Vintage Cheesemakers Relics No.1

Been doing a lot of digging recently and keep coming up with loads of old Cheesemakers printed ephemera and have decided to scan anything of real interest and publish them here from time to time. Some real gems I'm sure you'll agree. You have to have been there of course to get the benefit. More soon.

a) Promo print issued in 2002 featuring Frankie Dodgers cracking caricature. Just love Jim on this, how shifty does he look?

b) first print test of 'things explode every day' live ep, recorded at Buddle Arts Centre. Whole show was recorded and was pretty good apart from Come Out at the beginning where the bass was out of tune.

c ) front and back pages of Promotional Booklet from 2002, pretty good gear really for our level.

These would always go at gigs, so we were doing something right

d ) and the 2 inner pages. These were printed on quite heavy stock card and were a BASTARD to get through a printer.

more soon...Andy

Vickys Eulogy

Quite a few people have asked me for a copy of what I said in the church and I have no qualms about publishing it here because I wanted no-one to leave that room with any doubt about how Vicky and I felt about eachother right up until we were parted and how we felt about the magnitude of the vows we made when we were married in that same room 17 years ago.

The photo here is roughly about when Vicky and I got together, around when we were 17-ish, to give you an idea of how long we've been inseperable.

This is what I said in the church:

"For a man of words like myself, as you can imagine, I have written and re-written this dozens of times and you’ll have to be patient with me no doubt over the next few minutes. There is so much to say about and to Vicky and it seems so little time to do it. Where do I start?

I have to say that over the last week and a bit, that I have had literally hundreds of people, from all around the world saying that they are sorry for my loss. And that is beautiful and correct at this time. But I would like to say to you, while you are all here in one place. That I am so sorry for YOUR loss. The amount of people here today is testament to how Vicky affected people’s lives.
Just have a look around for a moment to see all the people that Vicky touched.

Life is all about decisions and where those decisions take you. Like the decision Vicky and I made to come to this church and be married in July 1994.

People say this at virtually every funeral and memorial service, but it has never carried more resonance than it does today when I say that Vicky was the most selfless, loving, considerate, compassionate and absolutely fabulous person I have ever known. I’m bound to say this of course, but most of you in this room will feel that as well, which is the real proof.
Vicky was a genuinely good person who lived her life mainly to be of benefit to others both in her personal life and her professional life, saving the children of Gateshead along with her beloved team-mates, all of whom are with us today as they loved her so much.

Vicky filled all of our lives with so much joy and laughter and these are the things we must try and remember in due course. At this point I was going to say 'please don’t ever forget her', but I don't think there's much chance of that, is there?

A word for Val. They say no mother should outlive her children, and this is of course true. Just know, that I’m always here for you, as you have been for me, not just over the last couple of months but also over the years.

And I’m so proud of my girls, Charlotte and Gabrielle, for the way they have faced up to this most terrible of situations. Your Mam will be bursting with pride at this moment.
I promise to try and fill the hole that’s been left in your lives as best I can. No man can replace a Mother’s love, but I shall try.

So as I mentioned at the start, Vicky and I made the decision to come here to be married in July 1994 and we’ve had 17 wonderful years, I’ll treasure and remember every day we had.

On that day we took solemn vows: to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part. And today, Vicky, we have succesfully completed all of those vows.

And now I must say goodbye to Vicky. She truly was a wonderful wife, she was my one and only soul-mate, my best friend, love of my life and rose of my heart and I shall miss her every day of the rest of my life in ways you can’t possibly imagine.

The greatest comfort of all that I will take with me is that I was able to be with Vicky in her final moments. I was able to wrap my arms around her and hold her and I knew she knew it was me and that she could hear me. The last words she heard were, ‘I’m here for you, don’t be frightened, I’ve got you, I’ve got you’.

Goodbye Vicky, I will love you forever."

Vicky Update Thursday 22nd September

Hello everyone

Thanks for all the messages of support, truly astonishing. I shall never forget everyone who is helping me and my girls through this.

Here is the entry that was placed in the Shields Gazette tonight by myself, thought would be handy to those out of the area. It also has details of the service if you wish to come.

"FERGUSON (South Shields) Victoria Elizabeth (Vicky) tragically, suddenly but peacefully in her husband's arms aged only 42, on Friday September 16, at South Tyneside Hospital. Darling wife and soul-mate of Andy and precious Mam to Charlotte and Gabrielle. A truly wonderful person whose life has been cruelly cut short for reasons I will never understand. We miss you like words cannot describe and you leave an enormous hole in our lives. Thank you for everything you gave to us, the love, devotion and care you shared with us alone. At least you're back with your Dad again, one blessing in all of this. "I'll clear an avenue just for you, a path with silent sound." Chapel of Rest Co-op Funeralcare, Westoe Road from Thursday, close family only please. Funeral service Monday September 26, at St. Hilda's, South Shields, Market Place at 1.30pm followed by Crematorium for committal at 2.30pm then on to Hedworth Hall, Dean Road, South Shields around 3.15pm for celebration of Vicky's life, where all will be welcome. Family flowers only, donations to South Tyneside Hospital. I.T.U. Unit and Ward 8."

There is also a page which runs on the Gazettes website for the next 11 months where you can post messages, photos, memories etc. I should be very grateful if you wanted to share anything.

I want to collect as many photos of Vicky as I can to compile an album.

Gazette link - https://announce.jpress.co.uk/11603043

If this doesn't work, just go to shieldsgazette.com then onto announcements and search Vickys name and you'll find it.

Thanks again everyone
Andy x

Vicky Update Saturday 17th September

Hi everyone

I think many of you will have heard this news already but here is a short message from myself.

It is with the very greatest sadness and heaviest heart I have ever known that I have to tell you that last night on Friday 16th September at 8.15pm, my beloved wife, soul-mate, best friend, love of my life and rose of my heart, Vicky, passed away peacefully in my arms.

I was able to tell her, with her last breaths that I was there for her, as I had promised, for her not to be frightened, to visit me in my dreams and the last words she heard me say were, 'I've got you, I've got you...'

She is simply irreplaceable and was everything to me. I am bereft.

Thanks for the messages and visits so far

I shall post more early next week regarding 'arrangements'.

Andy

Vicky Update - Saturday 3rd September

Hi chaps. Well not a great deal has changed since last Saturday. The main improvement we've seen this week has been that Vicky has been in a medical chair for a few hours each day. This is to try and make her breathing stronger and more independent, which in time, will allow them to make more progress with the physio program.

Last couple of days she's been very tired and rarely awake, just sleeping, but very low on energy.

As I mentioned last week there are still many dangers with her condition and they are today investigating a new infection in her lungs. To you and I it's a chest infection, to Vicky it's potentially far worse. The people on the Ward have been good, I have to trust them. I have to trust them with my wife's life and future, and also that of my daughters, which is very hard to deal with. I'm used to being able to keep tabs on everything, but i feel kind of helpless really at the moment. Waiting. It's not something I do best. 'As I wait for your smile'.....

On to a visiting update. My view is that the style of visiting has to change a little. Because the emphasis from the hospital has been in recent days that a lot of the recovery is now actually up to Vicky, in terms of getting her limbs, body and brain moving, I'd like you to emphasize to Vicky the importance of motivation and telling her that she has to respond to what they ask her to do if she wants to get home. This is what I've been telling her for the last three weeks but I need you to join in also. Of course telling her of gossip and recent events and general chat is still good and looking back at personal experiences you've had together is all still relevant, I feel the time has come to try and impress to Vicky that she's gotta start battling her way out herself also. If she hears that from everyone as opposed to just me, hopefully that will make a difference, and YOU will have made a difference also.

In terms of numbers. On review, I think I need to keep numbers down a touch, as this period of time seems to suggest to me that vast numbers of people at a time wouldn't be beneficial to Vicky, and that's the whole point. I'm happy to see anyone at any time but it's what would benefit Vicky that's important and I just think she's needs a lot of rest at the moment so please continue to ask me about visiting.

Because none of us know when she's taking information in and when she's not, it means we all have to try when we're there, in the hope that at some point the messages get through.

At this point I'd like to make a special mention to Natalie and the rest of the girls at Gateshead Council on Vicky's team. They are a truly astounding bunch of people and the greatest set of friends a person could have. I know that Vicky already knows this but I shall be reminding her of this when she comes back to me and making sure she's aware of everything they have done for her and our precious girls. Simply amazing. Thank you everyone.

I also hereby appoint Viv as Motivational Team Leader :O)

Five weeks is a long time to not be able to communicate with or have a hug from your wife when you love her as much as I do. I hope I don't have to wait for too much longer. With all your help, hopefully we'll succeed.

Thanks, Andy x

Vicky

Vicky Update - Saturday 27th August 2011

Hi folks. This blog is normally used by me to upload info about my various musical endeavours but for now I have decided to add periodic updates on how Vicky is doing. If you are reading this it'll be from invite via my Facebook wall.

The reason for this is of course I don't mind hearing from folks who want updates about Vicky (and please don't stop) but i'm finding I'm spending a huge amount of time answering phone calls and text messages when I generally can't give YOU the info you really want to hear, especially by text, which is a bit of detail. So hopefully my updates on here will be of more use to you than me replying to you and saying, 'yeah she's comfy today...' etc.

*Please keep all of this info private on-line, in other words, don't quote me publicly about details of her condition on Facebook or Twitter on walls and things like that, as I don't want that. Of course pass on to others by phone or private email who are genuinely concerned and want to know how she's doing.

Please keep Facebook for general good wishes, song dedications etc, appreciate it thanks.

Ok, heres a brief overview of whats happened the last month to bring it up to date and then a few words on how she is right now and what's foreseen in the future.

On the evening of Sunday 31st July from a sprained ankle Vicky suffered blood clots on the lungs, experienced severe respiratory problems as a result and went through 3/4 cardiac arrests. The amazing staff at South Tyneside A&E managed to save her life somehow. At 10.30pm that night they came to tell Val & I the above and had no idea how she had survived, they said she really shouldn't have and that she may not survive the night.

At 11.30pm that night I also had to sit Charlotte and Gabrielle down and tell them all this.

She was then transferred to ITU and they began working on her. I'm not going to go through everything that happened in there, as there was so much, but she spent the first 11-12 days without waking due to sedative. When she woke they were able to work on various things such as kidney problems where she was hooked up to a dialysis machine for maybe 10 days or so until the point where most of the life support machines could be taken away as they stabilised her bit by bit.

The last of those machines was the ventilator 5 days ago and she has been breathing entirely on her own since then through the tracheotemy tube (in the neck) she had fitted 3 weeks ago. The ventilator still sits on standby in case she needs it again as she could at any time.

As such she was then able to leave ITU into a Ward yesterday.

At this point I have to highlight the STUNNING work put in by the staff in the ITU at South Tyneside Hospital. As a generally cynical bugger, I have been stopped in my tracks at the level of expertise and almost more importantly, personal care those people showed when looking after Vicky. Just thinking about the care they gave her while she was in there brings a tear to the eye. You see programs on TV about how good these type of people are but I've now had to experience it first hand and it's simply AMAZING. I will be making my feelings known in length to the people there in due course. These are the people who should be earning £60,000 a week, not self important egos like Joey Barton! Sorry, I digresse..

So she has moved to specialist stroke Ward 8 as it has become clear in the last 2 days that she also suffered a stroke on 31st July in addition to everything else and initial scans in the last few days (ECG and CT) have sadly revealed a level of brain damage consistent with a stroke and 4 cardiac arrests. The exact level and detail of the brain damage will only be revealed after an MRI scan which is due in the near future.

So at present she is settling into Ward 8 where they will be beginning work on her rehabilitation. At the moment, and since she woke up nearly 3 weeks ago the only movement she has been able to achieve has been in her left hand and arm, a little facial movement and very slight twitches elsewhere. She hasn't talked although she has a speaking device fitted to the trachy. What we don't know is if she can't or won't talk. What I know, and I know her better than anyone, is that she's really depressed about what's happening. I can see it in her eyes. I'm working on that every day to try and encourage her.

So we've been told that the road to recovery is definately going to be a long one. Of course no-one can state a length of time or even a level of recovery (i.e. how much she's actually going to recover) as it's way to early for that. The foreseeable future will find the staff at Ward 8 giving her as much physio as they can and for the likes of us we need to show encouragement and support as best we can.

Please note at this point that she is not out of the woods and on a plain sailing route to recovery. She's still receiving 'critical care' and there are still many dangers around her current condition.

Visiting - Important

For this reason the hospital still wish to keep a lid on the level of visitors Vicky receives as she gets extremely tired from just about anything, even having too many people in the room. She needs a huge amount of quiet rest inbetween physio periods.

So therefore, even though official visiting times are 2pm-4pm and 7pm-8pm as per normal Wards in STH, I must ask you to be patient about getting to see Vicky.

They are still wanting to restrict visitors to 2/3 at a time. Bearing in mind one of those will almost always be me and very often Charlotte, Gabrielle and Val we are very restricted in what we can do at the moment.

Of course I know that there are so many of you lovely people who want to see her and you will be able to, just please be patient while I can get it gradually sorted out. Everything is pointed to what's best for Vicky on any given day/hour/minute.

If I can manage to get 3/4 in at one time I will, believe me I'm going to be working on the staff to that end, because I believe Vicky needs to see people and you need to see her, but unfortunately it's got to be managed sensibly. Please ask me or Val if you want to visit and we'll work it out in time. You wouldn't believe how many people want to visit her and help in any way they can.

So that's where we're at just now. Hopefully this will answer a lot of your questions for now. I will attempt to update you with anything of significance as regularly as I can on this page.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank you for the amazing level of concern and love (and patience) you've all expressed over the last four weeks for Vicky. I'm sure that when she hopefully comes out the other side she'll be overwhelmed by it all. None of us know what the future holds but whatever it is, whoever you are reading this, relative, friend, workmate etc, I can GUARANTEE you that I will be beside her and with her through every single step, come what may, because she's the light of my life, the rose of my heart, my wife, my best friend, my soulmate and quite literally my other half. Vicky and I became literally one person when we were married.

That's all for now folks, so thanks again.

With regards, Andy x

NEW ALBUM UPDATE

RECORDING DATES SET

Can confirm that The Cheesemakers will commence recording their next album on Monday 1st August. The working title is 'Hard Freeze'. More details very soon and perhaps some tasters as well. Cheers, Andy

New Cheesemakers Date!

On Saturday 16th July, three bands with family connections will be coming together to raise some money for my daughter Charlotte's trip to Kenya in 2012. She will be going there for a month with Camps International to work on lots of projects that will help local communities, such as building schools, working on water purification sources and giving people an infra-structure so that they can help themselves. Anyway, you can read more at www.campsinternational.com .
The point here is that we need to raise over £3K for the trip!!! (Gulp) So what better way than to gather 3 bands from the extended family and have a gig. So Fight The Flood, The Cheesemakers and another very special guest band (TBA) will be hammering it out at The Office in South Shields. It's a ticket event to begin with and any remaining tickets will be available on the door on the night. So come on folks, support Charlotte and have a great night out to boot. I want to see 200 people in that venue on the night.
Please spread the word around Facebook, on Twitter, in the pub, on the phone, everywhere.
Tickets will be available in a few days from everywhere mentioned on the poster. Please note, this is a pub over 18 event, so little uns unfortunately won't be allowed but a few older teenagers will be Ok as long as they behave and dont drink. The adults? Well, anything goes :O)
Many many appreciations in advance.Andy

NEW DEMO

Hi folks

Here is a taster of the demo recordings we're making for the new album. This is live in the rehearsal room with no overdubs or anything else. We're making 'live' recordings of all the tracks before recording them proper. So of course this is pretty rough for now.

This one's called 'Tony' (story of why later) and concerns the rise of the scum on the streets in the UK, akin to the subject matter of Taxi Driver in 70's New York. Well it's now in the UK.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NIPI7FUH

Enjoy and let me know what you think

Cheers for now

Andy

Picture - Jim playing at the Live Up The Oriface gig recording supporting the Ralph Wiggum Experience, early Noughties (Hesh will probably confirm the date)

New Cheesemakers album in progress!

Hi folks, just wanted to say that a new Cheesemakers album, title TBC, was commenced Monday night in the form of demos of 3 new songs. We are going to follow this up very quickly with demos of further songs until we have a set of 10 and then record them.

Songs demo-ed were 'Tony', 'Pinball' and 'Lyin' To Me'.

We are recording on the cheap this time in our rehearsal room and with luck the whole process shouldn't cost a penny and our plan is to make it available for free download upon release. A bit like Radiohead's 'pay-what-you-like' revolution just with the added uncentive that people are not likely to pay anything for it anyway! GUFFAW.....

So regular updates here and we promise it won't take 7 years this time. A much rawer and direct sound.

Cheers Me Dears

Andy

THE CHEESEMAKERS - TELEGRAPH REVIEW

Been such a while since this gig and only just got the time/motivation. Got the time as it happens because we just went to a practice and there was a band already in! Double booked on a block booking - thats us all over. Ah well, shit happens.

So Sunday 5th December 2010, The Telegraph Newcastle. I shall start with the set list:

HATE THE MILKMAN

THE BIG HAIRY WHEEL

HIGHER THAN YOU

TONY

BOB BIZARRE

YESTERDAY'S PAPERS *

STREET TALK *

PANIC NOW

SOUL TRAIN *

LICK MY HOOP

MY SO-CALLED LIFE

PINBALL *

LYIN' TO ME *

SHEILA'S ON THE BUS

FLY BUSTER

ENCORE:

LEICESTER

HIGHER THAN YOU

*Denotes new song!

I think there were more songs in the encore but I can't remember so someone please remind me :O)

Well a combination of the bad weather (it was at its height) and a good night for bad excuses (see political reference) caused the turn out to be poor, but every person there mattered for one reason or another. We certainly made it up to two of our most ardent (if not THE most ardent) followers after that debacle in South Shields by being determined to put a full show on and a bloody good one. So we did it for Gary and Phil and I've now exorcised the demon of The Ship Inn.

Several people at the gig, who had seen us countless times before, said that was one of the best, if not THE best, gigs they'd seen us do, so we must be doing well as we are and as a three-piece.

I decided to drop the possibility of doing a solo set prior to the band as 30 minutes of rehearsing before hand had put my voice on the edge but several beers helped soothe that and only one bum note was recorded.

There are no photos and no video unfortunately as the equipment (a digital camera) wouldn't fit into the cars with all the other gear!

As the band was so good, and the new songs were well recieved, especially Pinball and Lyin' To Me (two upbeat happening catchy numbers) we have resolved to carry on into 2011, we'll just have to do it differently somehow. Doing gigs that you invite people to just doesn't work anymore, we're gonna have to try a different route. Gets harder the older you get though, venues that do original music are still painfully thin on the ground and they want young bands as well, but our music is young at heart.

The next few weeks might see some demos of the new songs and I'll post them on al the usual places if we get em done so you can offer opinion. Indeed, another new song was written this afternoon especially for the first practice of 2011 tonight to no avail...it's called Water Falls and is terribly good :O)

Anyway, please offer any comment to this and add anything you feel. Were you there? What was your favourite song, what was your favourite new song? Input!

So I wanna thank everyone for coming and for keeping the faith as you would say in the 80s and watch for more happenings in 2011. We're goona try and record a new album this year as well. Got the songs, just need the time

Until the next one, cheers me dears
Andy