Not very Observant

In the Observer today, there is a supplement on crime novels from their list of 1000 books "everyone must read". (Should perhaps - not must. I mean, really...)

The first page has the URL for the list - www.guardian.co.uk/1000books - so I went ot have a look.

"Sorry, we haven't been able to serve the page you asked for."

That is because the URL should have been www.guardian.co.uk/1000novels.

Clever subeditors!

Not very Observant

In the Observer today, there is a supplement on crime novels from their list of 1000 books "everyone must read". (Should perhaps - not must. I mean, really...)

The first page has the URL for the list - www.guardian.co.uk/1000books - so I went ot have a look.

"Sorry, we haven't been able to serve the page you asked for."

That is because the URL should have been www.guardian.co.uk/1000novels.

Clever subeditors!

"Queen and Country"

I have just been to see Steve McQueen’s artpiece Queen and Country, which is at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art until mid-February.

This is a powerful work: McQueen has set out to produce a stamp commemorating every member of the British armed forces who has died in Iraq since the invasion in 2003. He has contacted the families that he could trace to see if they wished to be involved, and those that did provided a photograph, which McQueen has turned into a facsimile sheet of stamps.

There are blank spaces, presumably for those whose families chose not to be involved.

Each sheet has 168 stamps, all showing the face of one. Many of the photographs show the person in their uniform – either combat gear or ceremonial uniform – and it is clear that their membership of the forces is how their families want to remember them – part of their identity. Most of the faces are smiling; some were at weddings or other formal occasions.

It is very moving and poignant. The stamps are arranged in date order: many of the dead died on the same day, and I could remember some of these events. It seemed a work full of humanity and respect for those that had died. I could only get half way around the one hundred and thirty six sheets of stamps – I wanted to look at each one, rather than pick and chose; I will go back to look at the other half in a week or so.

This webpage has each photograph of British service personnel included in the project. It is hard to look at.

McQueen sees this as a work-in-progress, for two reasons. Firstly, members of the armed forces are still dying in Iraq, and McQueen aims to continue producing stamps for those that do. Secondly, McQueen believes that the work is unfinished until real stamps are produced by the Royal Mail, who have decided not to support the project.

There is an online petition if you want to support the project. As the Scotsman says, “they put robins on stamps – why not our sons who have died in Iraq?”. (They could add daughters too.)

"Queen and Country"

I have just been to see Steve McQueen’s artpiece Queen and Country, which is at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art until mid-February.

This is a powerful work: McQueen has set out to produce a stamp commemorating every member of the British armed forces who has died in Iraq since the invasion in 2003. He has contacted the families that he could trace to see if they wished to be involved, and those that did provided a photograph, which McQueen has turned into a facsimile sheet of stamps.

There are blank spaces, presumably for those whose families chose not to be involved.

Each sheet has 168 stamps, all showing the face of one. Many of the photographs show the person in their uniform – either combat gear or ceremonial uniform – and it is clear that their membership of the forces is how their families want to remember them – part of their identity. Most of the faces are smiling; some were at weddings or other formal occasions.

It is very moving and poignant. The stamps are arranged in date order: many of the dead died on the same day, and I could remember some of these events. It seemed a work full of humanity and respect for those that had died. I could only get half way around the one hundred and thirty six sheets of stamps – I wanted to look at each one, rather than pick and chose; I will go back to look at the other half in a week or so.

This webpage has each photograph of British service personnel included in the project. It is hard to look at.

McQueen sees this as a work-in-progress, for two reasons. Firstly, members of the armed forces are still dying in Iraq, and McQueen aims to continue producing stamps for those that do. Secondly, McQueen believes that the work is unfinished until real stamps are produced by the Royal Mail, who have decided not to support the project.

There is an online petition if you want to support the project. As the Scotsman says, “they put robins on stamps – why not our sons who have died in Iraq?”. (They could add daughters too.)