David Peat RIP

[westender]

Saddened tonight to have just realised that the wonderful Scottish photographer and filmmaker David Peat died in April. I knew he was ill, but I didn't know he'd gone.

www.davidpeatphoto.com/#!david-peat

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-17741893



STV tonight showed his wee half hour documentary, "Please Leave the Light On": the men, (the wee dug ;D) and their last shift at Cape Wrath lighthouse, prior to its automation in 1998.

Wonderful, melancholy, wise, sad telly. I'm sure there must be a guid Scots word or a Gaelic word that describes these men's phlegmatic taciturnity, but if there is I don't know what it is. Wish I did.

Looks like there's soon to be a retrospective of his work at the Street Level gallery in the toon ... I wonder if one of the two events mentioned at the bottom of this link might be a suitable occasion for a wee swally...?

What do we think?

www.streetlevelphotoworks.org/programme/exhibitionsandprojects/davidpeat/davidpeat.html

[Deleted]

Oh my Sorry to hear this.

In 1979 as a young graduate my first and probably only 'real' job was in the Film Unit at BBC Scotland. I was the lowliest of filing clerks, responsible for giving out precious film to the cameramen going out on news and documentaries.

I spent an unfeasible amount of time down in the freezing cold filmstore which then was underneath the new part of the building, right by Queen Margaret Drive bridge. Total misery for me as you can imagine....

Anyways! It was de rigeur that the occasional hugely expensive reel of raw stock got shall we say.....loaned out to 'friends' of the house and my then boss, who shall remain nameless. The likes of David Peat and Bill Forsyth did not benefit at all from this philanthropy. ;D

I was tasked with not only handing it over in a furtive manner but also keeping so-called records (that nobody ever checked) that certain people 'owed' 100/200/400 feet of stock................and if you tell anyone that I may have to kill you ;D ;D

So yeah, Westie, I'd love to see the retrospective at Street Level. Count me in. A magnificent film-maker, secretly invested in by my (late) boss. A good call by all accounts.

Slainte, Mr Peat.

[westender]

May 16, 2012 23:31:47 GMT -1 @rolo said:

So yeah, Westie, I'd love to see the retrospective at Street Level. Count me in. A magnificent film-maker, secretly invested in by my (late) boss. A good call by all accounts.

Slainte, Mr Peat.

So then folks, are we going to stravaig furth of the west end at the end of this week, to the Street Level gallery in the toon (at Trongate) for a wee raising of glasses...?

There are two things to choose from - either the evening book launch, Fri 8th June, 6-8pm. David Peat: An Eye On The Street

or the afternoon talk: Sat 9th June, 3pm. David Bruce discusses the David Peat exhibition.

Either's fine with me.



And he's on the telly this week as well, on Tuesday 5th and Sunday 10th

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00p0wgd

[Deleted]

Ach. Sorry but I can't make the 8th or 9th.
Well up for going later in the month though---not sure how long the exhibit's running?