Tag: Life

Minton Tiles

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I had the pleasure of being invited to a behind the scenes visit to our city archive today. I had been asked if I wanted to go along by a friend who is doing an art project about the pottery manufacturer.

We went up to the third floor of the city library and were shown round the back of the reception desk into the staff only section. There the city archivist showed us some of the fading pages in the ledgers. They were images of pots that various pot banks made in the history of Stoke-on-Trent.

There were pattern books for tableware and tiles  ledgers with the cost of making the ware and details of workers. The old pottery firms did not collect a lot of details and a lot was thrown out when they closed down. But once we had been in the air conditioned archives we were allowed to sit and (very carefully) look at selected pattern books including prints of tiles to surround hearths, doorways and floors. Some were mundane but others were breathtaking. Art nouveau and art deco masterpieces.

I’m very pleased I was invited.

X

Weeping willow

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When I was a child I would sit next to your trunk

Hiding from view being your green screen.

Your roots must run deep down in the ground,

Water running through the earth,

Turning your leaves green before other trees.

Skeleton twigs surround you

Dark evergreen screens you

But only you swirl and wave in the breeze.

Dancing a ballet of soft leaves,

Your dress curves and waves in folds.

Once fully grown with green

Your leaves will make my hiding den again.

Growth

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Growth and growing are part of life and economics, but maybe we don’t need growth as much? The world does not have infinite resources and the population keeps rising. Perhaps we need to seek a balance and an ability for renewal instead of just consuming everything in sight.

We need to use less plastic and less energy.  To save resources for the people that come after us. Maybe buy one less peice of clothing or fill up a water bottle again instead of buying a new bottle.

I sometimes think that people are like a virus, growing exponentially. Covering the world with our rubbish and disease.

We need to be able to eat, drink and find shelter. Why don’t we try and care for everyone? I can probably remember back to when there were only 5 billion on the planet, now its over 7 billion and rising. And yet we are still growing? Is it any wonder that there are wars? I think we should share technologies so everyone can have better lives and education… .

 

Ow my legs

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Ow my legs! Our female cat loves sharpening her claws on my legs, she sticks her claws in my trousers and then arches her back and pulls down. Sometimes she gets flesh too. I found blood trickling down my leg earlier on today. I love her to pieces but as soon as I realise she’s doing it I have to brush her away.

She rushes round and plays all the time. She fights with our boy cat but only in play, she puts a paw on his head or he puts a paw on hers and then she pushes him away with her back legs. One thing neither if them do is the strong fast kicking movement so neither of them get hurt. And they only nip each other, there is no going for the scruff of their necks. Basically it’s like slow motion wrestling followed by fast chasing.

X

Spelling?

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Can you spot the mistake? It’s funny how the brain works – writing the word “buidling” instead of “building” is just an example. Apparently if you have all the right letters and the correct first and last letter of the word, your brain can unscramble it. For instance if I write :

The qcuik bowrn fox jmpus oevr the lzay dog?

You should still be able to read it.

Spelling only became regularised when the dictionary arrived. Once the spelling of words was written down with a definition the spelling was more fixed. But spelling is still quite phonetic, based on sound sometimes. For, four, fore all sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.

The example above is more likely to have occurred because of a computer mistake when the author or designer did not proof read the art work.

I guess I make a lot of mistakes too. I do rely on spellchecker but even that gets it wrong sometimes.

X

 

Partial eclipse

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I Bodged a hole in a peice of card

Two years ago we had a partial eclipse (about 85% to 90%) of the sun. This meant that the moons shadow cut into the Sun’s disc but didn’t completely cover it.

I knew that if you make a hole in a peice of card and then hold the card infront if a plain white or pale surface you can project the image of the sun onto the wall. This is better than trying to use solar goggles which are not always safe to use. YOU MUST NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. You could be Blinded. Even if you use sun glasses you are in danger, sun glasses do not cut out the full spectra of the sun and your eyes can be burned. You must not look at the sun! The second two photos were to show the suns image  cast on the wall.

Anyway after that strong warning I will continue… .

When the sun shone onto the card a small image of it was  projected behind the card. This is called a pinhole projection. Then as the moon glided across the sun a little bite appeared to cut into the sun. Gradually it increased. In this case the sun was passing across the face of the sun in one direction but because the projection was upside down the moon appeared to bite in to the right hand lower side but it was actually passing left to upper left.

As the moon crept across the face of the sun I noticed the shadows got less strong. Then I saw the shadow of my weeping fig on the wall. Amazingly all the leaves combined to cast lots of curved moon shadows onto the wall. I went outside and noticed the same thing was happening where the light was coming through the tree leaves. I’ve seen this phenomenon photographed and described on astronomy programmes.

Finally I took a shot of the light vshining through the trees. Carefully not looking at the sun and ensuring the camera lens was not pointed directly at the sun.

Life is interesting  I hope you get the chance to see an eclipse.

X

Ancient stares

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The ancients, they look on through time. They see the world now and remember what it was like then. They are in the gargoyles, in statues, in faces in stone. They are hidden where they could find space. They may be thousands of years old but they do not last forever. As age wears them the ancient spirit wears away too. Look at that old stone head on the corner of the wall. It’s spirit is washing away with every bit of grit the rain wears away. See that old stone face on the plinth? Hands rub its bald head and gradually it dwindles.

Ancient memories dwindle too. Now there are moments of sunshine seen six hundred years ago which will not last much longer. There a remembrance of a lost husband or wife that was once strong but now veiled. Ancients seeing the world now are amazed at the destruction and damage. Trees that they have lived with cur down in an instant. Buildings they became part of ripped apart and turned to rubble.

Now the ancients share with younger spirits. To be a homeless ancient is to gradually disperse into the air and blow away on the wind. Long forgotten, never to be seen again.

Just add owl

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About 9 years ago I had an hour at our local wildlife sanctuary as a treat for my birthday. One of the highlights was the chance to fly this owl. Unfortunately I can’t remember what species it was, but it was a magnificent bird.

The sanctuary takes in birds and animals that have been in private hands and then the owner has not been able to look after it, either because the bird or animal got too big or was too expensive to look after. I just love how flexible it was, turning its head round on its shoulders. I think we will have to visit again soon.