2 music, high strangeness, and abject silliness, and this year for the first time it takes place in The Small School in Hartland, deep in that pointy bit of the south west peninsular which sticks out into the Bristol Channel. There are all sorts of political reasons why the event has moved there. If you really want to find out more about the irritations and machinations behind this, then you can easily find them on line but this is neither the time nor the place to talk about it. The main reason that I wanted to move to The Small School is that it is an institution that I feel is very much deserving of our support. If Corinna and I had children of school age I think it is a foregone conclusion that we would have sent them there. It was founded in the early 1980s by the Indian philosopher Satish Qunar and it has a refreshingly independent view of education. Dear Friends, It is no secret that I find the modus operandi of the vast majority of state educational establishments, Welcome to another edition of the world’s favourite and quite a few of the private ones, to be absolutely collection of manic depressive ramblings from a abhorrent. Education, as Mr. Pemberton-Oakes of potato shed in North Devon. Linbury Court Preparatory School where J.C.T. Jennings and his compadres attended for an It is that time of the year again; the time of the year unfeasible length time in the second half of the 20th when I really wonder why I ever decided to be a Century was fond of saying comes from the Latin promoter. In a few weeks time it will be the Weird educari – to draw out. Not only do the vast Weekend; an event which I have now been majority of the schools which I have mentioned not promoting for the last 15 years with varying teach Latin, but they don’t even educate in the way degrees of success. It is a mixture of lectures, film, 3 that Jennings and his friends would have understood it. Instead they teach children to pass exams, to get high SAT scores, and to make their schools score Chris Squire, Alan White, Steve Howe, Jon highly on some neo-Fascist Ofsted Index, but they Davison, Jon Anderson, Yes, Ron Howard, Beatles, don’t actually teach the kids a damn thing. Belle and Sebastian, Bryan Ferry, Robin Trower, David Bowie, Garth Brooks, Daevid Allen, Michael The Small School does exactly the opposite. It des Barres, Steve Hackett, Strange Fruit, Sub instils a love of learning, and a search for Reality Sandwich, Erik Norlander, Lana Lane, knowledge for knowledge’s sake. It is vegetarian, Clepsydra, Hugh Hopper, Mick Abrahams, pupil-led, and community orientated. And – most Hawkwind, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, 6foot3, importantly as far as I am concerned – teaches Spirits Burning, Tommy Ramone, Johnny Winter, respect for the natural world. Erdelyi Tamas, Elaine Stritch, Otto Piene, Harry Williamson, Brand X, Badfinger, Justin Bieber, I have fallen in love with the ethos of the school and Spice Girls, 1D, Elton John, AC/DC, Weird intend to do what I can to help it progress into the Weekend, Unlocking the Truth, Eclipse Sol-Air, increasingly stormy waters of the 21st Century. Folge Dem Wind, Horizon Ablaze, Huis, Dark Moor We are living in strange, and unsettling times. And in a world where much of mainstream teaching is not only as flawed as I described above, but appears to have a socio-political agenda, which I - for one - think seems most disturbing, we need institutions IT’S A LEGAL MATTER BABY like The Small School more than ever. A lot of the time the pictures that we include There are several guests scheduled for the Weird in this publication are unique to Gonzo Weekend this year who are directly relevant to this Weekly, and used with the photographer’s magazine. We have music from the lovely Miss permission. However, this magazine is free, th and at least at the moment only available Crystal Grenade whose channelling of a 19 online, and so in our opinion we are covered Century freak show artist whose existential lyrics by a recent decision by the European and gorgeous tunes will doubtless add a touch of Courts of Justice. class for our Saturday evening. Also on the Saturday is the irrepressible Judge Smith Websites can link to freely available content introducing the second of this trilogy of books about without the permission of the copyright life after death. We also have an appearance by our very own CJ Stone talking about his relationship holder, the European Court of Justice says. with Arthur Uther Pendragon, the Once and Future The court's decision came after a dispute in Road Protestor. Sweden between journalists and a web company that had posted links on its site to The most recent addition to the line-up is also a online news articles. regular contributor to this magazine – Dean Phillips, current custodian of the ashes of Wally Hope, will A Swedish court had asked the EU court to be bringing Wally along, and giving a brief consider whether this broke copyright law. impromptu lecture about his life and legacy. Some of the pictures in this magazine are All of this, plus home-cooked food, a bar featuring hotlinked to other websites where they are local wines and beers, and the best esoteric Fortean freely available. It is our opinion that we are fun that you can have with your clothes on. You’d covered by this ruling. So there! be mad to miss it. But I’m mad anyway, so don’t necessarily take my word for it. Of course if someone objects to our using their material we will be good fellows and take it down, unless (and this is a big Onwards and Upwards. unless) we feel that it is not in the public interest to comply. But normally we shall not Jon stand on ceremony. If you want to read more about this decision go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology- 26187730 4 Richard Freeman, THE GONZO WEEKLY (Scary stuff) all the gonzo news that’s fit to print Dave McMann, Issue Eighty-Two June 14th (He ain't nothing but a) Newshound-dog Orrin Hare, (Sybarite and literary bon viveur) This is quite simply the best magazine you Mark Raines, will ever find that is edited by a mad bloke (Cartoonist) (and his small orange cat), and produced Davey Curtis, from a tumbledown potato shed on the (tales from the north) outskirts of a tiny village that nobody's Jon Pertwee heard of in North Devon. The fact that it is (Pop Culture memorabilia) published with Gonzo Multimedia - Dean Phillips probably the grooviest record company in (The House Wally) the known universe - is merely an added Rob Ayling bonus. (The Grande Fromage, of whom we are all in awe) NAMING THOSE RESPONSIBLE and Peter McAdam (McDada in residence) This issue was put together by me and Captain Frunobulax the Magnificent, (who is, in case This is the nearest that you are ever going to you didn't know, an insane orange kitten on the get to a posh weekend colour supplement from verge of adulthood) ably assisted by: the Gonzo Daily team. Each week we shall go through the best bits of the week before, and if Corinna Downes, there aren't any we shall make some up, or (Sub Editor, and my lovely wife) simply make our excuses and leave (you can Graham Inglis, tell the editor once did contract work at (Columnist, Staff writer, Hawkwind nut) the News of the World can't ya?) Bart Lancia, (My favourite roving reporter) This weekly magazine is free, and will remain Thom the World Poet, so. It is published by Gonzo Multimedia in (Bard in residence) conjunction with CFZ Publications, or is it the C.J.Stone, other way round? We’re actually not that sure. (Columnist, commentator and all round good Contact us with bribes and free stuff: egg) Kev Rowland, Jonathan Downes, (Kiwi Reviewer) Editor: Gonzo Daily (Music and More) Editor: Gonzo Weekly magazine Lesley Madigan, The Centre for Fortean Zoology, Photographer par excellence Myrtle Cottage, Douglas Harr, Woolfardisworthy, (Staff writer, columnist) Bideford, North Devon Jessica Taylor, EX39 5QR (PA and laughing at drunk pop stars) Telephone 01237 431413 Fax+44 (0)7006-074-925 5 It is simple; my name is Jon and I'm the editor of the Gonzo Multimedia daily online bloggything, and wot what a long, strange trip it is gonna be… I keep on thinking that I ought to have some sort of a mission statement in each issue, but it is more than a little difficult to do one. You will have certainly noticed that it has all Basically, (if you don't mind me sounding changed. In fact there is no certainly about it. more like a wishy washy old hippy than my But if you haven’t noticed I would like to know haircut in the photograph on the previous page what you have been smoking , and can I have a would imply) I think that books and music are large packet of it please. immensely important. Yes. It has indeed all changed. Basically I have I look around and see that we are living in a been wanting to upgrade the visuals of the world where the things that I think are magazine for some time, but now the important are valued less and less by society as technology to do what I have wanted to do for a whole; a world where asinine gameshows and yonks has finally become within our budget (i.e so-called reality TV (which is actually a free) and we are going to give it a go.