huur Tu

School Photoshoot - On the top lawn

Taken sometime in late 72 or early 73...

Oh Give Me A Home (2)

Oh give me a home where the old alkis roam

And rats through an alcoholic haze

Where seldom is heard an intelligible word

Oh those far off Ponderosa days