On 4 Jan 2008 at 2:00pm CROSS wrote:
What a clever way for an artist to advertise himself on the front page of the Sussex Express! A couple of lines moaning about his issue with Londoners and then a whole life story on him and his art. Hmmmm, how can I advertise myself? What can I moan about to promote my business?
By the way, I won't recommend him to paint someones cat as his heart clearly won't be in it.
On 4 Jan 2008 at 2:20pm Lewesianne wrote:
I have read the article and I don't know what to think. I disagree with him slightly about Londoners not wanting to have any part in the fabric of Lewes as I know lots who, although they think the town is quaint, they also want to fit in and become part of the community. One in particular expressed only the other night that Lewes 'sucks you in' and he loves it and is humbly adapting. He's been here 6 years and is still learning. Peter has been here a long time but so have most of us and of course there have been changes and I 'd rather move with the changes than try to dig my heels in or I may become bitter and resentful when I'm old. Anyway, I don't think this town will ever lose it's identity - it's too stubborn!
On 4 Jan 2008 at 2:34pm FA wrote:
He needs to **** off back to Burgess Hill and stop his moaning. His "art" is s**t anyway.
On 4 Jan 2008 at 4:04pm ExiledfromLewes wrote:
I have read it as well and I just thought it was piss poor journalism.
It contains a large headline stating Lewes is losing its identity, but then only contains a couple of small paragraphs on the issue at the start of the story.
It doesn't go into detail about why he thinks Lewes is losing its idenity, how it could be rectified and who if anyone is to blame.
The rest of the article is a blatent advertisment of his work telling us his various techniques and styles and other snippets of information such as how he was self taught, doesn't like commisions blah,blah, blah, none of which has anything to do with the title.
This is an article that an A-Level student who had lost the plot would submit, as most of the article is pretty irrelevant. Lastly it has the temerity to ask what we think of Mr Messers views, well what views.
This will join a long list of nonsensical articles are local paper has written over the years.
On 4 Jan 2008 at 4:47pm X wrote:
So Mr Messer thinks there are a bunch of London snobs moving into Lewes? They'll fit in well with his own shameless snobbery.
On 4 Jan 2008 at 4:56pm The Honest Truth wrote:
If Mr Messer has developed a way of keeping the critters still, I'd welcome his offer to paint cats (preferably with lead paint)!
On 4 Jan 2008 at 6:32pm common man wrote:
Well what do you expect from a rag like Sussex Express.
On 4 Jan 2008 at 6:48pm Lewesianne wrote:
I also think that it's a tacky way for an artist to get publicity. He would have been better off expressing a painting about the subject and then sending a copy of it to the Sussex Express, instead of slating the people who are probably the ones who buy his work in the first place.
On 4 Jan 2008 at 7:08pm me wrote:
He has painted on the subject lewesianne, look out for the commercial times banner on the 5th. I know it a fair way off tho :-(
On 4 Jan 2008 at 7:32pm Lewesianne wrote:
me, wasn't that about bonfire though? If not, what was it about ? Sorry if I'm being vague.
On 4 Jan 2008 at 9:33pm Spinster Of This Parish wrote:
Hoorah for Pete Messer - one of this town's true gems. The man is nothing short of a genius. He is horrendously intuitive and has the strength and courage of his convictions.
I think Pete Messer would be an excellent choice as Mayor of Lewes.
As for the S Express - I suspect that they have b*stardised their interview with Pete and added a bit about his work to appeal to those readers who would not appreciate this man's genius of wit and wisdom.
And you thought that I had a wicked tongue - if you have ever been fortunate enough to hear Pete on a roll about an issue, you would realise that this man is a role model for me.
Hip hip hoorah for Pete!
(PS - Honest Truth - excellent idea about the lead paint)
On 4 Jan 2008 at 9:34pm Spinster Of This Parish wrote:
AND..............
page 5 of the same edition of the S Express allows people to nominate great characters. I may well be voting for Pete Messer.
On 5 Jan 2008 at 6:58am me wrote:
yes it does have a bonfire slant but he does have subtle digs at local issues such as the express article.
On 5 Jan 2008 at 10:45am Lifelong Lewesian wrote:
As soon as I read the article I though, what a shameless piece of promotion for Pete Messer, who owes him a favour?
The Londoners I know generally very much want to become part of the community and do contribute and to some degree it's up to us who have grown up in Lewes to help that integration - that's the only way the town's character will be preserved. Most oft he peole I know who are disparaging about the town tend to be my friends' teenage children....
As CROSS said in the first post, it's all very well snatching the headline of the local newspaper to grumble about a problem, but if taking that space then they should come up wth a solution too - and it's people like Pete Messer who should be part of the answer.
Grubby, cheap, journalism and it doesn't reflec well on Pete at all.
On 5 Jan 2008 at 11:11am For The Record wrote:
There appears to be two issues here, both very different.
1. Sussex Express chose to place this article on their front page, and
2. Peter Messers comments about dilution of values within the town.
Although I purchase the Sussex Express each week, I view it as rather comical (inaccurate or omission of important stories, hilarious letters and parish pump articles etc). The papers choice to place this article on the front page may reflect that they did not feel there were any other stories worthy of a more prominent position. Either way, it's given forum users something to discuss!
I support Mr Messers views about people coming to the town and trying to recreate something they could not afford elsewhere. In my experience many of these people do not value local traditions and customs, tirelessly attempting to change them to their (London) values. For example, Bonfire. I've seen the wonderful satirical banners that Mr Messer has made for CSBS - they are "spot-on" and definately in the tradition of Bonfire.
I'm not a Lewesian, but I have stated before that "if you embrace this town, it embraces you in return" (and it's bl**dy wonderful)!
On 5 Jan 2008 at 1:42pm Mystic Mog wrote:
Totally agree with FTR. Let the town change you not the other way round
One cannot be critical of Peter, it is the paper's choice to put it on the front page and devote so much space to it.
I think that Sx Exp has been on holiday so they have not covered much 'real' news. I expecting a bumper issue next Friday with loads of up to the minute news....possibly!
On 5 Jan 2008 at 3:31pm common man wrote:
Sussex express was this once called the dandy or beano
On 5 Jan 2008 at 8:39pm Double Yellow Line wrote:
The man's a t**ser
On 7 Jan 2008 at 2:43pm Ed. I. Tor wrote:
STOP PRESS SUSSEX EXPRESS TO CHANGE NAME TO LEWES MESSENGER BY OUR GLOCAL CORRESPONDENT
(ssurely not. Ed.)
On 7 Jan 2008 at 2:52pm Ed. I. Tor wrote:
STOP PRESS SUSSEX EXPRESS TO CHANGE NAME TO LEWES MESSENGER BY OUR GLOCAL CORRESPONDENT
(ssurely not, Ed.)
On 7 Jan 2008 at 3:31pm Ed. I. Tor wrote:
GLOCAL TEMPERA ARTIST TURNS INTO HALF-BOILED EGG
by our Glocal Corrrespondent
While mixing his pants (eh, don't you mean paints, Ed.) a noted TempEra artist of Lewes found he had turned into an egg. His head was brushed (eh, don't you mean rushed, Ed.) to the Royal Sussex Exprespital where it was examined and found to be half-boiled. An operation to remove its very little grey cell was not terribly successful and following early release it fell off the town wall into the lobal (eh, don't you mean local, Ed.) pit making quite a mess and all the town's horses and all the town's oldcomers, newcomers and those who just come, couldn't put head nor tail together again.
(Enuf, dreadful, Ed.)
On 7 Jan 2008 at 3:33pm Ed. I Tor. wrote:
On 07/01/2008 Ed. I. Tor wrote:
GLOCAL TEMPERA ARTIST TURNS INTO HALF-BOILED EGG
by our Glocal Corrrespondent
While mixing his pants (eh, don't you mean paints, Ed.) a noted TempEra artist of Lewes found he had turned into an egg. His head was brushed (eh, don't you mean rushed, Ed.) to the Royal Sussex Exprespital where it was examined and found to be half-boiled. An operation to remove its very little grey cell was not terribly successful and following early release it fell off the town wall into the lobal (eh, don't you mean local, Ed.) pit making quite a mess and all the town's horses and all the town's oldcomers, newcomers and those who just come, couldn't put head nor tail together again.
(Enuf, dreadful, Ed.)
On 7 Jan 2008 at 4:11pm Ed I. Tor wrote:
LEWES MESSENGER EDITOR SACKED
by our glocal correspondent
Ed I. Tor of Lewes Messenger (previously Sussex Express) has been sacked for stepping on a half-boiled egg. He is moving to Burgess Hill to work on the obituary column of Battery Eggs News.
On 7 Jan 2008 at 4:15pm Ed I. Tor wrote:
LEWES MESSENGER EDITOR SACKED
by our glocal correspondent
Ed I. Tor of Lewes Messenger (previously Sussex Express) has been sacked for stepping on a half-boiled egg. He is moving to Burgess Hill to work on the obituary column of Battery Eggs News.
On 7 Jan 2008 at 5:18pm FA wrote:
Do you have a problem with keep on repeating yourself ? It's enough to read your crap once...but twice !!!!!
On 7 Jan 2008 at 6:44pm Ed I. Tor 2nd wrote:
ah, but chicken s. twice
On 7 Jan 2008 at 6:49pm fat old lady wrote:
The toast of the Town? More like eggy bread head by the sound of it.
The Beano? Lewes Messenger? What about Lewes Masseur -rubs the bits that no one wants to touch.
On 7 Jan 2008 at 7:15pm Ed I. Tor 2nd wrote:
STOP PRESS LEWES TO CHANGE NAME TO TOYTOWN
LARRY LAMB TO EDIT TOYTOWN GOOSETTE
(oh, Mr Mayor, ssurely not, ED. 2nd)
On 9 Jan 2008 at 11:20am Nige Frosdick wrote:
Did I laugh!, I spent 5 years with Peter in the Institution that was Lewes Grammar.In the same class. Total waste of ****ing time . And I think I'd agree with most of his comments . And if he wants to capture the work of many nameless artisans, in the detail of the flint walls, then good luck to him. I'd rather spend an evening with him than the ex- mayor who's had an obscure road named after him . I spent those LCGSFB years avoiding him . Of course he was a Prefect, possibly Head Boy too. Keep London for the Londoners ..
On 9 Jan 2008 at 9:50pm Spinster Of This Parish wrote:
5 years with Pete Messer - wow!
I cherish every 5 minutes that I spend in his company - he is a wickedly intuitive man, blessed with original thought and has the courage of his convictions. Was he like this at school?
On 11 Jan 2008 at 8:50am Nige Frosdick wrote:
He was a dour young bugger, as now he is a dour old bugger. There was a group of us bumping along in the C stream, mostly still in touch now thanks to Friends Reunited and the Old Lewesians website. Not particularly academic, we left school to become artists and artisans. But we did have some fun there in a Pythonesque way...bearing in mind John Clees and company still had to produce that seminal icon of British humour.Beware sycophancy, Spinster Of This Parish. Myself, I pragmaticaly took the artisan route, into plumbing . Working for a time for Davey+son, in the High Street. What a Dickensian world that was, lol.
On 11 Jan 2008 at 7:21pm Spinster Of This Parish wrote:
A plumber with a sense of humour? Are your prices reasonable or hilarious?
Are you based in Lewes? Is so, where or should I ask Pete for your details?
On 14 Jan 2008 at 8:54am Rusty Ballcocks wrote:
If he's any good he'll charge 40 notes and hour. That's my rate and I'm always busy.