Tree Gone

Yes, post Xmas blues - that limbo between the nonsense and the New year. The tree is back in the garden where it belongs - all bedraggled and covered in bits of tinsel. The lights are strung up all higgledy piggily. Archie has gone back to London so all back to normal now. Fridge it still pretty full amazingly. Still some beers left! Yesterday we went off for a walk after dropping Archie at the station. Whitegate Way in the sunshine. Squelchy through the mud and leaves. A few dog walkers said hello - some ignored us - full of post Xmas grumps!

A Murmuration Of Starlings

On our way home from Blakemere and Granma's for tea we saw these massive flocks of birds behind the Co-op near us. We had to park and go and see them closer as the dusk descended. Behind the Co-op is a gravel road with some rather shabby buildings and yards that sell things like fireworks, fence posts and van rentals. It was strangely eerie and quiet - even the massive flocks of birds were silent except for the faint whoosh of feathers against the still evening air.

Earlier at Blakmere's sad empty Xmas fun fair. The antique emporium was sad too, providing very little entertainment or bargains. The same things we saw before and at even higher prices. If they reduced things they might have some room for new stuff!

Boxing Day

It's raining so unlikey we shall venture out for a walk in Marbury Country Park as is our usual Boxing Day attempt at exercise to dispel the Winter over indulgence. Maybe tomorrow. Instead trying out apps on new camera. It can make these nifty monochromes with highlighted red things. Hazel is catching up with all the Corries she's missed.

Crimblemess Day

The usual traditional trek over to the next village and Granma Jones's and Audrey's house for Xmas dinner and present opening etc. The nut roast was made the day before and the Marmite gravy transported in a saucepan precariously balanced on my knee in the car! The usual fretting over the sprouts and roasties etc. We invited them to our place to save them the hassle but they like to suffer! Anyway, so ate too much and did tons of washing up. Played a silly game and nodded off in front of the Queen's speech on TV. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! More photos to follow.

Limehouse Blues

Ooh look what I found whilst travelling with Sir John Betjemen on a train through East London on the way to Southend in a glorious film entitled "Thank God It's Sunday" ( as seen on YouTube). It's my old ACME pre-fab in Camdenhurst Street in Limehouse where I lived from around 1975 to 1985. Incredibly cheap studio and living space and incredibly cold in the Winter and incredibly hot in the Summer ( especially the scorching one of 1976 ). I had some interesting neighbours , mostly artists of one kind or another. Next door were two performance artistes who dressed as spivs and sold tat from an old battered suitcase. Aound the corner was Bobby Baker who made life sized figures of cake. Her pre-fab was open one weekend and totally filled with cake figures you could take a slice of and eat whilst admiring the art! Also some biker's , but less said about them the better! There was even a back garden where I grew vegetables one year and supplied most of East London arty community with cabbages and onions!

Chester Xmas Shopping

Nice wander round Chester this morning before it got too busy. No bargains but some nice free badges "Bah Humbug!" in the Save The Children charity shop that's been refurbished and is a bit like a trendy boutique now sadly. Buskers almost having fisticuffs - the high wire act was appealing to the God Botherer's ( as Hazel calls them ) to move along as it was his turn to infuriate the passers by. They were being very un-christian though and refusing to budge. Then to Beth and Simon's for some delicious pea soup they had made - we provided the bread and cheese. Yum!

London ( more photos )

London Weekend

Nice fun packed weekend in London with Archie, Meriel and Jennifer. Stayed in Jennifer's basement. Packed a lot into three days including excellent "Play Well" exhibition at Wellcome Collection. Archie's work at Southwark Park Gllery, the UVA installation that he helped with and the Carnaby Street Xmas lights that he also helped with. Very packed in the West End - glad to escape back to Knightsbridge. Lovely food too including Dishoom curry place in old art deco theatre. Italian that Jennifer treated us to and lovely lasgane that Meriel made at their flat in Fulham. Also visits to Sadey Coles to see some amusing video work , Science Museum, Serpentine galleries and walks in Hyde Park etc. Phew! More photos coming up.

Whitegate Way and Station Cafe

Had to wait around at the station to get tickets - the lady in charge was heating up a sandwich in the microwave ( she explained 20 minutes later ) . She was very helpful depsite her crumbs of discomfort. Afterwards we had a pleasant walk along the Whitegate Way until it got too muddy. We returned to the Station Cafe which had a re-furbished larger kitchen. Lovely carrot and coriander soup which started out as a block of frozen orange stuff - thawed and piping hot it was very tasty as were the hot rolls and butter than accompanied it. Fancy china too. Should have taken a photo. The restless pooch on the next table tried to slobber over Hazel leg. Ah, the joys of the country!

Marbury Park Walk

Pleasant walk in the squelchy leaves down the frosty woods in Marbury this afternoon. Dec. 1st. 2019

The light was amazing through the trees and over the autumnal foliage - what' s left of it! Sat in the bird hide we saw a sneaky rabbit pass by and a few blue tits land for some seeds but they had all gone. Had we known we could have bought some. Lots of mad dogs sploshing about in the muddy puddles and one raced off being followed by two lots of frantic calling couples - "Tobious! Gropious! Come back - where are you?!"

ISSUE 43 - assembling book work.

Curated this time by Phil Mead in Devon.

Indoor Boot Sale

Nice wander round the indoor boot at Memorial Court this morning. Got a few bargains including an old Radio Fun annual to cut up, cigarette cards, card game, candles, postcard, slides etc. Mostly it was Xmassy stuff - old plastic toys etc. Hazel's eeye is improveing after a worrying time - rushing from one hospital to another to get laser treatment for a detached retina. Amazingly quick prodedure. 30 minutes and we were phoning for a taxi back home. Nice Moldovian taxi driver was very chatty. That's the 5th time we have been to either A&E or outpatients this year so hopefully not going again for a while! The NHS are wonderful despite all the cut backs. Vote Labour and save it!

A Walk In Anderton

The joys of Autumn - kicking up the leaves - a walk round Anderton woods for a change as Marbury was full of hundreds of dogs - no parking spaces! Then to Granma and Audrey's for batenburg and coffee. Nov. 2019

Chester

Nice wander around sunny Chester today with Hazel. She went off to buy material for her quilting and I did the usual charity shop run. No bargains this time - just a slim wall calender to write birthdays and dentist apps. on etc. Also 6 postcard for a quid in the Oxfam shop. Some will no doubt be collaged in amusing and delightful ways. Then to our old chums Beth and Simon who have moved nearby. We took along some vege sausage rolls, cheese, bread and cake for lunch. Beth had made some delicious carrot and coriander soup so plenty to sustain us for the walk back to town and the bus ride to the car park at Broughton. Chester was packed with graduating students pouring out of the cathedral in droves for photo opportunities ouside in the sunshine. You can just about see some in my photo of the hideous sculpture and cathedral. The Blue Coat Hospital is on the way out of town beyond the city walls. Not noticed it before so took a snap of the figure in blue above the door.

Bonfire and Fireworks

These photos don't really do the fireworks justice that we saw last night in Gadbrook Park just round the corner. £1 to get in - a bargain! Hundreds thronged amid the swings and roundabouts - the explosions echoing round the houses on the parks perimeter. BANG! WHOOOSH! etc. Ooohs and Aaaah's a plenty. The smell of cordite and fried onions from the hot dog stall. Hazel and I had our first real date at bonfire and firework party back in 1983 so the evening tinged with nostalgia and togetherness.

Dagfields

Lots of soggy crows, starlings and sheep on the way to drippy Dagfields antique emporiums this morning. Prices seemed to have gone up again so we didnt get much. Nice ride out though despite the torrential drizzle. Hazel was not tempted by the red wooden engine ( shed work ) or the antique Marvel and Cocoa tins! Nor the fake number 6. £8 seemed a bit steep for a repro. sign. She bagged a biscuit tin for a fiver ( normally £3 on any boot sale ) seduced by the squirrel on the lid. The victorian scrap screen was nice but not as nice as the one we already have. The little snowmen made of sawn up logs were a bit too early - come back next month! Stopped off at the hospice place on the way home for a rummage. Hazel found a glass dish engraved ( or moulded?) with King George 6th Coronation wordage.

Skullduggery

It's that time of year again when you spend lots of money of nasty looking sweets to give to trick or treaters who knock on your door on 31st October. Hazel found this plastic skull in one shopping trip recently. Alas poor Yorick? Not sure how you spell it. I expect it will be in the window with all the other pumpkins, spooky lights, flappy bats etc. Hazel is more into it than me I must admit. I always let her go to the door with the treat bowl. The bowl is usually empty by 7pm and we can turn off all the lights and hide.