Weekly Photo Challenge … World through my eyes
One week we are bursting at the seams.
Wall to wall students.
Jostling and jiving for any available space.
Desks, note pads, pens, pencils,
uncountable electronic devices.
In a stony silence to glean every fact,
Cramming minds
from each book and journal.
The next,
The library bereft and alone
In the hands of the workmen and women
contracted to make more space
On Monday I wonder?
Do teasels grow beyond the realms of the motorway?
Are they not thistle-like?
Tough and brutish, when refusing to be picked?
Looking architectural and grand
golden and bronzed for a while attracting finches.
Until they became blackened by the toxic exhaust fumes
Not so!
Stately grand and very green
with tiny embryonic teasels,
delicate as any thistle down.
Why has this sight previously gone by unnoticed?
Silent Sunday
Saturday poem …
Rain was forecast;
So I didn’t peg out the damp washing.
Instead I draped it dismally over the clothes horse
in the bathroom.
Later the sun broke through the clouds,
who had not produced rain
and longer threatened.
The clothes remained in their unattractive state.
And the Californian Poppies drooped dryly.
Friday’s Library Snapshot …
It was quiet in the Reading Room this week; it usually is on a Wednesday afternoon. I usually find a nice image use in my post ‘Friday Snapshot’ and find then some gentle task that will not distract me too much from the job in hand; watching the readers and fetching their requirements. Today their needs were minimal and were not very interesting for my Friday post. So instead I took some random shots of the Reading Room. You will see it has some very attractive features when the books get a bit dreary!!
Alphabe Thursday … E is for Exhibition
E is for Exhibition in particular the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, was held in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October 1851.
It was the first of a series of World’s fair exhibitions of culture and industry and a popular feature of the 19th century. The Great Exhibition was organised by Henry Cole and Prince Albert husband of Queen Victoria. It was attended by many notable figures of the time and 6 million others
It was described by one regular visitor on 17th April 1850
‘… The Crystal palace is more wonderful every time we go, with coloured light everywhere, so airy and delicate, but strong. Not like as house, solid and heavy and shadowy, solid to the ground. Like being inside a diamond it is, or a fairy palace. Master has made a miracle , everyone says so. And as far as the exhibits inside , there are more and more every day, 10,000 they say. We saw French and Belgian lace and English embroidery today, so the queen can’t have better – shawls and baby gowns and waistcoats, and Irish double damask tablecloths with shimmering ferns and flowers woven in. I was near crying with pure delight it was all so lovely ‘
Images from
W.F Thomas & Co Sewing Machines
1851 or the adventures of Mr and Mrs Sandboys and Family who came up to London to enjoy themselves and see the Great Exhibition by Henry Mayhew and George Cruikshank
Richard Doyle’s pictures of extra articles and visitors to the Exhibition
Little Henry’s holiday at the Great Exhibition by the editor of ‘Pleasant pages’
The world’s fair or, children’s prize gift book of the Great Exhibition of 1851 describing the beautiful inventions and manufactures exhibited herein with pretty stories about the people who have made and sent them and how they live when at home
Further reading
My story : the Crystal Palace the diary of Lily Hicks, London 1950-1951 written by
Frances Hendry
I wonder on Wednesday …
My daughter and her partner live in a favela in Rio de Janeiro along with many thousands of lowly paid key-workers People who provide all the services, not just unskilled, but nurses, teachers, and social workers all needed to run and maintain a busy and growing city. They in turn need cheap and reliable public services such as schools, libraries, hospitals, and public transport. They will not benefit from the World Cup or the Olympics. As we speak the citizens of Rio are on the streets demonstrating predominantly against the rising bus-fares. They are also speaking out about other shortcomings that the favela dwellers are facing while the world looks on at the preparations for the Olympics and the World Cup and the millions of Real that is being poured to these overexposed spectacles
We have heard about the misbehaviour of the demonstrators and the harm caused to the policemen. Strangely a killing of an innocent favela child by a police attack is overlooked or given minimum media coverage .
We hear reports of anarchists and trouble makers marauding the streets in their thousands. My daughter is not a member of a leftist organisation, or a rioter but a worker trying to make ends meet, while getting to and from work and provide a good service for the city that is letting her down.My daughter did join the demonstrators yesterday afternoon when she had finished work. My son-in-law joined her later as he had a meeting at work until 7.30. He told me since, many others joined at that time like him not wishing to have damaging effect but just to make a point. However he did understand how the demonstrators might become more aggressive; as it seems the transport is not a public service it is a money making concern that can raise the costs without notification or apparent reason. It is not interested in public health and safety. The government are not acting on behalf of the people as they are financed by the Transport Companies. It not surprising the the people of Rio are very angry and running out of peaceful ways in which to make their opinions heard.
Weekly Photo Challenge … Curves
Each week the Photo Challenge takes me by surprise. You are all familiar with my excuses for my feeble attempts. I have no excuses this week. The Thames kindly provided me with bridges, a couple of wrought iron fences, a carefully placed ‘architecture’ and then Paddington came up trumps at the end of the day! No works of art … that would be too much to expect!
Last Week I learned nothing much …
Last week I didn’t feel much like like learning; so didn’t notice anything new. This action or non-action doesn’t have a positive effect on me when considering my weekly post ‘Last week i learned that …’
So rather than look like an unearned soul; i will reflect on something I saw last week and how it materialised into something less learned more ‘Room for improvement … ‘
For a few weeks in the museum we have been showing an exhibition by Jenny Halstead called An artist’s year in the Harris Garden. One particular image took my eye and I wondered later in the week if I could do something similar.
Lately I have been making prints from erasers in the style of Peter Hay. Until now I have been reproducing them using a simple ink stamp pad, the type one would buy in Hobby Craft and this has been quite successful.
However, the time has come for me to use proper ink for a more professional look. I have searched on the internet and even looked in art shops for the right materials but found it difficult as the two methods are poles apart; so for someone with my limited experience I felt I was falling into a costly minefield.
So I researched some more and found a specialist supplier of printing equipment and materials. Which prompted a visit to London in particular the South Bank to Intaglio Printmaker.
I walked into what looked more like a warehouse than a shop; it was rather like the old fashioned hardware shop and I nearly walked back out again. I loitered by the door feeling much like a child with my dad as he bought nails, or screws where the shopkeeper wrote in a cash book with a strategically placed blue carbon paper. Whilst I didn’t feel at home it was quite pleasant not to be bombarded with noise, advertising and barrage of not helpful shop assistants. I waited my turn; and was not disappointed by the saleswoman who not only knew her products but understood my tender needs. A delight I have not enjoyed for a long time.
So I came away with a well put together package wrapped in brown paper and the the hand-written receipt!
After a wonderful shopping experience here is the result.
Silent Sunday
Coat Hanger Doll's House 