It's Friday

It's been a busy week.  Medical appointments Monday and Wednesday for me.  A Geological group meeting on Thursday for Paul.  

Whilst out for walks over the last week or two we've spotted some bright and cheerful things.

A Snoopy Trail is coming to Trentham Gardens in March.  That will be fun.  Love Snoopy.  Many years ago I had a yellow Woodstock (Snoopy's little bird friend) I wonder what happened to it? I probably gave it away.

There is another outdoor art exhibition in the City Centre in the Bethesda Chapel Gardens opposite the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.  The Museum building is closed at the moment for refurbishment.

Charles William Brown (1882-1961) was born on Biddulph Moor* and worked in both the farming and mining industries.  He took up painting on his retirement.  Here is a -link- to more information from the Barewall Gallery in Burslem.  * The source of the River Trent is on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor where it rises as a small stream making its way through Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire across country until it meets the River Ouse and the North Sea between Kingston-upon-Hull and Immingham.

The paintings are of local places and happenings.  All painted in the early 1950s.  The three below caught my eye.

Landscape with bus 1955.  I'm guessing a day trip into the Staffordshire Moorlands or the Peak District., mainly because of the stone walls around the fields.

Shelton Bar from the Allotments 1950.  Shelton Bar was a major steel works in the city.  Closed now, of course as are the coal mines and many of the pottery works too.  

Washing Line 1952.  A riot of colour.  It looks like a warm Summer day.

A red squirrel at the Peak Wildlife Park.  He had a damp tail but was enjoying tucking into his breakfast hazelnut.

Snowdrops at Wolseley Bridge nature reserve.

My photos don't do the carpets of white under the trees justice.  There were a few daffodils dotted around amongst them.

A trip to the Library this morning to take books back and seek something new to read.  I took ages to find books to bring home but three came with me.  All authors I've read before.

Bad news this morning when we learned that a friend had fallen and broken her ankle and leg.  We will go to visit next week hopefully.  She and her husband spent most the the Summer and Autumn last year helping a neighbour who had fallen and broken her ankle quite badly now our friend has done the same.  

All for now.

Small Things

I've been looking for small things to bring colour and cheer to these dull, grey and damp days.  In the garden things are happening.

Winter Aconite

Snowdrop buds

Damp misty walks by the lake can be quite atmospheric.

There's always a robin to say hello.

Baking.  We bought lemons to put with honey to sooth coughs.  I made a blueberry and lemon tray bake.  It's in a pot dish as we didn't have a big enough tin.  Half has been frozen.  I saw the recipe in a free magazine from the supermarket.  I also made a lemon cake from the Cranks recipe book.  Both very tasty.

Post box topper in the supermarket.  The little creatures look as if they are off on holiday.

We popped into the Brampton Museum to have a cup of coffee and a look at the latest exhibition.

You will notice that there are some empty frames.  This is because they are ready and waiting for their works of art to be displayed.  Local artist Rob Pointon -link- is making a painting each day of January.

We will make a return visit to see what he has produced over the last few days.  There is also an area for works done by local artists who come to join him on Saturdays to sit and paint around the Brampton no matter the weather.

It's a great idea.

A Common Thread

 A Common Thread is the latest exhibition at the Brampton Museum in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

It is, in fact a three in one exhibition which celebrates modern textile art, home produced items from the museum's collections and photos and information panels about local textile manufacturers including hat makers.

The main exhibition has works from Dr Jack Roberts who is known as JPR Stitch.  In the top photo are the Daily Stitch Towers created over one year from daily stitch drawings.  Here is a -link- to the artist's website.

I always love to see costume in a museum and some of those on display were made locally and donated to the museum.   Above, on the left, is an Edwardian wedding dress with a handmade lace tabard.  The brown Victorian dress was worn by a lady called Ann Whalley for her wedding at St George's Church on Christmas Day 1870.  

Above a floral dress from the 1860s which has been altered a few times.  Perhaps so it could be passed on and worn by others.

It was a lovely display of all sewing crafts, tapestry, embroidery, lace making and knitting.

I was sure there were photos of me somewhere in dresses similar to the one above, I have found a couple of them and put them at the bottom of this post.

Lots of memories in these displays.  I still have my Mum's Singer sewing machine which is dated 1938.  She always had the Woman's Weekly delivered and often knitted cardigans, jumpers and toys from their patterns.

Such a serious little face.  This was taken at our house in Leicester before we moved away to a village in Derbyshire.  I would have been about four.  I still have the teddy bear.

Oh, heavy shoes and socks at half mast😊 This was taken in a London Park, I think. We were visiting my Mum's old school friend who lived in Stanmore in Middlesex.  I remember the bus journey into London.

Well, it's the first of December today.  I must start to think about Christmas.  We had our first card and present in the post on Friday so I must stop dragging my heels and write some cards, buy some stamps and add to the bits and pieces I've already bought to make up larger presents.

All for now.

Magic at Haddon Hall

 The exhibition Magic at Haddon Hall tells the story of rituals, charms and superstitions in Elizabethan England.

In the courtyard were displays of superstitions we know of today.  Things we think will bring bad luck.

Things like - never walk under ladders, never put new shoes on the table, don't put up an umbrella indoors, touching wood, black cats crossing your path and throwing salt over the left shoulder if any is spilt.

In the main hall are displays about witch marks, broomsticks, things kept or done for protection against evil spirits and the saving of lucky charms.

The kitchen displays tell of the magic surrounding apples in Elizabethan times.  

All around the house are details of the way Elizabethan (and I assume those before and after) people dealt with their fears and superstitions.

In the Long Gallery details of 'witches' - often just wise and capable women - and the way they were treated.

 

The rooms adjacent to the main hall dealt with the themes of lotions and potions, poisons and herbs for healing, the fear of some birds and animals who were thought to bring bad luck.

Apologies for some of the photos not being of great quality as lighting was very low - for obvious reasons.  The whole place was very atmospheric.

Back soon

Two Local Exhibitions - Part Two

 Continuing our visit to the exhibitions in Stoke we entered the Minster which was warm and welcoming.

This is the second of the two Longest Yarn travelling exhibitions.  Here is a - link - to the first one, visited in  November last year.

This second display depicts the preparations for the outbreak of war and events following on the home front.

War is declared

The cabinet meets

Windows are taped, gas masks are issued, special Mickey Mouse ones for children.

Children sent to the countryside for safety.

Anderson shelters for back gardens

Food rationing introduced

Training of the Home Guard

Dig for Victory

Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister

The Blitz in London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Coventry.

The Women's Land Army

The Lumber Jills

Far too many photos.  There are 80 cases in all covering events like the small boats leaving for Dunkirk, the invasion of the Channel Isles and the Battle of Britain.  The Polish Pilots and the arrival of troops from America.  Lots of the cases were difficult to photograph with my little camera because of the lighting.  It was the small details I found fascinating. 

A VE day street party

 The exhibition is here in Stoke until the 29th October.