Chester

Nice day out in Chester, mainly to collect work from the Northgate Studio Gallery. Always time to wander round the cobbled streets and pop in a few charity shops, the market, Poundshop etc. Hazel went off on her own to frequent the clothes and shoe shops. I didn't find much , just a DVD in the pound shop of a strange Brit comedy with that sad eyed chap from the Detectorists. His name escapes me for the moment. Anyway, we watched it in the evening and it was OK but nothing special. I think it was called Three To One? Mackenzie Crook - that's the feller. We met up for lunch- al fresco style by the Chester Male Voice choir collecting for daffodil day - they were wearing bright yellow daffodil hats! Actually they had just finished and Hazel collared one to say how much she enjoyed it. I can take it or leave it myself. I enjoyed the yellow hats though! Quite a few buskers about including a boy playing a trumpet and a string quartet. After lunch we collected my work and had a chat to Jane who runs the Northgate gallery. She said there may be another open exhibition in the Summer. Not sure if I will bother exhibiting again though as they had no luck selling my work and it's a bit of a traipse from Northwich. We shall see. Home again via the antique emporoim at Blakemere. Hazel bought some old tin badges including some nice Joe 90 ones from the 60's Gerry Anderson TV series.

Alsager

Busy day out starting at indoor boot at Middlewich - Hazel got some mirrors and some other bits and bobs. I found Blu Ray of Gravity for a quid. Then to Aldi in Sandbach to stock up on bits we are running out of and gifts for Tony and Pene who we were going to next for lunch. On to Alsager for a nice lunch and chat - walk to Asda to get some spuds with Tony. Hazel stayed to talk to Pene. Nice pudding - almond cake, raspberries and ice cream. Waddled around the Salt Line nature path to try and loose some of the weight just aquired! Played a silly game of dice under a coloured cup? More cake and tea. Home before it got dark and we turned into pumpkins.

February 5th

Sunny today and a trifle cold. But instead of trifle I made some mince pies with the left over jar of mince I found at the back of the fridge. It had solidified a bit but tasted fine. The large triffid like plant has just flowered - an enomous bloom that has taken over most of the kitchen . If it grows anymore we shall have to move it into the garden . It'll probably walk there of it's own accord! The strange photo inside a mirror was a Hazel purchase from this weeks indoor boot at the Memorial Court. He seems to be reading an old I-Spy book? Secret code book is my guess.

Jan/February

So here we are in February already just catching up again here in blogland. January was fairly quiet with much wind and rain as is today infact - terrible storm Imogene following on from storm George and storm Harriet or whatever it was. Someone remarked on FB that storms just seem to get more fierce and frequent since they started naming them and I think it's true! Anonymous storms seem easier to handle somehow and tend to blend into one another. So today we are celebrating 100 years of Dada with many collagings about Hannha Hoch, Schwitters, Ernst and others.Collage came alive back then and we are still in the shadows of the their foot stools. Or their bathing machines? Umbrellas? Anyway, some dadaist thing inbued with mystery and romance. Inbued, is that a word? I'll have to googly it. Today I made another for the dada group on FB. This (above) is an old one from last year - from the blog Kollage Kit. Also a trip into the windy town for a walk among puddles and posting parcels. Found some cheap DVD's including "The Woman IN The Window" by Fritz Laing - not one of his best known works. Also Charlie Chaplin shorts on two DVD's - all cleaned up with a nice musical track added. I watched the first "A Dog's Life" which was fun with some nifty slapstick, acrobatics and a cute mongrel. Just made some mince pies with the left over mince that was solidifying in the fridge. Just in time for afternoon tea.