hamer the framer

For Roger Deakin

Seeing Mary’s painting yesterday of swimming in the River Barle at Simonsbath brought to mind Roger Deakin’s wonderful book Waterlog: A Swimmer’s Journey Through Britain. I first chanced upon a copy at the Book & Comic Exchange, a second-hand bookshop in Notting Hill Gate, part of the Record & Tape Exchange empire, where I used to spend too much time looking for obscure musical and literary delights. I’d not heard of him before but I was attracted by ‘Deakin has written an aquatic Songlines‘ and ‘A delightfully eccentric masterpiece’. It opens with a heavy midsummer downpour and Deakin taking shelter in the moat: Continue reading “For Roger Deakin”

Super Kuper

Mary Kuper just brought us a new consignment of paintings. This one is of Simonsbath, Exmoor and the River Barle where Mary was swimming earlier this year. She uses thin glazes of oil paint on board and adds small brush strokes and scratched marks drawn into the paint, creating a richly textured surface. Continue reading “Super Kuper”

Down The Guggenheim

Christopher Corr sent these photos from New York for Dominic. He was reminded of Dom’s forthcoming descent of Battersea Power Station. Continue reading “Down The Guggenheim”

Holland Park Etc

I was just sent this lovely photograph of the Kyoto Garden in Holland Park. The trees seem to be keeping their leaves longer because of all the extra rain this year. It comes from a post at the Londonist – Top 10 Things To Do In The Royal Borough Of Kensington & Chelsea – a list of recommendations compiled by visitors to their website. It’s a nice reminder of some of the wealth of attractions we have on our doorstep.

Holloway Junction

I’ve had this image as the desktop background on my computer for the last three years. It was the highlight of a walk from West Wycombe to Hughenden Manor. We passed many grand buildings and sweeping landscapes but this place, at the intersection of two sunken paths and the curious steps leading up to where the light filters down through the leaves – Beam me up, Scotty – this was my favourite moment of the walk. Continue reading “Holloway Junction”

Holloway

One of the many highlights of our recent trip to Cornwall was one that I took with me. Just a couple of days before we left London I received a copy of Holloway, a book by Robert Macfarlane, Stanley Donwood & Dan Richards. I kept it unopened in its Jiffy bag with Dan’s handwritten label and best wishes until we arrived, so that it became a part of our holiday. Inside, when I finally opened it, was a beautifully printed and illustrated book that told of the search for an ancient Dorset holloway, previously visited by Macfarlane with Roger Deakin. They were looking for the hide where the hero of Geoffrey Household’s novel Rogue Male went to ground. I’m not sure which I knew first, Household’s book or the film with Peter O’Toole. The abiding feeling was not so much of threat but of the safe harbour to be found beneath trees. Continue reading “Holloway”

Kai, Kai & Kai Again

Last Sunday Kai successfully completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon, the third in the series of challenges she set herself to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. The previous two events were the London Bikeathon and the British 10K London Run. She raised £755 and her JustGiving page is still open if you feel inclined to add to her total. Many thanks to everyone who contributed and sent messages of support. Maybe next time she’ll try the Kaiathlon.

Tea For Two

The Mermaid Café is Jonny Hannah’s ideal music venue. You can call in for a coffee or a beer, or the house speciality carbolic milkshake, and share a table with Joni Mitchell whilst you listen to Woody Guthrie or Slim Gaillard or maybe Bo Diddley. Today Anita O’Day is on the bill. Continue reading “Tea For Two”

Utopia

Christopher Corr sent us these photographs from America. They show a wonderful collection of mostly wooden vernacular buildings at the Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts. The Shakers began building a community here in the 1780s and continued up until the 1960s. They considered this their utopia and named it The City of Peace. Many of their buildings are still preserved here. Some have been lost and some have been re-erected here from other Shaker settlements. Continue reading “Utopia”

Changing Faces

Joanne Hodgen has lots of fun painting her children. She loves to get them to make faces then captures them with lots of thick, gooey paint, the kind of stuff kids enjoy getting their hands stuck into. She just brought us this new one and you can see more on her page at The Rowley Gallery.