The Finest Tudor Facade in the Country

An afternoon out in Gloucester, first to take a look at what they have been doing to this very narrow alleyway in the centre of the city. An amazing piece of restoration. I’ve known of this building for many years and it fell into disrepair some years ago. At last someone has done something about it and what a superb job. There’s hardly room to swing a cat around this very narrow alley, but look up and the magnificent frontage of this building is there for all to see. Here’s what they say about it: It’s just a few doors … Continue reading The Finest Tudor Facade in the Country

First find your dongle…

What we do for information these days is a measure of how far we have come. I’m not going to call them good old days as they simple were n’t, but back ‘then’ new equipment came with an instruction book, which all God fearing men used to ignore completely until the thingy was done and it did not seem to work. The arrogance of knowing how to put stuff together was something I was born with, just as well they never let me construct anything that carried people, like a car or a plane. Dongle had a different meaning back … Continue reading First find your dongle…

Pie Chi and Fettling: A short introductory illustrated Guide to the Wigan Form of the Art.

Ear are tinstructions fot First form uv Wigan Pie Chi. Translation from the above is: Here are the instructions for the first form of Wigan Pie Chi, a North West of England form of the art where the tongue stays firmly in the cheek. Fettling is local parlance for fixing stuff, and these excersizes will fettle you. Enjoy. The passing of the pie ( Passin tut pie ) Stand with arms by your side, knees slightly bent, head up straight as if looking over someone’s shoulder at a Rugby league match. You should be wearing a shell suit or something … Continue reading Pie Chi and Fettling: A short introductory illustrated Guide to the Wigan Form of the Art.

So British to talk about the weather.

So perhaps we might give it a rest as our present weather seems to stay the same every day. Hours of unbroken sunshine every day has been the recent norm. Recent Norm sounds not unlike a nickname that you get on an early American TV Sitcom. He’d have had a catchphrase that would be adopted by the public, or at least that public that watched TV, which unlike these days was a large percentage. Remember “What do you think of it so far?” the answer: “Rubbish!”. A catch phrase that only people of a certain age would understand these days … Continue reading So British to talk about the weather.

Dark chocolate and a baguette.

My mother gave me a fruitcake to give to the French. She’d arranged the trip for me with a friend who worked at the local girl’s grammar school. I was to be the only boy amongst thirty 16 year old schoolgirls going on a French exchange to Paris. Sounded reasonable to me, I might learn a thing or two. I did and it wasn’t all French. To put this in context I was a boarder at the local all boy’s grammar school. My contact with any girls at all was minimal. Our school did no such sort of exchange with … Continue reading Dark chocolate and a baguette.

… and a six foot Italian Tawny Owl.

I’m on a plane as I write, so this is a risk, as is all travelling. On my way to Italy on a walking holiday and this small section of writing may well be lost as I’m doing it on the plane with no internet, so rather depending on the local hardware. I’m not a natural at travelling that is, in fact I’ve been one the reluctant traveller of late, seeing no glamour in it whatsoever. We took the bus to Heathrow and that was only ok in retrospect. The fact that we had seats helped, but there’s something very … Continue reading … and a six foot Italian Tawny Owl.

Edit: Warmth?

I took a trip to London yesterday to meet with old college friends. We all went to what was then Manchester School of Art, when many thing seemed to be in black and white. Getting the photo up of us (I’m behind the camera on my phone) into the edit mode of my iPad now, I knew I’d have to lighten up the image a tad but there’s one feature in the editing suite that simply says warmth. There was more warmth in the occasion than I can possibly relate here. Our aim, if there was a ‘brief’ , was … Continue reading Edit: Warmth?

Dave Christensen

Graham first met him as a 12 year old. Both keen on football Graham was playing at school in the yard one day when this bespectacled small chap rose gracefully to head the ball towards him. He’d just moved to Cleethorpes from Fleetwood, there’s a clue in the geography here. His father was a Seine net fisherman originally from Denmark who sailed bravely away from the Nazi advance into his own country into the friendly shores of Blighty where we kindly put him behind bars for a while, just to make sure he wasn’t a spy. Eventually working from Fleetwood, … Continue reading Dave Christensen

Knowing where the spaces are.

Mike came to help me carve out Henry yesterday. It was a great afternoon out in the sunshine at the Folk in Gloucester, spot of lunch then a chip or two carving stone. You find out a lot about people if you walk or carve together. I had no idea that Mike was an expert in packing a suitcase, but then I wouldn’t. He’s a legend in his own lunchtime back home where he has the ultimate knack of packing. perhaps he should be called a Packing Knacker. No. This is his first time carving and to be honest he … Continue reading Knowing where the spaces are.