Duck Impersonators

A strange week of low level excitement which included the ram raiding of the local tiny branch of Nat West bank which had a big digger imbedded in it's back wall. As I walked passed the other day the forensic team had just arrived and were dabbing it with finger prints. It was all cordoned off and a policeman was standing there by the digger incase anyone stole it. I could not see anyone inside the bank which was shut. It must have happened in the night I suppose. I looked around for tenners stuck in the nearby bushes but didnt see any alas.

In town a man was doing duck impressions but on further investigation it seemed he was trying extract some phlegm at the back of his throat.
I found a VHS vid of THe Brain Eaters - A classic B movie from the 60's- or so it says on the sleeve. Also got the Buy & Sell mag to look for local boot sales but none this week as far as I could see. A few happening over the Easter weekend in Frodsham and Sutton Fields.

A bird of prey spotted tearing apart a starling in our garden yesterday. Hazel saw it on the tree house. Through the binoculars it looked like a hawk of some kind with a mottled brown front. All that was left was a pile of feathers and a beak.

Southend Art School 1954

ART CLASS

Looks like a younger Leo Hardy here in this hilarious old British Pathe newsreel from 1954. Thanks to George Young for the link.

John Hegley

Went into Manchester with Hazel this morning to see and hear John Hegley the poet talk (sing - recite ) to her 1st year group. First we had some breakfast in the canteen and then I wandered over to a collectors shop near Piccadilly Station in a basement. Hazel had bough Archie an old 80's Beezer comic there last time but I couldnt find any more comics. Lots of stuff but mostly expensive. Postcards, records, CD's DVD's etc.. I should have taken a photo as it was a bit like an Alladin's cave but I was the only one in there and the owner was giving me the evil eye for some reason. Maybe he thought I was going to steal his Beezers?
Anyway, so then I tried to find some other shops but they were all closed. The Art Gallery opend at 10 so had to wander around until it opened. Went to see the cabinet that Hazel and Sharon had put togther for the Mary Gregg project. It looked great. Also the Ron Mueck? very lifelike sculptures in the big new exhibition space.

When i got back to the room where John was to do his talk he was there already shuffling through a big wedge of typed papers and drawings. Hazel had gone to get a seebackroscope from the technicians dusty cupboard. It was the dustiest seebackroscope I'd ever seen! John looked rather scornfully at the dusty relic but said it would do. He projected a drawing of tow birds looking at a picture of a dark egg ( or was it a hole?) and was that a sandwich on top of the frame?
John played three songs on his mandolin called Kevin and a few poems but mostly just talked about being creative. Hazel seemed pleased that he said all the right things anyway and the students seemed to enjoy it.
We went for a curry for lunch as thats what John fancied. The chap who is doing the "object" book project from 3-D came along too and infact gave us a lift in his car to the "curry mile" down by the university. We ordered far too much for a light lunch but it was very tasty. Hazel only ate half of hers and I left a bit of mine- a vege biryani with poppadums and dips.
John and Hazel went back to see some animations that some students had done to illustrate one of his poems and I walked to the station and home. I was feeling knackered by this time and only done hald a day - no wonder Hazel feels done in by the time she ges home at 6:30pm.
John told me about CLOD magazine which he reccomended as "your sort of thing" so I found the webiste and ordered the latest copy.

Boot Sails Unfurled

The boot sale season has truly started today with two at Hartford and Weaverham- both in the car parks/playing fields of the schools. It was a lovely sunny day too and no sign of the rain of yesterday. The ground at Weaverham was a bit muddy though - squelch squelch!
I didnt find many bargains though - just a DVD of A Few Dollars More with Clint Eastwood- plus an extras disc with docs. and profiles etc. They had the first one of the trilogy too but foolishly didnt get it as I thought we had it already. Turns out it was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly we have. Doh!
Also got a few Dr.Who badges which Archie snaffled when I got home. Hazel got a few plants and some of those eye washing glasses. A bright green one, one blue and a clear oddly shaped one - obviously for oddly shaped eyes.

A World Of Difference

Sad news about Charlie Gillett who died yesterday. One of my favourite DJ's ever. I've posted a small tribute to him at Boot Sale Sounds. I have been going through some of the dozens if not hundreds of tapes I have of his radio shows from the 70's until now trying to find one suitable for the blog.
Another week flown by and not much to show for it. My "collage a day" resolution seems to have fallen by the wayside.
Had a delicious meal at Adela's and Will's on Saturday. Played some silly games - Flounder and Mousie Mousie. We have some MM somewhere - some old wooden ones?
Awoke with a hangover and mouth like the bottom of a parrot's bottom.
Went to Granma's for Mother's Day lunch of fish 'n chips and cake. Hazel planted some bulbs and flowers in Granma's back garden. No boot sales or jumbles but there was one yesterday - I got some DVD's including "Shrooms" and "Casino Royale".
On Monday walked to town and back. Got some stir fry sauces at Poundstretcher for 49p each. The Thai Green Curry one is quite tasty. I made a stir fry with pretend chicken strips from Holland & Barrett and lots of vegetables and noodles. Yum!

Tuesday we said hello to the new neighbours. Hazel took round a couple of plants which they have put on the kitchen window sill so we can see them.
John Hegley phones for a chat and to ask Hazel about what day he is coming up to MMU.
Getting rid of more old VHS vids. Copying some that will copy to DVD including some old Childrens Film Foundation classics and The Princess Bride and Les Amants des Le Pont Neuf? That's yer actual French.

Wednesday. More walks to town and back. Got some cheap CD';s of Tim Buckley, Nick Drake and Terry Reid 60's stuff from Age Concern.
Got some smoked cod which turned out to be VERY salty and yellow. Tatsed ok though. Made a kedgeree kindo of thing with it with boiled eggs and parsley sauce.

Pully Over Tribe

A week has nearly whizzed by. A week of computers going gaga and brisk walks into town. More National Geographics and a tiny digital camera. This one works but only just. Interesting pixelated look to all it points at. Pully faced pixilated pigmy tribe perchance?

The computer has been mended now thank goodness. A bug of some kind. Malcolm had to take it away and put it through some kind of washer and mangle. Malcolm is a handy person to know when your PC goes AWOL. He's helped on several occasions when the hard drive burned out and when the CD ROM drive refused to work etc. I shall watch what I click on in future. Those hackers are getting more cunning it seems.

Went to a table top sale in Tarporley last Sunday. Got some more DVD's including the Boy In Striped Pajamas and a John Cleese one called How To Irritate People. Also a long frame that was just the right size for a panoramic collage I'd made. Then to antique centre where we picked up some cheap postcards - mostly 1920's saucy seaside variety. Hazel bought a few things including a tin bullet poster and a glass dangly thing that makes tiny rainbows when the sun shines through the window.

Tatton Park

Nice morning walking to town and back. Got some more National Geographics in the Help The Aged shop for 10p. I buy three every day so as not to put my back out carrying too much ancient photo journalism. I have made some collages already using some of it. I hope to make more. The photos are quite stunning and perfect for some of the themes at Scrapiteria.

This afternoon went to Tatton Park with Hazel as we spotted an ad in the local paper for FREE entry to the Antique and Fine Art Fair that is on over the weekend. Saving us a grand total of ten quids. Blimey and what a posh do it was with a doorman to open the doors for you "This way - sir and madam". The prices were way beyond anything we've seen of Bargain Hunt! 600 quid for an chipped old shop sign saying nothing much - Eggs Half Price or Tea- Shilling a Packet! A Lowry for 200 grand. A Donald McGill postcard ( original watercolour ) for nearly a thousand quid! Interesting to see some of the art though and wonder who would be daft enough to buy it for that sort of price. Lots of people obviously, gathering by the throng pouring over the Ming vases and mock Gainsboroughs.
Nice old fairground rides outside to entertain the kids - gallopers and a vintage car roundabout thing. Popped in the farm shop to get some awkward cheese and some onion jam. We know how to live!

Jumbles

Went to two jumble sales yesterday which made a nice change especially as there are no boot sales this week. Jumble sales used to be a regular thing in other places I've lived but very rare in Cheshire for some reason. I suppose it's because we have so many charity shops and boots.
The first was at the Sally Army which I stumbled upon by chance. An old lady barred my way as I went through the door saying " Its not open yet!" What isn't? "The sale doesn't start until 10" I didnt know there was one! I went into the charity shop next to the hall where the jumble was being held. I could see that all the cream of junk had been skimmed off for the sale and all the dregs were left. I went away and came back at 10. It was packed by then and I managed to get three DVD's for 50p each- For Whom The Bell Tolls, Saving Private Ryan and Creature Comforts ( the Ardman Animations ).
The second jumble was over at a community hall in a small village about 5 miles away. This was also very busy - one could almost say "manic" (see Flip film above)! No chance of getting near any of the tables unless you went sideways. I managed to find a gap and purchased two old Pepys games - Bedlam ( how appropriate!) and What's That ( a game of guessing the names of objects photographed at strange angles ). Also a tiny key chain digital camera that I later discovered didnt work.

Southend Art School 60's

Partly as a response to an e-mail I got yesterday from Fred Eve, who went to the art school at the same time as me (1963/64) I am re-posting some old photos taken at the time.
Above is the old painting room. Thats Fred I think in the glasses and that's me in the silk screened jacket trying to blend in! That painting was based on the grinding surfaces of a hippos tooth or was it a rhino? I'm pretending to stick a bath sponge onto it with the power of my mind.

Ned Newitt sent me this photo - he's at the front in the duffle coat. The others are Richard Poole, Fred Eve, Vic Mills, Richard Woods and me. We all look intent on going somewhere to do something very arty but not sure what it was!? Probably just to Garons to buy some cakes.

This is taken outside the old dining hall. I think these are Ned Newitt, Richard Woods, Vic Mills and Rick Cox with Russell Colombo lurking in the background.
Vic and Russ were employed to take the dining tickets on the door for which they got a free meal. I always took a sandwich or went to Garons to buy a sausage roll or a bun being a penniless art student. This must be 1963 or '64. A couple of years later the old art school was bull dozed to make way for a roundabout and it was moved to the high rise block as part of the Technical College. Very sad. The dining hall was used some years later by Richard Turpin to make garden urns in. I helped or hindered - I cant remember . I think Bill Freeth rented it also as a studio for making his ceramics.

Far Too Early

Woken from my dream of the Pixie Cafe I stumble downstairs to put on the kettle and make Hazel a sandwich for lunch. Its 5:45 am. A bowl of muesli and a quick cuppa and duffle coated and bescarfed I lurch outside into the frosty dark to sit in the car with the engine running whilst Hazel does her ablutions and gathers up her stuff for college. I have to sit in the drivers seat because you never know when a car jacker will strike. These 6 year old Nissan Micras fetch a pretty penny on the black market! Anyway I am lulled from my revelry by the sound of a car being furiously revved up- flippin' 'eck! It woke the whole street up- even Archie woke up! Its me and my foot slipped onto the exelerator! Hazel is frantically waving at me to stop. What am I doing? How is this happening? Which button have I pressed? Such is my knowledge of cars that it took me a few seconds to dislodge my foot from the pedal. How does Hazel fit into this cramped and uncomfortable space? Beats me.
I expect we shall have a good laugh about it later.

Help!

A collage above from latest batch at Scrapiteria where the intriguing theme this week is make a collage from just one page from a book or magazine - show the original page and then what you did with it. The results have been delightful and very ingenius. Mine have veered towards the macabre for some reason!
A quiet week mostly blogging and collaging and shopping ofcourse. It's for the walk more than anything - the two miles from home to town is just the right length and I get to treat myself with a bargain or two in the charityshops. They must be sick of the sight of me!

Yesterday I bought several CD's - mostly 60's folk rock including the Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention and various compilations on Topic and Ace labels.
So a nostalgic afternoon whilst making the above and some others.
A nice surprise the other day when an Italian mail art friend Vittore Baroni informed me that I got a mention in Italian Vogue this month in an article about mail art by a friend of his. It was just a sentence but nice to know I am regarded as a collector of many varied rubber stamps of textural and curious design , or words to that effect.

Mic-Macs

At last - a film worth waiting to see!

Little Jimmy's Breeches

A postcard i found today at the antique place near us. It would make a great title for a poem or a story perhaps but just taken from the lines written on the back by Cecil - whoever he might have been? Seems this little wastrel looked the spit of Jimmy even down to the striped breeches and holier than thou shirt!
other postcards included a scolds bridal worn by a rather unconvincing dummy and an "Old Salt" who signs the reverse and mentions the "lifeboat procession", whatever that might have been? The mind boggles.

Also popped to a nearby boot sale in Tarporely a bit further on. Two stalls in the wet car park but more inside in the warm. Its a strange place Tarporely - everyone seems to be dithering and dozy- getting under your feet and in the way! Must be something in the water. Also found a boxed set of 3 Terry Thomas films on DVD - good show!

Condiments

Postcard that Creative Thing sent from California yesterday of Maoris trying to frighten us. I don't think so.
Just back from a the shops. Trying out my new boots that rub a little but otherwise very comfortable and can see them being more comfortable in future once they are worn in. I always have this trouble with new boots.
Got some cheap stuff from Quality Save. Now the Xmas rush is over it's a bit more relaxing to shop there now. Cheap ginger paste, soy saauce and other goodies.
Saw Betty in the Age Concern shop. Haven't clapped eyes on her for ages - not since last Summer. She went off to Australia for two months in the Autumn and had a good time. Also to Tasmania. She's back doing her stall at boot sales but not one for next week as far as she knew.

Some more snow on Sunday so no boot sale at Antrobus as expected. Hazel was worried she'd end up sliding in a ditch- the lanes not being gritted like the larger roads.
getting a bit fed up with the cold weather now and long for the Spring to arrive.
New neighbours have moved in the old property that Bruce the builder has been doing up over the last 18 months. He's done a good job although the front door seems to be needing a coat of paint.

Crewe Boot

Shocked to see the empty market square at Crewe - a notice nearby saying because of refurbishment the Wednesday boot sale has moved to a car park some half mile away on the other side of the town. A short trek later and I find it - a shabby back street and a few stalls littered about - a shadow of it's former self. I didnt find much - a PS2 game of Bust-A-Bloc.
So then a wander round the charity shops where thankfully some bargains were to be had. A great Face Dough CD software thingy that made the collage grimace above. I have been having fun playing about with it. It sounds better than it really is. The manipulation is pretty basic and just revolves round two features- stretching point A to point B or morphing. I havent tried the morphing yet. Pushing faces round like dough it isn't though! Some other software we had did a better job but seem to have lost it.

Also got a pile of tin badges of various ages. My favourite is the one that says "Ferrets Are Fun!" with a silohette of a ferret on it. Archie choose the MAD badge to go with his increasing collection - a lot he's made himself from plastic dinasaurs and sharks with pins glued to the backs. Got him some insects which he is also utilising in this manner.

A History Of The World

In some parallel world somewhere they may even be using the Currant Drying Shed, who knows? Hazel made this back in the late 80's whilst at the RCA along with a number of other gadgets for doing daft things to currant buns. Pleased to get this onto the BBC website in conjuntion with the 100 Things series thats going on now. It fits in nicely too with the Mary Gregg project that Hazel is doing with the Manchester City Art Gallery. She tried to upload her box of String, Too Small For Use that got rejected for being not daft enough one presumes!

The rest of the week seems quite dull compared to this latest news-

Scott and family are moving from next door because of the damp which is a shame. The land lady too tight to do anything about it. We shall miss little Harvey - a cute 2 year old who enjoys using his growing vocabulary on Hazel as she pops out to the workshop for something. Its always a bit nerve racking when new neighbours move in - you are never quite sure who will turn up. We have been pretty lucky with ours so far. Fingers crossed!

Too wet to go for a walk at the weekend. We stayed in to watch the FA Cup matches on TV - at least I did. Archie seems to have grown another metre and devouring biscuits, cakes and toasted sandwiches like a big long lanky hoover!

Postcards and Pins

A week has whizzed by and not much to blog about. Found these great old photos at the antique place in the crafts centre, bird display, gnome sanctuary, candle shop place not far from us. The signed postard of Jack Lorimer "The Highland Laddie" was a measly pound and the badge of unknown gent was the same.How could I resist? Doing some delving on the internet it turns out that Jack Lorimer was Max Wall's father! So that was a nice surprise and a good investment I'm sure not that I'd ever sell it.
We have several signed photos and portraits of "celebrities" dotted around the house so this will join Roy Hudd, Ivor Cutler and the others.

The snow has melted - turned to grey slush and then the rain came and washed it all away. It feels a bit warmer now - not more doubling up on socks and shirts!
Archie has been doing some "A" levels including Chemistry, Biology and General Studies. He's been swatting quite hard so hopefully he's done o.k. He seeemd quietly confident despite the nerves and dizzy spells. He's grown a bit lately so that may account for it. He's almost as tall as me now.

Let's see. Monday - went to town. Hazel back to college.
Tuesday - dubbed some Jacque Tati films onto DVD for Tony who expressed a wish for some before Xmas. Better late than never.
Wednesday - Went to Aldi - nearly put some of our shopping in somebody else's trolley by mistake - o how we laughed!
Thursday - Town again . Made some more collages. New year's resolution of at least one a day going well. Parents evening at Sir John Deans- Archie's tutors seem happy with his progress, well all except the chemistry lady who had just come back from maternity leave so didnt know he intends to drop chemistry at end of year! She seemed positive despite this bombshell.
Friday - celebrated Archie's hard work with a take away curry.
Saturday - more collaging. Putting old cine film onto DVD. Incredibly nostalgic viewing those old baby films and Lambeth Walk etc. We wus poor but we wus 'appy!
Sunday - Trip to antique centre. Also got my late Crimble present of Flip HD camera which I have been playing with. I let Archie have the old one.
Today was the town again and a nice walk there and back. Got some cheap DVD's "Ben Hur" and "Passage To India" - two classics that I don't remember ever watching in their entirety.

Gem Polishers

A new collage for the Scrapiteria theme of "Gems". A nice weekend with visit from our new friends Adela and Will who live the other side of Northwich. We met them over the road at Rob's house warming last Autumn. Then they had a house warming which we were invited so our turn to entertain which we dont do as much as we should. I made a vege lasagne and Hazel made some delicious olive bread. For pudding I made a readymade puff pastry strudel type roll-up with apple and currents and lemon juice mixture of my own concocting and jolly nice it was too ( with ice cream ). Adela gave us a lovely etching and aquatint she made a few years back. This afternoon I found a frame for it and hung it on the landing. Shifted a few others around. Some collages have been up there for far too long so needs a good re-hanging.

Slipped and sloshed into town this morning in the slush. I didnt find much but good to get out after what seems like days cooped up indoors due to ice and snow.
Hazel has started back to college and Archie is back to 6th form . Two or three A level exams this week and next so he has been revising a lot.
He has found time to knock up a new animation though which you can find HERE.

Twenty Ten

The cold snap continues and not really gone anywhere due to the icy conditions - staying in and catching up with the blogs and doing a few collages, some of which you can see here.
hazel has been venturing out to her workshop once it has reached the optimum temperature. She's also been making lots of bread with Granma's and Audrey's breadmaker we borrowed over the festive season.

The bread has been really delicious which just makes her make more ofcourse. the Olive bread is particularly nice despite the olives being mashed to a pulp during the kneading process. She tried putting them in at a later stage and poking them with a stick and that seemed to work slightly better.
Archie started college agin on Monday but on Tuesday the really heavy snow came down and college was closed at 11 the next day. So he's been enjoying going sledging and snowballing with his mates. The sldege hit a rock yesterday so it has a big crack in it! Ouch!
Archie bought me a boxed set of Absolutely - one of my favourite comedy series on C4 in the 80's. A real bargain at 15 quid for 8 DVD's and the postage was free! We watched a couple last night as there was zilch on TV. Not quite as funny as I remember but it had its moments. I think they took a while to get into their stride and later episodes were funnier.

Woken to thick ice everywhere so looks like another day indoors. The garden does look very attractive in its snowy coat but feel sorry for the birds. The water we put out freezes almost at once and the fat balls are as hard as rocks - they are bending their little beaks on them!
We have taken the decorations down now and the house looks very bare despite all our junk and clutter! The tree looks happy enough back out in the garden decorated with icicles.
I slid down to the docs. yesterday to have my 6 monthly medication review. It seems the blood pressure pills are working as my BP was normal. "Keep taking the tablets" she said. "I bet you say that to all the patients" I said. "Well I have to have some fun" she replied laughing.

End Of Another Decade

Another year almost gone and the "noughties" too - it's amazing how quickly it's flown by! Seems only yesterday we were worrying about the Millenium Bug and watching the thousands of rockets explode overhead back in 1999 at midnight.
We have started our celebrations early with a nutroast and sprouts. The poles from next door have given us some carva and a tuppaware of strange looking mysterious foodstuffs that looks vaguely suerkruatish. Despite having lived here for a couple of years they barely talk any english so finding out what they are up too is difficult. They are off to Manchester it seems and not having a party as they did last year. We gave them a bottle of carva too.
The 90's seems to be the theme tonight Michael Jackson on the ipodplayer and now some There's A Guy Who Works Down The Chip Shop Thinks He's Elvis. A little clouds formed round the light bulb - the candles are blown out . The carva has gone to Hazel's head she says - how we shall get to midnight is anyones guess!
Party streamers are dangling from the paper chains. The crackers have been pulled. I got a tiny jigsaw puzzle of a parrot. Hazel got a three card trick. The smell of burning wax and oranges. Thinking of the days - believe me. Days we remember all our lives.