KATHY LIFE AND JOHN SUNDERLAND EMERGE FROM THE MISTS OF TIME
Hi folks. Remember us? Kathy Life and her husband, John Sunderland?
You know, Kathy the owner of Life Cafe that used to be on E. 10th St. and Ave. B in NYC? And on Flushing Avenue in Bushwick? And John who from 2005 chalked his heart out on the walls of Life Cafe East Village and Bushwick? Who made over 200 humorous pastel riddle drawings of the Life Cafe menu items and made you guess what they were?
John chalking on the wall at Life Cafe 983
Well, we’re back with some exciting news. John has published his memoir, On My Way to Jorvik: How a boy with vision became the project designer of Britain’s ground-breaking museum, the Jorvik Viking Centre. 
We are most proud. And we’re currently in York, England, the home of the Jorvik Viking Museum launching his book during Jorvik’s 30th Anniversary celebrations. John’s been given a very big welcome. After all, Jorvik has been a fantastic catalyst for the regeneration of this unique historic city. We’ll tell you more about it in later posts.
But first, here’s what the book’s about:
‘Why can’t museums be more like films?’ thought eleven-year-old John Sunderland whilst truanting from double maths incognito in his school gabardine and cap in a Yorkshire city museum. That idea simmered for 23 years throughout his multi-media design career during which he created the legendary iconic cartoon character ‘Dusty Bin’ of 3*2*1, the Yorkshire Television quiz game show, and made films with Kenny Everett. Then, unexpectedly, his path led to the Vikings of York.
Early Dusty Bin sketch by John Sunderland
There, against all odds, he became Project Designer of the original Jorvik Viking Centre. His bold interpretation of York Archaeological Trust’s original concept based on their incredible finds from the Coppergate dig transported visitors 1,000 years back in time immersing them in a captured moment one afternoon in the busy streets of the great Viking city, Jorvik. This revolutionary approach to the interpretation of York’s Viking history in 1984 had an immediate and lasting impact on the way Britain’s cultural heritage would be presented from then on.
Journal sketch of old man in house interior
Wattle and daub house interior with family figures including old man from sketch
In his humorous heart-warming memoir, John takes us on the up and down journey of how, without any previous museum design experience, he and a uniquely talented hand-picked team came to design and build the first ever populist archaeological exhibition in Britain.
Early concept sketch of starting platform cellar
Colin Pyrah and family test drive a Time Car
John’s story is loaded with Yorkshire wit that reveals how he used intuitive creative thinking to put visitors inside the story instead of on the outside looking in. Finally, a museum more like a film, and a lot more fun.
The book is available at Amazon, Kindle and www.createspace.com/4610455.
We’d love it if you’d take a look, pick one up and give it a review on Amazon. We just know you’re gonna love it.
On My Way to Jorvik available on Kindle
well Hi there to you both and a very good morning.. Though not so here as the rain is coming down in force..
I hope you don’t mind me writing to you re-a favour really.. My husband is a hard man to please ,and its the strangest of things that do in the end win his approval.. and usually it is something simple or cheap or to the other extreme something unobtainable.. Which brings me here writing this.. My husband Dave ,was a huge fan of Dusty Bin and has often said how he would have loved one.. I must say I did agree myself as there was something very cosy and familiar about the dear old character that would be wheeled on and off our screens week in week out .Thing is this I would like to make one myself and present it to him as a surprise and I know it would knock him sideways ..I fear you may think me bonkers here ,but it would be so worth it as he has gone through the most horrendous experiences over this last year. he lost his sister 41years old ,his mother and 6 weeks later his 37 year old brother .,and during this time we also lost my dad at Christmas , So I want to give him this surprise that I know would be the best ever to cheer him up.. Obviously I don’t want to go to the extremes of making it mechanical ,wouldn’t know where to start .I just want one with roughly the same dimensions,,I would be most grateful if you could please give me some advice/ideas as to what or how I could use different materials to try and replicate your wonderful creation re arms legs nose etc etc.. I apologise in advance for this intrusion and hope you don’t mind me asking ..Thank you so mush for taking the time to read this..
P.S .Just found out that that it was yourself that created the Jorvic centre in York,may I say what a wonderful experience it was to have visited this myself on many occasions . Keep up the good work..
Sincerely
Rhonda Hickmott
Hi Rhonda,
So sorry to only just have seen your message. My husband John, the creator of the Dusty Bin character and designer of the original Jorvik Viking Centre in York, is not much use when it comes to practical advice on how to do or make things (I speak from personal experience, and besides he’s chuckling over my shoulder about it). So I think I should advise you against your wish to have him help you build a real Bin! However, he is a big softie and was touched by your story. I spoke with him and he’d be happy to do an original Dusty Bin cartoon for you for your husband, sign it and add a personal message for your husband from ‘the Bin’. By the way, Chapter 4 of On My Way to Jorvik tells the story of how Dusty Bin was created. Hope you can get a copy of the book to read. Dusty appears on page 59 of the paperback version.
Best Regards,
Kathy Life