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Well,it was a hot sunny day and a trio of old farts,Messrs Brown,Hooper & Northall,met outside Temple Meads rail station with the intention of visiting the much publicised,locally [via TV,newspapers and at least one radio item],Victoria Gallery comic art exhibition in Bath.

Big plus:three  travelling together got us a cut-price OAP deal fare. Well,cut-price fare anyway. Of course,Mr N was constantly claiming financial insolvency while Mr B repeatedly requested Mr N to “Stump up the cash you tight-wad!”

However,once in Bath Mr N decided to do his best mincing walk Flash impression ducking into one shop then anotherpicking up free leaflets!  Mr B hurled abuse at Mr N while staring longingly at confectionary stores.  We meandered here.  We meandered there.  We were not lost.  They’d just moved streets and buildings since our last vist.

 above:Mr N contemplates the idea of remaking “The Valley Of Gwangi”!

And then -the big event!  well,as we called it:”the damp squib”.  I had expected more.  We all had. There was some rather dodgey info defining the age of comics and maybe 20 [?] art pages on four walls -only a Judge Dredd page showed there was a British comic scene.  This was NOT an exhibition and certainly did not warrant all the promotion.  I think I have more pieces of original art than were on show.  I’m glad that I’m not the only one who felt this was a major non-event!  After ten minutes the,uh,”event” was over for the South Bristol Trio of [insert your own word cuz I can’t think of anything funny].

Above:Mr B,tight-lipped as ever over the cancellation of “Outlaws 4020″ demands fudge!

So,totally unimpressed,we walked the streets. Mr B and myself thinking how unfair it was that there were so many beautiful women dressed wonderfully for the hot weather and we were far too old! Oddly,I pointed out that I could still appreciate the female form and the fashions and took mental sketches for inclusion in strip work -Mr B then pointed out that he was thinking the same! Ahh,we’re just old,sad artists who just never made it to the debauched lifestyles of the greats!

Above:Mr N thinks he is on the set of “2001″ but he’s actually sat on a train sleep reciting Shakespeare!

Below: Mr B ponders the black pendulous clouds of doom and death that surround us..that or why he never purchased any fudge!

Below:Mr B:”Get lost! I wanted fudge! You dragged me to a naff comic thing!  I’m too old for this!” 

It was crowded and hot but it was still a nice day out away from the usual run-of-the-mill grind and to see ‘Mr & Mrs’ bitching was fun.  However the best laugh was standing about 15 feet from HMV and watching Mr N looking around for us!  We voiced our thoughts loudly.  He still never saw us.  He went back into the store.  Came out. After a few minutes he looked at us directly [third time] and saw us!! He NEEDS spectacles!

So,a fun day.  But,DO NOT bother visiting the,uh,exhibit. A major let down all round.

Maybe Bristol City Museum ought to put on a real comic book exhibit centering on UK comics?

And,no doubt you are asking:”Why no photograph of Mr H in Bath?” I did ask the lads to take one but they both responded:”You too ugly little man!”

Friends. Tut.

But,as we rolled back into Bristol we saw the graffiti,we heard a car alarm and,yes,the raucous tones of drunks.  Bristle.