...a Printmakers' Council show in Sheffield called 'Transformations & Innovations' of cutting edge print technique. The 'George' at Hathersage has gone back uphill. So have the prices. We attended the Private View at the Mappin Gallery in August, which was a great success. Here is Avis with her innovative carborundum collage, 'Aquatic Tunnels'. Partly as a result of organising this show, Avis wrote some review articles in 'Printmaking Today', the authoritative international journal, which goes to 22 countries. The editor insisted that Avis illustrate one with her work. The other included comparative reviews of other printmakers' work, which was much appreciated

Avis also sold three prints at the proper prices to the Trustees of St. Thomas' Hospital for exhibition in the wards, thanks to the good offices of Moira Rudolf. The Trustees have legacy funds which have to be spent this way. Moira later left St. Thomas' & threw a terrific farewell party.

The 'London - creative chaos' conference was held at the Museum of London & funded by the London Arts Board. Cathy Ross & Mireille Galinou, the Modern & Art Curators, invited Ken to speak on 'Technology as Catalyst', illustrating it with examples from his own music. This was also another good opportunity for the Arts world to complain about the Funding Situation, as well as presenting innovative initiatives. Ken was very rude about businesses who try to rip artists off, which was much appreciated. He reported back to Chris Smith, reminding him that the Dole was the best subsidy most practising artists have had, before the nonsense of the 'Job seeker's Allowance' broke the NI contract.

Apart from writing Avis' Italian Symphony, Ken realised that Michèle Needleman Molloy had been one of his best friends for twenty years come November, so despite her complaints about his dreary music, he wrote her a Fantasy on 'The Shropshire Lad', reckoning that too much English 'Cow & Gate' school music (Vaughan-Williams & Butterworth etc) had been written for Houseman & he deserved something with a bit more bite.