How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

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Judy
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by Judy »

I like the bench idea too and also Jarmila's idea of something carved in stone somewhere.
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lizzytysh
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by lizzytysh »

It would, indeed, be not good at all to do something intended to honour Leonard, but instead result in his never setting foot again in his childhood/adulthood park. Hopefully, he would feel differently about a bench on Hydra. He seems not to visit it so often any more... and it's not like being across from his house. That's a beautiful, representative photo of 'a bench with a view,' Wijbe.
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joyezekiel
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by joyezekiel »

So far I like the bench, and planting a tree.
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mutti
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by mutti »

What a beautiful photo Wybe…I am in whatever is decided.
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jarkko
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by jarkko »

This Hydra Project sounds realistic, feasible, and lasting. It would be something for members to look for while visiting Hydra. Also, it might be interesting for people who have not yet been introduced to Leonard's work.
Let's find out if we could make it happen. In this thread we have many other suggestions that can be kept in reserve if Hydra for some reason proves to be diccicult or impossible.

One of the main issues is, as always, how much our collection would bring in. Ten years ago we had 320 participants, five years ago some 200. Tha names of the donators would of course be printed in a certificate to be given to Leonard on his birthday.

If we go ahead with this Hydra idea, the first step is to make sure it would get permission from and be supported by the city council. I have now emailed our friend Lakis Christidis - he has great connections with everyone on the island. I asked for his opinion and suggestions. Let's wait for his answer (he is not online on a daily basis).

The climate on the island is quite corrosive for wooden structures: very strong direct sunshine, salty sea air, and high air humidity in winter time. This means that we should collect some extra money for the future maintenance.

These are details that have to be discussed later, after we have learned more about the location, permissions we'd need, the costs, and so on.

The suggested location is great - you may watch the sunset or moon from there, facing the see. For those who know Hydra: it's between Sunset and Kodylenia's, on the road to Kamini where Leonard used to swim!
I believe Eija has pictures of the area in her archive, and she promised to look for them.

There might be other perfect locations as well on the island, so if you have something in your mind, let us know! However, we want to honor the privacy of his family members, and won't make anything near their house.

Inspired by the idea, I took some Hydra-related items from my archive. This is what Leonard sent us for the booklet of our Hydra Event in 2002:

Image
Greece is a good place
to look at the moon, isn’t it
You can read by moonlight
You can read on the terrace
You can see a face
as you saw it when you were young
There was good light then
oil lamps and candles
and those little flames
that floated on a cork in olive oil
Lines from "Days of Kindness", Hydra 1985, from Stranger Music, 1993
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Cheshire gal
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by Cheshire gal »

I love the Hydra idea for Leonard's birthday. I hope this works out well Jarkko. I am definitely in on this. :D
'...and here's a man still working for your little smile' -Leonard Cohen
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its4inthemorning
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by its4inthemorning »

If we are going with the bench idea, I believe that an engraved stone bench would be far preferable to a wooden bench due to durability and resistance to vandalism. I see suppliers in the NE United States with granite products in the $500 range (not sure if this includes engraving), but obviously shipping would be costly. I would think there must be a factory or artisan in Greece where something very nice could be made and shipped to Hydra for less than $1,000. I assume this would be in our price range, wouldn't it? I think a polished granite surface is even resistant to must forms of grafitti, but this would need to be researched. If there is someone here in the architecture field (calling Albert N), that input would be helpful.
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Judy
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by Judy »

A stone bench!! A great idea! Maybe Sophia knows of someone in Athens who would be able to make one.
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jarkko
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by jarkko »

Yes, that's a great idea!! Stone will also make the bench almost maintenance free!

[Any metal structure is out of question - the summer temperature is often between 30 and 40 Centigrade, so any metal surface would be OK if you wanted to make an omelette, but sitting on it would be torture]
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surrender
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by surrender »

I like very much the idea of a stone bench on Hydra.
Any suggestions about the inscription to engrave?

Jarmila
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Maarten
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by Maarten »

A stone bench seems like the best idea so far to me! And putting it on the way to Kamini beach is perfect, I can't wait to go and relax on that bench. Perhaps we should start taking reservations who gets to sit on it during the next Hydra meetup? :-)

Maarten

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st theresa1
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by st theresa1 »

I hope I am at the next meetup and the idea of a stone bench really appeals to me. Something very solid and enduring like the music
our man has given us. I love the creative ideas put forward by the members of this forum and the fact that people care enough to think about it and do
something. I am also sure that Leonard will accept humbly whatever tribute we feel moved to give him on his 80th birthday. I am so glad I stumbled blindly into this forum some years ago. It is still one website I visit faithfully out of interest in the man and appreciation of the contributors to the forum. Namaste.
rike
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by rike »

The bench in Hydra is a lovely idea. I guess we now will concentrate on which of LC's words should go on it. Fortunately we still have a few months to savor and decide.
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harald
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by harald »

While out of pure egoistic reasons I would have loved Wendy´s idea of a tribute concert in the Royal Albert Hall or elsewhere (but I see the difficulties in realization),

I am fully in for the bench on Hydra project and would like to contribute to it.

It seems decent and humble to me – as appropriate for Mr. Cohen. And it´s lasting.

As for the inscription I would prefer few modest words,
just the essentials
… to Leonard Cohen
… for his 80th birthday on September 21, 2014
… from the members of the Leonard Cohen Forum
… perhaps or rather not with one short line out of his lyrics above or beneath
(probably the inscription would have to be done on a bronze plate or something)

Thanks to everyone who added his ideas to this thread, best, Harald
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Judy
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Re: How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

Post by Judy »

HI Harald :)

I wonder if it would be possible to have a very simple inscription engraved directly into the stone. Maybe there is a workshop in Athens (or elsewhere) capable of doing this.
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