Stay safe London....

We were thankfully ignorantly unaware of what was going on in London at the weekend, which I am glad about. I am in shock that this is happening and deeply enraged by it, lots of our friends and family live in some of these areas and it sickens me to my stomach to think that they might be at risk. What is wrong with these people? The world watched in shock when the atrocities of 9/11 took place, but surely causing so much devastation to your own communities and cities is worse in some ways, especially I suppose, when you again see people jumping from burning buildings? Ruining people's livelihoods and terrifying innocent people, the gangs behind this outrageous behaviour are purely reinforcing how they are regularly viewed, as mindless, selfish and violent, and for many, just jumping on the back of an already full to capacity bandwagon frankly shows a lack of imagination in getting their point across. Why can't we move beyond this type of puerile behaviour? Ivan (Mr Bicknell) and I are travelling to London again on Friday for what should be the start of something very exciting, we shall see if things have calmed down by then and they actually let us in ......!

Disgraceful.



Two new prints

I have just made these, but can't decide which one to cover the new grey chair with - see previous posts - the blue one I did the other day looks great on the blue chair, but now I just can't make a decision for the other one - ah well, maybe I'll just have to leave it for a couple of days....



Lundin (London).

It takes some persuading you know, getting Ivan (Mr Bicknell) up to the big smoke - he would of course rather be on some desolate crag somewhere, but from time to time, I do manage to get him on a train and up to some galleries, and if I'm really lucky, an overnight stay in Islington with his little sis - this time was a jackpot time and we had two days in civilisation! Lots to see and do, and as art teachers you have to go and see the big shows don't you?! So we got down with Tracey and Joan! First off, on the way to the Miro at the Tate we meandered along the Southbank and played in the beach huts, really worth a look and I love the fact that on what would normally be pavement and London Planes, was sand, wrecked boats and sand castles being built! There was also lots of good entertainment and the sun was shining! Tapas were eaten in Exmouth market in the evening and a trip to the Kings road and then the Tracey Emin filled up our Saturday, a whistle stop tour but delicious and educational none the less!

"As a homage to this piece, our 2011 Lion and Unicorn installation has been made by artist Gitta Gschwendtner working with 50 young refugees, whose poems - written and spoken - reinterpret the original themes of strength and imagination. A flock of white birds – or are they aeroplanes? – fly down the outdoor corridor linking Waterloo Station with Hungerford Bridge and comes to rest next to Royal Festival Hall."



Queens walk bunting and beach huts - worth a wander - no matter what's on, I always love the Southbank!

Ivan (Mr Bicknell) investigating....

Me? I'd rather chill and have a coffee!

Shell covered ones...

Stripey ones...

Fashion styley ones...

The classic student shot!

On the "real" beach..

High brow juggling!

Mad bicycle!

Ahhh, Miro - go and see it - it is fab!

Baby you're a firework........!

Sunny summer music on the Millennium footbridge.

Exmouth market for dinner at Morito with Annie and Rainer amazing tapas and delicious Padron peppers.

Watching the street entertainment.

Duke of York Square Saturday food market at lunchtime - need I say more?

Walnut and gooseberry tarts - far too good to miss, so we didn't!

Guess what we had for supper - serious addiction developing ........

An eye-opener of an exhibition - I feel bad for not previously being a fan - this is an unmissable exhibition - but not for the faint-hearted....

Strange performance art!

Mad, huge, straw wolf!

Thank you Mr Towner and YAY! We are still alive!

I saw this on Facebook this morning courtesy of Mr Sam Towner - had to post it, it really tickled me!!

Hugh's back.......

So, are you ready for this? Ivan's (Mr Bicknell's) latest find for supper has to be a record - I couldn't believe my eyes when he staggered through the front door with this, and indeed, not only did it feed us this evening but four of our neighbours too!!!!

So I present you all with, ahem, the GIANT puffball - that's the big round white thing - not the berk in the glasses! Ahh, he looks very proud doesn't he - the berk in the glasses, not the puffball - the latter is about to be sawed up and sauteed! I can imagine that some of you are thinking WTF, but well, this is not the first time that such a beast has been presented to me, again, the puffball, not the berk in the .......! If you check them out on line you will see that they are considered to be quite a delicacy, they are in season right now, can be found in fields, woodland etc and can grow to TWICE this size. They are also ALL mushroom, no air here so this is why it was chopped up and sent around the houses - the inhabitants here in Worldham are no strangers to the odd wild find so it was gratefully received!!!!

The sawing process....see, allllllll mushroom!

A littlle sautee...

Et voila - a little bit of heaven, or, if we have got this wrong, My. Very. Last. Post! G'night! xxxx

New chair covers...

So they are painted, but now they need new printed covers - one down and one to go, and I think until I actually sell a chair this will have to do or Ivan (Mr Bicknell) will have a total meltdown - he's already had a couple of minor ones and I do have to concur that he's right, our house really isn't big enough.....

Ivan (Mr Bicknell) said yesterday that he wasn't sure that he liked the fact that the holidays made him forget which day was which and that work at least provided the routine of knowing exactly where you were - hmmmm, I am not wishing away the holidays at all - I am loving spending my days getting up late (some would say that I do that in term time too - fair comment I suppose!), having a leisurely breakfast and then heading up to the studio and printing or sewing my little heart out - this is coupled with as much rubbish catch-up American T.V. that I can manage - you may have already guessed, but I am a total sucker for American T.V. I cannot help myself, obviously you know that I am obsessed with Glee, but this is only the newest of many - everything has been viewed by me pretty much, including Charles in Charge, Family Ties, Blossom, My Two Dads, The Golden Girls, X Files, Moonlighting, The A Team, Ally McBeal, Happy Days, Six feet Under, Sex and the City, Magnum, The Waltons, FAME, Dallas, Dynasty, House, M*A*S*H, Mork & Mindy, Diff'rent Strokes, L.A. Law, Thirty Something, 90210 - old and sadly new, Table for five, Chips, Northern exposure, Airwolf, Bionic man/woman, The big C, Saved by the bell, Growing pains, Ellen, Nip/Tuck, The fall guy, Home improvement, The good wife, Kate & Allie, The wonder years, Spin City, Baywatch, Knight Rider, Ugly Betty, Fraiser, Will & Grace, Cybil, Desperate Housewives, Without a trace, The Gilmore Girls - hooray for 2.30pm everyday - NYPD Blue, Cagney and Lacey, Chicago Hope, Rosanne, Dawson's Creek, The fresh Prince, The Cosby Show, My current fave - The Big Bang Theory, Friends (of course), oh God the list goes on, but at the very, very top is, and always will be, ER - oh how I miss this show, so this summer I treated myself to the very last season and am about a third of the way through - sobbing furiously as I go - Dr Greene - why did you have to die?????!!!!

The originals

The middles

The final cast

Oh John - I feel your pain!