hamer the framer

(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding

For old times sake – Old Kent Road – A2 – New Cross – The road to Maidstone – A20 – The World Turned Upside Down – London Transit Centre – Gas – Take Courage – As I walk – This wicked world – Searching for light in the darkness of insanity – I ask myself – Is all hope gone? – Is there only pain, hatred, and misery? – And each time I feel like this inside – There’s one thing I want to know – Oh what’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding? – Brinsley Schwarz – 1974 – Nick Lowe’s best song

St Paul’s Walden & Around

Another Sunday church, another country walk. This was June last year, and another from the Hertfordshire Walks website. We started out at the church in St Paul’s Walden. I guessed it must be called St Paul’s, but when I searched online just now I found All Saints Church. And I also found its vicar is Canon Stephen Fielding, who we knew from St Mary Abbots in Kensington. What a small world! I wish now that we’d stopped to say hello. He had introduced a Living Advent Calendar to Kensington, so that the windows of local businesses became part of a borough-wide Christmas countdown. We had twice taken part at the Rowley Gallery with special window displays by Joseph Silcott in 2016 and Susie Freeman in 2017. Continue reading “St Paul’s Walden & Around”

Dervish Dance

Club d’Elf: Dervish Dance (traditional Sufi, arr. by Mike Rivard)

Sand animation by Kseniya Simonova

Musicians:
Brahim Fribgane: oud, hand drum
John Medeski: keyboards
David Fiuczynski: guitars
Mister Rourke: turntables
Mike Rivard: double bass, tamboura
Dean Johnston: drums

Club d’Elf / Kseniya Simonova

Whirling

We received a flying visit from a group of whirling dervishes. They came and went in a flurry and a spin and were gone almost as soon as they arrived. Continue reading “Whirling”

A February Window

A mixed up mishmash of pictures, but connected by a shared interest in grids of one kind or another. I cast about, wondering what to include, but there’s a surprising amount in the net. I’m stealing the limelight with one of mine from years ago, so you’ll need to step in close to see over the top of it. But it’s a moveable feast. We’ll change it around, take things out, put things in, so please keep checking for updates. Continue reading “A February Window”

Twig Saints

A wall of Twig Saints at the Rowley Gallery. Hidden away off Kensington’s busy Church Street is a secluded refuge for these fragile relics. They are all boxed and beatified by Chris Kenny, each one annotated with its own story. Continue reading “Twig Saints”

Lock-keeping In Jig-time

I don’t know what took me so long. I should’ve found these boys long ago.

Ye Vagabonds are brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn.

This is us putting ourselves through a lock near Digby Bridge, Co.Kildare along with the tune Buried my Wife & Danced on Top of Her. Continue reading “Lock-keeping In Jig-time”

Morning

I found this lovely video on Instagram thanks to Myles O’Reilly.

Laura Quirke (guitar, vocals) and Claire Kinsella (cello, vocals) started performing together while studying music and languages in Maynooth University, Ireland. Harmonious vocal melodies simply accompanied by cello and guitar, lend a sincere and honest rootsy sound, borrowing from wide range of influences, traditional and alternative. The result is music described by Remy’s Music Blog as “soothing for the soul”. Continue reading “Morning”

Fools & Dreamers: Regenerating A Native Forest

Fools & Dreamers: Regenerating a Native Forest is a 30-minute documentary telling the story of Hinewai Nature Reserve, on New Zealand’s Banks Peninsula, and its kaitiaki/manager of 30 years, botanist Hugh Wilson. When, in 1987, Hugh let the local community know of his plans to allow the introduced ‘weed’ gorse to grow as a nurse canopy to regenerate farmland into native forest, people were not only skeptical but outright angry – the plan was the sort to be expected only of “fools and dreamers”.

Now considered a hero locally and across the country, Hugh oversees 1500 hectares resplendent in native forest, where birds and other wildlife are abundant and 47 known waterfalls are in permanent flow. He has proven without doubt that nature knows best – and that he is no fool.

Find out more about the film at foolsanddreamers.com.

Little Berkhamsted & Essendon

St Andrew’s Church at Little Berkhamsted is, like so many village churches, a place of worship surrounded by trees. Ancient trees are often found in churchyards. I imagine they’re vestigial survivors of the original forest, before it was cleared for farming and agriculture. Or planted as replicas of the Garden of Eden. A woodland glade is a naturally consecrated place. Continue reading “Little Berkhamsted & Essendon”