Who are you?

Posted on October 31, 2025 Posted in UncategorizedTagged America, bots, China, Confused, Life, Questions, Statistics, Time, Why?, WordPressLeave a comment

I’m looking at my stats and I’m confused. Over 1000 people have been looking at my posts today. Usually it’s more like 67, what’s going on. This week it seems to be mainly American and last week it was China.

I wonder if this is real or bots? I can’t imagine my ramblings are sufficiently interesting to attract this level of scrutiny. Has anyone else had this experience? Will this continue or gradually ebb away?

So many questions, so much puzzlement? If anyone can answer or have I bored everyone enough yet?

Extraordinary views?

Posted on September 17, 2025 Posted in UncategorizedTagged China, Insights, Interesting, Posts, Thinking, Traffic, Views, what is happening?, Why?4 Comments

Something is going on with my stats and they have skyrocketed. I looked at the countries that have been viewing my posts and there are hundreds from China?

I don’t know why, I’m not a very exciting person. Is someone accessing my posts to teach an AI? A weird thought, but I am speculating.

I’ve never had this experience before and would love to know what’s going on? Does anyone have any insight into this?

Three years ago…

Posted on November 1, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged 2018, Art, Ceramics, China, Liverpool, Memory, Pottery, Sketching, Terracotta warriors, TimeLeave a comment

Walking around the world museum in Liverpool three years ago, I was so impressed by the travelling exhibition of the Chinese terracotta warriors. Obviously only a few if them were represented in the gallery, but it gave a strong example of the creative and military civilization behind these figures.

There were crowds at the gallery, people shuffled round and many of the exhibits were partially hidden by bodies that strangely mimicked the warriors remaining in China as they stand within the archaeological dig there, rows and columns lined up. Humans used to congregate. They group, they press against each other, travel together . That feeling of community has been lost to some degree because of Covid. Will they ever do the same again? Will we go forward in time to a freedom we do not enjoy now? I don’t know.

At the museum

Posted on November 16, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Artefacts, China, Collections, Day trip, Liverpool, Sketching, Terracotta army sketch, Visit, World museumLeave a comment

At the Terracotta army exhibition in 2018.at the World museum in Liverpool. I like drawing as well as taking photos. (I had over 100 photos).

The World museum is full of so many interesting exhibitions, ranged over several floors. These included Egyptian art, Clocks, Marine artefacts and other art and objects. Too much to see in one day. I would love to go back and see more!

Random cauldron

Posted on November 9, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Bronze?, Cauldron, China, Liverpool, Photo, Random, Terracotta armyLeave a comment

Last year we went to see the exhibition of the terracotta warriors when it was on tour. We visited Liverpool museum of the world to see it. You know what it’s like with phone cameras though, you take too many photos and forget what half of them were of. This bowl or cauldron was one of them. I think this is probably made of bronze. Displayed in a glass case, well lit. Beautiful.

Tea set

Posted on August 24, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Antiques, China, China clay, Clay, Design, Life, Pottery, Tea set4 Comments

Bone China tea set my friend is getting rid of. I’m going to try and find someone who wants it. I think another friend will have it.

Bone China was manufactured by potters who wanted to find a substitute for porcelain that came from China. It took several years to find a formula that produced thin, strong, translucent pots. It contained clay from the China clay quarries in Cornwall, calcined bone and flint (heated and ground to break them down into a fine powder). The bone gives off phosphorus which adds to the strength of the bone china. You end up with a material half way between pottery and glass. This fine white china was then beautifully decorated with hand painted flowers, fruit and landscapes.

I’m sure there is far more to say on this subject. But that’s enough for now.

Cat plate present

Posted on February 21, 2020 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Art, Back stamp, Blue, Cat, China, Friendship, Fun, Pottery, Sepia, Stoke-on trent, Victorian design2 Comments

I’ve been given a couple of these cat plates by a friend recently. I really like them. They remind me of Victorian illustration, but the sepia toned cats are on a nice blue background. The back stamp says PrintRun.co and made in China. Microwave and dishwasher proof. That doesn’t give you much information. I could investigate further, but I don’t think I will.

There is a thing which people who live in Stoke-on-Trent do, which is to look at the backstamp on pottery and see where it was made.

So anyway sorry to be quiet, busy trying to learn lines!

Thank you Martha❤️

Posted on September 18, 2019September 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged A baby duck listens to thunder, Biography, Book, China, History, I am a writer yes I am, Interesting, Life, Martha Kennedy, Teaching English as a foreign language, WordPress, World5 Comments

Look what’s arrived! The new book by Martha Kennedy. All the way from the states. I can’t tell you how excited I am to read it. Its about her life teaching English at South China Teacher’s University in Guangzhou in 82/83.

I’ve been reading excerpts from it in her blog, ‘I am a writer, yes I am’ on WordPress and I’m really looking forward to it. (If I can get it back of my hubby who just snaffled it!)

Nothing

Posted on March 2, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Canal, China, Kiln, Life, Nothing happened, Pottery, Short story, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Very short story2 Comments

Couldn’t resist posting this photo.

On this site sept. 5, 1782 Nothing happened.

The day before had been busy, barges were loaded with pottery to take away on the canal, horses pulling the barges to distant towns along the trent and mersey canal…. . Seven days earlier a load of clay and ground flint had arrived. The pottery has been thrown on wheels or cast in slip. Then into the kilns so that they could be fired biscuit hard. The paintresses had decorated each pot with beautiful designs. These were the pots that were spreading out over the land now.

But today nothing happened.

Mable smiled at Jeremiah, he smiled back, but nothing happened. Mabels father was not approving of Jeremiah, he was only a lowly saggar makers bottom knocker, making the bases for saggars. These were the pottery cases that fine pottery and china was fired in to protect it from the smoke from the coal. Jeremiah had no prospects. He was younger than Mable. She was the owners daughter.

All she could do was smile. All she could do was hope things would change. But today …

Nothing happened.

Maybe one day it would ..

Terracotta warriors

Posted on October 18, 2018October 18, 2018 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Black and white, Blog, China, Drawing, Life, Liverpool, Sketching, Terracotta army, Terracotta warriors, Urban sketching2 Comments

I enjoyed drawing today. We went round the terracotta warriors exhibition at the world museum at Liverpool.

The exhibition was crowded and I felt guilty at standing the way of the crowd as I drew. I got barged a couple of times and someone jarred my arm just as I was drawing one of their faces. But I also got a few complements. It was hard work. I took lots of photos. But drawing really makes you look. And quick sketching makes it all the more of a challenge. I finished my sketchbook but I think it was worth it. I’m hoping my drawing skills are improving. Sometimes I’m still a bit hesitant but that’s to be expected.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: China