West Wharf Gallery , Cardiff.

I have a few works in this show about the assembling artist book ISSUE that is in it's 20th year - a special celebratory exhibition with some of the poeple involved. I curated an issue a few years back and have contributed to half a dozen or so over the years. Lost count now.Always a treat to get in the post. Thanks to old Southend Art School chum , Richard Cox who started it with a couple of his mates in Cardiff. here's photos of the PV he sent me. Sadly I couldnt go due to prior commitments.

Cardiff

Had a nice birthday driving down to Cardiff via Newtown where we stopped off to see the Oriel Peters gallery which sadly was in the middle of hanging the next show. Hada picnic in the park the gallery is in and had a look round the many charity shops. Didn't buy much though. Our legs stretched and refreshed we wended our way via the Brecon Beacons to South Wales. Some hideous traffic snark ups on the way but we got there eventually. Nice to see my old art school chum Rick Cox again after our last trip , three years ago. He'd organised a group show at the West Wharf Gallery which was the main reason for the visit. Also it was a nice way to celebrate my 67th birthday. Rick took us to one of his favourite Chinese resturants in the evening although we insisted on paying . Delicious it was too! The next day we had to wait in for a friend of Ricks to come and look at the rotten fence he was going to mend in the back garden. The weather BTW was really wonderfully hot and sunny the whole weekend. Phew! A bit TOO hot for travelling really! We eventually made it into town to see the exhibition and wandered through the park which stretches for miles it seems and wonderful lung for the city. Also looked round some junk markets and antique emporiums so quite in my element despite not buying anything. Hazel went off to visit her friend Jackie and we met up again for dinner that evening. Feet aching ( corn trouble) so glad Rick suggested driving to the docks to see the studios and galleries where he works. Also looked around the docks and the new builds in that area including the Craft Gallery and the Town Hall? A huge phallic William Pye sculpture dominates the piazza which you can just see in the distance in the panoramic shot of the Docks area. Thats Rick in the other photo mending a picture that had slipped at the West Wharf G. Lovely meal in the evening cooked by Rick's wife Alison. Watched DVD "Hi-Fidelity" again in the evening nodding off in front of the telly. Drove back the next morning after breakfast , via Knighton where we dropped in on old chum Andy Hazell and his ex-partner in crime Lucy Casson and her friend in the house they have just bought around the corner.

Cardiff

I seem to be a little behind in my bloggings for some reason. I thought I had blogged about our trip to Cardiff but seems I haven't. Most remiss of me as we had a great time courtesy of my old art school buddy Rick Cox and his lovely wife Alison who made us feel very welcome and let us stay a couple of nights.
Before we got there though we drove - or Hazel very bravely did - down via Shrewsbury and Knighton and popped into the Acton Scott Farm Museum which was really nice and great place to have our picnic lunch ( see above outside the old school house ).
Lots to see including the farrier making a horse shoe, a man sawing a big log, big brick ovens ( as seen in the TV prog.about the farm ) and folk dressed in the garb of the day- sewing doilies and knitting ploughs etc.
Well worth a visit if ever you pass that way. Some stunning countryside around the Welsh borders.
Getting into Cardiff was a little more scary despite the Tom Tom who led us a merry dance. Hazel was getting quite nervous by all those huge roads and roundabouts - which lane do we get in? How should I know?! Anyway we finally made it and Rick took us to the Chapter Arts Centre to see an attend an opening of a dreadful exhibition - scrawly drawings pinned to batons. The book shop was more interesting and Archie bought a Royal Wedding sick bag that some enterprising artist had made. He bought it with the 5 pound note he found in the car park at Acton Scott.

After watching a bit of the Royal Welding shinnanegans the following morning we walked through the park to the Castle and had a look around there. Amazing place with very ornate rooms and battlements, a keep and dungeons with Vera Lynne singing in them ( to keep up morale during the war ).
Then a look round the shops and the long walk back through the park, In the evening we were taken by Rick and Alison to the Bay Arts opening ( so much art in Cardiff!) and he shows us his studio upstairs. Then to the docks to see the new buildings ( see above). Afterwards a wonderful chinese meal nearby which was the tastiest Ive ever had. Our treat ofcourse.
The next day Rick and I went to Bristol to the Spike Island Open Studios and the Arnolfini to see a great book arts fair. Met up with lots of people I knew including Mark Pawson, Red Fox Press and Tony and Penny Eve. Not enough time to see it all and I'd run out of money so only had enough to pay for lunch and buy three badges.
Art overload now by this time so glad to get back to Cardiff for relaxing evening with some of the ISSUE participants ( an assembling book that Rick started some years ago ) and delicious food that Alison prepared.
It was home the next day and got caught up in traffic again despite being Sunday and going a different route. Eventually made it back to Acton Scott for a break and a sandwich we bought at an ASDA store. Took us 5 hours to get home!