Age UK Barnet Secret Postcard Sale – How it went

The Secret Postcard Sale was in brilliant success. I want to thank everyone who contributed postcards; all the lovely volunteers who helped on the day, the North Finchley Town Team who put on such a great Christmas Festival, Craig from Martyn Gerrard who did some last minute photocopying for me, Salman from Stark and Partners who lent me the shop, Helen Michael of Café Buzz who hosted a Rhubarb Wine and Secret Postcard party and spotted the potential of Mr Simms as a venue,  and the wonderful customers who made the event such a success for Age UK Barnet.

We raised a fantastic £2,400 on the day, smashing the target of £2,000 and we still have some items to sell so the final amount will be more than that.

Here are some photos by the lovely Rob Bourne who was the Barnet Press photographer on the day.

I know because we both volunteer together on a project called the Grange Big Local. She is a clever, efficient and energetic with a very kind heart.

She came to a Rhubarb Wine and Secret Postcard making party in Café Buzz, where the owner, Helen Michael, served her home-made rhubarb wine and I forced friends and customers to make me postcards. Elizabeth dutifully turned up with her son and made cards.

She came along to the sale to support Age UK Barnet, but when she discovered that Jude Law had contributed a card she became a woman on a mission, because she is such a fan. I gave her the same clue I had put on my blog, that the card was, characteristically like the artist, effortlessly cool. She went round and round all the cards – I had nearly 400, muttering under her breath “effortlessly cool, effortlessly cool, Jude Law” whilst her husband stood, with his hands in his pockets and a patient, resigned expression on his face, clearly a man who knows not to interrupt when his wife has such a fierce intent, and her son stood balefully eyeing the card he’d made, hoping someone would buy it.  Eventually Elizabeth made her choice, just the one card and she had picked correctly. I cannot tell you how utterly joyful she was when she found out she had nailed it so accurately.

Keith is a stalwart volunteer for Age UK Barnet and a local campaigner who risked losing his home in legal costs when he joined his name to that of the squatters of Occupy in the court case over Friern Barnet Library, because he wanted to show that the community stood foursquare behind the library (he didn’t because Barnet Council chose not pursue costs against him) had contributed a number of cards to the sale. He is another person who came to support Age UK Barnet, but was clever enough to spot the Martin Rowson cartoon.

Here is Keith

And here is Martin Rowson’s card

Mr Rowson agrees it could not have gone to a better home.

Alex is a local artist who paints miniatures on discarded sugar packets and tea bag labels in cafes. He is a sweet, gentle soul who kindly donated 2 cards to the sale. One of his cards was bought by Tanya, the owner of the highly regarded Hoxton gallery Bookartbookshop.

http://www.bookartbookshop.com

Alex was in the shop when Tanya made her purchase, so I introduced them. Having looked through his work, Tanya decided that we had made a real discovery and wants to show his work.  Result! Alex called his mother and invited her to come down so they could celebrate together. Whilst he was waiting he perused all the other cards. Here he is

He managed to spot the Terry Gilliam card and here he is buying it

http://www.johndilnot.com/

If you want to buy or see Alex’s art he tweets as @AyJay Trashy.

Thank you all.  You have been amazing and helped to raise a fantastic amount of money for a very worthy cause.

Sugar and Spice – illustrators with sweetness and cartoonists with bite

Age UK Barnet’s Secret Postcard Sale will take place in Mr Simms, 781 High Rd, North Finchley, N12 8JY on 23 November, the same day as the Christmas Festival.

The nearest tube is Woodside or you can take 125, 221, 263, 626, 134, 82, 460 or 683 buses.

And so, in honour of the sweetshop Mr Simms used to be, I thought I would let you know about some of the lovely illustrators who have promised cards and tell you about some of the more biting cartoonists who have also promised cards.

David McKee – author and illustrator of books which many older people have read to their children and grandchildren – Mr Benn; Elmer the Patchwork Elephant; King Rollo; Not now, Bernard; and many more. He was the UK nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen prize for children’s book illustration in 2006

http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/authors/david-McKee

Rebecca Cobb’s book Lunchtime was the winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2013 and has been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway medal. As well as her own books she has illustrated the Paper Dolls for Julia Donaldson and a number of Helen Dunmore books.

http://www.rebeccacobb.co.uk/index.html

Nick Wadley was Head of Art History at Chelsea School of Art and Design until 1985. He was a weekly cartoonist for the Daily Telegraph and Financial Times 1997-2001 and, as well as writing and illustrating his own and other books, he is a Regent of the College de Pataphysique.

http://nickwadley.net/

Simone Lia has written and illustrated children’s books, graphic novels and is a cartoonist for the Independent, the Guardian and the DFC. Her work has been exhibited at the Tate Britain

http://www.simonelia.com/

Hari and Jake are political cartoonists at the Guardian who make difficult financial issues simple. You can find their work here, on the Ripped Off Britons blog

http://www.blog.rippedoffbritons.com/

Scott Getchell is a cartoonist for the Boston Phoenix in the USA, as well as a gifted musician.

Ben Jennings is an illustrator and cartoonist and winner of Political Cartoon of the Year 2011 by the Political Cartoon Society. His work appears in the Guardian, the Independent, New Statesman and a host of other publications.

http://www.satiricalsketches.com/

Last, but by no means least,

Martin Rowson is known best for his visceral, satirical political cartoons. As he himself said  “I long ago worked out, from bitter experience amid the hate mail and death threats I’ve received from around the world, that while I see my work as a cartoonist as firmly in the tradition of William Hogarth and Gillray, everyone else sees it as breathtakingly vicious.” His work appears most often in the Guardian and the Independent, but has also featured in a host of other newspapers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Rowson

And if that is not enough to whet your appetite, can I tell you about how Age UK Barnet provides lunch clubs, including one for Muslim women, and a new supper club at Café Buzz; support for older people who are underweight through the Eat Well project; and cooking classes for older men, many of whom have been widowed or become carers? All proceeds from the sale will support the work of Age UK Barnet.

www.ageukbarnet.org.uk

Thank you all for your fantastic generosity. It is hugely appreciated. A veritable banquet and something for every taste.