bloodoutofastone

Scottish Tour July 2007

2007-07-20T20:34:00.000Z

New Lanark

There must be something about Scotland that makes me want to blog as I haven't blogged since my last trip to Scotland in February!!!

Saturday, 14th July 2007 saw the realisation of a long held ambition. Yesterday we travelled north of the border, and today we find ourselves visiting the site of Robert Owen’s mills at New Lanark where he created a community for his workers with conditions and a lifestyle that was to inspire Bourneville, Saltaire and the Co-Operative movement. We took delight in visiting the classroom where Owen commenced the first ever infant school, the village store and the housing, which allowed us a glimpse of life in both the 1930’s and the early nineteenth century. There was an opportunity to actually see the threads being spun on 19th Century working textile machinery, and to see a large water mill of the type that powered the mills. We had a delightful walk along the riverside upstream to the Falls of Clyde. Robert Owen has been a hero of mine and I loved this opportunity to see first hand where he commenced a revolution!

Last night we stayed not far from New Lanark at Abington, but tonight we shall be staying at the Caledonian in Beauly just outside Inverness.

Exploring Scotland’s North East Coast

A sunny Sunday morning found us taking the road out to the Black Isle following the coastline out to Cromarty the picturesque village at the eastern end its name immortalised by the shipping forecast. In the sunshine the roads winding beside the water were calm and peaceful. Leaving the Black Isle we headed to Dornoch and spent a pleasant hour sitting outside a street café in the sunshine, eating our Caesar salad and ice-cream, and having a read of the Sunday papers. On the road again to Dunrobin Castle, which was magnificent inside and had outstanding formal gardens with views to the sea. We continued north to Helmsdale before leaving the coast and taking the interior single track road through the mountains and across the heaths and marshes. Wild and remote, this road brought us spectacular scenery and vast horizons for over forty miles before we arrived in Thurso on the north coast.

Wet and Wild

That’s how we would describe the weather today (Monday, 16th July) as we explored the north eastern corner of Scotland. From Dunnet Head, the most northerly tip of mainland Britain, around to Wick via John O’Groats. The most outstanding visit of the day was to the Castle of Mey, the only property actually owned by the Queen Mother. We found ourselves enchanted by the Queen Mother as we caught a glimpse into her private life even down to her tastes in music and comedy, viewing some of her c.d., record and video collection. What a warm inviting and friendly home, an experience enhanced by guides who were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and very friendly. We lunched in the brand new visitor centre, which is to be officially opened by Prince Charles in August. We were lucky to be able to visit the castle as Charles and Camilla were due to arrive on the 19th July. Finally mention must be made of the walled gardens built in this most bleak position but which with careful management produce an abundance of flowers and vegetables. My camera was clicking away at the blooms!

In the midst of the wild wetness near Wick we did visit the Lyth Arts Centre. This beautifully equipped exhibition centre and theatre seems almost surreal in this bleak position. It was hosting an excellent art and photographic exhibition but this appears to change at night into a vibrant jazz and music venue.

Back to the hotel for a beautiful monkfish dinner, which seemed to even surpass the Orkney salmon of last night!

Scotch Mist, Showers and Sunshine

Tuesday 17th July started in a fog shrouded Thurso. Today has been a travelling day, and slipping south down the A9 we left behind the fog moving into the cloudy sunshine of the east coast, and soon found ourselves once again sipping cappuccino’s and eating amaretto ice-cream outside the café in Dornoch. Once past Inverness we headed towards Fort William along the banks of a monsterless Loch Ness, taking in beautiful scenery both in sunshine and in showers. Through Fort William we climbed into Glen Coe for a touch of the sublime, where once again within in the space of a few minutes we experienced bright sunshine, and lashing rain followed by bright sunshine again, all of which seemed to enhance the vast moodiness of the location. Across bleak Rannoch Moor we eventually made our way along the sides of sparkling Loch Lomond, arriving in a sunny Glasgow where we shall spend two nights!

Mackintosh Magic!

This morning Wednesday 18th July we found ourselves visiting The Glasgow School of Art, which was designed and built by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The building was filled with many of his designs and motives, many pieces of his furniture and original architectural innovations. Our tour guide was a vivacious, enthusiastic young lady, and really brought the Art School to life. It was worth climbing the hill to visit. From here we walked down to Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street to visit the Willow Tea Rooms, which is over Henderson’s Jewellers. We were fortunate that the gallery café was full and so were invited to go upstairs to the Room de Luxe with a beautiful bow window, dazzling leaded mirror friezes, ornate doors and Mackintosh furniture for our lentil soup and china rose petal tea!

Refreshed we enjoyed the sunshine in George Square before boarding an open topped tour bus to ride the streets of Glasgow.

More magic was in store in the evening, as we joined the crowds going to see the latest Harry Potter film. Very good!

Borders

After our breakfast and paying our dues we packed the car and bid farewell to Glasgow. Heading south we travelled through the Borders following the River Tweed, this included a brief stop in Melrose (a town that briefly figured in Mum’s life) for a cup of coffee from our flask. The road eventually led us to Holy Island a much-loved spot and a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the last two days in Glasgow. We drove across the causeway during the afternoon, the tide out and the sand and mud banks exposed. But soon after five o’clock the incoming tide cut us off, and there was no escape from the beauty and the quietness. We walked part of the shoreline, visiting the Priory and the harbour, and enjoyed a superb meal in our hotel. Tonight we sleep in a four-poster bed, with a view encompassing the harbour and the two castles, Lindisfarne and Bamburgh. Tomorrow…………..we go home!

Harbour and Home

After a disgustingly large breakfast we sought to redeem the situation by walking out past the harbour to Lindisfarne Castle. We chose the right time as we encountered nothing more than a little light drizzle and enjoyed the air, the sea, and the spectacular scenery. Returning we purchased fresh crab and prawns for our journey home, and after a delightful cappucino it was time to bid farewell to this beautiful island retreat and return home.

Just a few interesting statistics! We travelled 1,389 miles, at an average speed of 41 mph, with an average fuel consumption of 51.5 mpg. Our total driving time was 34 hours and 31 minutes. We stayed in five separate hotels and ate too many calories!!!!!

Awesome Awe!

2007-02-12T13:30:00.000Z

Just back from spending a few days (5th - 9th February) in Scotland at the Loch Awe Hotel perched on the banks of Loch Awe and surrounded by stunning scenery. (panoramic view here). Whilst most of Britain seems to have been covered in snow, rain and fog, we enjoyed cold, bright, sunny days at our Highland destination and whilst riding the Oban to Mull ferry and back, cruising on Loch Lomond, and travelling along the windy lochside roads. A dusting of snow added to our crossing the bleak Rannock Moor and passing through Glen Coe, accompanied by the haunting ballad of the infamous Glen Coe massacre.

O cruel is the snow that sweeps Glencoe
And covers the grave of Donald
And cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe
And murdered the house o' Macdonald.
They came in a blizzard, we offered them heat,
A roof o'er their heads, dry shoes for their feet.
We wined them, dined them, they ate of our meat,
And slept in the house o' Macdonald.
Chorus :
And cruel is the snow that swept Glencoe
And covers the grave of Donald
And cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe
And murdered the house o' Macdonald.
They came from Fort William with murder in mind,
The Campbells had orders, King William had signed.
Put all to the sword, these words underlined,
And leave non alive called Macdonald.
They came in the night when our men were asleep,
This band of Argylls, through snow soft and deep
Like murdering foxes amongst helpless sheep
They murdered the house o' Macdonald.
Some died in their beds at the hands o the foe,
Some fled in the night and were lost in the snow
Some lived to accuse him who struck the first blow
But gone was the house of Macdonald.

The sunshine returned for our visit to Fort William, but snowflakes swirled around us as we ascended on the Ben Nevis cable cars and enjoyed a hot choclate with the snow boarders.

Our days also included visits to Loch Long 'Rest and Be Thankful' and the black and white town of Invarary.

Fossiling in Lyme Regis

2007-01-20T16:06:00.000Z

With Thursday's winds howling outside I think it's just as well that we went to Lyme Regis last week (10th - 13th January) and not in the recorded 70+ mile an hour gales! Even so, last week there were huge rollers crashing up onto the beach as we embarked on the new experience of fossil hunting.

Lyme Regis is at the heart of the Jurassic coast, and to compliment the OU fossils course, we booked a three night trip staying in the Royal Lion Hotel, (excellent value, lovely room, and superb food) to try my hand at discovering the long past.

We spent two days on the beaches including a great afternoon in the company of Ian a local geologist and fossil hunter, who showed us where to look and how to find the fossils and release them from the rocks. Our collection is mostly of ammonites from approximately 190 million years ago, but some we have are much younger being only 100 million years old!
The picture shows some of our discoveries.

We found large ammonites in the rocks.

Lyme Regis is a quaint seaside town, a ready-made setting for period dramas and is well known for being the backdrop of the film The French Lieutenants Woman, and is the setting for a new adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion.

On our journey down, we made a quick visit to Stonhenge and a nostalgic return visit to our honeymoon hideout of Shaftesbury! Was it really that long ago?!!!! A really great few days delving in the past!!!!

WOW!! Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!

2006-12-24T15:14:00.001Z

Results received 15th December and I'm pinching myself to believe I have qualified for a BA (open) degree!! When I did my first OU course I never envisaged arriving at this day!! I can't wipe the smile off my face, I keep finding myself grinning in public!
:-)

Paris in Winter

2006-12-24T14:41:00.000Z

It's a few weeks now since we enjoyed a four night trip to Paris, (23rd - 27th November), thanks to the wonders of cheap flights and Coventry airport. With the City getting into the pre-Christmas season, Paris was as ever an exciting, lively, and great place to be in. On this occasion we visited the refurbished Orangerie with its stunning Monet water lilies and an absolute jewel of an art collection; the Picasso Museum, which brought to life so many of the works of art studied earlier in the year, it was very satisfying, and the Rauschenberg and Klein exhibitions at the Pompidou Centre, again bringing to life 'Art of the 20th Century'. The shop windows in the Madeleine were stunning with their displays of cakes, chocolates and glacé fruits. The church was enormous!!!

The Eiffel Tower shimmered on the hour with hundreds of white twinkly lights, complimenting the Christmas lights of Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.

We enjoyed views of the City by day whilst re-visiting Montmartre, and of the City by night, visiting for the first time the Montparnasse tower.

Mmmmmm perhaps just one more créme brulée :-)

My place in the Universe!

2006-11-22T16:26:00.000Z

Have been sent this link, and just had to save it for posterity! So now we all know where we stand!
http://dingo.care2.com/cards/flash/5409/galaxy.swf

2006-09-05T20:03:00.000Z

Sunday, 3rd September, 2006

Our cases packed and stowed in the left luggage room, we once again enjoyed omelets and hash browns at 'Andrews'. It's a bright sunny day with blue skies, perfect for a view from the top of the Empire State Building. The views were astonishing, we took far too many pics, and we reminisced of experiences of other high places, the Eiffel Tower, Paris and the campanile at the Duomo in Florence, and rated this third!!!!!! But that said the views were spectacular. Before being whisked to the 86th floor for the observatory, we were given a simulated sky train ride over and around New York as though we were flying in a helicopter.

Back on ground level we caught the Big Taxi open-topped tour bus and relaxed in the sunshine as we were taken through the streets and avenues to soak up the Big Apple. The three hour tour took us around mid, uptown and downtown New York, and past many well known landmarks, including a stop to view: the Rockerfeller Center, Central Park, flat iron building, Carnegie Hall, Chrysler Building, Greenwich Village, Broadway, Little Italy, Times Square, Soho, Chinatown, Ground Zero, NY public libraries, the Statue of Liberty.......and more!!!!!! It seemed as if we were sighseeing up to the last minute. We were off the tourbus at 4.30 p.m. and on the 5.01p.m. New Jersey Transit from Penn Station to the airport, in that half-hour we even managed to squeeze in a supermarket trip to get some tea for Ben! So here we are in Gallaghers looking out over the airport waiting for our meal and our plane!!!

I'm at home now and typing up this diary, and drinking a cuppa! Our flight home was uneventful, after lots of security checks again, fingerprints and photos too! We arrived into Birmingham, at 8.30 a.m. local time and we were back home by 10.00 a.m. WOW!!!! What a trip!!! Fantastic!!!!! :-)))

2006-09-05T16:06:00.000Z

Saturday, 2nd September, 2006.

After an omelet breakfast at 'Andrew's', we caught a yellow taxi, (it was raining or we would have walked!) which took us to the Metropolitan. This impressive building houses a museum and art collection. We had a wonderful time here, so much art, even David's Death of Socrates, which brought back memories of A103. There was also another collection of modern art.

When we emerged from the Museum a few hours later, it was still spitting with rain, but we decided to walk through Central Park and stopped at The Boathouse. This café restaurant had beautiful views over the lake, and there was a pianist playing as we devoured our burger and fries! It was still raining, so we donned our plastic rain capes we had been given at the Houston conference, and made our way through Central Park to see the John Lennon memorial 'Imagine'. People had placed flowers there.

We caught the subway at 72nd Street back to 34th Street Penn Station (a wonderful art deco station) to our hotel on 7th Avenue. After a rest, we set out again in the rain the the Empire State Building with a view to going to the top, but it was shrouded in mist and cloud so we never got passed the impressive art deco foyer. Purchasing hot chocolates we made our way to bed - oh! and managed to get onto FC for a short while :-))

2006-09-05T15:44:00.000Z

Friday, 1st September, 2006.

I'm sitting drinking a coffee in MoMA. For the last two hours we have been immersed in the world of Dada at a special exhibition, which includes many of the original works from artists such as Hans Arp, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp. Man Ray, Hannah Hoch...the list goes on. Four and a half hours later (after entering) we left MoMA!!

At the half price ticket office off Times Square we purchased two tickets for tonights performance of Hairspray. Then we wandered down Broadway and now find ourselves in Bubba Gumps seafood and shrimp restaurant, themed on the film Forest Gump. We've ordered the mahi mahi and wait in anticipation! While waiting we were cross-examined on our knowledge of Forest Gump. We wondered if they wouldn't serve us if we didn't get the questions right!!! The mahi mahi was delicious, and after a quick change at the hotel we were back on Broadway. Hairspray is a lively full-on rockin' musical set in the 60's, full of colour, excitment and frivolity, yet reflective of the time of change. We really enjoyed the pure joy of the occasion, and the all American demonstrative response of the audience. On the way back to our hotel we stopped off for a hot chocolate :-)

2006-09-05T15:30:00.000Z

Thursday, 31st August, 2006

Our last visit this morning to Murphy's and our last session at the conference before having to say goodbye to our new found friends before setting off for New York! We had met people from all over America, they came from places with great sounding names, like Kalamazoo, Paducah, Tallhassee, Chattanooga, Hazard, Colorado Springs, Needville, Brownsburg, Jacksonville, Seattle, Baton Rouge, Kansas City, Toronto, Canada, Alaska, to name a few, and of course us from the UK!

The day was spent travelling between Houston and New York, but 11.00 p.m. found us in the bright lights and crowds of Times Square!!! :-)

2006-09-05T03:30:00.000Z

Wednesday, 30th August, 2006.

Another early start and breakfast at Murphy's :-) After the first conference session and a half hour spent on the computers, blogging and emailing, I set off on my own to explore the Butterfly Center, a large purpose built glass domed jungle like environment, with large exotic plants, and thousands of colourful and varied butterflies. It was peaceful, relaxing and calming just to take time and to sit and watch! In the hatcheries butterflies were in various stages of hatching out, and I stood and watched as a butterfly emerged from its chrysalis.

Back at the conference, and before lunch there was an awards ceremony. Among the presenters were two of the wives of crew members lost on the Challenger mission of 1986. One of the awards collected by David, on behalf of the National Space Centre, was for the number of members of the public given the opportunity to experience a Challenger Mission.

After lunch and a personal meeting with the CEO, we met up with two other delegates from Tallahassee and from Baton Rouge, and we went to downtown Houston to visit the Hard Rock Café, and Ben and Jerry's for an icecream.

Back at the hotel we boarded the coach to take us to the George Observatory. It was quite a long ride out into the countryside through the cotton fields. The Observatory is in the Brazos Bend State Park, and access is through a woodland path. Here we were confronted with huge spider webs complete with resident Golden Orb spiders!!! There were literally scores of them (shudder). They were out in force because it was their breeding season, apparently the female eats the male after mating. :-/ On our way along the path, dodging the webs, we also saw two little alligators looking at us from the lake! However, it was worth it! After another Texmex meal, and darkness had fallen, we viewed from giant telescopes distant galaxies and star clusters with names I'd never heard of. A close view of the surface of the moon (fab) and a spectacular close up of Jupiter and three of its moons. I can't describe how enthralling this was, I had never had the experience of looking through these telescopes before, and it was wonderful!
Alongside the Observatory there was a Challenger Learning Center and we had the opportunity to view their set-up.

In the dark we made a single file as the leader with a large flash light guided us back through the spider webs!!!!!

Another BRILLIANT day :-)

2006-08-30T15:30:00.000Z

Tuesday, 29th August 2006

Our day started wandering through to Murphy's Deli for breakfast! We were unsure how the day was going to work out, but on arrival at the Houston Museum of Natural Science we discovered that I had been included as a delegrate for the conference, my badge giving me "honorary Houston citizenship". It was a day crammed with activity as we were assigned to separate groups and set off on our programmes, but not before we had been thrilled by the presentation from Astronanut Scott Parazynski, an astronaut with four shuttle mssions to his name.
In our group we played with and were given new software, we viewed the developing ideas for use in 'inflateable domes', visited the Challenger Learning Centre in Houston (housed in the Museum) and exchanged ideas.

It was a very interesting day rounded off with burritos in a Mexican restaurant and a visit to 'Bodyworlds' at the Museum, which were displayed authentic body parts and skeletons!!!!!!

2006-08-30T15:17:00.000Z

Monday 28th August 2006
It's now 5.00 p.m. and we are back at our hotel having spent a day in the world of Space adventure and exploration. The coach left the hotel for the Johnson Space Center, our first port of call being the Sonny Carter building which houses the largest indoor pool in the world. In 40 feet of water astronauts were training for EVA's (space walks) on full size underwater mock ups of the space shuttle and the International Space Station. Working under water is the closest on earth they can get to the experience of walking in space. Transfer by coach took us to further astronaut facilities and an enormous building containing full size models of the shuttle, soyuz space craft and various components of the International Space Station, and a test model for the new American spacecraft designed to replace the shuttle in 2010/12. This priviledged access to this normally restricted area was followed by short lectures on moon rocks, Mars rocks and the Stardust mission which collected debris from the tail of a comet.

After lunch at the astronaut and space workers restaurant we visited the historic Apollo missions operations control room from where both Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 were directed. Having seen what it was like for the Apollo missions with their comparitively limited computer facilities, we went on to see the state of the art mission controls.

Houston we have arrived!!!

2006-08-30T15:01:00.000Z

Sunday 27th August.
An early start at 4.00 a.m. to catch the 9.00 a.m. flight from Birmingham to Newark New York. Amidst much security and inspections we arrived safely with views of the New York skyline on touchdown after seven and a quarter hours of flying. Our first queue was for immigration where we were fingerprinted and photographed on entry into the USA. Our next wait was for the luggage which once we had collected led us to a queue for customs, having got through this hurdle we joined the next queue to have our bags rechecked for our onward flight to Houston. We then made our way after an hour and threequarters back to the same gate and the same plane from which we had disembarked!!! Not even getting a chance for a New York coffee. Almost three hours later we arrived at Houston at 4.15 p.m. local time and 10.15 p.m. at home. Our cases claimed we caught the shuttle bus to the Hotel Marriot in the medical centre of Houston, an area that seems to be filled with large prestigious looking private hospitals. After a rest, a shower and a call home we went down to the Hotel's Fannins Restaurant, and it wasn't long before we found ourselves with a group of other Challenger Flight Directors. We were made very welcome :-) We were in bed by 9.15 p.m. but then it was 3.15 a.m. at home, our day had not been 24 hours but 30 hours.

End of an era!

2006-08-22T21:52:00.000Z

After 18 years our holiday mobile home close to the Suffolk coast is moving on or rather moving off its site to make way for a newer model! It is with some sadness that we are bidding farewell to the place that has been so much part of our family during the growing years of our children. It's filled with memories of sunny and rainy days, family gatherings and birthday parties, happy holidays, and retreats from the stress of everyday! It's certainly been kind to us! This place has been part of our lives for the past 23 years, and we look forward to lots more years and happy times in our new holiday retreat! As Punch and Judy would say "That's the way to do it"!!! :-)

A Winning Performance!

2006-08-15T18:53:00.000Z

RI--GOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Was the chant from the crowd as the boys prepared to play their set at the final of The Battle of the Bands on Saturday night, August 12th, at The Brickmakers B2 in Norwich. It had come down to the last four from the forty initial entrants, and there was nervous anticipation and excitment in the air as the final band on this final night took to the stage! They rocked, they sang, they powered their way through their half-hour set, to the appreciation of all, including the judges, who awarded them first prize. Well done Rigo Jancsi, a great show, a great win, and who knows hopefully a great future!! Waiting for the single and the c.d.!! Oh! and the half-hour session on Pulse radio! Have fun!!!!!!
New songs on Myspace!

It touches us all!!

2006-07-14T16:10:00.000Z

Isn't it beautiful!! :-)

Yo Ho Me Hearties - Savvy?

2006-07-14T15:43:00.000Z

Who are these miserable film critics that write in our newspapers? Don't they know what fun is? We certainly enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean this week, which had been given the thumbs down by lots of critics.

Back for the sequel - Dead Man's Chest - Johnny, Orlando and Keira led a cast featuring Bill Nighy as Davy Jones, in a great swashbuckling, high seas pirate spoof. It didn't let us down after the originality of the first film and provided spectacle and smiles and left us anticipating the next episode!

Enter stage right - America!

2006-07-13T23:10:00.000Z

I can't pretend that this is easy, in fact I'm really struggling to get my brain around a lot of the ideas that seem to permeate through this course, studying the Art of the 20th Century.

My latest escapades have taken me back to the end of World War II, and what happened in the art world up to 1968. Europe was pretty much torn apart, physically and emotionally, and the big names of art were now coming from the rich and successful society, industry, and politics of America. There emerged the Abstract Expressionists, with artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman. The Modernists claimed these as continuing the legacy of Cubism in purifying their art and concentrating on their art objects themselves, rather than any content or meaning, such as Jackson Pollocks Summertime. Pollock epitomised the post-war American macho male, as a man of action with his drip and spatter paintings, and his image in jeans and T-shirt, with a hard drinking, cowboy, frontiering attitude. But contesting voices and the work of other artists such as the Minimalists, Donald Judd and Dan Flavin who worked with flourescent light fixtures, suggested interpretations of performance and theatre which involved the viewer in the artwork rather than the detached experience of the Modernists.

The purity of the mediums (i.e. painting and sculpture) became mixed in the work of artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, who used junk and the inspiration of the street and everyday, an example of which is Odalisk. Together with the musician John Cage and others, he shared in fluxus a movement that focused on events and theatrical style activities which brought together all of the arts, literature, poetry, painting, music, sculpture and theatre. This move to an art not detached but closely involved with the everyday reached its zenith with Andy Warhol who also overturned the notion of the macho American male, allowing his own homosexuality to be identified in works such as Vote McGovern, Mao 6, and Marilyn Diptych.

American influence and money ensured the iconic names of this period came from the U.S.A., however, artists in Europe continued to produce art that reflected the conditions of the time, betraying the pain and anguish of the millions of lives affected. Existentialism which drew on the writings of Sartre, influenced a great deal of European art in its reflection of the sense of helplessness and alienation. The dictionary definition says: a modern philosophical movement stressing personal experience and responsibility and their demands on the individual who is seen as a free agent in a deterministic and seemingly meaningless universe.

Green Woodpecker and Green Cones!

2006-06-23T19:44:00.000Z

June is certainly busting out all over in our neck of the woods! Today we had a visit from a green woodpecker, he was attacking the ants that nest in our lawn. One of the fir trees in the front garden has in the past produced the occasional cone, but this year seems to be sprouting them in profusion! Don't you just love this time of year :-) Happy mid-summer!!! :-) (Not my woodpecker pic.)

Gigging at The Grapes while England drew 2 - 2

2006-06-20T23:23:00.000Z

Rigo Jancsi made the long trip to Sheffield tonight from Norwich to play at The Grapes. An unfortunate night for a gig as many of the audience were well distracted by the footballing adventures of England. For those who did make it into the compact upstairs studio, the boys put on a great show! Well done lads!

1930's Realism, Surrealism and Abstraction.

2006-06-11T23:54:00.000Z

TMA04 is safely tucked in its envelope and has involved me in a journey through the 1930's - but what have I seen?! Well the question asked me to investigate each of the above art forms for their view on reality! I guess then that what I've seen is the 1930's almost in Cubist style from three different angles at the same time!

My first view was that given to me by the 'realists', lead by their instruction from Stalin to be the 'engineers of souls' and to glorify the working man, the revolution, and utopian future that would be there for all under communism. Strange as it may seen today, this idea found a resonance in the Depression years in the United States of America, as this form of realism was translated into a political tool to raise spirits and unite the nation. I looked particularly at the work of Ben Shahn, photographer and artist, whose work was linked to exposing social injustice.

The second angle, Surrealism, brought to me the harsh painful view of the Spanish Civil war and the oppresion of fascism with Picasso's Guernica. Its distorted figures, its silent scream, and its shards of pain and suffering. Although showing no naturalistic realism through its Cubist fragmentation and Surrealist distortion it delivers a view of reality that can leave no viewer in doubt as to the darkness of mans inhumanity to man. In Picasso's own words 'Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth'.

Finally, from what many claimed to be the empty and meaningless world of abstraction, the artist Ben Nicholson reveals his view, that abstract art is like religion, a quest for ultimate reality, offering a view of those ideas and beliefs that are intangible, but that affect the lives of millions, and demonstrated how those ideas perculate through to the everyday life of the common man, as aeroplanes, cars, refrigerators, electric torches, and lipstick holders! Together they converge in what many would see as a jumbled confusion, but others would see as a view of the complex political and technological world of the 1930's!

More Ginger!!!!

2006-06-11T21:16:00.000Z

This time the venue was at the Corporation in Sheffield, the tickets had been bought weeks before, and we were all set for a great evening out! Unfortunately our two good gigging mates couldn't make it this time, of course we were disappointed, but equally we understood the circumstances! So it was just him and me! LOL I was pleased to see that we weren't the only oldies there, though we may have been the oldest! LOL It was a hot night and the first support band 'Gundogs' were so loud with two wailing women that we found ourselves outside chatting to the bouncers! By 9.45 p.m. the Sonic Circus was up and playing, the atmosphere was great and the excitement gained momentum over the next hour and a half, as the band played all the favourites, and a few more besides! With big grins we left...full of the Ginger magic! :-) When's the next one?

Celebrating Silver!

2006-06-11T21:07:00.000Z

Enjoyed a great family get together last weekend in Suffolk. About thirty of us got together to throw a surprise silver wedding party for Mum and her beau! Mum's now 85 and her beau 92:-) They loved it, although Mum was a bit overwhelmed by it all at first, but that didn't last too long as we enjoyed good food and cracking conversations! We were so fortunate to have beautiful weather, so the celebrations could all take place outside. Well done to the happy couple! LOL

Rigo Jancsi at The Brickmakers!

2006-06-10T21:22:00.000Z

Bit behind with my blogging, and really I should be writing TMA04, but thought that can wait as I've got much more important things to write about ;-) Thursday, 1st June saw us in Norwich at The Brickmakers, a well known local musical venue. I was very excited because it was the first time I was going to hear Rigo Jancsi live, and I had every reason as Ben, Will, Sam and Sam, wowed them with the now familiar to me songs (from Myspace) and some new ones too. It was such great fun and thrilling to be part of the performance, with family links to the band I felt so proud! But that aside from a musical performance viewpoint it was excellent, very satisfying and far more exciting than listening to their music online. Well done lads! Hopefully see you in Sheffield at The Grapes on 20th June :-)

Lindisfarne and the Farne Isles.

2006-05-29T03:07:00.000Z

Just reflecting on our weekend spent with friends. We have had the good fortune of enjoying sunshine and blue skies as we journeyed north to Northumberland and the sometimes wild north sea coastline with large beaches and castle topped cliffs. Here where Christianity established one of its first strongholds in Britain is Holy Island or Lindisfarne. Cut off twice everyday by the tides, great care must be taken to ensure a safe passage across the causeway, but a real reward awaits the traveller in this peaceful remote community, of friendly people and beautiful sea birds!

Catching Billy Shiels Glad Tidings boat from Seahouses, we visited rocky Staple Island, with its teaming colonies of puffins, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, and the scattered nestings of shags! Landing on Inner Farne, we ran the gauntlet of fiercely territorial and protective arctic terns, attempting to peck our heads as we moved down the path within inches of their nests. This island once home to the hermit St. Cuthbert, now provides safe nesting to arctic, sandwich and common terns, eider ducks and many other birds.

And by the way, just in case you wondered, these are two original photos taken by me!

Mona Lisa

2006-05-26T03:32:00.000Z

This interesting site about the Mona Lisa! produced by the Louvre, is a revealing in depth analysis of both the subject and the painting. A real piece of patient detective work.

This last week we went to see the film The Da Vinci Code, starring Tom Hanks. I have to say that we were somewhat disappointed, but perhaps it is a tall order to transfer all of Dan Brown's code cracking, which is very cerebral, into big screen action. With the current phenominal success of the book, this film really is the 'must see' of the moment.

How fascinating that the mysterious Mona Lisa continues to intrigue and beguile, and to appear in so many guises from the high art down to the marketing of everyday items, including fruit wrappers!!!

In a wood nearby...

2006-05-19T21:04:00.000Z

...the bluebells are spread like a carpet. Just caught them in time, as they are already starting to 'go over'. What a wonderful herald of the summertime ahead.

The happy hooded bluebells bow

And bend their heads all a-down

Heavied by the early morning dew

Nick Cave

Ouch!!!!!!!

2006-05-19T21:03:00.000Z

Close shave!!!!! :-((

Simplifying a lot of big words!!

2006-05-18T16:30:00.000Z

Ran out of time for the TMA, managed to get an extension, and have sent in 'something'!!! I'm now trying to grasp some of these ideas before moving on, and before they vanish forever!! LOL

The area of study centred around 'The Emergence of Abstraction' and what Peter Bürger terms 'The Historical Avant-Gardes'. The three primary movements of Abstract art, represented by the artists Kandinsky, Mondrian and Malevich, Dada focusing on Zurich and Berlin, and the Soviet Constructivists all shared in a desire for change, the need for change, and an art to assist to bring about or represent that change. They sought an art that would become an integral part of the new daily life.

Dada was driven by angry and idealistic youth, disillusioned with events in Europe at the time of the First World War, and eager to confront the establishment, and bring them down, either by mocking and belittling their values, or by fermenting left-wing politics. The abstract artists sickened by the materialism both of science and society, looked for a new spiritual era. The Soviet Constructivists, caught up in the Russian Revolution, were the ones who got their wish for major change, but their idealism was eventually smothered by the realities.

The TMA question asked for 2,000 words, but in a nut shell the reaction of Dada in Zurich was to create nonsense to confront war and events in Europe. Dada in Berlin was to use the different art forms springing from this 'nonsense', to motivate left-wing politics. The Constructivists supported revolution by revolutionising art, making everything new, with new values, new attitudes,and new meaning, but were idealists not realists. Finally, the Abstract artists sought a new spiritual era, and an 'art' to represent and support that. Peter Bürgers role writing in 1974, was to retrospectively pull these movements together, and link their elements of reaction and change, suggesting that they all sought for art to reintegrate with the 'praxis of life'.

'Maniacs or Pioneers'.

2006-04-24T17:32:00.000Z

We spent a lovely afternoon yesterday, visiting the Van Gogh exhibition currently on display at Compton Verney, Warwickshire. This exhibition features paintings gathered from all over the world, and covering Van Gogh's artistic life. Apart from being Van Gogh paintings they all share in the fact that they were originally collected or owned by British 'Pioneer Collectors'!
Alongside the paintings there are catalogues, bills of sale, newspaper cuttings, photographs and cartoons, all adding to the history of Van Gogh and his reputation.
The painting above 'Long Grass with Butterflies' was painted while he was a patient at the asylum at St-Rémy, near Arles, from May 1889 to May 1890 and together with Olive Trees really captured my attention, having never seen them before. So many interesting paintings, included, 'Oleaners' 1888, (see below) 'Peach Blosson in the Crau' 1889 and oh so many more!
Van Gogh's work was first exhibited in Britain in 1910 as part of an exhibition at London's Grafton Galleries, entitled Manet and the Post-Impressionists. Lewis Hind, the Daily Chronicle art critic, reported on heated exchanges at the opening, and he wrote '...they are maniacs of art, or they are pioneers opening new avenues of expression and emotion'. It is interesting that what Hind described as 'the fiery spirit of revolt' has 'become some of the most recognised images in the history of art and are commercially reproduced throughout the world'.
Compton Verny is a Robert Adam mansion, set in 120 acres of parkland, landscaped by 'Capability' Brown. Nice coffee shop too :-)

Enjoying the Talent!

2006-04-22T14:34:00.000Z

The lads have added a new song to their Rigo Jancsi My Space site, Everything and Nothing, complete with a drop down lyric box so I can read the words! I'm making a daily pilgrimage there at the mo! LOL

While visiting the RJ site, I can't resist clicking on Some Best Friend they have two songs there which I've grown to really like, such a sunshiney sound! There is so much unrecognised talent out there, so glad that the fun keeps going!

We're off to Birmingham on 29th April, meeting up with a couple of friends to see Low! (the professionals!!!) Can't wait :-)

post script on 31.5.2006 Have just been to Some Best Friend and he's added a new song, and taken his Waiting for the Sun and Blindfolded Love off! I'm so disappointed! :-(

Reflecting?

2006-04-06T14:10:00.000Z

After annihilating TMA02, or maybe it annihilated me! I'm sitting here surrounded by opened books, highlighted passages, scrappy notes, and crumpled papers! But what does this tell me? Well, that I've spent the last two or three weeks with the Cubists, particularly Braque and Picasso. I've never really understood all those little boxes that seem to make up a Cubist painting, so this has been an interesting insight into the works, the artists and the times in which they painted in this style.

Cubism really emerged in about 1907 following Picasso's famous painting Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. It's all about flattening the picture and taking out any depth, (analytic Cubism). There is no clear lighting and perspective disappears, the key word is flatness. That's why the modernist loves them, concentrating on the pure aesthetic pleasure of the object. But all those little facet-planes? In 1914 Fernand Léger wrote this:

'If pictorial expression has changed, it is because modern life has necessitated it ... When one crosses a landscape by automobile or express train, it becomes fragmented ... The view through the door of the railroad car or the automobile windshield, in combination with the speed, has altered the habitual look of things. A modern man registers a hundred times more sensory impressions than an eighteenth-century artist'.

France was involved in African colonialism and lots of masks and objects were to be found in Paris at that time, primitive art. The flip side to the modernists will point to the similarities between this primitive tribal art and the Cubists. Don't forget those masks on the faces of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Of course the Cubists also worked in collage (synthetic Cubism) sticking all those unconnected pieces of paper, music, newsprint, bits of wood, rope, tickets, handbills...whatever, on their canvases. The modernists would say it was restoring a certain amount of pictorial depth to the work and that it all comes together in a monumental unity!!! But society in Paris at the time was fractured by high and low culture and the economy delivered 'capitilist commodity production'! Disjointed and materialistic society found many implausible adjacencies and social art historians claim that those collages direct the viewer outwards and away from any internal unity of the work. So... what do I reckon? It seems to me that these artists were young, probably drunk a lot and had a good time straddling the 'high' and 'low' culture of the city, and they picked up ideas from everywhere and created original art, because they liked it and they could sell it!!
Above image Pablo Picasso, Guitar, Sheet Music and Glass after 18 November 1912, pasted paper, gouache and charcoal, 48x37cm.
Thanks for the pic!
Great article from 'Facets of Cubism' from Museum of Fine Art, Boston.
View here.
Link to MFA.
Nice quote from Picasso (1881-1973)
'Cubism is no different from any other school of painting. The same principles and the same elements are common to all. The fact that for a long time Cubism has not been understood and that even today there are people who cannot see anything in it, means nothing. I do not read English, an English book is a blank book to me. This does not mean that the English language does not exist, and why should I blame anybody else but myself if I cannot understand what I know nothing about?'. 'Picasso Speaks' AiT p.216

My Friend Braquers!

2006-04-04T18:39:00.000Z

Thanks to Laura who sent me this link, I now have a quacking new friend! Say hello to him! Click on him and he'll quack back, and feed him some toast! :-)

adopt your own virtual pet!

Look outside... it's Spring!!!

2006-04-03T10:21:00.000Z

It's been a beautiful morning here, very inspirational for getting to grips with TMA02 which is due in on Friday! (Who am I kidding!) Very excited to discover that we have two goldcrests busying about in our garden, and think they are nesting in our fir tree:-)

Ringside at the Circus!

2006-03-29T13:15:00.000Z

Monday night was to be a night to remember! I have to admit that I'm a concert goer, and that usually means a seat in an auditorium or theatre where the action is played out on the stage a polite distance away from me! Not so at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham on Monday 27th March! Accessed via alleyways and behind buildings, the Rescue Rooms are decidedly down beat! The sort of place that my son would frequent and my mother would have a fit if she knew! We'd met up with friends and we were delighted to find a place at the front, next to the barrier, spitting distance from the action, and wow were we in for a lot of that!
Ginger's band featured musicians drawn from a number of other bands and groups, including the cool, good-looking Swedish guitarist Conny Bloom (siiiigh!!!!!). Ginger and his band rocked for two hours much to everyones joy, which reflected back at them when they took a short break and the crowd kept singing continuously until they returned to take up the anthem!

I was incredulous to find myself confronted by the Psycho Cyborgs, body piercing each other only a few feet away, even more ironic that I should have turned them off in disgust the week before when they were featured on a Performance Art programme, muttering that you would never catch me any where near anything like that!!!!! Great night out, great fun, great music, just......great!!!
Ginger Myspace
Conny Myspace
Conny Bloom Jamesons Ad.

The Amazing Balls of Chris Bliss!

2006-03-26T11:19:00.000Z

Thanks Bluefluff for the introduction! Isn't he spell-binding?!! :-)
Have a look here!

A small insight!

2006-03-24T11:36:00.000Z

More fascinating art. Panda painted onto a single hair!

To infinity and beyond!!!

2006-03-23T17:05:00.000Z

Just spent a great afternoon at the National Space Centre. In fact I'm just back from a Mission to Mars!!! Sounds impossible I know but in the Challenger Learning Centre anything is possible!! Challenger is part of the educational foundation set up as a memorial for the ill-fated Challenger shuttle mission of 1986, where one member of the crew, Christa McAuliffe a teacher was to deliver lessons from space. Of course that never happened but for the last twenty years the Challenger Learning Centres have attempted and succeeded to 'continue her mission' of enthusing and informing children, students and adults about science, physics and space. This one in Leicester is the only centre outside of North America.

My fellow crew members this afternoon were from a Birmingham high school and they enthusiastically flew to Mars and back whilst carrying out a whole range of experiments, investigations and monitoring duties all linked to their national curriculum study programmes in both 'mission control' and 'the Mars transporter'. One of the tasks was to build and launch a probe to one of the moons of mars, but this crew were so good they managed to build two! Something I never knew before was that Mars has two moons, both pretty small, called Phobos and Deimos, named after the beasts that pulled the chariot of Mars the Roman god of war. Interesting that Phobos means phobia or fear and Deimos panic or terror stricken! We had a few scary moments on our mission, when our smooth workings were rudely interrupted by flashing red lights and wailing sirens as we were told that we had just a few minutes of oxygen left! Fortunately the life-support team managed to solve this problem with seven seconds to spare!!! With our probes successfully launched we viewed superb video footage of the surfaces of the two moons with a close fly-by!!

Great fun!! Mars and back in an afternoon!!

Michelangelo still number one!

2006-03-21T23:16:00.000Z

A new show of Michelangelo sketches is opening at the British Museum and has just set a record for pre-show ticket bookings. Michelangelo a super star in his life time seems to still hold that status today.

His contemporary Leonardo Da Vinci one of histories most original and creative artists is also in the news this week with this slice of life!

Talking of food, last month saw an art experience at Selfridges where the Chinese artist, Song Dong built a city out of biscuits and then invited the viewers to eat it!

Expression and Expressionism

2006-03-21T12:37:00.001Z

I've just finished the chapter on Expressionism, and this explores some of the issues and debates relating to what has come to be termed 'Expressionist' art in the period from 1905 to the outbreak of the First World War. Three main groups of artists were identified: the Brucke ('Bridge) in Dresden, the Fauves ('Wild Beasts') in France and the Blauer Reiter ('Blue Rider') in Munich.

The picture is Franz Marc's The Tower of the Blue Horses 1913 (Course Book 2 page 50)

A pivotal essay is by Henri Matisse, Notes of a Painter (Art in Theory 1B6 pages 69 - 75) in which he states:

'Expression, for me does not reside in passions glowing in a human face or manifested by violent movement. The entire arrangement of my picture is expressive: the place occupied by the figures, the empty spaces around them, the proportions, everything has its 'share'. Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the diverse elements at the painter's command to express his feelings'.

Just a few links relating to Expressionism and the three main groups of artists.

Expressionism - Wikipedia
Expressionism - The Tate Glossary
Expressionism - Artcyclopedia
Expressionism - Artfile

Three groups discussed
Die Brucke - The Bridge - founded in Dresden in June 1905
The Fauves - French for Wild Beasts.
More on The Fauves
The Blauer Reiter
Franz Marc and The Blue Rider

The Sound of Rigo Jancsi!

2006-03-14T18:34:00.000Z

Great!! The boys have uploaded a song to listen to called 'Agrophobia'.:-)
If you can't hear there try here!!

South Bank Sunday.

2006-03-12T19:40:00.000Z

Today I stood in front of Eve and sought the 'absolute emotion' that Barnett Newman hoped to share!

The Tate Modern is re-hanging its collection, and moving away from its original display format linked to the Academy genres of Landscape/Matter/ Environment, StillLife/Object/RealLife, History/Memory/Society, and Nude/Action/Body, and looks like it's moving towards chronology and isms. Only two of the new galleries are open as I write, and completion of the remaining exhibit areas is scheduled for May.

On arrival our first encounter was with Embankment the display of white boxes by Rachel Whiteread in the massive Turbine Hall. This installation seems to invoke feelings of size and fun as children ran and played between the structures, and lots of camera bearing couples looked to discover new views of each other between and around the towering boxes, creating their own art images!

The first of the re-named galleries that we visited was Material Gestures, and it was there that we were immediately confronted with Barnett Newman's Adam and Eve side by side and much larger that I had envisaged. Opposite the paintings but beautifully complementing the expressive ideas of Newman, was Anish Kapoor's Ishi's Light. I captured my thoughts and information in these few hasty notes taken at the time!! Kapoor's sculpture was like walking into a concave pod, it was very disorientating as you were lost in it, it seemed to go on forever, like stepping into an eternal space, and you physically felt it, but was it a physical experience of an emotion? This piece seems to explain Newman's objectives for Eve and Adam which were hung opposite the 'sculpture'. I'd written that, then saw these notes on the wall: 'extends Newman's metaphor into real space. Like Newman, Kapoor's work generates an immense experience which elicits powerful physical and psychological responses'.

We also enjoyed viewing works by Rothko, Pollock, Miro, Matisse, Monet, Dubuffet and was interested to learn that the expression 'mobiles' was used by Marcel Duchamp in explaining the moveable hanging sculptures of Alexander Calder.

Before leaving Material Gestures, a great find was Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Bathers at Moritzburg 1909/10 reworked 1926) a work from the Course Book 2 Art of the Avant-Gardes. He was a member of the Brucke group in Dresden.

The other gallery which is open for viewing is entitled Poetry and Dream, which has a heavy focus on Surrealism. From the wall : Surrealism and Beyond. For the poets and artists of the Surrealist movement, dreams stood for all aspects of the world repressed by rationalism and convention.

The most exciting discovery here was Duchamp's Box-in-a-Valise (1941). Very interesting notes accompanied this item. 'Marcel Duchamp was a significant influence on Dada and Surrealism. He was renown for his irony and intellectualism as well as his distanced deadpan treatment of eroticism. He was careful to limit his creative output, warning that artists should not repeat themselves. However, he also issued multiple versions of his work'. 'Duchamp saw Box-in-a-Valise as a "portable museum" containing miniature versions and reproductions of many of his earlier works. Its title refers to the fact that many of these have been signed by Duchamp's female alter-ego Rrose Sélavy. The box unfolds like an intricate puzzle, revealing the thematic links between works created over more than three decades. The number of objects in the box was sixty-nine, an erotically suggestive number'.

The distinction between the concentration on form and the isolationist stance of the modernists and the mixed media and 'expanded field' of the postmodernists, really came alive with video's, installations, collage, natural materials etc. We left elated and excited feeling that today we had seen Tate Modern with a new view thanks to AA318!!!

After a visit to Pizza Express we strolled along the South Bank crossing the Thames to visit Covent Garden and the Tea House before making our way back to the car via The Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgate Circus and St. Paul's. I love visiting London with 'him indoors' cos I know that I won't get lost!!! :-)

A New Can of Worms!

2006-03-11T17:33:00.000Z

I have just submitted my first assignment for the current Open University course I am studying, Art of the Twentieth Century. This certainly has been a new can of worms, considering artworks, history and ideas which I had never encountered before. In a bid to reflect on some of the things that I have learnt I thought I would record a few blog notes, in an attempt to hang on simply to some of the complex ideas I have been introduced to without trying to make this another TMA!

The century is dominated by the ideas of modernism and postmodernism. Modernism was an idea brought to prominence by Clement Greenberg in his essay Modernist Painting and focuses on the idea of 'art for art's sake' and a concentration on art being pure and separate from politics and the culture of the world around it, a retinal experience only giving aesthetic pleasure. It gives great credence to art in a specific medium such as painting or sculpture. Postmodernism by contrast gives prominence and credibility to art in mixed media and in an 'expanded field' such as performance, photographs, video, installations, pop art etc. It also gives recognition to movements and works of art that were pushed to the side by modernism and brings them back into mainstream such as Duchamp's 'readymades' e.g.Bottlerack and Fountain, and Dada. The modernist ideas of Greenberg and Barr (the curator of MOMA) dominated the artistic world, but started to lose their hold with the emergence of the postmodernists during the 1960's.

The four case studies in the first block leading to this assignment were Marcel Duchamp's Bottlerack, Barnett Newman's Eve, Ana Mendieta's Silueta Series, and Yuendumu community’s Yarla. Each introduced a very different notion of art both physically and culturally, and presented challenges to my preconceived ideas of art. Duchamp's 'readymades' presenting the notion that the artist by choosing an item makes it a work of art creating a new thought for it. Newman through abstract painting and considering the eye of the spectator, attempting to create an experience of 'absolute emotion'. Mendieta through use of her own body and body shape conveying ideas of femininism, feminist repression and the transience of all things, using objects that are part of the natural world. Yarla, a temporary installation by the Yuendumu community, based on the traditional shapes, patterns and 'art' of indigenous Australians raising questions of ethnicity and the relationship between western and non-western views of art and how the western view is incompatible to the culture that creates this form of art.
So I've opened my new can of worms, hopefully I've managed to catch some before they all wriggle away!! Cos there's a new can to open this week!!!

Related links.
Marcel Duchamp 1887 - 1968 World Community
Making Sense of Duchamp Interactive Website
The New York Times - Taking Jokes by Duchamp to Another Level of Art
BBC News - Duchamp's urinal tops art survey

Wikipedia - Abstract Art
Barnett Newman - Tate Modern and OU Study Days Online

Tate Modern Sculpture and Performance in Ana Mendieta's Silueta Series
Online image results for Ana Mendieta

Carol Schneemann Lecture - Tate Modern

Yuendumu Community

Cat Herding!

2006-03-11T16:33:00.000Z

Following the theme of my previous post this advert could possibly qualify for an oscar!
View here!

Power of Dreams!

2006-03-11T11:18:00.000Z

Car adverts are one of the most irritating of those that appear on our televisions, and so often are pretentious and stupid!!! But this one for me is like a work of art! A gem amongst so much dross! Adverts are so much a part of our lives everyday, and I guess have become one of the main art forms. Most of them though are so unsatisfying that they actually would put you off the product especially when they are repeated time and time again with some form of humour that made you smile the first time, but not on the thirtieth! So, I think this one really stands out..............pity I don't want a Honda!!!

Making a break for it!

2006-01-08T15:05:00.000Z

Just been checking this site http://www.weathergrancanaria.com/ for a sunshine update for our trip to Gran Canaria next week :-) The joy of late booking, suddenly you're transported from a grey and damp three degrees to a warm twenty-two degrees and a gentle southwesterly breeze ...... aaaah!!!!!!! :-)

Best seats for Christmas.

2005-12-18T15:45:00.000Z

It's 18th December and the whole world seems to be joining the head-long rush towards Christmas. So many things, so little time! But be careful a voice cries you might miss something special!

Today has been the day for putting up the Christmas cards. They are all around me as I write and I am surrounded by the good wishes and love of friends. Something speical!

Yesterday I was in London with friends and family and sat in a window seat in the restaurant at the top of the National Portrait Gallery watching the sun go down over the panoramic view including Trafalgar Square, Westminster, Big Ben and The Eye. The sky colour was magnificent and the setting sun tinged the scene in a warm glow as the lights of the city came on. Something special!

A thought from a guest on Parkinson's radio show this morning, seemed to capture the idea of the special. When asked where they would like to sit in a coffee shop the reply had been 'by the window so I can watch the magic!' Something special!

Phew!!!!!

2005-12-18T15:35:00.000Z

OU results were out this Thursday (15th), I'm still basking in the glow of passing........What a relief!!!!! :-)

Well I never!!

2005-12-05T11:04:00.000Z

Who would have believed it!! But maybe I should start from the beginning!

A couple of weeks back whilst having lunch with a friend I discovered that we had both booked tickets to visit the Christmas Spectacular at Thursford. This takes place in what is basically an aircraft hanger in a remote field in North Norfolk. Stranger still we discovered that we were going on the same day! This Thursday whilst parking our car in the pitch black dark field at Thursford with 2000 other people, whose car should pull in beside us but our friends. Small world or what!!! This was not the first time that this has happened to us, as we have booked the same flights with adjoining seats to Amsterdam, and even found ourselves in a concert that was so overbooked that additional seats were added to the stage and once again we found ourselves looking at each other with the performers between us! Fancy that!!!

Anyway, we took our seats for the Thursford experience and my husband looking askance as a rather large lady squeezed into the seat beside him! Conversation revealed that not only did they (the lady and her husband) know the little village in Leicestershire where we live, but had actually lived there themselves and worked in the same Special Needs School as me!!! How about that!! Would you believe it!!

By the way, the Thursford musical Christmas experience was indeed Spectacular and an absolute delight. We smiled all the way through! :-)

Rocking the chocolate mousse!

2005-11-19T12:05:00.000Z

The name Rigo Jancsi may not readily spring to mind, but for us it is in daily use! Not the Hungarian chocolate mousse of that name but my youngest son's rock band name! Formed in Norwich and playing in pubs and clubs around the city, Rigo Jancsi are starting to build a local reputation and fan base, so rock your chocolate and have a look at their website. Oh! Don't forget to look out for the handsome bass player :-) (Proud Mum!!)

http://www.rigojancsi.com/welcome.cfm

Hats off to the Am Dramers!

2005-11-18T12:24:00.000Z

Just a weekend ago our village hall was taken over by our local amateur dramatic group, and over three nights almost three hundred people had a great night out watching a comedy by Rick Abbott called Play On! This is the story of a local am.dram group presenting a murder mystery called Murder Most Foul.

I had spent hours reading the lines for my other half, but of course I had only read the bits that involved him, so on seeing the play suddenly there was a lot more than I had known. So for me the performances were not only the culmination of all the practice, but also an entertaining and very amusing occasion.

We all love our professional 'luvvies' but our village 'luvvies' really do commit themselves as they clean the hall, build the set, sell the tickets, learn the lines, make us laugh, give us a great night out, and on Sunday morning dismantle the set in time for Mack and Mabel's Olde Tyme Dancing Class.

So.....hats off to these enthusiasts all over the country giving people a good time !

Police scoop up Trevi 'coin gang'

2005-11-15T22:57:00.000Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4437360.stm

Nuns in floral frocks!

2005-11-15T16:56:00.000Z

Last week saw fourteen of us celebrating the 'special' birthday' of one of our company in Rome. We had a superb time, and there are loads of things I could write about, with many highlights, from tossing our coins in the Trevi fountain, and visiting the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel to sipping cappuccino's in the sunshine at the Pantheon, but it is the little restaurant off one of the streets near the Pantheon that I want to tell you about! It was the birthday girls special dinner, and we all crowded into L'Eau Vive restaurant where the table was already laid and ready for us! There was an atmosphere of calm, warmth and friendliness, as we were greeted by nuns who seemed predominantly to come from the Far East and Africa, the language of the restaurant seeming to be mainly French. But these were nuns with no dreary habits! Instead the bright coloured floral dresses of their native homelands contrasting with the almost life-size simple white statue of Mary, which stood in the corner surrounded by flowers. Between the main course and the sweet, at about 9.00 p.m. we were each given a song sheet and invited to sing an Ave Maria to the accompaniment of a nun duo of guitar and bongos! There was also a verse of Happy Birthday and a garland of shells for the birthday girl. We have Ruth Gledhill to thank for this experience, one of our party having read about the restaurant in her weekend column.

This is new to me!

2005-11-14T17:29:00.000Z

Hi!
So this is what it's like to have a blog! Took me ages to choose a name! But here I am in a 'Haze of Pink' trying to get 'Blood out of a stone'!! Still getting blood out of a stone is a rare occurence and must be worth looking at. So what I post here will hopefully be worth the reading! Watch this space!!! :-)