03/01/2011

Season's Findings


Just returned from County Down, Northern Ireland. Retrobest wishes for the season and thankyou for reading. A miscellany here of seen, found and received in the time away.




This, given by Micheen, my mother–in–law. A wonderful potter, gardener, cook.


Seashore Life and Pattern by T.A. Stephenson, published by Penguin (1944), from the King Penguin series, edited by Nicholas Pevsner (he of the architectural guides).




A C18th tally stick, with a function similar to that of rosary beads, for Catholic observance of covert, outdoor prayer during the penal era, enforced by the Protestant ruling class.


Christmas Day snow, at -15˚C. We were lucky to dodge the pipe–burstings.





Starting Ceramics next week, at Morley College.




My son Syd slept throughout the time with this chap behind the door in his room. In a corner–of–the–eye way, I couldn't help but think of a half–recalled moment from The Shining.


Thought him a clown but turns out he was a bear.


Perhaps they were mixed by a memory of Barnaby the Bear, his nightmarish but somehow edible features postered on my bedroom wall in 1974.


Daughter Sadie was too busy making to wash.


A glove stretcher, as seen in the Ulster Museum, Belfast.



Recently re-opened, with fascinating (and balanced) sections on The Troubles.


5 comments:

ahoi! said...

Thanks. A beautiful collection of objects and images. In my opinion, you can't beat a food-face. Happy New Year to you and yours!

Peter Nencini said...

Ha, yes, the food face; stealth tactic to induce intake of root vegetable by kids. The horror of a bacon-and-seed mouth is a by-product. Happy New Year to you too. I'm liking your embossing.

John said...

I'm thinking you have some buried memories of that terrifying Poltergeist clown as well.... I know I do!

kindra said...

what a great post!

Jack Spicer Adams said...

That book is a really wonderful treasure. Such nice illustrations.

Jack. x

http://thisonegoesuptoeleven.blogspot.com/