Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Quiet Rest Day - No WoW

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Back to bees. This one was just alighting on the Lavender so I suppose it counts as 'in flight'.

Not that we are still needing to recover from our trip to Powis but another restful day was most welcome. If I stand around I soon start to hurt and need to lie flat. But sitting down is easier, so our coach journey to the Isle of Wight will be no problem.

Y retrieved luggage from the loft this morning, mainly to check the sizes because the coach operator now imposes restrictions, including weight. I must ring tomorrow to ask about hand luggage, and my wheels. I made a Rogan Josh for lunch with some beef and mushrooms and Y was very pleased with it, followed by ice-cream wafers.

I nipped out into the garden for ten minutes to take some flower snaps. This is an upright Evening Primrose. It looked more interesting vertical rather than horizontal.

Work on my new PC continues. Once I am sure what I have successfully transferred I shall begin deleting stuff from the laptop.

Basically Y is going to have it for her personal use - but I am to be allowed access when away from home, and in the middle of the night.

Picture 3 - 'A Large Crevasse' - was taken in 1888 by Vittorio Sella.

In 1882 he had written to the English Camera manufacturers Dallmeyer saying .....

"I beg you to undertake immediately the camera for plates 30 x 40cm described in my letter; I beg you to make it in the best mahogany, with every care possible, as I will serve myself of it for taking views in the high Alps.....Here we have splendid weather, and I burn with impatience to start photographic excursions"
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We WoW-ers know how he felt !

When you think this was taken 120yrs ago, and I have photographed it from a newspaper, it puts things into perspective.

Sella's work is on Exhibition in the Estorick collection in London and was written up in the S.Telegraph's 'Seven' magazine by Andrew Graham-Dixon.

Comments

Bungus ..... Pleased you enjoyed the Robin Williams clip - I had hoped it would help to persuade you of his suitability for 'casting'.

I'm sorry that Sandra's Garden Party occasion was surrounded by some problems or 'issues' as people annoyingly call them. As I remember, it is quite a walk from Trafalgar Square and Sandra isn't completely well is she? Especially then to be offered a minuscule scone. Not miniscule Bungus. Sorry to be pedantic - and it is a common error.

Anonymousrob ..... No howls of protest from me about the identity of Railway Stations. The roof architecture is often interesting and stylish, curved or not. On our way to the Terracotta Warriors we were most taken with St. Pancras.

You are quite right about the miniature. I couldn't work out the apparent reflections of road signs either. Certainly not any symbolism that I am aware of. I borrowed the picture from a reputable enough site, (The Bridgeman Art Library) but perhaps their photographer had to nip to Powis and nick a furtive shot through the glass case. Could it be the site-owner's 'watermark' to dissuade reproduction I wonder?

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do like the Welsh countryside photo, lovely. And the miniature in the previous blogging looks fascinating, I didn't know about that.

Bungus, I hope Sandra's day at Buckingham Palace looks better in retrospect, these things often do! That is a long walk from Trafalgar Squre (Victoria would have been nearer). I must remember to take my own sarnies if I ever get invited....

Just watched the first part of a drama about oil on BBC2, not bad, but they kept shouting well-known facts at each other, and it was obvious whom our hero was going to end up it bed with...but Marc Warren is excellent and has all the best lines, must have a good agent. I may watch the concluding part on Friday.

I hope you have suitcases on wheels of the right size? I am sure you will be allowed hand luggage!

Anonymous said...

Nice pictures but not sure that turning the evening primrose through 90 degrees adds anything. Unusually, we have not had one in our garden, so far.

I used a Blue Dragon packet of black bean sauce the other evening. I did it with a stir fry of thinly sliced pork, onions, garlic, red pepper, mushrooms, spring onion and rice. Very very tasty. Very very Delia short cut. I hold up my hands; it was much better (but no doubt less healthy) than my own attempts at black bean sauce from basic ingredients.

Hope yur excess baggage does not prove to be a problem. You will no doubt carry most of it strung about you on straps and in your multi-pocketed garments. Do not forget the kitchen sink.

The Large Crevasse photo is impressive. Taken just a couple of years before the studio portrait of my great-great grandfather (but in more onerous circumstances).

No, I still cannot accept Robin Williams as lead in my biopic. Far too mannered.
I feel more and more strongly that Compo, possibly with a touch of Victor Meldrew, is favourite. And I do insist upon final casting rights.

Prior to the walk from Trafalgar Square, Sandra had felt unwell in King’s Cross and, as is her wont, left her companions, without a word, to seek fresh air, only to faint into the arms of a convenient and well disposed tall dark stranger. I think the big problem was that she was exhausted before setting off.
Like most less than totally pleasant experiences, it will no doubt be enhanced by time, as Jill suggests. And, as my mother would have said, “It makes a better story”.

I shall not defend ‘miniscule’ (which I think I had been made aware of before) even though my Longman’s dictionary pronounces it a now generally accepted alternative spelling. But it takes the same view of Andrew Graham-Dixon’s reversed usage of ‘fascinate’, which I abhor.

Mea culpa. The Railway Station roof issue stems from my ignorance. I was unaware that York has a curved roof and knew that Newcastle Central's is renowned. I accept that both are quality structures.

Rob:
See muted howl of protest, above.

I am not at all taken by the miniature (perhaps I would be more impressed with viewing the real thing) but find the road signs an entertaining anomaly.

Jill:
Re the garden party: as you suggest, distance can lend enchantment (comment above).
The Trafalgar Squre walk was suggested by their cabby as being the quickest and cheapest option. The one hour return fare from the Palace to KC, through heavy traffic, was £20 (inc £2 tip).

I thought you would pick out Mark Warren for comment from the oil drama. I found it very watchable (while still managing to nod off briefly a couple of times). As you say, it did explain the obvious but still managed to entertain and make a point. I presume the methane through the (not very thick) ice is a genuine phenomenon.
Little doubt which country was cast as the major villain. I am sure I saw something the other day about an American sewage farm being renamed ‘George Bush Park’. He is certainly full of it.

Anonymous said...

PS:
It was agreed that the Queen's buffet was beautifully fresh and of the highest quality; quite an achievement when catering for 7,000! I suppose she had some help, if only with the washing up.
Our near neighbour, the newsagent (who produces the best filled cobs in Ollerton, and there are several good competitors) does not intend to emulate the delicacy (and minusculacity) of the Palace fare.
The stamina of the Royals was also much admired (they had not had to walk from Trafalgar Square, but some of them are getting on a bit).

Anonymous said...

Don't read this rob
Further resaech for my own intrest Newcastle Station was first of the great arched roofs. Opened in 1850 by Queen Victoria abd Prince Albert York station was completed in 1877 and has four spans of varing height The widest being 81 feet and the tallest 46 ft high.
Enough I feel like I am being an Ian G.- Roy and Rob will understand that.

Anonymous said...

Bungus, re the oil drama (which they reviewed at length in the D.Tel. but did not make any mention of Marc Warren...) and the mthane under the ice bit, I am reading a book about Siberia ('Silverland' by Dervla Murphy - she has written a lot of books about her travels in far-flung places) she is now 75 with a dodgy leg, yet got herself across Siberia on the trains (no roads) and mentioned this phenomenon,the methane under the taiga and the ice, and how she thinks the pollution is damaging children. She is a bit of an old Irish Leftie - writes a lot about how some people were far better off under communism, with free medicines and travel which they no longer get. I didn't know that.