Friday, November 28, 2008

Entertaining again - EPS went well last night.

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These pendants are some examples of the work of Bungus's Emma. 'Kiln Fired' as the caption announces and the included 50p shows the size.

The picture (by bungus) is now nicely sharp and the pendants look very attractive I think.

Oh what a handicrafty group some of our blog-commenters and families are. My only claim to fame is that I do know a fair bit about Art - but I can't draw for toffee. Even in exchange for Helen's highly recommended 'sticky toffee pudding'.

At EPS last night we enjoyed 'An evening with Uncle Roy' (our esteemed Secretary and Senior WoW-er). Roy had asked people to submit 'favourite' pictures, some prints and some projected images, which folks were willing to say a few words about. Roy also displayed his own work. It was a lively evening and pleasant to have lots of 'chats' not least to anonymousrob who is always much in demand.

For part of the evening we were invited to act as judges and to shout out a mark . There was a lovely picture of some trees (Reg ?) and one of our girls shouted "18". Roy asked why she had given it 18 and she said "'Cos its dead good". Art criticism from the heart ! What could be better. There were many, very good pictures and the work shown illustrated the 'life' in the Club. So varied and buoyant !

Picture 2 is of a mural on the wall of a pub in Bakewell.

So beautifully done and it so summarises the town.

At lunchtime today we had Peter and Joan, Dorothy and Joan (the sisters . Dorothy is 80 and both are still great). They enjoyed a sherry as appetizer.

The menu was fish & chips, mushy peas, and bread and butter. Followed by Xmas pudding and custard. Then cheese & biscuits and coffee/tea. I also put on the table a bowl of freshly prepared and chunked pineapple as a palate-cleanser, which proved popular. No bowls or spoons or anything. If you fancied a cube, it was a fingers job.

Picture 3 is a close-up of the world-weariness of my 'bag for life' from the National Trust.

Close examination reveals that the plastic membrane of which I spoke is actually the inside lining of the bag. It isn't as I thought inbetween two layers of hessian/jute or whatever it is.

Whatever it is, everyone felt I ought to take the bag back to a National Trust shop and draw it to their attention. The bags are a comparatively recent introduction so it can't be very old.

Comments

bungus ..... I like the 'gull' caption. That will be fine if I use the picture - thanks !

Re the goose-crown. I understand your position but can do no more than keep checking.

Re "olive oil". My earliest recollection was of Olive Oyl, the skinny lady in PopEye.

And I seem to be one of the few people I know who actually does enjoy spinach. My Dad used to grow early and late varieties so during childhood I ate a fair bit of it.

And it is so good for you. please click here.


I think Gary Larson of the Far Side fame would be having fun with the Shirebrook Market Place thread.

His surreal sense of humour would no doubt rise to the occasion.

My googlemail notifier has just told me I have an e-mail from Roy. With pictures.

No doubt they will be something I have asked him for and 'for the blog' but not tonight. I am starting to flag quite noticeably.

Jill ....... Glad you've now seen the Radio Nottingham stuff about the 'mystery blanket'. Is it the same one?

Y and I have had swordfish steaks, in a Greek Restaurant. Don't know if they are a specilaity. They were quite acceptable but not a patch on Cod or Haddock !

Re GoogleMail - The word on the streets is that AOL could be in trouble so you might need your googlemail account eventually. In anycase I think googlemail to be the better system.

Quotation time ......... This struck me as amusing ! ......

"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow man, and I hate people like that!"

Tom Lehrer

The link will take you to his incredibly clever song about the chemical 'elements'. I remember hearing it in the 60s and thinking it brilliant. It still is !

"Sleep tight - have a good weekend"





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pleased to see the fused glass pendants illustrated but I must make a correction. These were not produced by Emma but by the Workshop Chairman Alan Taylor. Alan is an ex miner, a completely practical man with no claim to artistic ability.
One of the attractions of this craft is that the result is largely unpredictable – sometimes very pretty with shimmering and changing irridesecent colours but occasional failure or breakage. This means that anyone, having learnt the techniques, is likely to produce some very acceptable pieces.
I think Emma, who is art trained and has a good ‘eye’ (but is a novice) will be aiming to exert more control.
As a matter of interest, the workshop sells these for under £5 each. I suspect that compares favourably with prices charged for anything similar in craft shops.

And you are selling yourself short. Your knowledge of art means that you have an understanding of composition and colour which is as essential in photography as in drawing or painting.

The evening with Uncle Roy' sounds excellent. And the ‘audience’ judging preferable to the much criticised formal affairs. Probably more useful too!

I like the look of the Bakewell mural; nice colours. I suppose it to be poster / guache / acrylic paint? Is it the work of one person? and do you know the significance of the grid? Just curiosity and not important really; it is the finished effect that matters.

Fish & chips, Xmas pud and CUSTARD (not rum sauce): it sounds a somewhat unusual menu but the important thing is that the diners enjoyed it.
The pineapple serving as sorbet sounds a good simple idea (for those who like pineapple),

I appreciate that you cannot compel Lidl to always have Goose Crown available and it is good of you to act as my eyes.
I was just bemoaning the fact that we do not have a branch more adjacent. And I suspect that like Aldi and Currys and others there is no way of phoning a particular branch to check before visiting.
Netto is even less reliable; the impression formed is that only about 60% of the items which they advertise each week are actually delivered and some of those are not exactly as described.

You are very welcome to the 'gull' caption but I feel there must be a better one.
Ask Paul Merton.

I do not care for spinach as a ‘straight’ vegetable although I possibly prefer it to cabbage or Brussels. I am happy enough with the blandness of calabrese but my favourite greens are brussel tops, turnip tops, and purple or white sprouting broccoli.
I do think spinach works well with pasta, however, esp with ricotta in canelloni.

I too think Gary Larson would favour aspects of Shirebrook.
There is, or was, a saying about the town: “If you’re refused it at one house you can demand it at the next.” Similar scurrilous comments are made about other mining villages/towns, Bilsthorpe for instance. I think they developed from the opportunities presented by shift working.

Comparing swordfish (or marlin) with cod or haddock is rather like comparing, say, roast pork with jugged hare. And variety is a fine thing.

I have decided to do nothing to rescue AOL. I think I could be in the deep and dirty though if Google goes (polite) headover heels.

I share your appreciation of Tom Lehrer. A friend of mine bought his LP in the 60s and we derived hours of enjoyment from it. What a pity that we do not have lyrics such as his about the Bush era.

Jill:
Now I know, I will use your other address. I hope that you get some pleasure from trawling through my ‘old’ messages although many will be of reduced relevance.

If you can stand another war story, I only really got to like tinned tuna when in Tripoli.
The Junior Ranks Club, at Gurgi Barracks where we worked, had a daily delivery of ‘khobsa’ (Cornish pasty shaped–and-sized bread loaves, like a sort of cross between a baguette and ciabatta). No chip khobsa, just cheese or tinned tuna (there was a cannery in the town) much appreciated with a cup of ‘chai’ (English style) at elevenses.

Anonymous said...

Those pendants are beautiful - down here in the right place they will sell for £15 to £20 easily. I've just paid £10 for one large button, made in the same way.....

I thought that poster was composed of ?tiles? being used to daughter's ceramics. She is over the moon at the moment (warning - mother's boasting) havng got some work in a Notting Hill Gallery alongside Damien Hirst and Banksie, and a panel of hers (ceramic and mosaics)sold on the opening day for £5,000. And on the back of that, another gallery has ordered 20 other ceramic pieces to sell.

I don't like spinach in any shape or form. Am not really very keen on veg. at all - I enjoy carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, some cabbage, runner beans. That's about it.....

I would settle for fish and chipe followed by pineapple (with a bib, please) I take it the Xmas pudding was not compulsory.

Tom Lehrer - I used to really enjoy his stuff, 'poisoning pigeons in the park' was a favourite. And another one about hunting, I know the last line was 'I tied them to my fender, and I got them home somehow, Two game-wardens and a Jersey cow'.

I don't like to think of AOL in trouble, it has served me well for 5 years, I used to use their free help-line so much when I started, they were always so patient with me.