A Short Walk On A Long Pier

Photo taken a bit earlier than 1963 by a man in a top hat under a black cloak. Mr. Daggaerotype I think his name was. When I knew the pier it had a bowling alley where the little tower was, and an aquarium a mile and a quarter away at the end, with a cod and a sad looking haddock in some greenish water.

Southend pier Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

The Kursaal Flyers Dada band

One of the interesting facts i learned from the excellent BBC 2 prog. about Viv Stanshall last night was that he once worked at the Kursaal amusement park in Southend-on-Sea in the late 50's early 60's before he formed the Bonzo Dog Dada band (later changed to Dooda ) He went to Southend Art School too I believe 2 years before I went there in 1963. I was going to have a nice photo of the Kursaal or the pier next to this but Flickr has decided to go for a walk. I'll try later.
It's the 31st. so not surprisingly things are going wrong.( 3 + 1 = 4) and 4 as we all know is an unlucky number. Unlucky thirteen adds up to four and so does twenty two. I'm not usually so superstitious - I'll happily walk under ladders and cross my knives and forks but the number four gives me uneasy feelings of doom and disaster. Paradoxically, seeing four magpies at once is considered quite lucky whilst only one is a bad omen.

Benches designed by a sadist

We reluctantly went to the Awards ceremony and passing out parade at the Summer School this afternoon to see them all shuffle up to the Head of Somethings for certifcates to certify they had "sucessfully completed their first week of the summer challenge" Archie, the silly boy, was still in his thick fleece when everyone else was in their Gifted and Talented T-shirts. He was sweating and wondering why? Gifted and talented? We had to sit of tortuous benches with a metal ridge around the edge , obvously designed by a sadist! After an hour of this we were crying tears of joy when at last it was all over and we could go home, dragging our ridged buttocks behind us!

Easy as falling off a blog!

Yeah but it's the same size? So maybe this one will be slightly different. Another old image from a mail art show about Duchamp? It's so old i can't remember what the theme was. A collage based on one of those catalogues that falls out of Radio Times for daft gadgets that are completely useless.

Duchamp Box Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

The trouble with the Flickr photos is that the ones we upload seem to be all the same size though the jpegs from other websites are of different sizes? I don't really understand why but anyway here's an old postcard from a mail art show in Spain which breaks up the monotony a bit. In a mo. we are off to Winsford to get Archie and see the presentation and wind up of Summer School week. I think Archie is really glad it's over despite enjoying the science workshops. he would have preferred to to do another subject other than drama which is not really his strong point. Which is a shame as his new High School has just been given special Performing Arts status!

Postcard for Bikini project Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

Blog flume

The blogs are really sliding now - down to the river of possibilties! How pleased I am to have made a Links list (there it is on the left) mostly thanks to JollyRoger who explained it very simply. I still havent figured out how the fancy lettering gets uploaded - all I get is that square with the coloured blobs? But I expect it will soon become obvious. A dash or a dot in the wrong place maybe. It's usually something very simple and annoying like that!
I did add a lot more links but half wouln't work for whatever reason. i will try again later.

And now for something completely the same...

Rooms are ideal for making into interesting and quirky collages as long as there's a woman in them about to play a record on what looks like an upturned armadillo. The noise from those turbines outside must be very distracting though not to mention the sinister man in the mask looking through the window. Perhaps he is after the two escaped loonies who are trying to blend in and look inconspicuous? Editing this page some months later as the original photo on Flickr was deletd and left an ugly gap. So in an effort to understand the way these things work and to add another image i have been tampering with the "edit" box and hoepfully this will look a bit better? I dont know why i bother though as nobody will notice I'm sure!

the same old junk

We managed to get to Crewe Flea market this week after dropping Archie off at the Summer school. It felt like we were here only a couple of days ago! The feeling of de-javu compounded by looking throught the same junk we did last week. No bargains on the market but i did find two CD's in the remainder bookshop - soundtrack from the Wizard of Oz and Children's Favourites which included great tracks like Old Macdonald's Farm by Spike Jones, Three Little Fishes by Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon, The Thing by whatisname? and many others I have already on other compilations. The drizzle has stopped thankfully and the sun has come out.
The phone hasn't stopped ringing since we got home. Someone after the child's bike we advertised in the local paper. They came round soon after but unfortunately it was a girls bike they wanted - a pink one preferably.

Banana Cards Documentation

This is for all those kind folk who took the trouble to return the "banana cards" I sent them over the last two years or so. These are the few that came back.

Banana Cards Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

Squashed tomatoes and glue

It's Hazel's birthday today. This is the card i made for her. I make one every year (also one for Valentine's Day ) so she must have over 20 by now. Some of the better ones we have framed and hung around the house. Not sure if this one is in that league, though it's better than i thought it would be. Archie made Hazel an animated flash card on the Mac. he put the final finishing touches to it just before hazel got up this morning. He's amazingly deft with Flash now and can whip up a small 10 second cartoon with sound in about 15 minutes!

Hazel's Birthday Card Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

It's Monday - time to split some atoms

It's Archie's first day of Summer school in Winsford - a week long programme for Gifted and Exceptional Children picked by a short-sighted canary from a big hat. Today he hopes to be doing some astro-physics at Jodrell Bank. Tomorrow it's exploring the G-nome and Wedneday, curing all known diseases. He had a feeling he had chosen German by mistake!
I went into town to find that illusive last minute present for Hazel's birthday. I did better than that! I got a comedy classics CD with Spike Jones and Arthur Askey etc. A new Argos catalogue and carton of soya milk!
She was getting excited about her Abbey shares now that a spanish bank had taken them over. Turns out they are worth 543 pence each NOT 543 pounds! Blast! So we won't be getting that new car or house extension after all.

Things to do when it's raining

Later we went over to Plumley for a birthday lunch for Hazel and her sister. They do a nice scampi and chips there on huge plates, almost as big as the round table tops in the "snug". It was very busy and we were lucky to get seats together. I think everyone was fed up with the rain and were drowning their sorrows! I drowned mine with a lovely pint of "Scorcher". Afterwards we popped into the nearby community hall for an antique market. Nothing for me there but I did spot a Dennis the Menace enamel badge for Archie which he didn't have in his collection.

Exercises Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

boot sale challenge

It's raining again.The boot sale will be a wash-out. What a shame- I was looking forward to rummaging through boxes of old scratchy records and CD's. You never know what might turn up. A few weeks ago I found a boxed set of Fats Domino for £4. Four CD's of wonderful New Orleans boogie and rock 'n' roll from the early 50's. Some weeks you have to make do with a warped copy of Charlie Drake's Greatest Hit, but very welcome all the same.
Today it would have been the Cowpat Field at Peover, a small village some 4 or 5 miles away.The scruffy man in the turban who scratches his crotch just before you hand him the £1 entrance fee soon caught our eye. The "toilets" are a small piece of corrogated iron leaning against a hedge. Needless to say we tie a knot in it until we get home. The car's suspension is severely tested going over the tussocky field and if you're lucky there isn't a cowpat waiting to be stepped in as you get out!
It's not just records ofcourse - you can buy almost anything. Sheds and attics have been cleared so the range of stuff is amazing. Also you get the boot sale tradespersons who specialise in plants or jewellry, videos,pirate DVD's,household items, antiques, books, garden gnomes etc. etc.
It's still raining. Blast! Guess I'll have to wait 'til next Sunday.

One for the twitchers

Whilst in the Country park we were sitting by the lake feeding the ducks with our leftover picnic scraps when a twitcher( bird spotter )dressed in khaki and festooned with binoculars and cameras, plonked a big tripod down scaring off all the ducks and proceded to scan the reeds on the other side of the lake for something more interesting than your common or garden mallard! He didnt even acknowledge us or say sorry for disturbing our simple pleasures. I resisted the temptation of pushing him in.

A Homage to Joseph Cornell Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

which part of the canal is it?

Just back from a pleasant walk in Marbury Country park where we saw a kingfisher skim the canal, a wren,robins, teenage ducks,grey squirrels,ladybird lava, a grubby young swan and a slug. Walking round the woods we bumped in to a couple waving twigs in a carefree manner. The lady asked,is this the right way to the canal? Yes, i said, keep going and you can't miss it. What part of the canal is it? she enquires mysteriously. Oh, the wet part, came my hilarious reply.
Collapse of stout party.
Later we found a tussock to sit on for a picnic of tuna sandwiches, crisps and orange juice. At least i think it was a tussock?

so what's wrong with Betty Boop?

Today we went into town to exchange a faulty Samsung DVD player for another. It had been playing up for a while - the picture freezing for no reason and more recently not playing discs atall. Luckily its only 6 months old so still within it's guarantee period. They didn't quibble about it much to my relief and as they didn't have an exact replacement settled for a Sanyo of similar price. Unfortunatley it doesn't seem to like some of the VCD's and refused to play the Betty Boop but strangely happy to play the Ren & Stimpy which are on the same kind of CD-R? Always something eh?

One Tree Project

Nine postcards from the ONE TREE project in 2001. A mature oak tree was used by many arists, crafts people and furniture makers etc. Every single piece of the tree above the ground was used including the leaves, twigs and the root bole. I was given several lenghts of thin veneer to fashion into postcards which were collaged and stamped and sent all over the world with a request that they be added to and returned. 86 out of 100 came back and 56 were exhibited in a travelling show that started at the Edinburgh Botanic gardens and ended at the Geffrye Museum in London in 2002.

One Tree project Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

More One Tree Postcards

Half of the 56 "cards" framed for the One Tree exhibition. Here you will find the website- www.onetree.org.uk

More One Tree Postcards Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

crewe flea market

Crewe, once a busy market town and the hub of the railways network is a rather run-down, shabby sort of a place. It's only redeeming feature now for me is the weekly flea market that runs every wednesday morning from early morning 'til midday. I've bought some bargains there over the years and some rubbish too, like the big "necklace" of CD-ROM's on a piece of wire for a £1 - mostly demos from games magazines, they kept me occupied for months! Today we didnt find much but enjoyed the rummaging and the possibility of finding that treasure for a pittance.
In the end I came away with 3 Chris Barber lps. from the 50's which featured the young Lonnie Donegan before he left and formed his own band.

the beautiful game!

This card for the "Lucky Penny" project was sent during the European Cup and expressing my frustration with the luck, or lack of it, of the England team. The Swiss referee was seen by most England fans to be too far from the action to make any sound judgement - whether the goalkeeper was impeded or not.

Nostalgia Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

OH NO! NOT THE LUCKY PENNY!

My favourite card from the "Lucky Penny" series which I sent to the LUCKY PENNY project, a terrific idea by Adele who has made a great website to explain and document the travels of the seven lucky pennies. You can find it here- www.luckyworld.co.uk

LUCKY PENNY! Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

no attack of gouty membrane for the gooseberries

A page from SHI 'zine which I sometimes contribute to. This page also appeared in my own assembling 'zine SQUINT - now sadly defunct. See link to Sick Happy Idle in Links section..

A Page for SHI magazine Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

Seven Lame Wotsits

A page from an old 'zine called Curios Thing I used to publish back in the 80's and 90's.

Seven lame Wotsits Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

woken with a haddock

Serves me right for drinking cheap bottled beer.
Just been helping Hazel load the car with old spidery wood and junk from behind the shed. No sign of the hedgehog. We think he lives under the second shed. Watching a bit of "A Canterbury Tale" by Powell & P ressbuger whilst eating our lunch of vege-burger,onions and crisps. A strange film about three pilgrims who are stranded in an english village in Kent during the 2nd. world war and the mysterious "glue-man" who pours glue on girls hair during the black-out! Some wonderful b & w photography and nostalgic view of english country life as it used to be.

spiders from ma's shed

Just been clearing out the old shed thats joined onto the house at the back. Big spiders jumping out to make us squeal everytime we move a cobweb encrusted box of junk. Hazel's just taken a car load to the local tip. Mostly old wooden doors, tins of solid paint, solid bags of cement etc. We hope to demolish the shed and put up a lean-to or cheap conservatory for Hazel do her metalwork in. We were reluctant to throw away Archie's old wooden fort so crammed it into the coal shed on top of a teetering tower of boxes of mail art and other ephemera we are loathe to get rid of. Some evidence of mice in one box but didn't find any thankfully.

the village carnival

The big parade has past our house. Hazel and Archie went out to film it. Mostly it seemed to be drum majorettes in all their fancy costumes and cars covered in ribbons and balloons with Rose Queens and Princesses sitting regally in the open boots.

I feel a bit happier now I've changed the template for this blog. The black was very depressing, especially with no pictures. It's obviously halfway trying to make a picture but all I see is this little square with the three coloured blobs in the middle. What is that?
The boot sale this Sunday was at Weaverham in the big field by the High School. They wouldn't let you park on it because of the rain and the possibility of the car getting stuck and chruning up the turf. Chruning? I think I just made up a new word. Not many punters or stalls but we rummaged through the boxes and old tat and found some bargains. A PS2 game for a fiver called The Sum Of All Fears, a squad based shooter Tom Clancy thing similar to Rainbow Six but not as good ( it only got a 5/10 in PS2 mag.) They had Spiderman and Grand Turismo but we'd already borrowed them from the library and were'nt impressed.
Hazel bought a strange long hook with a small hooped handle. I think it's for pulling the brains out of "mummy"s nostrils before they wrap them up! It's another "strange metal object" for her show in the cabinet in the 3-D dept. at college. She has quite few now - old locks, bolts,hinges,keys,scrapers,grippers,gougers,grollipers etc.
Archie got a plant for Hazel's birthday next week. The plant lady gave him two for the price of one. No Beanos or Dandy's today but he did get several yesterday which made up for it.

shelter from the storm

Still not figured out how to post pictures on this thing. Its bucketing down here. Just back from a walk into town( about 2 miles ) and had to avoid some big puddles on the way home. Pedestrains are fair game for evil motorists who delight in driving through puddles at speed when I'm walking next to one!

and for not missing a single lesson - a free pencil!

It's Archie's last day at the junior school today, so we had to go along to the final assembly and prizegiving which went on for hours! Lots of Powerpoint projections of the kids when they started at the school (Archie didn't go to the recepetion class so his photo didnt look much different to what he looks like now!) and early cute artwork which made all the tots snigger and the Mum's go " Awwww!"
We were hoping Archi'es epic 20 second Flash Animation would be shown but Mr. O'Donnell could'nt figure out how to link it up to the projector.

the giant skiffle sandwich of the moon

Welcome to my first flobberlob blog page which i'm rushing along at great haste to see what it looks like!
I guess i must start with the date. it's the 15th of july 2004. seems like a good a time as any to start blogging although i did practice at Fluxlist Wiki but gave it up after 4 days as the fonts were far too big and i didn't know how to change them. i'm looking forward to putting lots of pictures on this. I want to add one now but don't know how?
Today was very wet hear in soggy ol' England - a typical british summers day! I stayed in the dry to catch up with some mail and make a cd of "skiffle" for a friend who I swap music with.
here I should have some good links to Skiffle websites but i don't have any handy. Just type "skiffle" into Google or Ask Jeeves and he will show you.