An Interview With Local Writer Ian Newton (6/6) By Jane Foster

(1/6), (2/6), (3/6), (4/6), (5/6), (6/6).

That is the big, big flaw. The people promoting these ideas of correctness are morally bankrupt and therefore whatever they promote can only be flawed. It is do as I say, not as I do, and that is why I believe it will turn round in the long run and bite the PC brigade right on their arse. Are there any plans for Dustbingate to be made into a film? Dustbingate has been all over the place and at one point we had 60% of the money. There has also been a lot of interference from government.

Especially Tessa Jowell. A branch of her department, the Arts Council, called me to London and said they would offer me a Development Grant on the film.

I met an executive called Natalie Wreyford at the Film Council. She wanted to know the name of my producer. I told her, and by Monday the grant had all been a mistake. By Wednesday my producer asked to meet me in Hull. He suddenly said he was too busy and would have to drop the project, and he had spent lots of time and money on it. I later read an article in The Observer that said the producer had dropped the project and that Tessa Jowell's Arts Council had not stumped up the promised cash. And that said producer was oddly employed at the National Film and TV school as a consultant. This organisation is an arm of the Arts Council. Real funny that eh?

But no matter, we have another film company who have optioned it. We also have a cast list of very famous faces, and also the backers are sort of young Conservative entrepreneurs. Now that New Labour are falling to pieces, we are getting closer to the making of the movie. But New Labour should not be worried, it is a comedy about five factory workers trying to escape their lot. If we made a movie about politics it would fall at the first fence.

You also raised a few contentious issues in your book Pizza Wars, which was about the corruption within the takeaway industry. Has this ever got you into trouble? Yes, an article said that I should be stripped of my Yemeni dual citizenship and passport, but since I don't have either I am not really bothered. A couple of takeaway owners rang up and said they were concerned about some of its contents. But they got over it. You are now working as a social worker. Do you think this career will inspire you to write about it?

Funnily enough I have just finished my 25th page on my new book Stranger In The Underworld (Diaries of a Social Worker). I am a bit bogged down at the moment with Uni work and am also self employed, so the book is slow going, but I have some publishing interest. I will have to be careful about this one though.

What are your plans for the future with regard to writing? I enjoy writing and the satisfaction of getting things in print. It's never easy even after you've been published. There are so many cheating, thieving bullshitters in TV and media that it pisses you off. Believe me, I have met some icons. Like Ken Loach. He invited me to London after reading an article about Dustbingate in The Observer. I met him, and the upshot of our meeting was 'Ian, I will drop my middle project and do Dustbingate'. I never heard from him again. He was a big disappointment because he is a working class hero.

I am finding out many of these people are nothing more than public images without any real content. But we have to plod on, and the trick is not to let the bastards grind you down.

Read what some people have said about Dustbingate : 'I was on a train reading the Dustbingate script and found myself in hysterics with other passengers watching. It was so funny, and to think they did this to John Prescott.' - Ruth Kenley-Letts, Oscar winning producer of It's A Wonderful Life. 'I literally almost wet myself laughing whilst reading the Dustbingate film script. But unfortunately we couldn't touch this script.' - Matt Chaplin, Script Editor of Tiger Aspect Films.

Comments System Prototype Version 1.0 by Mo

Opinions - If The Council Won't Sort This Out, We Will By Pete Stitt
	I felt it was only fair to give the readers of thisisull an update of non-events since the issue of Arts Council grants, Council and other funding for multicultural events was raised by one anonymous writer and half of the Kurdish community in Hull. I think we have waited long enough for 'stage two' of this saga. I sent several emails to Ken Branson, who I know to be an honourable man, and he Read more...

Opinions - Blair Is No Churchillian Statesman By David Sloan
	Every day now we read more and more New Labour sleaze stories. Cash for knighthoods, offshore accounts for ministers, weapons of mass destruction which never existed to name but a few. I could go on with tough on crime, and the causes of crime. When magistrates have now been told not to even jail offenders. You can rob, rape or kill by dangerous driving and expect no Read more...

Opinions - Hull City Council 2006 - Changing Or Caging Us? By Margaret Ryan
	Hull City Council is changing. Having recently improved its rating infinity percent -from zero stars to one star - a new council seems to be evolving. Into what, you may ask? An aggressive political powerhouse to empower the people? Or an experiment of existential dustbin policy? Whatever this nameless Hullian perceives the council's policies to be, recent history says one thing is Read more...

Opinions - Wanadoo Offers Schadenfreude at 10p a minute By Margaret Ryan
	Do you find junk mail bellicose nonsense? Same here. Amusing? At times, yes. Annoying? Always, I agree. So are you yet to experience the silent delight of receiving Wanadoo's broadband advertisement through your letterbox? Do you want to know how junk mail could make you smile? Read on. An established internet company, Wanadoo proclaim Read more...

Opinions - Response To Criticism Of The Night Shift And The Hull Blokes By Ian Ahmed Newton
	Regarding Steven Greendale's criticism of the Hull Blokes which I understand included some comments about one of my books, The Night Shift. I would say to Mr Greendale, that if you live in Hull, we have enough people outside this city who like to take a knock at those who are trying to promote the city. I also believe that we have many in power within this city who have also done little Read more...

Opinions - Response To Arts Council Article - People Rewriting Our History In Their Own Image By Pete Stitt
	I would like to thank the Editor of Hami Kurd magazine for waking me from a sort of self-imposed coma this week. I had walked away from the local asylum situation, completely disillusioned, as loads of middle class white (and ethnic minority) English individuals and organisations came flooding into the 'industry' when it became clear there were funding opportunities. Read more...

Opinions - Praise For Ian Newton's The Night Shift By Andy Brown
	I am formerly from Hull and my daughter still lives there. I keep up with events going on with help of your website. It's great. I saw that stuff about The Night Shift book by Ian Newton. My daughter sent me a copy for Christmas and all I can say is that this book almost gave me a hernia with laughter. I have never read a book so funny and so spot on about working night shifts. Read more...

Opinions - In response to Joe Hakim's Opinion: The King is Dead ... Again. By Kay
	Well, this post reminded me of a railway station at midnight, where the only inhabitants are drunken tramps spitting out a string of semi-coherent invective. I really don't see how you can criticise anyone else Joe, when you come off sounding like an unbalanced style-less dumbfuck. I bet your keyboard took a hammering there as you released your ultimate weapon . . . Read more...

Opinions - Response To Steven Greendale's Article By Mark Pollard
	To Steven Greendale: You're a bright lad, aren't you? Firstly, you accuse Anthony Newlyne of taking a poke at Ian Newton's book The Night Shift, when Newlyne's enjoyment of and respect for Newton's work is made quite clear despite the article being somewhat ironic in parts. How could you not have understood this, Mr Greendale? Can't you read properly? Secondly, you have a Read more...

Opinions - The King Is Dead...Again By Joe Hakim
	Well, I've just read Steve Regan's latest column, and I'm glad to see that the old cigar-chomping fuckwit hasn't let me down. I can still remember seeing his mug leering out from the top of his shitty sub-Gary Bushell column in the Hull Daily Mail, and by the look of it he hasn't managed to land his dream job as a Sun hack, but then again, even people who write for the tabloids need Read more...

Opinions - Hull By Wesy G

	Over the years, my experience of Hull has been limited to 80 minute slots of rugby or trips through to the P & O dock. Until recently. Via my job I have been working in East Hull for several months and have been surprised, disappointed, fulfilled and benefited in equal measure. Yes, the stereotypes of Hullers being cynical, defensive etc often hold true but to be honest Read more...

Opinions - Response To Steven Greendale's Article By Andrew Hampel
	Hull has always been groundbreaking. From Amy Johnson and William Wilberforce to the invention of LCDs and the Venn diagram. Not to forget the first Ferro concrete bridge and public crematorium. I could go on. It is for these reasons I am always saddened that the image of Hull often promoted by those from outside and even worse, inside the city, is Read more...

Opinions - Three Piece Bands By Rob Aarosin

	I thought I would send some feedback about an old article which I stumbled on whilst looking round your site. It relates to Nick Quantrill's Pave - Linnet and Lark 05 February 2004 music/pavenicklinet.html review (yes I know its old but I really thought I should comment on what was said), especially the part where he claimed there were/are not really any Read more...

Opinions - Hull By Maolsheachlann O' Ceallaigh

	Hello Hullizens! I'm a 28-year-old chap from Dublin who has kind of adopted your native city. Never went abroad in my life before last year, then I went to London, Brighton, Doncaster, Sheffield and Hull. And Hull was my favourite! By far. And I prefer it to Dublin, too. Dublin is too big. I like the Yorkshire accent and the people are friendly, the streets are tidy and Read more...

Opinions - Steve Regan 'The King of Hull' Column By Mark Pollard

	I'm just wondering why Steve Regan is being given exposure by thisisull.com. It's something I've been pondering for a while, but his recent piece on the way our brave boys... in Iraq have been so badly treated by the white feather press (i.e. The Guardian), and which included disparaging references to hand-wringing liberals finally confirmed my concerns at Read more...