Interesting

An amusing video from Interesting 2008 that Nick at MMU went to and enthused over. 20 plus mini talks about "interesting" things including lego, virtual worlds and masks.
Just back fromtown with hazel where we went to the annual Salvation Army Summer Sale. It was pretty crowded so I didn't stay long. I bought a Bad Boys DVD for 25p. In the market I bought three old annuals from the 50's for a quid each- Playbox and Rainbow ( with Tiger Tim ). He's had them on the stall for 8 quid in the past but obviously didn't sell them so a real bargain I think. I will try and uplaod the covers which are beautiful to Flickr if I get a chance.
Hazel bought a postcard album for her Mom and some papery flowers.
If the sun stays out we may go for a walk this afternoon as we have quite a supply of stale and mouldy bread piling up.

Bottom Joke

Archie made this collaged card for my birthday.

Postcards From The Ledge

Not really from the ledge but from my sister and family on holiday in Cornwall. They found this card at the Telephone Museum down there. I have taken liberties with it as it amused me to change the letters round and add some collage. I am easily pleased.
We had visitors today, mainly to see Hazel and look round her workshop and the house for a film project. Sounds very exciting in a small way. Maybe an exhibition at the end of it - or the beginning. They seemed to be impressed with all our junk and flotsam. We are used to the walls being crammed with stuff but I can see why it would be an assault on the senses coming here. I always explain that this is nothing compared with our old flat in Lambeth Walk which was like living inside a collage.
I can't remember anything really worth mentioning over the last few days. I shall have to check my very dull diary jottings.
O yes, the gas boiler was serviced on Monday and whilst he was doing that another gasman arrived to check out the leaky fridge which was leaving small pools on the kitchen floor. Seems it was a blocked pipe and he unblogged it easily with a length of curtain wire. We can do that in future and not have to pay cover for such trifling matters. The boiler is a different kettle of fish though - anything goes on that and it costs a small fortune to put right! The boiler was given the o.k. and he then fixed the stove ignition which hasnt been working for years. It turned out to be a flat battery. After he pumped it up it was fine.
Archie is learning Japanese so I went to town and borrowed a Japanese phrasebook from the library which has useful words written phonetically. So now he can ask where the Sushi Bar is and how to find the Rocket Train.

Birdbath Reflections

Here we are having afternoon tea and cakes with Granma Jones and Auntie Audrey. Tried to not eat too many profriteroles and lemon cheese cake with waxy bits on in case it spoiled our appetite for the curry in the evening.
We met our old chums Tony and Penny at the Bengal Dynasty and had a ncie choice of vegetarians main courses and some poppadums, swilled down with Cobra lager. The waiters were a little too attentive as the place was nearly empty and they obviosly had nothing else to do. I can pour my own beer out thankyou! We joked that they may come round and push your jaw up and down to make you chew faster, but thankfully they must have seen that we were uncomfortable with having our napkins placed on our laps and kept a discreet distance.
Afterwards had a coffee, chat and guitar twanging match at our place.

Today it was raining but Hazel and went into town to post some mail and get some fish. Hazel bought smalls in the smalls department of ( urgh! I've just taken a swig of tea and I've put Hazel's two sugars in mine by mistake!) M&S. Then to Matalan for new summer trousers,
This afternoon it was the church fete/bazaar in Lostock Gralam so we picked up Granma nd Audrey to take them. They had been knitting furiosly all week to supply the church with finger puppets and Croc shaped hand warmers. I bought an Italian Horror film for 20p- not the sort of thing for a church fete surely? Also a CD of Santana. Hazel tried the lucky dip and won some soaps and a mystery prize which turned out to be sticky sweets which we disposed of.
The church also had fun and games in and a selection of old implements around the tressle tables including a wind up gramaphone and some old 78's which caught my eye.
I wanted to hear them but it wasn't allowed. The lady vicar in pink cassock told us about the competitions and prizes. Guess the boxer -"He still lives in the village" and Colour In The Bible etc.
Then home to watch a strange and funny chinese film called "Kung Fu Hustle".
Now the football is on again. Should be a good match between Russia and Holland. My money is on the Russians.

Happy Mirthday!

A great card that just turned up on the doorstep from Roger and Jilly. It made us laugh! We didn't even know this had been taken. Maybe a still from the great lost video of Rye - when we visited Roger and Jilly last year when they lived nearby.
Also a CD of songs to listen too later. Hazel is busy hoovering as her Mom and Sister are coming over later to eat cake and watch me blow out 61 candles - I have the asbestos suit ready.

Two Thirty

These are the Gemini Twins, a collage I did for Scrapiteria theme a few weeks back.
Not much has happened since I last wrote. The weather has taken a turn for the worse - colder and wetter. A typically English Summer I suppose - so much for Global Warming!
Hazel had to take the car into the garage again as it kept leaving small pools of oil overnight. We thought about giving it a big nappy to wear but in the end it was the oil filter thingy that needed tightening or replacing- which they should have done when it was in for it's yearly MOT service last week!
So while the car was in the garage we went shopping in town. I bought myself some early birthday presents in the Help The Aged - some 99p DVD's of "Clerks" ( aboxed set of 3 discs!) "Collateral" with Tom Cruise and a Robert De Niro film I forget the name of. Also "The Elephant Man" on video I always fancied watching again.
Some new stickers turned up for the Wheelie Bin Gallery in the post from Leslie Caldera ( with a birthday collage ) and C. Mehrl Bennett. We hope to have the the most colourful stickered been in the whole neighbourhood by the end of the year!

Father's Day (continued)

This is the collaged card that Archie made for me. A chip off the old block. I actually had quite vivid dream about Archie last night who was driving a Post Office van with me as a passenger. It was in London somewhere and we were trying to get back to Lambeth Walk. Archie was drunk and got out to be sick in the gutter. Very odd.
Yesterday went o.k. despite being very cold for June. Almost tempted to put the heating back on. The boot sale was at Anderton. Hazel took the scenic route via Cumberbatch and Marbury. I didnt get much really just a tuppaware box of assorted cheap rubber stamps. Most of them were animals or birds. Also some numbers and letters of the alphabet.
Hazel bought some plants - runner beans and pretty yellow bell like flowers. Met Jack and his Mom just coming away- they didn't find any bargains. They were looking for a petrol driven hedge trimmer for some reason. Surely a steam powered on would be better?
Archie stayed at home in bed. He got up around noon which is typical of holidays and weekends. As well as the card he gave me a nice box of Terry's "All Gold".
My jaw still aches a bit. It only hurts when I laugh.

Happy Father's Day

Here's me and my Dad in 1949 in some seaside place - probably Hastings as we lived in Kent at the time. My naughty Mum has cut off her side of the photo as she obviously didn't like the clothes she was wearing or the face she was pulling? She often used to do this - our albums are full of edited photos for some reason or another!

Interactive Arts

We went to Manchester yesterday to see the Interactive Arts degree show that Hazel works on. It was the opening night and so Hazel was in her special Choo Chin Chow chinese red dress. Hazel travelled up earlier in the day but Archie and I went later in the afternoon. The train was late so pretty typical Friday the 13th! Luckily it wasn't so bad at the opening. Met a few nice poeple like ace animator Andy Sykes (above) who told us about his latest projects and the Ayup Anim Lab at Bradford Museum of Film and TV that he and some friends have taken over.

Here's Archie with some of the varied and interesting work the students have made over the last three years of the Interactive Arts course. Little huts and houses seem to be popular agin this year. Strange sounds were eminating from this log cabin.

After the opening we had a nice pizza at Pizza Hut near the hotel we were staying in and retired for the night. It had been a long day, especially for Hazel.
Today we had breakfast in a greasy spoon type cafe run by Indians or maybe Greek Cypriots? The fried egg on toast came as a sandwich which was unexpected but very tasty.
We went round all the other courses today to see what they had been doing. Embroidery was very good and some interesting work in 3-D design and sculpture. Hazel had to look after the exhibits so couldn't stray far from the main gallery.
For lunch we tried the Noodle Bar which turned out to be very cheap and good. We tried the cheap lunch menu and choose the vegetarian spring rolls and the very hot curry and rice. Hazel and Archie had a king prawn salad which was a mountain of rocket and all manner of other yummy delights. The prawns were cold though. For desert we tried the fruit fritters and ice cream. We shared them as a portion each would have been too much to eat. Also delicious.
Then archie and I walked to the Manchester City Art Gallery which has been extended and re-furbished and looked at the new galleries and interactive childrens gallery in particular. Some nice work from all eras including a lovely Alfred Wallis seascape on a box lid and some Lowrys.
We met Hazel and got the train home at 4-25, by which time we were all exhausted and our feet throbbed with all the walking we had done.

Sunshine Boots

The boot sale on sunday was fun - over at Cuddington.
It was on a school playing field in the sun.
Just local junk for locals which made it very friendly.
I bought a big roll of sticky address labels.
I found a big pile of postcards on one of the tables.
Hazel bought some too and we had a laugh
At some of the messages written on holiday.
One said "I shall be home at 10:35, can you buy me a ten shilling chickin"
And another which read " My face is burnt, if the weather stays hot it will turn out lovely."

Hazel also bought a small set of drawers to keep her collections of nuts in.

In the afternoon we went to Marbury to feed the duck and have a walk under the cool shadey trees. At the bird hide we saw loads of frisky young squirrels, two rabbits, a jay and a woodpecker. Hazel said it was a bit like walking into a Walt Disney glade. You half expected the woodland creatures to break into song and start juggling with the bread we put down. Also lots of tits, chaffinch and a greedy magpie.

Procrastination

Proscrastination


Before I get down to some work
I'll just make a cup of tea
Maybe sort out that sock drawer
And see what's on TV

Plenty to do today
But time for a short stroll
To get the papers
And a bag of crusty rolls

I sit down at my desk
Scratch my head and wonder
Whats on the radio?
Is that the sound of thunder?

Better get the washing in
Before the rain gets quicker
Is that the post man at the door?
Maybe there's a letter

Before I get down to some work
I'll have another cup of tea
The sun's come out!
O dear, it's half past three!

Charity Shops

This is one of the very few charity shops we HAVEN@T got in Northwich. We have quite few which is one of the reasons I enjoy a walk into town two or three times a week. Apart from the exercise you never know what bargains you might find. None today though.
Betty in Age Concern said she was doing the Cuddington Primary School boot sale on Sunday and that was the only one she knew of, which is unusual as she usually knows lots.
Then along to Help the Aged, Red Cross and Scope. Not a sausage. I've looked through all these old scratchy records before! The Charity Card shop is to revert to a charity shop again apparently as they haven't been doing very well. The trouble is they have serious competition - almost as many card shops as charity shops!
The Oxfam shop didn't have much new stuff. I don't bother looking at the records there anymore as they are so expensive. Posted some packets in the postoffice and then bought some smoked cod for tonights fish pie. Hazel has gone off fish pie but Archie and me really like it- so don't know what she's having!
Then a stroll round the Hospice shop and the other one? which I can never remeber the name of and then to M & S for some butter and bread.
No post yet. Audrey phoned for a chat and told me a long list of plants she'd put into her garden.

Punsleys
Primplers
Fluttox
Babweed
Geronimos
Grumblers
and
Hiffwaffs

That's what it sounded like anyway as i thought about my tea getting cold in the other room.