Friday 31 October 2014

Halloween and a wonderful wall

Well I hope you had a Happy Halloween, even if you were just snuggled up with the lights off, trying to avoid the trick or treat-ers at your front door lol
I survived reading a story at a local library, were they had organised a Halloween night for this evening.
The council were going to close it down but residents fought hard to keep it open and it's manned entirely by volunteers now.
All credit to them, it's a delightful and well used community library that is well used by local groups for meetings too.
I'd once said to one of the volunteers I know, that if I could ever help I would lol 
Well, they called me on it, asking me to read a spooky story to about 30 kids!
I took my grandson as back up mind you!


 
I went as a witch - no,  this is not my usual look, although I rather liked the pink and black hair, it certainly beats the average blue rinse, for women of my age! the green skin does nothing for me mind!

Had my grandson for a couple of days, it being the school half term break so we had an amble on Hessle foreshore, beneath the Humber Bridge where there were a couple of clambering structures.
He was practising his Spiderman skills but realised he's not that good with heights - yet.
The weather was amazing, bright, sunny and 20 degrees warm with a pleasant light wind ................ you'll see, it will be snowing next week!!


Last Monday granddaughter was definitely playing to the camera too!
She'd been feeding her baby doll, having troffed the jelly herself lol


Oh and what about this incredible mosaic wall !!
Do go and see ~ I just love the tree bit!!

http://thehouseonthesideofthehill.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/happy-halloween.html


Wednesday 29 October 2014

Yarn bombing, crochet blocking and rent free boarders!

The pics aren't very inspiring, but we were yarn bombing a bridge last sunday morning - in a blummin' strong wind!
After 2 hours I had had enough, so didn't stay for the shanty music and the council bods who were coming along later to re-launch a 'fish trail' that you can follow round Hull town.
This is Sammy Salmon below, number 1 on the fish trail list I believe, sitting beside Scale Lane Bridge, which crosses the River Hull : )


The tidal barrier off to the left below, prevents flooding further along the river during spring and winter high tides. Beyond it lays the River Humber which is tidal and thus the reason we need that added flood protection.


I haven't been back but I bet the few crabs we left here and there were liberated lol

This is the other side of Scale Bridge on old town's side. Looking east towards an uninspiring hotel!










I stumbled on this natty blocking idea for those who crochet, or knit,
squares, it's worth a look, it would never have occurred to me to do this!
http://www.lookatwhatimade.net/crafts/diy-blocking-station-crochet-squares/

Living alone and being solely responsible for all the bills,
I've recently begun to wonder about those others who
share my home and don't pay any rent ~
they do okay I reckon, despite it being such a hard life lol
 
 
 

 
Just look at her right paw tucked up at her chest - this is as close as she's comfortable being, on the chair arm next to me.
 
 

 

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Urban art in London

When we walked into the Covent Garden Piazza, there was this!!
It had everyone gobsmacked -
Look carefully!
This wasn't there in august when I went with my grandson.
Yet it looked as if it had been there for ages and appeared to be totally unsupported!
It foxed everyone as you can see and is very clever.



 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFWEl7IA8TQ

http://www.coventgardenlondonuk.com/alex-chinnecks-new-installation
 
Huge paella cooking in Covent Garden lol
we didn't have any mind you


 
There are several of these painted buses around the which I thought were delightful.
Year of the Bus Sculpture Trail
Poppy Fields by Sarah Jane Grace

 
Swinging London by Sian Storey


Rock and Royal by Damien Jeffrey

 
Harvey cat is growing ~

 
 

 

London and the show Wicked : )

My daughter and I went to London Saturday for an overnight to see the show 'Wicked', it was lovely sending time with her, it was a treat for her 30th birthday which was at the end of august.

The show is an interesting prequel storyline to Frank L Baum's
'wicked witch' and The Wizard of Oz.
It's not as much fun as 'Mama Mia' but it is an enjoyable piece of theatre and elements of the original story pull together very cleverly!

I'd taken her for a theatre fest for her 21st and then we saw Phantom of the Opera and Mama Mia. We both love musical theatre and Wicked is on at the Appollo theatre in Victoria.
Just look at the divine plaster work on the walls and ceiling and yes its a wonderful shade of lilac, though whether its because of paint or clever lighting, I don't know. I managed to take a pic of the stage before the show but your not allowed to take pics during of course.





Before we went in to the theatre, we wandered into the Westminster Cathedral nearby, which is a really quite an ugly building if I'm honest. But it is surely the most stunning place to go and see.
It's as if you've stumbled through a portal to a Persian Palace.
It is surrounded by high rise modern offices and shops, a piece of cultural beauty, tucked behind the crass modern.
If you get chance, do go see it, its spellbinding inside and a magnificent mosaic haven.


http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/

I've said before that I'm not religious, spiritual yes, I'd like to think in tune with Mother Earth and the moon, but there was the most incredible presence of calm in this building.
Now whether that was a religious entity or the totally divine artwork,
I doubt I will ever know.
But it's the kind of place where folks go to sit - and they were, locals by the looks of it too, they just sat and were silent, or reading gospels or silently mouthing prayers, oblivious to those of us with cameras and mouths agape.
I'd go often if I lived there just to relax and wind down.

All this is mosaic'ed, teeny tiny what looked to be maybe half to one inch squares!
Silver and gold (actually plated I would think rather than simply glitzy) - it was mind boggling.
There was also every possible marble colour and pattern that I think exists anywher ! Stunning. Get it? Stunning.
What a hidden gem. Do enlarge the pictures.







 


just look at this peacock!


How the hell did they do this? on a gantry of scaffolding like Michelangelo I guess?



 
all mosaic remember!




 
below was the most beautiful pinky lilac colours


 
a whole new interpretation of shell patterning, alive with old gold


 
My lovely daughter Tylah, who 30 years ago was with me at St Clement Danes the RAF church, which is in the Strand 
where it meets Fleet Street.
We went back for a look see, she didn't recall being there before lol
but then she was about 3 months old.
 She, like her brother was christened at this church.
 



 
aircrew being rescued in bronze and nice to see a female shown

 
This below was so touching


 
The crypt is in the basement and this is where both Mitchell and Tylah were christened, 20 or so months between.
It was nostalgic for us because back then, on each occasion although neither would remember, their dad was there.
He died when he was 40 in 1996, when Mitch and Tylah were
14 and 12 years old.
( He'd left me about 6 years before that so we all lost him twice over. )
There was a christening taking place upstairs in the main church,
so we couldn't go in there, which is a shame because
it is lovely to see.