Denbigh, Ruthin, Mold, Colwyn Bay etc.

We went on a little mini Antiques Road Trip through North Wales yesterday and stayed one night at a B&B out in the middle of nowhere, near St. Asaphe, which is near Denbigh. Here'e all our bargains. Hazel's are more antiques than mine I must admit! But mine were probably cheaper - most being less than a quid each. We wanted to travel around longer but everywhere is fully booked. Nice to see the Welsh B&B and hotels doing such good business. A bit sad for us though having to come home so early - still we enjoy being at home. Off tomorrow for some day trip antique hunting instead.

Chelford Steam Rally and Fair

I actually deleted all my photos after adding them to Flickr and FB so having to make do with this old one of chains at a previous auto-jumble. Needless to say we had a nice day out in the sun yesterday over near Chelford which is about 15 miles from us. In the grounds of Astley House or estate? (I should do more research before I write these things!) I will try and find some useful links. Straight onto the Wall of Death and the bikes rattling round a big wooden drum and the punters at the top looking fearfully over the edge as the bikers whizz ever nearer to the safety wire which doesn't look like it could hold back a roller skate let alone a powerful motor bike at full throttle! Vrrrrrrrooooooooom! Every photo was rather blurry but must be seen to be appreciated! Also some old gallopers that were at Llandudno and Hazel and Archie had a ride and chatted to the lady owner. Enjoyed also the auto-jumble with its piles of prized rusty car parts and junk of all kinds. Hazel bought another nice battered tin of drawers for her nick-nacks. ( she bought two in the morning at the artisan market in town ) seems green tin things are all the rage! Had a picnic lunch by the antique tractors. The swirling whirling sounds of the vintage pipe organs and steaming engines all added to the general cacophony. Watched the dog acrobatics and the tractors circling the display arena ( not at the same time I hasten to add ). Another rummage round the junk piles and away off home with our ears ringing and the smell of coal and hot steam in our nostrils.

Anderton

Nice walk today with Barb and Des who are staying a couple of days. Walked through Carey Park from the town centre and had a look round the Anderton Boat Lift site. Took lots of photos. It was quite hot and sunny. The boat trips were all booked up so we went and had a pub lunch at the nearby Stanley Arms instead. Sat under shadey tree in the sunny beer garden. Nice publican happy to drag the table there and put up a parasol for us. Fish and chips and heaps of salad and mushy peas. Waddled back through the woods to find some shade.

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.

Portland Match Experiments

Manchester

I accompanied Hazel into Manchester today to see the degree shows. I had intended to go to Salford too to see Charlie Holt's collage exhibition at the Art Gallery in Peel Park but my corn was throbbing and back still had a slight twinge so didn't make it. I tired to pace myself around MMU and had regular sit downs. Hazel was off interviewing prospective students ( some good ones she said afterwards ) and so I was left to my own devices. Most of the shows were pretty dull but I did enjoy this big paper boat made of many small paper boats ( or are they hats?) which was in the foyer of the new build and not sure which department they belonged to. Also very nice to see were the giant family of ceramic insulators outside the science building near the University. In fact I think I preferred them to the art!

Whitegate/ Alsager

Pleasant Sunday jaunt out to Whitegate first to the boot sale. Got a nice tin motorbike man for two quid. Hazel bought a ton of plants for herself and various other folk. Took some over to Tony and Pene's in Alsager in the afternoon. Dave Smith came along too which was nice. Lovely food and chat in the back garden and the sun came out now and again which made it even more agreeable.

Camping With Brenda

My camping trips were always fraught with bad weather and incident. Pitching tents in torrential rain on sand dunes isn't really my idea of fun! The first tent I ever bought was with money saved up from a holiday job at Ilford films. Seemed like the first really big purchase of my life at the time although it was probably only about a fiver. Still, in 1967 that was almost a week's wages for a scruffy student winding films on to a spool in the dark for 8 hours every night! Andre Jamet? I think that was the name of the maker of tents. French eh? tres swish! But from that cheapo army and navy shop in Basildon. They are still going - selling plaid shirts and walking boots, bobble hats and thick vests. Millets - yes that was the place. Lugged the tent all the way round Southern Ireland in the Summer of 1967 with some chums in the rain. When I got home I forgot to dry it out so next time I came to use it found it had rotted badly in a few places and the holes needed patching up! Used it again a couple of times in Cornwall and France. Camped on sand dunes near St. Ives- the wind whistling round the flaps. Weird sounds of the Cornish night. Didn't sleep very well - the lumpy ground and the spooky sea hags wailing! No wonder the joys of camping were short lived. Give me a nice warm B&B any day!

Walk To Anderton

Nice walk through Carey Park yesterday to Anderton Boat Lift and along the River Weaver. Excellent pub lunch in the beer garden of the Stanley Arms bathed in glorious sunshine. We made the most of it. Nice pint of Punter ale too which was the "guest beer". Sandwiches came with heaps of chips and salad which we didn't expect and found hard to finish! Walked back a different route through the woods making use of the various wooden benches along the way overlooking the river - watching the boats go by and the occasional heron. Popped into the Anderton visitors centre to use their facilities. Sat and watched to boats enter the lift to be lowered to the River Weaver from the Trent & Mersey canal above.

Walk In The Woods

Pleasant weekend all round but the highlight being a lovely walk in the bluebell woods at Marbury with our old chums Tony and Pene. The bluebells looked amazing and at their best this week in Cheshire. You'll have to go to my Flickr stream to see more photos of them. We went for a delicious vege burger and chips pub lunch afterwards at the Salt Barge nearby and sat in the sunny beer garden at the back. A nice pint of Tatton ale too! Tony and Pene showed us some of their holiday snaps from Oz where they went recently to see family. Looks like they had a great time. Then back to ours for tea and biscuits and our photos we took in 2010 visiting Sydney and Hazel's Auntie and Uncle in the Blue Mountains. Tony tried on the stripey knitted jumper that Hazel's sister and Mom had made for him. Another photo opportunity!

Easter

We've had a busy weekend going places. First to Macclesfield to the Silk Museum and had lunch at the Salt Bar - Swedish and Norwegian food. Looked round the charity shops etc. The weather has been good mostly sunny with a chill wind so still had my duffle coat on most of the time. Archie and Hazel have been doing some gardening. Moving benches and repairing tables, painting the back gate etc. General tidying up and planting stuff they bought at the boot sales. Hazel's hoping to get a new shed/ summer house at the end of the garden and remove the old one that blocks out a lot of light. They have been planting and weeding at Granma's too. Yesterday we went for Easter cake and coffee and Archie filled a large bucket with dandelions he'd picked out of the front lawn. The boot sale at Whitegate was busy but despite the good weather and the crowds we didn't get much. Hazel bought some ceramics for Audrey and some more plants. Archie did some experiments with an electric blower and a funnel - making Easter chicks from the Pound Shop wobble about and spring out in an alarming manner! Ron in Glasgow sent this nice Easter card collage.

Test for Animoto

Test Video

Ruthin - North Wales

Pleasant ride out to Ruthin in North Wales today with Hazel. Nice day considering the weather forecast of sunshine and showers. A few spots and spits but nothing to trouble us. Had a nice breakfast in out favourite cafe in the centre of the town after parking at the Craft Centre. We met up with the Mary Greg crew later - part of an MMU student trip by the 3D department. Some interesting work from the Jerwood Prize selection and some homely crafts in the side gagglery. Not sure what a gagglery is but it sounds good and full of geese which it wasn't! I walked about a bit on my own while Hazel popped in the clothes shops. I found some charity shops - bought a DVD of The Maltese Falcon with extras disc for a quid. I watched it recently but always nice to have the extras - making of, documentaries etc. For lunch in the crafts centre cafe we had a open sandwich to share - salmon and prawn which was delicious. I could have eaten a whole one but had already had three breakfasts! No wonder I am getting fat! Nice chats with Hazel and her chums - possible exhibition in the pipeline - testing out the gallery and the space. Quiet roads back and home by 3-15pm just in time to catch the kids coming out of school and blocking our parking space!

Branching Out

Hazel decided to chop down a large branch today to make more light come into our shady garden. I thought it was a stupid idea from the start but she ignored my protestations and carried on. I had to hold the step ladder whilst she balanced precariously at the top sawing with a bow saw. The saw dust went into her eyes and she had to retire for a while to wash out the offending material. Red eyed she returned to have another hack at the now creaking branch. When she got tired I had a go - more creaks ( mostly my knocking knees!) The branch was hanging over our neighbour's garden so of course we had to ask them if it was OK to let it fall their side. They were quite happy to oblige. Anyway, eventually the branch broke and swung backwards much to our surprise narrowly missing my nose as I dodged out of the way! Blimey, that was a close one! Then Hazel had to go round to the neighbour's garden to chop it up ( see above gif ) whilst I went indoors grumbling and took these photos.

Brighton

Nice weekend in Brighton to see our boy's 2nd year sculpture show at the Grand parade gallery in the Uni. art college. Good to see Debra and John Hegley turn up to the PV. We saw John later at the Hove Folk Club where he did a short set. Roger Stevens did a spot too at the end of the evening.  We stayed at Roger and Jilly's in Hove. It was very windy and wet!  The next day we showed R & J  the sculpture show and had a nice vegetarian breakfast/lunch in the bohemian quarter.  Did some shopping and then back to Hove for some supper and meet up with Jill's son Joe and grandsom Sam for some Lego action.  Got the train back on Sunday - thankfully no trees had blown on the line.  Got home around 3pm.  Car still where we parked it in the pub car park across the road from the station.  Nice to get back to relatively windless Cheshire!

The Century Cinema /Market - Pitsea, Essex

Fond memories of this old flea pit near Basildon where I spent many happy hours at Saturday matinees watching old Republic serials of Batman, Captain Video, Rocketman etc. and child friendly films like Abbot & Costello, Laurel and Hardy, Childrens Film Foundation flicks and all manner of cartoons and shorts featuring The Three Stooges, Our Gang and the like back in the late 50's and early 60's.  Sadly a bingo hall now like so many others. Just round the back was the fabled Pitsea market which back then had some wonderful stalls that included Alf (The market man) who sold cheap tat and had quite a line in patter and could gather a good crowd on Saturdays to buy almost anything ( I once bought an electric egg whisk from him when I was about 12 for my Mum's birthday - she stuck to the handy fork !) Also remember the ex-juke box record stall that sold scratchy gems for a few pence  ( where are they all now?) and the comic stall for exotic American mags of super heroes and super villians.  A nice old pathe fim here that shows briefly the old market before it was demolished to make way for some space age domes and the hideous fly-over.

A Long Felt Want

Actually just a roll of roofing felt which is slightly different.  We bought some the other day from B&Q at enormous expense but our shed is leaking so has to be done.  I almost did it yesterday as it was a nice sunny day - luckily today is nice and sunny too so girded up my lions and sprang into action!  Well, not quite sprang - more of a slouch and a reluctant DIY's droop.
It wasnt as bad as I expected after I got into it and my hands became less numb with the cold. I warmed up with all the climbing of ladders and banging the clouts in etc.  Didnt even hit my thumb once - or cut myself which is pretty good for me!  I managed to stay on the ladder too. I think this was the bit Hazel was worried about but I only went up two of three rungs so not exactly up to the roof!
I probably should have removed the layers of old felt but that seemed like more hard work and anyway more layers mean a dryer shed inside right?   Well, that was my thinking and Hazel agreed so that was fine.  That roof must weigh a ton though as the roll of bitumen soaked felt was pretty heavy and I just about lifted it from the garden seat to the ground!  You can see how it finally looked in this panoramic shot of the back garden from my workroom window - good eh? Should last another 5 years - thats' what the guarantee says anyway.  

Bumper Mail Day

 Bumper mail art packets from two regular correspondents today which was a nice surprise as I hardly ever send any out these days! Postage has reached appalling price now - just a postcard in the UK being 50p and the Australia is around two quid!   Even the nice people behind the counters at the local PO have become very mean - pushing the letters and packets through the tiny slotted thing they are obliged to do these days and tutting, saying "Sorry, its just too big - that will have to be another two pounds in postage!"  When I ask if they could put it through a mangle to flatten it a bit they just smile ruefully and ignore my pathetic jokes!
So  its cheaper for me to just use the internet to send mail now - anyway as Iv'e said before - the coal shed is full to bursting with the 35 year old archive and I cannot get another stamp in there let alone a packet.  Though I do enjoy getting the odd snail mail I must admit.  Curating the OBRIGADO show at the VAC gallery has made me realise how much I've been missing it. It was a good fix for a while but rather glad it's stopped now.  The Sticker Dude has included some stickers based on an old collage of mine so that was a nice surprise. I shall no doubt find ways to distribute them. perhaps leaving them on trains and buses to baffle old age pensioners?

The pack from D.C. Spaulding in Lomita CA. was more of the late John Evans's collage material which his wife has been spreading around the network it seems.  D.C. said he had far too much so was sending me some. Creative Thing in Los Angeles recently sent me a stack of similar stuff he had been given by John's wife through a third party so I am accumulating quite a rich hoard - mostly tickets, labels, postcards and other ephemera. I am arranging them in small collections like Peter Blake's  "A Small Museum For...." series.  More news anon.

Latest Aquisitions

Latest aquisitions to our walls at home. Top - Small painting on board by our old chum from Boston - Jonathan Stangroom. Middle - Maria Walker coloured embroidery I bought as a Xmas present for Hazel below an assemblage by PLG in Germany. Bottom -  collaged postcard from Fi Webster in Maryland U.S,A. - a swap we did recently.

Peter Leigh - Grenadier Guard

Still in our thoughts though he's been gone to that big sentry box in the sky for a few years now.  Just found this other image of him online whilst looking for photos of the Coronation of King George VI   which he attended as honour guard. I think that's what you called it anyway?   We a have alarge version of this on our wall that my Dad hand tinted - a lovely red uniform and stripes on the standard.  This is a Tuck postcard I never knew existed!    Annoyed that its been sold - would be nice to have.

Tonbridge

Found this after a search on the interweb - an old photo of Vale Road in Tonbridge, Kent, where we lived briefly in the late 40's after I was born with my Dad's "Uncle Bill"   ( William Leigh )  . I have vague memories of the road but remember it being much narrower and steam train smoke puffing up from behind that enormous wall that seemed to run it's length.  Uncle Bill suffered from spina bifeda as a lad and so was left with a "humpty back". He was quite a character and lived alone with his cat in a tiny terraced house that backed onto the River Medway which was at the bottom of his long abundant garden. We still have photos of him standing there by the runner beans and the river just over a rickety fence - another of him fishing. Apparently I used to throw toys into the river when nobody was looking - a rather naughty infact with an inventive line in abuse for neighbours who I took a dislike to so my Mother said. "Bum bum face" was one and "Nannygoat Face" another!  I'm sure she was making it all up!  The other thing i remember about the dark and dingy house was the rope used as a bannister that you heave-ho'd yourself upstairs with.  That cat was a terror too-  scratched me once and I avoided it like the plague afterwards. Lucky it didn't end up in the river with all the other stuff!

Flopsy - Archie's latest project.

Artisan Market

Nice wander round the latest Artisan Market in the streets of Northwich today which happens the second Saturday of every month.  We missed the last couple being in Brighton or Yorkshire or somewhere so glad we could make it to todays which was heaving with people. Good to see it being so popular!  The lady we bought some oat cakes from said she had to bring twice as many this time as before they had sold out in no time - literally like "hot cakes"  ( made late last night in Stoke ).  Lots of interesting stalls full of cheeses, wine, jams, preserves, chutney, olives, antiques ( some lovely but expensive French wine and milk crates, suitcases and distressed biscuit tins etc. )

We bought some onion bread ( which we had for lunch - yummo!)  and then off through the throng to M&S to get some pudding for our lunch with Will, Adela & Morrey tomorrow.
Collage today is for the latest theme of "On a precipice of an abyss" at The Kollage Kit.

Black Scat Books

My good friend Norman Conquest has asked me to mention his latest book and so I have managed to secure a sneak preview of one of the pages NOT in any of his latest books!   Hoping that's caught your attention. And now for the shameless plug for Captain Cap.  Hope it sells better than mine did!

Scary Doorbell

Hazel found this in Quality Save.  We had a similar one years ago but it broke.  He also says " Hello little goblins- are you scared?" and  " Dont be afraid - come in!"   Horrible cackling laugh included.

Above & Below

 Nice day yesterday starting out at indoor boot sale over at Frodsham. Hazel got loads of stuff for her blog and a few presents for Archie, who is 21 on Thursday. I found him a couple of presents too. Afterwards we went to Lady Hayes antique emporium nearby to have a rummage. The weather was very mild too so a perfect day for being out and about. Hazel bought a few bits.

 Afterwards we drove to a farm nearby to see an art trail in the barn and the woods that Chester University had something to do with. It was called Above & Below probably because it was so hilly and involved a steep climb up roughly hewn steps in the earth held up with chunks of log cut from nearby trees.  Anybody infirm or out of shape would find it a difficult climb to the very top. We managed it somehow. Pff pant puff!

First though we gathered our strength by having lunch in the small farmhouse cafe that seemed very disorganised but run by friendly arty bunch who served up delicious home made macaroni cheese and salad and elderflower cordial.  Hazel bought a bottle on our way out.
Most of the sculptures and al fresco installations were nothing special but nice to see something different going on in Cheshire which is a bit of a cultural desert most of the time it has to be said!
Hazel met one of her old students going round the trail which was strange - but we do tend to bump into them in odd places - once in Venice!

Liver Pule

Nice day out in Liverpool yesterday with my old chum Tony Eve.  We went by train. Hazel gave me a lift to the station. I somehow missed Tony who was down the front end and I got on in the middle, looked through two coaches and decided he wasn't on that particular train and must have got the fast train from Crewe.  Anyway, we met up at Lime Street and walked through the shopping streets to the Tate and the docks.  The Chagall retrospective was excellent with all our favourites there. Surprising how big some of them are - in reproductions they look quite petite.  Also lots that I've never seen before.  Tony got us in with his Tate card which was handy.  It was quite busy which was annoying at times - a group of school children always seemed to be sitting in front of a painting you wanted to look at!  The exhibition down stairs of sculpture and installation art was also interesting especially as Ryan Gander was in it - an ex-student of Tony's (and Hazel's)  Interactive Arts course at MMU.  The boy done good.

We had a sandwich in the Tate resturant which was expensive but handy. Then off to the Bluecoat to see some Spanish art and video which was pretty dull. Then more walking to the Walker Art Gallery and some new aquisitions including a Yoko Ono piece ( step ladders)  and others who I forget. O yes, Anish Kapoor, Paula Rego and Louise Borgeois?  ( Just found the leaflet)

Walking round the bustling noisy city made us realise how much we appreciate living out in the sticks!
Got the train back after a coffee in the Lime Street  buffet. Hazel picked me up from the station.

Last Sunny & Warm Weekend of Autumn

Went to Carey Park yesterday with old chum Tony Eve.  Walked along the River Weaver to the wonderful Anderton Boat Lift.  Saw this Hawkshead Moth caterpillar on the way trundling along the path - it was massive, about 4 inches long!  Had a nice pub lunch in the beer garden of the Stanley Arms. Fish and chips for me and omelette and chips for Tony  (specially made ).  Hazel was in Birmingham having a girls day out with her old college chums. Felt very full afterwards and so needed the walk back to the car to feel a bit lighter!
Sunday.
Lovely day of sunshine and boot sales. Got a few bargains too including Aliens ( the extended edition ) on DVD. Two nice CD's from the 60's I have fond memories of  The Youngbloods "Live" and Big Brother & The Holding Co. with the Robert Crumb cover. Hazel got a few odds and sods including a complete super 8 cine set, with three films for £1;50. Also several wooden rulers, staples, Basildon Bond writing paper, ink cartridge, and plants.  She's made some delicious custard tarts this afternoon. We took some over to Granma and Audrey and they were much impressed.  Planted some wall flowers in their back garden.