Mystery Plays coming back?

Mask made for one of the plays

Something is being planned. Over several years the Penkhull Mystery Plays involved the local community in theatrical projects to bring people together. The plays bought a mixture of fact and fiction, history and spirituality together to create a one day festival of fun to penkhull village Green. Usually in early or mid July.

Up to 400 people would be involved in making props and costumes, acting and setting up the play and other work. All these activities built around the central performance where local adults and children got together to bring stories such as the history of the Trent and Mersey canal, Jonah and the Whale, the song of Solomon, a history of the 1842 peasants revolt in the Potteries and other interesting and fun stories onto the village green as a substantial play.


The organisers also included singing and making music for the shows. Writing scripts, putting on seperate performances for the day including morris dancing, maypole dancing  local choirs, brass bands, Ukelele players and a tower of song where individual musicians could perform. There was also an annual tug of war competition and circus skills workshops on the village green. A recent introduction was the Titchy Theatre where new writing was put on as playlets by a small number of volunteer actors. There were also stalls for such things as bakers and crafters and local charities together with plant sales.
It was only as Covid began that the Mystery Plays were toned down and had to be suspended. But with the 100th anniversary of the uniting of the six towns into the City of Stoke on Trent and the 20th (is it 25?) Anniversary of the Mysteries it feels like an important time to bring it back to Penkhull.

Distracted

Things have got in the way and I have hit a block with my painting of a teapot. I mean both physically and mentally.

You can see some of what is obstructing it. I need to move things, it’s just that I am mentally stuck. I think its the low light levels as this seems to get me every year. One day soon I hope have this finished.

It might snow

Amber warning of snow and possible snow up to 10 centimetres. Also temperatures down to – 10°C. It makes me worry about people sleeping out on the streets. I see them more and more. I buy the big issue off sellers and try and give a few coins, but it’s not much. When you think about it people are struggling with increasing rents and mortgages, people are barely coping. I can only hope that this government try to do more than the last one? But I worry that the poor are often seen as deserving or undeserving when rich people are always fine. Oh I don’t know, I just want us all to be safe. X

I must feed the birds

My hubby always fed the birds at this time of year. I just realised that I need to take over. But I rarely get out in the garden because of being so unsteady and the fact that there are uneven steps,and the pathways are covered in leaf mould. I must make a plan to try and get out and feed them, other than that I think I will ask a friend.

Cat dilemma.

The one with the claws….

Scenario: you sit down and a cat comes up and settles on your knee. One of the other cats comes up to say hello, reaches up and puts her claws in your leg in greeting, you disentangle her claws and the cat on your knee jumps off. Do you A, put up with it and try and get the comfy cat back, B, shout Stop! Loudly at the second cat? Or C, buy kevlar shin pads to avoid puncture wounds?

Cats keeping warm

They are both by the oil heater. Remarkable as they usually chase each other. The third is beside me curled up on the chair. Now ones moved, I have a little igloo bed she gets in to keep away the chill. I think I need one of those sausages that you use at the base of the door to stop drafts. My door is right onto the pavement with no porch, so any drafts sneak in. My ankles are permanently cold at this time of year. Anyway at least the cats are warm. X

Do I stay or do I go?

Weather is grey, cold and drizzly. I had three things to do today, but looking out the window?

So I’ve cancelled two things, I don’t want to slip or slide in this slowly freezing, icy rain. But I still need to go out, I have a deadline to collect something and I can’t miss that. But the gloom is gathering, I’m putting off what I need to do. Darn it.

Chilly

There was a clear sky this morning and a red hue hung on the Eastern horizon. The day has stayed cold, and consequently the house has been cold. I only put the heating on for a few hours then turned it off. I have now put it back on for the evening, it’s too cold!

My house only has a building on one side, so the other catches sunshine in the daytime and leeches it out at night, so depending where you are in the living room you can get warm, but it’s also draughty due to ill fitting doors and old double glazed windows. Currently I have a plug in oil heater opposite me to surround me with a bit of warmth. I used to put the gas stove on in the kitchen but since that stopped working I don’t really have much more ways to stay warm so I’ll put a dressing gown on soon.

January Aurora

Four images through my window.

I heard there were aurora last night, so at about 4am I took some very shaky photos. I think the pale whitish dots near the top of the photos was a star or planet that left a trail. The yellow colour was a neighbour’s lights.

I don’t have a tripod and as I have Parkinsons disease I can’t hold the camera still. So this is propped up on a pillow, 1 minute exposure. Sorry they are so blurred.