Well that was August

August is nearly done with and I'm sure I'm not alone in pinning my hopes for summer on September.  This time last week we were in London visiting various places planned and unplanned.  Went to Rob Ryan's glorious shop Ryan Town in Columbia Road, E2 and came away with precious things. And also found ourselves at a loose end near the Natural History Museum so elbowed our way through the crowds to see the stuffed birds in cabinets.  A sad sight for JT, for me a mix of sadness and fascination, especially the specimens of albino birds - the robin and blackbird are above - they are blank canvases, almost anonymous without their colours.  The case packed with hummingbirds displayed en masse on a large branch really brought home the extent of the Victorian collecting frenzy. We also popped into the V&A for lunch and a cuppa under the sparkling giant globes of the cafe.  Saw some interesting jewellery by Anne Thomas, French ceramicist turned jeweller.  We also saw the Libraries of light photography exhibition  -with a great photo of The Burry Man by Homer Sykes from a series called Once a Year: some Traditional British Customs 1977.

little bird

escape to the east

We travelled to the east this weekend for a family event. A magical place the east - no rain and even some dry patches in the lawn of my cousins house!  We haven't looked at out garden for days, weeks even - it's now ruled by slugs and snails.  My uncle's house is full of amazing objects he's collected over the years, things he's fixing, things he's fixing to make other things that need fixing - this is one of his cabinets.  We and several other people took a tour of the house.

JT bought me a lovely muji sketchbook and drew an immensely pleasing picture without looking on the 1st page - a woman smoking at Bracknell station.  I have since drawn a picture of Nancy Sinatra singing Bang Bang.  She has two mouths.

cornwall

Cornwall last week  -  sun rain fog wind sweets sea steak and ale Hawker's Hut mud steps peregrines kestrels Lundy sea sick seals and the work of Bedwyr Williams at the Newlyn Art Gallery where JT found himself a lovely pair of boots.