Alwyn W Turner
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Crisis? What Crisis?
Britain in the 1970s The 1970s. Strikes, power-cuts, three-day weeks, inflation, Paki-bashing and the dead left unburied. Or, seen from another perspective, it was a period dominated by Morecambe & Wise, glam rock, detective fiction, club football, Get Carter and The Good Life. Actually, of course, it encompassed both those visions, and more. It was the best of times and the worst of times. Wealth inequality was at a record low, but industrial disruption was at a record high. These were the glory years of Dr Who and Coronation Street, but the darkest days of the Northern Ireland conflict… In 1978 London Weekend Television launched a new series, The South Bank Show, announcing that it would cover ‘the consumed arts – cinema, rock, paperbacks and even television.’ It was an acknowledgement that if you wanted to understand modern Britain, you had to look at popular culture. Crisis? What Crisis? follows that lead, telling the story of Britain in the 1970s through the soaps and sitcoms, the music and movies, the fiction, fashion and sport of the time. And it adds one crucial ingredient: politics considered as one of the consumed arts. This is not an insider’s account of the crises that wracked Britain in that decade. Rather it is the consumer’s version, a world seen through the eyes of the mass media, in which Enoch Powell, Margaret Thatcher and trade union leaders jostle for space with David Bowie, Hilda Ogden and skinheads. In researching this book, Alwyn W Turner spoke with many of the key players in the era, from Tony Benn to Norman Tebbit, from Shirley Williams to Zandra Rhodes, and from Dennis Skinner to David Van Day. He also watched hundreds of hours of British TV and films from the era, including more episodes of George & Mildred than is medically advisable. 'This is a masterful work of social history and cultural commentary, told with much wit.' - Mail on Sunday
Britain in the 1970s by Alwyn W Turner published by Aurum Press, 2008 |
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Biba
now in paperback . . .
Born as a small boutique in 1964 just as London started to swing, its upward mobility followed a path diametrically opposed to that of the society around it. As the amphetamine rush of optimism wore off, and the country found itself heading inexorably towards the come-down of the three-day week, Biba – now filling all seven storeys of the old Derry & Toms store with own-brand produce – provided the escapism that Britain craved. Drawing on Art Deco, Nouveau, Victoriana and the golden age of Hollywood, it was more than just fashion: it was a whole world, a lifestyle choice. At the height of the store’s glory, the committed shopper could buy not only a new wardrobe, fully co-ordinated from head to toe, but also a complete range of cosmetics and soft furnishings, together with the washing powder to care for her clothes, and food for both herself and her pets, all presented in the distinctive Biba packaging. Alternatively she could just hang out, either lounging in the shop-windows (Biba didn’t do window-displays), or sipping cocktails upstairs amongst the flamingos that lived in the Roof Garden, or in the Rainbow Room, where on a good night there might be a live performance by the likes of the New York Dolls, Liberace or the Manhattan Transfer. It was not so much a department store as a theme park devoted to elegantly wasted decadence. And then it crashed and burned. In 1975 the unacceptable face of capitalism (which was definitely not wearing Biba eye-shadow) turned its gaze on Biba, decided that it preferred the real estate to the fantasy, and closed the shop down. And so the dream ended. Unlike its contemporaries, the likes of Virgin and Habitat, Biba fulfilled the rock & roll promise to live fast, die young and leave a beautiful corpse, and is consequently remembered with a fondness almost unique in the world of retail. This lavishly illustrated and beautifully produced book is intended for those interested in fashion and graphic design of the Sixties and Seventies, from a creative and historical standpoint, plus the huge number of people who remember Biba from the period with enormous affection. 'A must-buy for anyone seeking inspiration or a gentle reminder of a creative legend' - Vogue
by Alwyn W Turner published by Antique Collectors' Club, 2004 revised edition published 2005 paperback edition published 2007
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also available . . .
Big Biba, the final flowering of Barbara Hulanicki’s legendary Biba store in London, was a shop like no other, before or since. It was a fabulous fantasy palace that brought the indulgence of Hollywood to the world of retail. Big Biba lasted just two years before it fell victim to recession, but the legend of what the Sunday Times called ‘the most beautiful store in the world’ continues to enchant both its former habitués and those who came to it too late. Welcome to Big Biba is the first book dedicated entirely to this dreamland, with over 150 colour photographs – most published here for the first time – of the store and of the products and graphics created for the various departments, from bathrooms to ball-gowns, from cosmetics to colouring-books. Designed by Steve Thomas, who designed Big Biba itself, and with text by Alwyn W Turner, author of The Biba Experience. 'Welcome to Big Biba is an exceptional production, with an authoritative text - including a good deal of contemporary comment - a wealth of photographs, superbly "period" design and generous reproduction of primary source material.' - The Art Book by Steven Thomas & Alwyn W Turner published by Antique Collectors' Club, 2006 |
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Cult Rock Posters 1972-82
From glam through punk to new wave, this collection of over 200 rare rock posters from the 1970s celebrates a decade's music and design. David Bowie's satin, tat and lipstick were the essence of glam, the spirit of punk was embodied in the rips in the Sex Pistols' Union Jack, while the Ramones posing in the New York streets shouted urbanism and decay. The posters speak directly to the viewer, communicating the style and content of the music. Many are now iconic images: the haunted, sunken-eyed Lou Reed on the front of Rock & Roll Animal, the lightning-struck face of David Bowie on Aladdin Sane, the power and anger in London Calling's smashed guitar, Adam Ant's white stripe and piercing eyes in Kings of the Wild Frontier, and Johnny Rotten's psychotic stare. These dazzling artworks are presented here together for the first time, accompanied by an entertaining and insightful commentary by pop-culture aficionados Alwyn W Turner and Roger Crimlis. With the aid of personal interviews with stars, artists, photographers and fly-posting mafiosi, they reveal the unknown stories behind the posters featured and chart the music that inspired a generation. This book is for anyone who has ever Blu-Tacked a poster to their bedroom wall. 'A winning rumination on a golden period of pop' - Mojo
by Roger Crimlis & Alwyn W Turner published by Aurum Press (UK) and Billboard (US), 2006 and by Blues Interactions, Inc in Japan, 2007 |
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Portmeirion
The Times called Portmeirion ‘the last folly of the Western World’ while the Guardian saw it as ‘a giant gnomes’ village’. For eccentric architect Clough Williams-Ellis, the man who designed and built the resort, it was ‘propaganda for seemliness,’ a statement of how planned development could enhance rather than destroy its environment. And for the quarter of a million visitors a year who make the trip to this Italianate village in North-West Wales, it’s quite simply one of the most magical places on Earth. Published to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first opening of the resort, Portmeirion brings together for the first time all the elements that have made the name famous worldwide: from the pottery to The Prisoner, from the gardens to the genius of Clough himself. 'A splendid book with all the right people contributing' - Sir Roy Strong, Country Life
edited by Alwyn W Turner published by Antique Collectors' Club, 2006 |
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Military Bands
For 250 years military bands have occupied a unique role in the British Army, supporting the soldiers, serving in the ranks during wartime and acting as a point of contact with a wider society. At the peak of military music in the late-19th century, there were more than 150 bands in the Army, attracting audiences of tens of thousands to open-air concerts. A hundred years later, the figure was down to just 29 bands and falling. A three-volume series by Gordon Turner (formerly Director of Music of the Royal Signals) and his son, Alwyn W Turner, traces the history of every band to have served in the British Army. A further volume tells the story of the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall, founded in 1857. 'This sumptuously illustrated chronicle of everything you ever wanted to know about British military bands . . . this exhaustively researched book' - The Times
(three volumes) by Gordon Turner & Alwyn W Turner published by Spellmount Ltd, 1994-97 by Gordon Turner & Alwyn W Turner published by Parapress, 1996 |
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