Art works on display in a new exhibition at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life in Lincoln have been partially prompted by Blow by Blow’s Bygone Lincoln DVD 2.

The exhibition — officially launched last night ( March 17th 2010) — includes several pieces depicting the Lincoln Typhoid epidemic of 1904-05 and in particular the kindness of Alderman Thomas Smith in coming to the rescure of thirsty Lincolnians.

Viewers of DVD2 will recall that Alderman Smith, a businessman living 20 miles away in Newark where he served on the Town Council, organised daily supplies of clean water to be sent by rail to stricken Lincoln where people were dying from typhoid.

Artist Helen Link ….who works with colleagues Janet Schooley and Mandy Watmore in a trio called “Off at a Tangent”…..saw the letters written in gratitude by Lincoln citizens to Alderman Smith in Blow By Blow’s DVD documentary, which was “Highly Commended” in the IOV Awards. Producer Andrew Blow helped Helen get in touch with Alderman Smith’s descendants whose kind co-operation enabled her to base two pieces of art work on original letters from 1905. A third exhibit recalls the utensils with which Lincolnians collected “Newark water” in the sidings of the old St. Mark’s Station (today a shopping complex).

The exhibition, called “Contemporary Thoughts on a Past Reality”, can be seen in the Museum’s Gatehouse until May 23rd. Blow by Blow has created a short highlights DVD from the three Bygone Lincoln programmes and this plays in the exhibition. Admission is free.

Blow By Blow can now offer Bygone Lincoln DVD 3 - the latest in the popular series of nostalgic collections of old films of Lincoln and District, all narrated and interpreted for today’s audiences.

DVD 3 is now in Lincoln shops - RRP £12.99, or £13 including p and p from this site. Producer Andrew Blow and his associates are delighted with the 73-minute programme which has earned great reviews from the pre-launch viewing panel.

“I am confident that we have maintained the quality of the two previous DVDs,” said Andrew. “Once again, as the nights draw in and Christmas time comes around, local families will be able to hark back down memory lane as they watch more local films of yesteryear. They will be fascinated by DVD 3, I am sure of that.”

Lincoln booksellers - Waterstones (both branches), WH Smith, Ruddocks and the Cathedral Shop - now have the DVD on their shelves. If you have purchased on-line from Blow By Blow in recent years, then the chances are Blow By Blow will have your details and you will be notified about DVD 3. If you would like our fact sheet please contact us.

Or, buy now from this site

STOP PRESS: BBC Look North visited Blow By Blow on October 14th and produced a piece for that night’s programme about the new DVD. Our thanks to reporter Jo Marsh and cameraman Keith for their courtesy - and thanks to film contributor Maurice Holmes for also taking part in the filming. Maurice was able to tell the story of how he had seen his family films for the first time in 50 years thanks to Blow By Blow and associates. Our thanks to the Lincolnshire Echo for good coverage on the same night.

Queries please to Blow by Blow at 01522 754901

Collecting Newark water in 1905

Following the release of Bygone Lincoln DVD2 and its new revelations about the Lincoln typhoid crisis of 1905, Blow By Blow Productions is now an official supporter of Water Aid, the international charity that fights for clean water and sanitation.

Blow By Blow’s DVD — highly commended by the Institute of Videography - tells how Alderman Thomas Smith of Newark organised the supply of clean water twice a day by rail to neighbouring Lincoln where the tap water was contaminated with typhoid germs.

A hundred and forty-five people died and more than 1000 fell ill in the typhoid epidemic — and Lincoln’s economy hit rock bottom as visitors gave the city a wide berth.

The documentary shows many contemporary photographs of Lincolnians queuing with jugs and buckets to collect what they called “Newark water”. More than 100 of their letters and cards of thanks to Alderman Smith have survived and their eyewitness accounts are included in the programme.

Producer Andrew Blow has now raised more than £200 with another bucket — one he rattles at the end of each personal appearance to talk about his Bygone Lincoln work.

“When people see clips from the programme and hear my explanation of the story, they are only too pleased to throw their loose change into the bucket for Water Aid,” he says.

Eventually, after raging battles in the Council — which in those days was the water authority — Lincoln sought a new water supply to replace the river water which killed so many of its citizens.

With parliamentary approval, a new supply was created from underground sources at Elkesley in Nottinghamshire, and Lincoln’s highly visible uphill water tower was built….. a water source and infrastructure that is still serving the city today.

As the 100th anniversary of the Elkesley supply approaches in 2011, Andrew Blow is talking to educators about whether the typhoid story and the DVD material can become a school topic in both Lincoln and Newark.

Meanwhile, the next outing for the bucket is on November 27^th when Andrew addresses Waddington Local History Group.

To buy the DVD or see a clip, go to: Bygone Lincoln DVD 2

• Andrew, Water Aid Supporter number 549163, adds to the public donations with a small percentage of each DVD sold. Blow by Blow would welcome additional donations from viewers who have enjoyed the DVD.

In the videographers “Oscars” on October 17th 2007, Blow by Blow Productions was “Highly Commended” for the documentary “Lincoln and Typhoid” - part of the new retail Bygone Lincoln DVD 2 (£13.00 including p and p)

Producer Andrew Blow said: ‘We felt very proud of this achievement in the IOV awards especially as our documentary was self-funded and made in our spare time! The documentary winner was shot in Kenya and carried a voice-over by Joanna Lumley.’

Andy received the award from ITV weather girl Sean Lloyd. To see the relevant photographs from the awards night go to IOV Awards and scroll down.

To see a clip from Lincoln and Typhoid, and/or buy the DVD on-line, please go to: Bygone Lincoln DVD 2

IOV Chief Executive Kevin Cook said: “The IOV Awards get tougher each year as the standards in video production rise. To win an IOV Award is a significant accomplishment indeed.  I’m really pleased for Andrew Blow and hope that this achievement will generate more commissions for this very talented Producer in the coming year.”

The Oscar-style awards night was held at the Wroxall Abbey Hotel midway through the annual IOV trade exhibition at the nearby Royal Showground in Warwickshire. The awards were attended by video professionals from all over the UK.

Farewell to the Lincoln Chronicle, formerly the Lincolnshire Chronicle, which had origins dating back to the 1800’s. (This picture is applicable …please read on!)

In a shock announcement on January 19th 2007 Editor Mike Lyon thanked his readers, contributors and advertisers and confirmed the closure of this venerable Lincoln title, in recent years a giveaway but a paid for weekly for most of its long life.

The paper was vociferous in the typhoid epidemic of 1904/05 and outspoken in various planning battles in the 1960s and 1970s. It is sad to see its voice fall silent.

The closure was a surprise to scores of ex-staff members – myself included – who were helped immeasurably in our media careers by the start we got on the “Chron.”

To name just a few ….. Mike Maloney, who began in the print works, was encouraged to pursue his hobby of photography and the paper printed many of his weekend efforts. He rose to become Chief Photographer of the Daily Mirror and enjoyed friendly terms with Princess Diana and notorious Mirror boss Robert Maxwell.

Tony Brooks and Peter Welbourn graduated to long journalistic careers on the Daily Express – and there were other characters too, like Sean Dooley, genial Liverpudlian who became editor of the Stoke Evening Sentinel. Alan Hardwick eventually went on to a long career as a Yorkshire TV presenter.

Talking of characters Peter Brown – that’s him in the guise of his alter ego, Bimbo — and myself (the good looking one!) first met years ago as junior reporters on the paper.

Peter and I decided that the death of a newspaper should not go unmarked and, with the help of former printer Terry Giles, former photographer Derrick Kent and eventually many others, we held a re-union of former staffers  (old Chron-ics?) to mark its passing. There was no fund to facilitate this but Lincoln CIty FC, these days a very community-orientated football club, kindly allowed use of the K.C.Bar in the South Park Stand. We certainly rewarded the Imps with some bar takings as some 80 or 90 Chron-ics showed they could still down the wallop. A decade by decade roll call enabled photographs to be taken of staff from each era. It was pleasing to see some of the staff who were actually losing their jobs through the closure come and join the workers of the past.

In these very special circumstances, people came from as far as London, Manchester and Leeds to re-unite with their old colleagues…and from their current jobs in all sections of the media, including magazines, newspapers,radio and TV. Anthony Robinson, whose family owned the title for many years, was a notable attendee.

On behalf of readers and contributors, Peter Wright OBE JP, made a witty speech before inviting everyone to participate in a toast to the Chronicle.

The title will live on in the bound files from decades past in the Local Studies section of the Lincolnshire Library and many a researcher will still need to scan its musty pages. Photographs of our get together have been deposited in the Local Studies section and all present were encouraged to write a sheet or two of their memories of life on the “Chron.”

Peter Brown recalls that when photographer Derrick Kent went on holiday he, as a junior reporter, was trained to take photos using aged cameras where the image was exposed on to a negative plate of about five inches by three. Peter trudged all the way up the Central Tower of the Cathedral to photograph repair work only to find, back in the office, that all of the plates he took with him had already been exposed on another story!

He and I were told to cycle around Lincoln to call on every pub to get the figures from the pub’s annual Sick and Dividing Club pay-out. The Sick and Dividing Club paid out during the year to anyone who fell ill….and at Christmas everyone shared what was left. This was a community effort that dated back to before the development of Government sick benefit and the Chronicle had long produced an annual “League table” of pay-outs declared. We divided the City into two and I recall quite a merry ride around the hostelries – not a job available to today’s journalists!