EDITORIAL Rachel Horne This edition celebrates that hard-working Doncastrian man known locally as the “boyo”. For those unfamiliar with the term, here’s a short introduction.
Draper (Type A Boyo) takes a look at the original Robin Hood and finds that he’s much more Yorkshire boyo than our modern tales suggest.
Initially of Welsh/Irish Celtic origin the word has passed through both time and borders to find itself firmly established in the local lexicon. Our investigations into the habits of the boyo are ongoing, but initial observations suggest that there are 5 distinct types:
Type D - The boyos working in lifethreatening conditions, such as builders, soldiers and all those ex-miners with nothing to show for their years underground but memories, scars and coalblack lungs. During the warmer months Paul Prendi spends his days dangling from the electric pylons - essential to our power-guzzling lifestyles. His article, ‘From the Skies to the Scrap Dealer: Everyone’s Gotta Earn Sometime’, describes how he survives his winter months when he’s laid off work.
Type A – “The Grafter”, trying to earn a crust despite the cards life has dealt him. In many cases Type A’s can be found working 9-5 in an unloved day job, pursuing their real passions in the twilight hours. You may have witnessed this type of boyo climb the ladder to success, the best of them can then be found helping other youngsters find their own way to fulfil their dreams. Several Type A boyos feature in this month’s magazine, such as Foley, a wellknown boyo who can fix most things and is always keen to help out, who features in Fran Bibby’s interview on page 18. Type B - Those lifting heavy things at the warehouses. According to SkillsforLogostics.org the distribution and logistics industry is worth £93 Billion in the UK alone with 1 in 12 people working for the industry. That’s 2.3million people. One is Kaspar Vilkaste, a Latvian-born street dancer whose recent performance on Baxter Gate outside Santander went viral across Facebook and Youtube. See our interview on page 24 for details. Type C - The historical boyo. Ever heard of Albert ‘Ginger’ Goodwin? He was a Denaby miner, agitator and conscientious objector who moved to Canada where he worked tirelessly to improve the working conditions down the pit until he was cut down by a policeman’s bullet in 1918. The Canadian people love him so much they named a mountain after him (Mount Ginger Goodwin in the heart of Vancouver Island), but this arch boyo is all but forgotten in his native Yorkshire. For this issue Warren
4
ABOUT This magazine aims to provide an independent voice for Doncaster. We will big up anything which has the potential to add to Doncaster’s metropolitan appeal and strengthen the local economy - or as we call it, the Donconomy. We’ll celebrate Doncaster’s culture, arts, style, music, people, fashion, lifestyle, architecture and even, its coal-black underbelly. To remain as independent as possible this magazine is completely self-funded, relying on advertising and generous donations to stay afloat. If you would like to advertise with us, or if you’d like to support our endeavours through subscriptions or donations please call us on:
Type E - The boyo who has wandered off track. You might see him clenching a cider bottle asking to borrow 20p, but few people get to know his real talents, or tease out the stories which hide behind his sad eyes. Rob Sample’s dark and edgy paintings accompany this month’s magazine. His unapologetic style, exploring the sinister side of human nature, can be found in galleries across the UK and Europe and although his imagery can sometimes seem bleak it is unquestionably human.
+44 (0) 7846 439982
In addition to Rob’s pieces, street artist extraordinaire, Kosy, has created a special series of ‘boyos’ to help illustrate the pages of this month’s edition. He’s just finished a stint at a warehouse, which certainly qualifies him as one of the finest boyos for the job.
Write to us:
Elsewhere, Rachel Carruthers discusses super talented designer, Jade Clark’s ‘Badman’ menswear collection, which combines trends in gang culture with the sportswear so lovingly adorned by many a Northern boyo. So, for all the underrated, hard-working, fun-loving, non-creepy boyos out there, this issue is dedicated to you.
Social Media:
If you’re a local artist, musician, writer, photographer, fashionista, socialite or social commentator, and have something to contribute to this magazine, please get in touch. Online: doncopolitan.wordpress.com doncopolitan@gmail.com
Doncopolitan Magazine Church View Centre Church View Doncaster DN1 1AF
Twitter: @doncopolitanMag #DoncopolitanMag Instagram: @Doncopolitan #Doncogram Facebook: facebook.com/doncopolitan YouTube: youtube.com/user/Doncopolitan