War horse

Posted on April 4, 2019April 4, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 1st world war, Entertae, History, Horse, Joey, Life, Play, Puppets, Regent Theatre, Theatre, War, War horse4 Comments

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I don’t have any photos but I did a quick sketch from my memory of the horse in Warhorse that I went to see tonight.

The play starts with a puppet foal which is quite small. The story shows him being bought and then brought up on a farm in England in 1914. Suddenly the foal becomes a fully grown horse. He is sent along with thousands or possibly millions of horses across to be part of the cavalry in the First World War.

The story charts what happened to him and also his owner who enlists so he can find him.

The horses in the play are depicted by puppets which contain two puppeteers inside them and one moving the head and neck. In scenes where he is galloping extra puppeteers move the four feet. The horses move in realistic ways, flicking it’s ears, moving it’s tail. Rearing and bucking.

There are sections of horrific violence but through it all there is a strong streak of humanity. There are good and bad on both sides. I found myself enthralled The play seemed to fly by.

I need to mention the other puppets, the goose, swallows flying on the wing, and a first World War tank that were so well used to depict reality. You forgot there were puppeteers, you just saw the things they were meant to represent. If you get a chance to see it, its worth it.

Ow my legs

Posted on March 24, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Cat, Claws, Fighting, Fun, Life, Play, Playing, ScratchingLeave a comment

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.

Silhouette

Posted on March 16, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Digital drawings, Patterns, Photography, Photos, Play, Silhouette2 Comments

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Sometimes it’s nice just to take a close up abstract shot of something. Shapes become more important than detail. Tiny pink petals almost look like butterflies and the straggly money plant, which is cast in shadow, raised its bulbous leaves up to the sky. The thin pale leaves of the spider plant are almost translucent in the light.

Then again you can play about with silhouettes in nature or draw dark doodles to make a pleasing composition.

Always explore, always enjoy, always create if you can.

Cats play

Posted on March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cats, Fun, Play, Pounce, WaterLeave a comment

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Our female cat loves playing in the bath, chasing drips or drinking water out of the tap. She can be really silly and pounce on anything, including my feet! She doesn’t seem to mind if water drips on her head.

Both my cats love chasing each other. I’ve seen them hiding down behind a shoe then a swift pounce and they are off chasing. They also stand on their back legs and sort of box with each other. Sometimes they start washing each other then one decides it’s all too much and it results in a squabble.

But I would not be without them. I’m sure my blood pressure has improved since we got them.

Can I sharpen my claws

Posted on March 3, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Cat, Claws, Fun, Humour, Play, Poem, Poetry, Rhyme, Wash, WhiskersLeave a comment

Can I sharpen my claws?

Is it OK to scratch?

You don’t mind my paws

Do you?

Can I sit on the fridge

Watch you take the milk out

Is that cheese you are eating

Can I have just a bit?

Can I lick your face clean?

Are you loving my nose?

I am ready to preen

My whiskers and toes.

Do you think I am fat?

Do you love my long tail?

Can I sit on your hat?

After all I’m all cat. ..

Cat watching

Posted on February 20, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Animals, Cat, Cute, Feline, Funny, Learning, Life, Lion, Photo, Play, TVLeave a comment

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In 50 years of owning or being owned by cats none of them have ever properly watched TV. Oh Yes they have stared at it in a disinterested way. If they happen to be facing in that direction, but nothing stirred them.

That changed with my female cat which I have had for a couple of years. She started by watching little things like birds and mice, but she really did get interested when we watched cat programmes. Now she seems really into things like lions. I got a few photos a couple of months ago of her standing up and looking at the screen. How does she know, or not, that there is a genetic linkage with big cats? Do they move in a similar way? Was it the noises they were making….. I don’t know. I think it’s cute behaviour and I also think she’s a lot cleverer than her brother.. . You should see her play.

Gracie

Posted on February 4, 2019February 4, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Animal, Blog, Cat, Fun, Life, Play, Poem, stickLeave a comment

Gracie sniff stick ,

Bite stick,

Fight stick

Chew it,

Subdue it,

Ignore it…..

That’s exactly what she did. We used to have a cat toy tied to the stick but she pulled that off. The stick has been sitting there, patiently, minding it’s own business. So of course I decided to tease Gracie. She immediately Sniffed it and batted it with her paws. Then she started chewing the tip so I moved it away. As soon as it was still again she ignored it…. So I wrote this poem just for fun.

Lake

Posted on February 2, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Fun, Micro poem, Photo, Play, Poem, Poetry, Sunset, Too tired to writeLeave a comment

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The trees by the lake cry wooden tears,

The sky glints grey and gold.

Silver shimmers, water waves,

Cold walk in sunset glow.

Hiding under the tree

Posted on December 30, 2018 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Baubles, Cat, Christmas, Christmas tree, Decorations, Fun, Humour, Play, PlayingLeave a comment

Hiding under the tree, determined to shake the baubles free. Trying to use the plastic wrapped metal trunk as a scratching post.

Every so often she sneaks underneath, now the presents have gone, then stands up on her back legs – her front paws in the air, battling a glinting decoration, rattling the tinsel. A couple of times the tree has rocked and shaken like a fir in a tornado, almost, but not quite, uprooted from its three pronged stand.

Then out she shoots, scampers after a toy, a feather, a ball. The tree is forgotten till next time – then used as a hiding place, scratching post, and climbing frame in turn when she feels like it.

Twelth night will see the tree demolished and returned to its cardboard box home. What will cat do then?

Tech rehearsal…

Posted on October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Choir, Clay Chorus, Loud mouth women, Music, New Vic theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Play, Singing, Staffordshire, TheatreLeave a comment

We got here today and have been busy sitting around for a lot of the time, interspersed with standing around on the stage being set in position, then singing as loudly and brightly as we can for our songs. I’m shattered, I hope I can keep my energy up for the performance.

To be honest I’m actually enjoying being fitted for a costume (a tee shirt). I brought my own silly blingy jewellery to wear. I’ve actually got some stuff from the 1990s which I was given one Christmas.

The play is called Beautiful Thing at the New Vic theatre at Basford, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Performances run till Saturday and start at 7.30pm.

The play is about the blossoming relationship between two teenage boys. It is set in 1993 and we are singing music by Mama Cass and hits from the 1990s. I hope I don’t break my leg

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Play