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Well Xmas sort of over today – I have thoroughly enjoyed it this year, well as I always usually usually do. All the decorations are down too and I suppose it’s back to sort of normal life again. A lot go back to work tomorrow.
The tree is a very special thread. I voted for it and I think in a normal year it would have easily won.
I hope you maintain your energy to continue your writing here. I have much enjoyed reading it and nothing quite like has graced the lounge before. It would be unique !Our Xmas tree also away now. Christmas seemed to fly by in the blink of if an eye. Takes two hours decorate tree and 5 minutes take it down
Christmas TV was rubbish nothing but repeats and nothing if anything worth watching, think worst was in yearsVf x
One can only hope gamble doesn’t take an axe to his Christmas Tree – Sam The Tree Killer style – only to remember too late it’s an artificial one.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Or even that it is plugged in!! It’s great to leave the thread a day or so its like braising and flavouring a lamb on a skewer with wine 🍷 and garlic in preparation on the spit a long time before roasting and leaving it with all the seasoning and coming back to it.
I’ve got an old wooden stick which I found many years ago on an island in Croatia 🇭🇷. My Brother and I were part of a big group of mates mostly chefs on a schooner sailing the Adriatic for them it was a busman’s holiday wives and kids and girlfriends we had a small crew and a cook. This was before the old Yugoslavia disintegrated and it was the holiday of a lifetime. I did the trip two years about five apart and I think this time we sailed between split and Dubrovnik for ten days. We’d put into a sparsely populated small island and the fellas had negotiated a lovely lamb from a shepherd and with the schooner moored in the bay set about prepping it for the meal of our lives. we’d got lobsters 🦞 and fish. This beautiful knarled old stick with an handle fashion from the end of a branch it was brown like oak and slightly or naturally varnished it was just laying on the beach possibly discarded or lost by the shepherd. I took it home with me and still walk with it occasionally very useful for beach combing and of course no one has anything like it here . Imagine twelve Michelin chefs fussing around a lamb on a spit over many hours. we took it all back on the boat and completed the meal onboard and I can honestly say I have never tasted or enjoyed a meal like it before or after.
The war kicked off soon after and the marbled streets of Dubrovnik were shattered and the ravages of war returning so long after the Second World War and old scores were settled and man found a way yet again to destroy paradise.While loading the dishwasher earlier I nearly came a cropper my little un has a treasured Yorkshire tea mug and it slipped out of my hands and hurtled towards our red stone floor and certain apocalypse. Luckily my reflexes are sharp still and I stuck a leg out and it padded the impact and it merely rolled onto the floor without a smash 💥 and I live another day. The virtues of wearing shorts 365 days a year extolled yet again!!
My love of kitchens is well documented on these pages and my gardening supplements this interest fully. When I was delivering fish I’d go to some beautiful places with a herb garden and I’d end up digging something up or returning a week or two later with some horseradish or suchlike in exchange.
The exhibition looms large and I’m working hard to ensure 100 friends do the trail and three to five hundred people walk through the doors during the exhibitions week. Those huge figures are necessary to ensure Mike cops a few sales during the week.The fulcrum of the exhibition for me of course as I’ve little to show is the remote installations and if it’s good enouagh for dear old MAGGIE HAMBLING up the road at Aldeburgh it’ll do for me. Her shell on the beach is of course a “remote installation” and whilst mine all have a working existence I’m hoping everyone sees something very different.
I’m onto the radio stations tomorrow and using my partner’s Facebook page.
The allotment in town has received a massive piece of driftwood this weekend a lovely old bit of redwood, hard to tell what, but it’s definitely from abroad, but very likely a local port or groyne support. Now it’s going to be a path border or raised bed pillar and my neighbour who trailered it over for me had one of the two cod I’d bought on Amber beach the other day. The main allotment has been neglected the last two days and when a fellow gardener dropped off some spare cardboard up there for me I felt like asking her to drop it off here instead as it looks untidy just now. The polytunnel cover ripped off recently and I’m falling behind. I got up there on Sunday in the gathering darkness and laid down a winter vegetable no dig bed using the cardboard that my friend had left there for me. It took an hour to do and I’ve simply laid cardboard followed by manure well rotted from Trimley then added a layer of brown ( carbon) leaves these came from the garden of an old boss of mine who I sailed with in the Deben and the British Virgin Isles. The leaves are very well decomposed and with bits of soil and lots of worms will break down a lot quicker than normal and with some green ( (nitrogen)like grass cuttings and some coffee grounds and leaf mulch thrown on top it’ll be ready to plant straight into. For now I’ve covered it with a black sheeting to keep the heat in and stop the leave blowing away. Lots of bulbs dug into the ground and mulched under the fruit trees 🌲 The allotment is a long way from where I need it to be but it’ll get there and as soon as the exhibition is over I can redirect my energies again.Yes the old gnarled stick – I’ve got one of those that’s very close at hand that’s actually me. I stayed up last night until 2am and was sipping an old brandy just quietly enjoying the last dregs of Xmas. Earlier in the evening I had enjoyed a simple fish dinner with an exuberant salad I thought fit for king. I popped out to Waitrose at about 10pm and on the way saw some splendid Xmas trees huge ones in large houses burning their lights away splendidly and in the minute it took me to get to main Street I came across a full size Mannequin of a father Xmas, stood outside a shop, with a very jolly face no beard but a tubby fellow of five foot and someone had amusingly put a plastic beaker ( it was empty ) at his feet, it was as if with Xmas on the dregs he was begging. I did think about taking him home but thought of the hell to pay.
I haven’t done exciting things like you Sam and thank you for relating that ship journey and I enjoy reading any tale on the high seas.
I will stop writing now – I wish to finish my cup of tea and then pop out and buy some nuts – I bought four bags last night and they are in their shells which I like. Going out for nuts – it’s what I do!
Yes Gamble it is what you most certainly do. The sea is a place I love and I spent a few months detached duty in kings lynn in the mid eighties and had a lovely time waiting for ever for the tide to be right at Wells next the sea 🌊 and then the little coasters would sit aground just outside wells harbour and lay becalmed for days and I’d row out in a dingy to meet them. It seems like a bygone era but it’s only yesterday. Cley blakeney point sandringham. And nose to tail traffic on roads like it was Cornwall at certain times of the year. And Lynn it self tucked away all over town in a different lodging each month to get to know the place and west lynn was the best as I caught the ferry each day instead of travelling on the road. The countryside almost as beautiful as the neighbouring county. People as gentle as the wind, the closer to Gorleston the nicer people were. The burr of the dialect against my own twang especially on the old folk like a song which you could resonate with despite living in a different world. It felt like half a year but it was really just three months. I could have lived there, but Norfolk was not ready for me!!
Well the wind has well and truly got up and the cold weather that has afflicted the rest of the land has finally reached here. Snow was smelt heading this way on balmy Saturday and although it was mild telltale hot and cold air with crisp interjections of cold air were flowing about despite the high temperatures and I told my next door neighbour the air promised snow. It has sleeted today and temperatures are low my coolant has lost it’s level on Betty Bluebottle and she’s booked in for investigation on Wednesday not ideal but pouring coolant straight through it isn’t cheap at all and I relented and poured water down instead just in time for the drop in temperatures. Hopefully I’ll be ok at this level and it seems to have slowed but any colder and the real stuff will be needed ahead of Wednesday.
A very good response to multiple what’s apps inviting people to the opening day and both visit Felixstowe and Suffolk magazine will post on their social media pages tonight hopefully.Your mention of Cley reminds me that it was featured recently on the TV Series ‘Villages By The Sea’. Others in your area that’ve been on are Holkham, Orford, Thorpeness and Walberswick
A nice, gentle little series, though the presenter is a little too over enthusiastic
All are still on iPlayer
https://m.facebook.com/suffolkmagazine
Some good places featuring the exhibition which will help the promotion of the event.
Another sponsor on board
Smith Family funeral service.
Cannot speak highly enough of the young man running this business and his work ethic.
His wife a partner in the firm was due to give birth on Tuesday and he was sat at his desk dutifully holding the fort in anticipation of an induced arrival of their second child. I’ll go into greater details another day as to why this man epitomises everything loving this land stands for. A pleasure to meet him.By day allotment by night rearranging dishwashers ready for collection and removal. This morning replanting cyclamen into new ground and fresh beds planting asparagus.Stuck taps and leaky valves I’m not cut out to be a plumber at all!!! I’m certainly cheaper, but the resultant damage could well be costly!!!!
King Alfred copied plenty of stick for burning cakes, but he didn’t manage to burn toast and porridge in the same morning. Neither did I to be fair as I’ve spread it over the midday through the morning. Human league buzzing in the background (dare) and toaster popped twice only to cone out brown bread 🍞 and smoking. Porridge stuck to the pan but still well cooked and wholesome. Oat so simple is a headturner you pay them to add syrup and then they teach you to suck eggs and tell you to pour milk into an unstable sachet. It would be better to add serving suggestions of how to effectively mop up all the milk you’ll spill. My little un in swears by them but the scotch porridge oats in bulk with no advice is about 90% cheaper and usable by those to whom commonsense comes as standard.
There! Three toasts one edible and no lumpy limp tiny portions of porridge but a saucepan to scrub happy days.A full day yesterday spent in the gallery. The departing artist Omar left a stunning piece of wall art which was mounted by the gallery especially outside. I’d seen him working on canvas over several days of his exhibition.
We have a tough act to follow. Mike has got all of his work on the walls and on easils and it looks like an exhibition.
We’ve got two sponsors, a ticket for Cheltenham gold cup day kindly donated by a forumite which will be raffled on behalf of the two charities I support next month and is guaranteed to raise them a grand. I’m launching the remote installation trail this afternoon (it’s already open). So all in all it is going well.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=863929062401392&id=100063529182245
https://mailchi.mp/8c293a413f20/the-tree-and-the-three-rivers?e=ece3483df7First day nerves were not an issue. So many friends turned up from many aspects including the two charities. A good sixty odd were at the launch last night.
The twins arrived hot foot from Xmas and Hogmanay in Scotland in the morning and their amazing wit and charm were enjoyed daytime and evening. Both charities were very well represented and the members of saint Philips were very supportive.
Mike was genuinely surprised by the huge turnout and people came with their reddies as picture after picture and print after print came off the walls. The lady on Felixstowe radio read out the remote installation trail live on air ( (Laura unlocked) and the editor of Suffolk magazine came too and took lots of photos. “Visit Felixstowe” were in attendance and even the Mayor arrived unexpectedly as I hadn’t thought to invite him. I did think to invite him but the neeed to call the Torn clerk and check his diary was something I hadn’t found the time to do. When I was introduced to him he told me “ Your event was on my radar and I thought I’d come and see what all the fuss was about! I’m glad I did.” Seamus the mayor was very friendly and with it and certainly to me looked a military man with a doubt, an officer. Major i’d say. Young and articulate and very down to earth. He met the organisers of the charities and was meeting the saint Philips for the first time, so for them it was important networking.
So good was the turnout and so good we’re Mikes sales I’ve suggested we have another meet the artists night towards the end of our time at the amazing 142 gallery. The remote installation trail was well and truly launched and and the editor of Suffolk magazine bought a lovely picture of a huge flying boat skimming the sea at sunset on an historic fly past at Felixstowe. The flying boat were squadroned here during the war in huge waterside hangers which were still used by the dock company up until the late eighties. The military legacy of this garrison town is vast stretching back hundreds of years and indeed repelled the last recited land invasion. The Dutch came ashore here and had to wait for recent European football tournaments to win their last invasions.
Now things are settled for Mike I can concentrate on working my way into the exhibition and today I’m erecting a no dig bed indoors and introducing some trees 🌲 into the affair.LETS TALK POO 💩.
The most important thing I’ve done in recent months (bedside taking a few reality checks) took place on November 13th it was the 24 th anniversary of my Dad’s death at the saint Elizabeth’s hospice in Ipswich.
Interestingly enough it wasn’t that I marked his passing by meeting my closest Brother in age at his graveside. It was that I marked his passing by talking poo 💩 and doing something about it.
Indeed me and my brother who’d travelled over from deepest Essex met at his graveside and had a few moments to remember him. We didn’t dwell but the Autumn 🍂 leaves and colours were at their strongest and I wished I’d taken my builders bags and rake, as there were tonnes of leaves 🍃 to be collected!!
The most important thing I’d done that morning was to address the issue of BOWEL CANCER. I’d been sent a letter and a test kit on the occasion of my birthday 🎂 being a nice round figure. The NHS naturally target 🎯 people of a certain age to ensure people are adequately screened and tested. So nearly two months later I realised the kit on the mantle piece wasn’t going to test itself and on the day of my Dad’s passing I realised he didn’t have the luxury of early diagnosis and subsequently lost his fight for life right away before he could take any kind of preventive action. So on this big day before leaving the house I was in the throne pooing and providing a sample. There is even an old Georgian post box in the wall at the end of the road so it was despatched before I set off to meet my brother.
Like a lot of men I was hesitant and the test kit sat on the mantle piece a long time. But thinking about the pain that my Dsd went through, it’d be the very best thing I could do that day or any day for that matter to honour his memory.
Tomorrow I’m introducing “O’Flaherty’s black gold” into the mix. I’m getting up at the crack of dawn walking the dog on the beach way before sunrise and then and heading out to trackside farm Trimley alone in Betty Bluebottle. I’ll park up in the yard by the stables. The walk through the mud with my turbo cabriolet trotters independent wheelbarrow. The wooded glade is over four hundred yards long and their might be sparrowhawks kestrels 🦊 foxes and badgers about. Above all there will be serene calm and quiet. I can think about things that matter and enjoy the morning I’ll have a builders bag and I’ll quarter fill it enough to give me twenty bags, ten of which will replenish the front of my house and the other ten neatly arranged for the exhibition. Alan my Land Rover driver “any time any place if the mud is not too bloody deep Dave!” “We can do it” was there at the exhibition last night with his lovely wife. He is a man of Felixstowe ferry and Bawdsey. These are the rock salt of our town. The hard ones. An original. He’s booked solid next week and so I need to take that walk anyway. I’ll get back with my load and then turn around and do the walk again it’s that good and now I’ve thrust myself into the limelight I have walk the walk as well as talk it.It’s Saturday and I’m a veteran now of exhibiting and exhibition’s. I’m taking that walk this morning. I had a visit yesterday from the outgoing mayor yesterday making it a mayor a day so far for the exhibition!!!
The song playlist has been absent but lots and lots of songs have been going through my head.
Running to standstill gets the vote this morning by U2. The aspect of Bono and his standing with music fans and rock fans in particular I’m in both camps U2 produced some great stuff in their time and I guess I’m biased having met local man Brian Eno at Ipswich Airport just after he’d produced the Joshua tree 🌲.
I know that Bono was lost in showbix pretentious and very naive (but aren’t we all sometimes?)I’m definitely with half man half biscuit and more AUCTUNG BONO Than Auctung Baby!
But there’s no doubt some of the stuff in their early days is worth listening to rather than Bonos antics at the time.
Running to standstill reminds me of the day I met ENO and our brief discussion over the baggage bench it’s evocative of that time and it’s evocative of today for me….
Another good day and the official launch of the remote installation trail.
It will on it’s own raise a couple of hundred pounds for the two charities I support and I’m happy with that.INSTALLATION TRAIL LAUNCH 🚀
https://m.facebook.com/142artgallery
Interaction with people has always been a life skill and I’m putting it to good use over the course of the exhibition.
People who would otherwise drift into the gallery and then drift out again unnoticed I can interact with, and draw out to make it a positive experience from both points of view.
But I’m an outdoor person and I’m having to use my early mornings wisely (pre exhibition) as I’m climbing the walls by midday as I want to be outdoors and the last time I was couped up indoors I was Ill and the time before that I was in the old job/career. After this it’s straight onto writing and other things, but Tuesday night will bring the curtain down nicely on a first venture into a world 🌎 we all can have fifteen minutes in.https://m.facebook.com/142artgallery
Some interesting visitors over the last few days. For me, the most important one was Carolyn Jones who is responsible for helping to run Saint Philip’s, the Community Pop Up Shop in Wadgate Road Walton. Walton is a part of Felixstowe which makes up a very large part of the town. It is a district with a character all of it’s own and a mixed and strong community. It is the first area I lived when I moved here from up the road in Ipswich and I’ve probably lived in seven or eight different parts of Walton off the top of my head and living near the fludyers is the only the third time time I’ve lived anywhere else in the town other than Walton. Carolyn was the manager of a bank in her previous job and being a Walton Woman her sense of community is strong. Through the exhibition opening night she had contact with the Mayor and hopefully raising awareness of Saint Philip’s presence will also help raise their profile a notch. If I can make fellow allotment holders aware of them then hopefully some more excess produce will go their way.
Peter Robinson introduced himself too on Wednesday. He runs a cycling 🚴♀️ for the disabled group and they are going to be tackling my remote installation trail. The significance was not that, but that Peter was the founder of Friends of the Earth.🌍. Quite a formidable organisation given their campaigns and celebrated opposition to the nuclear power stations at sizewell at Leiston on our heritage coast. An interesting character and looks very good for 85!!
A visit today from an artist 👩🎨 was also significant. He had a lot of knowledge about the history of the area and understood the theory behind the effect of the three rivers. Lots of theories about the prominence of Doggerland and the actual origin of the Amber on our beaches.
Ramsholt Rocks on the river Deben is a very very exciting place to visit the cliff face which towers over the river bank a mile or so inland from the pub at the quay is prehistoric London crag and when the high tide hits it, every single day it washes away part of the cliff face and buried in this layer of cliff is a blueprint from the bygone prehistoric days and washed onto the beach are fossils which include huge numbers of sharks teeth turtle 🐢 shells. In fact venture up to the higher ground up into the tree lined woods and you be walking in the woods which were the inspiration for “we’re all going on a bear hunt.”🐻 I’ve done the walk down to the Ramsholt Rocks in freezing Xmas weather with family but the sheer joy at finding fossils was soon a banisher of any worries over the cold.
I don’t think an exhibition has had an opening night AND a closing night “meet the Artists” session. The first event was very successful and if the weather holds this one will also be a success.
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