Marbury Country Park

Nice walk in the bluebell woods at Marbury the other day whilst the sun was shining. Lots of bonkers dogs about diving into the stream for sticks or maybe the sheer joy of being loose and smelling all those smells. The wild garlic was not as strong as it usually is or the bluebells in full glory yet but still quite a sight! One of our favourite times of year when everything is so green, fresh and new.

Chums

Lovely day having lunch with our old chums Tone, Pene and Dave. So nice in the garden in the sunshine - so different from last week! Had pudding al fresco and quick game of darts in the summer house. I need more practice!

Berlin

Just back from a 4 day break in Berlin which was interesting. Shame the weather was so awful - rain, hail, snow, gales and more rain, almost constantly! Thankfully the sun came out on our last day so we had some respite in between the showers. Consequently we spent most of the time indoors in museums and art galleries. Culture vultures that we are! Highlights were the Raushenbergs, Beuys and Warhols at the big main contemporary gallery in the old station ( I forget the name ). Also enjoyed the Medical Museum, Communication Museum and the Pargamon Museum which is similar to the British Museum - full of ancient facades of buildings and huge statues etc. aquired back in the Victorian age one assumes when all the world's treasures were there to be plundered. Everyone very friendly and helpful. Had some nice food in various places mostly near our hotel in the West of the City. Guntzelstrasse? our nearest tube station about three stops from the Zoo. Too cold for the Zoo but we did venture into loads of shops like Ka-Da-We ( a bit like a posher Harrods ) and some weird Xmas and Easter inspired shops . Germans are mad for glass baubles, cute pixie houses, candles, Easter bunnies and eggs etc. And sausages which we managed to avoid. Didn't spot any Kartofflepuffles either? Had delicious Italian food, Indian food and German cakes! Yum! Nice to be back home in the relative warm.

A Day In Stafford

Had to return to Stafford on Friday to collect work from the Shire Hall gallery. Trains were running OK thankfully. Saw this nice old cinema turned into a pub on my wanderings. Had a walk round the park where the aviary is ( see budgies ) and around the charity shops and market before getting my work and saying "hello" to the woman who runs the place. Managed to get the 12-35 pm train back to Hartford.

From The Archives

Found recently by my neice Michelle in the attic of her parents. Seen here with me grinning like a Cheshire Cat! There's us outside our council house in Basildon circa 1972. That's me Dad in the army ( X marks the spot ). There he is again at work as a security guard at Mobil Oil at Coryton. My Mum and sister outside the Bull in Corringham when John and Lynn got married. My brother and sister (twins) in their pram.

Sculpture Degree Show - Brighton - Kickstarter

Archie and his pals need money for their catalogue etc. Please donate now to Kickstarter.

Hanley and Stafford

Excellent day out with our old chums Tony and Pene. Went to Hanley to see the Staffordhsire Hoard again and look round the potteries museum. Then to Stafford to see the group show I'm in at the Shire Hall Gallery.

Walk To Lostock

Nice walk along the Trent and Mersey Canal yesterday for a change. Past the steamy TATA works and the frozen puddles on the tow path. Saw a heron and a single magpie. Popped into the crumbling antique shop to chat to the eccentric proprietor who sold Hazel a green glass medicine bottle and thermometer. Much of his other wares were rather expensive. Nice pile of old 60's signed pop group photos but he wanted 50 quid. Home again with the sun in our eyes avoiding the dog poop and the melting mud puddles!

Universe 25

http://archieleigh.tumblr.com/post/107428800527/archieleigh-idea-for-a-song-not-sure-where-to

Find it HERE.

Happy New Year!

Hazel took these photos of Archie's match display for the countdown to 2015. He makes one every year. I will film it being lit later if i am still awake!

Boxing Day

This was yesterday. Typical Xmas din dins at Granma's. We took our own nut roast and gravy, balanced on my knee in the car. Some fun games afterwards including Santa and sleigh races from plastic toys in crackers from Aldi - Granma won the cup seen being presented here by Audrey. The Balderdash which is a fun game about words a bit like Call My Bluff that used to be on the telly years ago with Robert Robinson and Clement Freud? Had us in hysterics - or was it the booze? Helps to be slightly tiddly on these occasions. Today we went for a walk in Marbury Park along with hundreds of others who had the same idea. Lazy day watching all manner of tosh on the telly. That's it then- over for another year. Hope you all had a good one!

Merry Xmas Scrapbook

Curios Thing 21

Just in time for Crimble. It's only taken me tewo years to finish!

Saturday 13th Dec. 2014

Busy day with a trip to town first to check out the Artisan Market. Hazel bought a pickle fork and nut crackers from the amusing cutlery stall. the chap running it had the gift of the gab and said the fork and nut crackers were reduced from a million pounds to only three pounds. In the end she got both for a fiver despite having plenty of pickle forks and nut crackers at home! Bought a few nice things to eat for lunch. Tony and Pene were coming round so had to make an effort. I cooked a nice mixed vegetable soup for starters. Two quiches for the main course - goats cheese and molly-coddled onion. Also a plain mushroom and cheddar. Salad and later some delicious apricot tart and cream from M&S. We had coffee and tea in the summer house despite the freezing temperatures and watched the windows steam up! Felt a bit exposed now all the leaves have fallen! later went round to the new cul-de-sac to see the new houses and sneer at their tiny rooms and lack of cupboard space. It was supposed to be an open day but not sign of anybody - no drinks or nibbles as promised. Interesting perspective on our house. We need some new trellis to keep the garden more secure.

Stafford

Nice day out on the train to Stafford yesterday. Only 35 mins. away from Hartford Station with stops at Winsford and Crewe. Lovely sunny but cold day. Nice park greets you as you leave the station at Stafford, full of interesting shelters and buildings. Some with thatched roofs. An aviary full of exotic birds. A river and little white bridge across to the main shopping area which is mostly pedestrianised. Lugged my 3 collages to the Shire Hall Gallery in the market square where I am showing them in a themed exhibition in January "Landscapes". Interesting building which contains an old court room complete with papier mache jurors and judge etc. My work was taken from me and put in another smaller court for safe keeping. Felt lighter then and able to walk around the town. Went in most of the charity shops. Hazel bought a few things including a tin for pins, thermometer for the summer house, etc. I didn't find anything except some cheap glue in the Pound Shop. Useful for cleaning records. Its amazing how much dirt and crackle is lifted out of the grooves using PVA glue - quite remarkable! Had lunch in a noisy cafe by the market. Egg on toast ( twice) and a cuppa for £7.50. Bargain. Then to the museum to see the rooms of dummies and cavaliers etc. Some old toys too in cabinets. Then home on the 14.35 train.

The Mother Of Invention

Hazel during her brief flirt with fame after leaving the RCA in the late 80's. Photographer - Mike Caldwell . In our Lambeth Walk flat surrounded by collections of plastic tat and mail art!

A Lesson In Numerology

I have been neglecting this blog for a while despite good intentions at the start of the year. I will try and catch up if I can remember what we've been doing lately. New books just arrived out of the blue are huge thick tome from Hungary courtesy of ARTPOOL. I get a few name checks and one of my old rubber stamped ( hand carved ) FLUXUS BUCKS gets a third of a page. I would prefer it to be a collage but , hey ho! happy for any mention at all really and surprising since I haven't sent ARTPOOL anything for a decade or more. Also did the cover art and some pages in the latest magazine from BLACK SCAT BOOKS in the U.S.A. Places - erm, Liverpool to see the Warhol ( did I mention that?) and Frodsham last week to look round the charity shops ( all 5 of them.) and Lady Hayes antique emporium. Hazel bought a few things - mostly sewing sets/ mending kits that she likes to collect. I didn't find anything. Also the antique barns of THINGY near Nantwich. The name will come back to me I'm sure before I've written all this. Hazel has washed the curtains of the front room so now we are exposed to the world - amazing how much light comes in those bay windows when you don't want it too! Like being in a gold fish bowl. Keeping out of there until they dry and go back up again. Noise and mud still churning on nearby building site. Houses all built now and road, fences and garden being added . They don't seem to be in any hurry doing it - bobble hatted men standing around chewing the cud and looking at mobile phones. Have been framing work for a small exhibition of "Landscapes" I managed to wangle myself into in Stafford's Shire Art Gallery. I'll have to take them on the train sometime. Starts in January 2015. Postcard exhibition still at Southport but travelling - not sure where yet. Otherwise a bit quiet on the exhibition front. Making a new CURIOS THING , first for a few years - hopefully ready by Crimble. Above is new collage for the latest theme at The Kollage Kit.

Vine

Brighton

Lovely weekend in Brighton to celebrate our Archie's 22nd birthday and meet his delightful girlfriend Meriel. We stayed with Roger and Jilly in Hove. Archie took us round the North Lanes where he spent some of his birthday money on old mags, decoy pigeon and tin suitcase in Snoopers Paradise. He showed us round his new shared house and made us tea - we had some Colin cake from Marks and Sparks. Take away that evening with Roger and Jilly before Roger rushed off to do a gig in a Brighton pub. We kept Jill and nervous dog Jasper company in a very noisy thunder storm! The next day we met up with Archie and Meriel again for a slap up fish and chip lunch at the Regency on the sea front. Roger and Jilly came too. Then off to the Sea Life Centre to enjoy the Victorian interior and the aquariums. Hazel took some photos ( see above) . Then to a cafe for coffee and more chats. Also saw the felt things shop in the Lanes by artist Lucy Sparrow . In evening we ate the rest of the curry that was left over from the night before. O dear, feeling very full now! Collapsed on settee to chat to Jilly and watch TV. Roger had yet another gig in London at Hope and Anchor with Robb Johnson and the Irregulars. Home on the 10-15am train from Hove the next day which took ages due to workings on the line. Stopped off at the wonderful Art Workers Guild in Bloomsbury to see peter Quinnell and Mark Pawson who were part of the excellent "Table top museums" show that was just on for the afternoon. Nice to catch up. Took lots of photos ( see FB and Flickr stream ). Got 4pm train from Euston. Another slow train so didnt get home until 7pm. Knackered!