↓ compass point

last night saw the first of a new season of

Salon at Metal, Chalkwell

A Sense of Place: Southend in Fiction

hosted by Rachel Lichtenstein

there's history in our small seaside town

it has slipped between the lines of eloquent tomes

and, moreover, if you must go to the sea, it had better not have 
been to South End.  South End is an unhealthy place. 

Perry was surprised to hear you had fixed upon South End.

from Emma by Jane Austen~ 1815

as dusk ebbed into night I could just make out, to my left,

the tiny white specks of boarded fishermen's cottages

that speckled the dark slopes of Leigh, from the jagged toothed 

tower of St Clements church at the crest of the hill down to

the cockle sheds on the waterfront. Scores of miniature boats

nestled in the cradle of the bay.

 The Drowning Pool by Syd Moore ~ 2011

excerpts of Jew Boy by Simon Blumenfeld

engagingly read by Alan Dein

they were all stalking seaward 

as if to intercept the escape of the multitudinous vessels

 that were crowded between Foulness and the Naze

The War of the Worlds, read by Julian Hopper

it is good to sit

be read to

to listen

be familiar with yet

learn something new 

about the place I've lived

nearly all my life!

the reading list ~

Emma ~ Jane Austen

The War of the Worlds ~ H G Wells

The True Heart ~ Sylvia Townsend Warner

Jew Boy ~ Simon Blumenfeld

The Snow Goose: A Story of Dunkirk ~ Paul Gallico

Mr Gurney & Mr Slade ~ Warwick Deeping

Birdsong ~ Sebastian Faulks

The English Years ~ Norbert Gstein

The Drowning Pool ~ Syd Moore

❃ scent of things to come

only the bluebell
only a song
only a thought
that lingers on

                                              Ian McCrae  

☼ new growth

spring 

time to wake up

blossom

plant seeds

with the promise of warmth

give a head start

and pick those ready

new shoots 

and fruit to come

∑ empty/full

here is where I spent yesterday

at firstsite colchester

for

transforming spaces

{arts use of empty shops and other disused spaces

in partnership with slack space colchester}

it was a full on day talks and discussions

our declining high streets

the possibility of become obsolete in the future

the possibilities of becoming a creative playground:

before lunch we nipped out to catch a bookarts fair

at a church near by {luck!}

tickets by joanne newman

 seaweed cut outs 

and undersea creatures by alice cole

beautiful typographic folded paper

containing an x ray of the artist 39 weeks pregnant

mater et filiola nidus {1987}

paula macgregor

a breach baby, spines entwined

their own space

now born and grown and telling us the tale:

transformed to life

꒽꒽ lost and found

sometimes my job brings good things:

like a man who rings up and asks

if we want to buy boxes and boxes

of old medicine bottles:

dusty and dirty:

some still holding their potions

and poisons:

and a small dusty case:

with letters and papers

and boxes of vials

and ampoules with

strange chemical names

but elegant forms:

stamped envelopes

dated 9 Nov 1944

a birth!

sweet paper card, hand coloured:

{click on the images to view them larger}

from Lara and Ernest:

and a letter 

on wafer thin paper

'my darling, we were so pleased to have that news.

I had gone to post a letter to you so it wouldn't

miss the post & was I pleased, I cried.

I was so relieved to know it was over and all

was well so far, now take care & don't take

cold if you can avoid it for it's bitterly cold

very nice but so cold.

I am so glad it's a little girl be sure & tell me all about 

it when you are able, how much she weighs & is she

fair. I shall want to know it all, whether it was too bad

or was it decent.  Mrs M said last night you felt sure it 

would be Friday but somehow I didn't, as long as

all it well that's the main point.

I am so glad you are in good hands. I wonder what 

that baby at home will say & do when you go home.

I don't know whether Dick will have let Lillie know

but I have written her for fear she will like to know.

Well my darling we are very excited. Mrs Steer had

just asked me as I came in & she said I hope it 

will be here before the week-end & so it was already

here bless it.

Pop joins me in sending our love & wishes for a

very speedy recovery. Give Olive Lyra a kiss fo her

Grandpa and Nanna also a big hug & kiss for our

darling Susan, lots of love and God bless

from Mother & Dad xxxx

x Pods

        x Pods sister

two copies of Nottingham Evening Post

Monday November 13th 1944

and there among the births 

MOODY.- On November 8th, at Women's

Hospital to Dora {Margaret}{nee Clewlow}

and Dick, a sister for Susan

the Beeston Parish magazine

Baptisms

Feb 11 ~ Olive Myra Moody

she was taken home to 

58 Abbey Road, Beeston, Notts:

the mementoes kept but never passed on:

I wonder where she is today?

⌠⌡ more than fabric and sequins

this week we were privileged to view

London College of Fashion ~

MA_12 graduate shows:

beautifully curated and created spaces

in the basement of Victoria House, Bloomsbury:

here are my highlights ....

narrative:

interactive:

The Last Planet ~ Venus

by 

Alejandro Cavello:

the idea of another world inspired

by Gustav Holst's, Planet Suite:

tactile:

Dawa ~

by Volker Koch:

 hand-stitched from vegetable-tanned leather:

Likoma ~

named after places on the 

Sumbawanga Trail, Tanzania

these gorgeous pieces are made 

to fit to the body's contours when worn:

inspired by simple forms of grinding stones

and primitive tools:

the repetitive image

not quite as it seems at first sight:

eighty one models:

same pose precision:

by Emitis Soltani-Abbassioun:

best in show for me were 

the fantastic life sized 3d images 

Obesity & Fashion

by Roberto Aguilar:

donning our red+blue glasses

these ladies came to life!

you could almost touch that Chanel bag:

real women, real curves:

love love love them:

the whole show presented the challenges

faced within fashion:

using a wide range of technologies to 

communicate creative ideas and concepts

these students displayed their pioneering

and hand crafting skills to the max:

⫯⫰ by hook

yesterday we visited

Tony's gallery

to see an extraordinary space

created by Olek

totally covered in crochet:

dressing table

alarm clock

rocking horse

walls and floor:

texts and emails hooked in wool:

trebles in camo:

words realised in pattern:

six months in the making:

yarn bombing extreme:

{swoon}