Spaghetti trees?

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In 1957 there was a famous April Fools trick played on viewers of the Panorama TV show on the BBC.

“The BBC broadcast its famous “spaghetti tree” hoax on April 1, 1957, as a three-minute segment on the current affairs program Panorama. The spoof featured a Swiss family harvesting strands of pasta from trees, narrated by Richard Dimbleby, and successfully convinced many viewers that spaghetti grew on trees. “

It was one of the first April Fools tricks broadcast on TV. Another memorable one was “Dehydrated water”, it was on a Children’s TV show called Magpie in the 70’s I think.

They showed a funnel and I think the presenter added a white powder to it and water flowed out of the funnel? It’s a hazy memory from more than 50 years ago so apologies for not remembering properly….

Anyway happy April 1st!

Tulip

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Such a pretty flower, even when it fully opens up…. Generally tulips are sold in bud and then gradually open up fully over a few days, although this happens more when they have been cut through their stems, are brought into a warm room, and displayed in a vase.

This is a photo taken by my friend. I’ve only got three pale pink tulips at the front of my house. I tried taking a photo, but my phone keeps switching itself off.. I think its battery is going… Anyway happy Spring to you all.

Not in…

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It wasn’t to be. Yesterday I thought I’d been lucky, a friend had been called her entry for the open exhibition was not successful. I waited all day, no call, no email. Could it be?

Discussed with another artist, you’re a cert she said. No problem.

About 10 am, the call came, I waited a second to decide whether I was assuming yes or no? Joy or gloom?

Sorry, you were not successful this time. A pleasant woman’s voice.. Gloom, then a realisation. I had managed to do something that I hadn’t done for a while. I’d painted a piece of art.. I don’t care about the judges. I LIKE it!

Postbox

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Most postboxes (pillar boxes) in the UK are red cylinders and some even have GR on them which stands for George Regina. These were made in the reign of George VI. Some are marked ER, the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Postboxes are made of cast iron. They are traditionally painted red, but recently have been painted gold in towns where sports people won gold medals at recent Olympics. I like this box that had been put into a stone wall.

Another thing that happens is the cylinder ones are being yarnbombed. Where people knit or crochet covers for the top of the box, including characters and buildings etc. These are very funny to see. There’s a page on Facebook about it.

Esther’s limerick challenge… Ride

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Esther Chiltons weekly prompt for a limerick was the word ride. Many different ideas came to mind. Fairground rides, riding in a train. Car rides. Riding a bicycle or motorcycle.

I tried to come up with something a bit unusual..and funny…

I decided to ring “local ride”
And waited by the road side
Till a horse came along
Which was absolutely wrong!
A jockey? I’m not! Better hide!

More work

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I decided to try and improve this painting because it was too reflective and the metallic copper sheet it was painted on was showing through too much. I seem to have worked reasonably well but it took effort to get the acrylic paint to stick onto the surface, but that was the problem on the original picture. Acrylic on a metallic surface.