curator, Author at Museum of Photocopies

PINS – Rule Thirty-four: Danger Zone, Steady Up!

Oh heck, things are getting tricky, the Danger Zone can be an uncertain place full of experienced people who don’t give a damn and maybe you’re not the sort of character who should be there. But this is PINS and PINs is a life we’ve all been through. More Danger Zones are described here. For now, draw your qwayout of trouble, it’s the only way. Don’t be soft!

A photograph of a drawing from a surveryor’s notebook from the 1970s. These quick sketches of revelatory dreams, remembered during a spring in Accrington in 2022, and using fountain pen and biro, are to be used as charms for when you enter the Danger Zone.

A photograph of a drawing from a surveryor’s notebook from the 1970s. This quick sketch,using fountain pen and biro, of a German plastic soldier, made by Airfix from the First World War wielding a flame thrower, was remembered during a spring in Accrington in 2022. It is to be used a a warning for when you enter the Danger Zone.

PINS – Rule Thirty-three: More Unsteady Zones

Oh heck, things are getting unsteady, we need to keep hold of our pins and wait on our C.O. otherwise all hell’ll be brekkin loose like it does down Funnies on a Friday neet.

A heavily treated photograph of a strange glass recepticle, full of the Photocopier’s playthings, ones he buried in the garden between 1972 and 1977. If you don’t get out of your Unsteady Zone you’ll end up like this.

A heavily treated photograph from another angle, of a strange glass recepticle, full of the Photocopier’s playthings, ones he buried in the garden between 1972 and 1977. If you don’t get out of your Unsteady Zone you’ll end up like this.

PINS – Rule Thirty-two: The Unsteady Zone

Elite troops keep the morale of other units steady in the Unsteady Zone. That’s the place where contact with the opposing force occurs.
You can read all about that here, along with why you musn’t leer, or be a lummox at the Con Club whist drive.

A photograph of a photocopy of a letter with letterprint, biro, photocopies and marker pen. Posted letters like these marked out the Unsteady Zone in 1992, the possibilities of grown up communication seemed endless.

A photograph of a photocopy of a restaurant bill and a drawing reminding the curator of happy times in the South of England. Despite these happy memories, the South of England is a nonstop Unsteady Zone, due to the fact that you get strange foodstuffs down there at twice the price.

A photograph of an illustration of a dinosaur in an old, old book celebrating The World in the Past. The curator has no doubt this dinosaur, because of its small brain, is not in an Elite Unit and would make a muck up of any Unsteady Zone it lumbered into.

PINS – Rule Thirty-one: More food.

There are lots of places to go and things to do with a full stomach, so the most important thing is having no interference in the kitchen. That’s where the food is.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

For their own comfort and safety, children under 5 and babes-in-arms are not admitted.

These photocopies accompany a post that is not a rule as such, it’s more an adjunct to Rule Twenty-nine and a reminder. You need to put some meat on your bones. And you need to make sure everyone is out of the kitchen. Don’t be soft and don’t be numb.

A photograph of a photograph of an image in an old book celebrating photographs. Here are some women shifting coal in 1916. They need meat on their bones if they want to carry out PINS Rule 29, and they are put of the kitchen.

A photograph of an illustration of a dinosaur in an old, old book celebrating The World in the Past. The curator has no doubt the dinosaur would get meat on its bones and could carry out PINS Rule 29 with ease.

A photograph of a photograph of an image in an old book celebrating British Wildlife. These are dippers, which spend a lot of time at the water’s edge putting meat on their bones, (if they should ever need to carry out PINS Rule 29).

PINS – Rule Thirty: Marching on an empty stomach

The Museum doesn’t like to unduly quote Napoleon, for as we all know, Boney was a warrior, Boney was a thief. But he was right when he said, an army marches on its stomach. Here are some images to make you think about marching on your stomach. Click here to find out how you can march on a full one.

A photograph of a photocopy of a painted record cover made by the curator in Leiden in 2004. The figures are full of stomach, as they are dancing energetically. This is the state to be when you march on a full stomach.

A photograph of a photocopy of a painted record cover made by the curator in Leiden in 2004. The figures are full of stomach, as they are sat down, stuffed. Definitely the after effects of a buffet. This is the state to be when you march on a full stomach.

A photograph of a photocopy of a painted record cover made by the curator in Leiden in 2004. The figure has a menacing glow and has pushed his head through a door. This is the state to be when you march on a full stomach.

PINS – Rule Twenty-nine: Where are our Enemies?

In PINS, and in life, we have to know where our enemies are. Luckily we have some rules to show where they are. You can read about them here. For now here are some images to help you work out where your enemies are.

A photograph of a photocopy of a drawing from a book on Derek Jarman’s work, using felt tip pen, photocopied on another photocopy of a print. It shows some sinister men. This image can make you think about your hidden enemies, and prepare for them.

A photograph of a photocopy of a drawing from a book on photographs of Estonians in the east of the country, taken in 1940 and 1993, using felt tip pen, photocopied on another photocopy of a print. It shows some a nun and a rogue. This image can make you think about your hidden enemies, and prepare for them.

A photograph of a photocopy of a drawing from a book on Derek Jarman, showing a friend of his, using felt tip pen, photocopied on another photocopy of a print. It shows some sinister men. This image can make you think about your hidden enemies, and prepare for them.

PINS – Rule Twenty-eight: Advance Against Hidden Enemies

We have to advance, most probably against hidden enemies. This is because, just like any really good game, we can’t be bothered checking the rules we wrote earlier. So best just advance.

A photograph of a photocopy of some notes made about hidden enemies in the 1970s. You can’t see them because they are behind a screen. Remember, when hiding from your enemies, keep your notebooks pocket-sized and write in fountain pen.

A photograph of a photocopy of some notes made about shuffling cards for a game in the 1970s. You can’t see them because they are face down. Remember, when hiding from your enemies, keep your notebooks pocket-sized and write in green felt tip.

A photograph of a photocopy of some notes made about hidden lands where enemies live in the 1970s. You can’t see them because they are lands in another dimension. Remember, when hiding from your enemies, keep your notebooks pocket-sized and write in fountain pen and blue felt tip.

PINS – Rule Twenty-seven: Mascots for Morale

Just like in Real Life (what’s that?), morale plays an important part in the game of PINS. Mascots help morale. It could be Tokor the cat. Or Edwyn Collins.

Here are some photocopies of mascots that can help your morale.

A photograph of a photocopy of an etching that didn’t have enough ink, but looks nice as a photocopy, made by the curator in Leiden. It is of a totemic goat herder figure from the Romanian-Hungarian regions. You wear this mask at Easter, don’t forget. This can be your mascot.

A photograph of a photocopy of an etching made by the curator in Leiden of a totemic goat figure from the Romanian-Hungarian regions. This can be your mascot.

A photograph of a photocopy of an etching made by the curator in Leiden of a totemic goat herder figure from the Romanian-Hungarian regions. You wear this mask at Easter, don’t forget. This can be your mascot.

PINS – Rule Twenty-six: More Units

Morale is an important thing in PINS. An overview about morale and not being a big softie can be found here. Below are some viusal proimopts on how to improve your unit’s morale.

Photograph of an A3 photocopy of a dip pen and ink drawing showing an East African soldier from the First World War, an Askari, holding a modern tablet. This image can raise morale.

Photograph of an A3 photocopy of a dip pen and ink drawing showing three Whooper Swans. This image can raise morale.

Photograph of an A3 photocopy of a dip pen and ink drawing showing two Japanese geisha girls from the 1890s looking at a modern tablet. This image can raise morale.

PINS – Rule Twenty-five: Units

Units can be anything. They don’t even need to be real, it’s all explained here. But they have to take orders.