Porkus Pieus

Guess what arrived in the post this morning - a box of 4 pork pies from Blasau - so some went in the freezer and 1 was kept for CM's lunch together with a Jamie Oliver Mothership Tomato Salad with red, yellow, black, plum and baby tomatoes and tomatillos from the greenhouse.
Worked on organising the next Piper trip and editing stained glass films to show Patrick Reyntiens (which should be in the Piper blog I guess!)

Found missing

Immediately after breakfast we rushed round to Blasau for CM's pork pie, but the delivery hadn't arrived, so we packed the bags, packed the car, and returned - still no pies. We then checked out of the hotel and drove past the deli - but still no pies! :-(
Apart from being stuck behind an Eddie Stobart lorry all the way from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury, an uneventful journey back to Film Farm, where Charles again worked on the Aidan Dun DVD whilst Libby caught up on emails.

A Piper interlude

Another early run along the beach which probably won't do my hip much good but it's just so beautiful and the air is so fresh. Charles highly delighted at breakfast by discovering a cereal named JUST RIGHT (which of course he is all the time). Libby saw some innocuous looking olives in Newton Street which she couldn't resist (she's an olive freak) which transpired to be THE most expensive olives EVER @ £1.25 per olive! YIKES! Having pulled herself together we then drove through some wonderful Welsh countryside getting general panoramas for the Piper film.
And we still had time left in the day to visit the Centre for Alternative Technology near Macynlleth which was hugely disappointing - we both anticipated leaving feeling truly inspired - but it's all geared at children, half the exhibits didn't work, the gardens and polytunnels were not well tended - just an air of neglect where one would have expected youthful enthusiasm and technological advances. Libby deemed the wooden seat with coins between the slots worthy of a brief R&R though.

Called in at the Blasau deli in Machynlleth run by Edward Hammond to check they'd have pork pies for CM's lunch tomorrow (see http://piperpapers.blogspot.com 10 July 2008).
Good evening meal at the Wynnstay Hotel c/o Chef Gareth (no relation) although CM had been hoping the wood fired pizza oven would be operational.

Gareth

I couldn't resist a run along the beach this morning - and it was joyful, so clean, fabulous rock formations, seaweed strewn as if by hand evenly across the rolling outcrops and between rockpools. After a stroll down Mumbles pier and along Newton Street we drive to Carmarthen area to film Gareth, and Charles has already spotted his lunch - a fish and chip shop by the name of Dick Barton - unfortunately we drove past before it opened so much grumps from himself.

Gareth has produced a truly beautiful sensitive cartoon from the scruffy photocopy I sent him of Girl with a Bowl, and has made a great start on cutting and putting together the glass pieces. We filmed him drawing on the cartoon and then he did his 'here's one I made earlier' routine, and also explained about different sorts of glass, colour balance, lead calmes - all highly successful. I'm hugely excited about my Bing/Tiffany/Brangwyn panel! The next episode will be sometime January 2009. Photos show work in progress.

Dick Barton was open on the return journey so CM INSISTED on stopping, buying a bag of chips, and being photographed with same. Unfortunately he was SO excited by the quality of the produce that he wouldn't stay still, which explains the slight blur (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Actually, I'm not a chip lover by any stretch of the imagination, but have to admit they were truly scrummy - in fact I ate 2!

Superb evening meal in the hotel.

Andrea

Since all the filming we'll be doing this week is indoors, the weather promises to be glorious. An uneventful drive down to Clevedon - I don't think Charles made more than a couple of navigational errors - apart from the horrendous hold up on the Avon bridge where they appeared to be putting down a red carpet - presumably prior to some dignitary's arrival. This delayed us by something like 1/2 hour which was a shame because Andrea had kindly fitted us in between the various piano and languages lessons she gives. Anyway we needn't have worried about time because Andrea didn't need any prompting whatsoever - she was brilliant, a natural, chattering merrily away, some tinkling of the piano, all delivered with a cheery smile and much hilarity - watch out for the dong with the luminous nose.
Having already had sandwiches for elevenses and a pork pie for lunch, Charles' appetite was assuaged by Andrea's lovely fruit cake (getting up at 7.30 does CM's constitution no good at all).
Thence a drive down to Langland, staying at Little Langland, a beautifully appointed small hotel near the coast. We walked along the beach to Langland's Brasserie for a meal and actually sat outdoors, the weather was so balmy - what bliss.

Film Farm

Arrived at Film Farm to find Charles deep in the midst of editing his recording of the King's Cross poet Aidan Dun (with one N) which was required urgently. We watched it together, had a discussion, then he squirreled away again completing same until about 9pm - so a late evening meal - and we've got to leave at 9am tomorrow to drive to Clevedon to interview Andrea Argent - who you will recall is leader of the most wonderful Miscellany who sang for us last autumn (see entry 18 November 2007). We want to get her take on the difficulties of performing Mike's music as a companion piece to Mike's interview.

glass faces

The final piece of the jigsaw hopefully - a quick dash to Castle Loppem just outside Bruges to examine 3 faces of saints painted on glass which relate to the saints depicted in the Chapter Hall of St Andrei's Abbey, Zevenkerken (also just round the corner so to speak). Unfortunately one of the faces was broken, anyway we did our level best to photograph them against the light without too much of my hands showing and without dropping them. Castle itself designed by Jean-Baptiste de Bethune who was a chum of Frank's dad, but we thought it was rather an ugly pile.
En route back to England for some Piper filming we had to stop at City Europe of course to enable Charles to stock up on wines, mayonnaise, mustard and pate - and buy something for a late lunch - which turned out to be the largest crevettes we have EVER seen!

BSMGP

British Society of Master Glass Painters to you. They held their Conference on Aspects of 20th Century Glass at the Glaziers Hall 30 July/1 August and very good it was too. Some super lectures, interesting slides, lively audience, much more varied than the usual art historical crowd because many of these people were hands on artists and practitioners/craftspeople. And I learnt so much! I gave a lecture about FB's stained glass based on my current research which seemed to be well received (I hope they weren't just being polite!) - the first time I've used digital and I have to admit that it has convinced me that this is the way to go - it was wonderful being able to take small details of the stained glass and show them together with related works.
The 2 day conference did make me think about the responsibilities of a lecturer, especially a paid lecturer, so for what it's worth:
1) have good images
2) prepare well, work out the logistics of the speech, the forward motion, think about what you want to say and how to say it
3) engage with the audience in some way - show enthusiasm, add some humour, emphasise words - don't drone
4) don't um and ah every few seconds - if you can't ad lib successfully then write a script
5) keep to the alloted time scale, don't over-run, especially in a conference situation

Gareth's Glass

Brilliant news! I rang Gareth today, dreading that family problems and ill health may have delayed the Brangwyn/Tiffany panel further and, not only was he writing me a note at that very moment, but he has started work on the cartoon, and he sounded his old enthusiastic self. I am just so relieved. Unfortunately August is now booked solid for both Charles and me, so we've tentatively agreed to visit and film the first part of the glass making process in September. YIPPEE!

Meanwhile Piper has taken up most of my waking hours!

old hats

Dear FBSG
I fear that hours spent on you will be few and far between over the following few months due to the fact that if we are to film Piper on location it has to be during the long summer days, the research needs to be done in tandem, and there are basicaly no hours left for you since I work 8-10 most days anyway. And someone is paying me (minimally) for this work, which helps lubricate the wheels etc - so, huge apologies FBSG, but you are going to have to lie dormant for the next few months - but if people want to know what is happening in Libby's hectic life meanwhile you might discover an inkling on http://piperpapers.blogspot.com.
More anon, doubtless,
Libby et al

New project

Well, the good news is that we are definitely 'on' for the John Piper film, commissioned by Mike Goldmark of the Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham. The bad news, to a certain extent, is that if we are to accomplish all the filming we want to capture before the dark days creep in, we'll have to film on location once a fortnight from now until late September - which doesn't leave a toadstool of space for FBSG. I'll try to continue logging FBSG and writing the film scripts but the main problem is that having left a project for a certain length of time the exact visual recall of the hours of film becomes dimmed, so if something proves to be not quite right, you can't necessarily recall a tidbit which would suffice or improve.
Nevertheless, we aren't complaining, it keeps us busy and the brains ticking over, and we now have a sister blog which records progress on the new project, to be found on: http://piperpapers.blogspot.com/

Coping?

Work, the garden, everything is beginning to overwhelm me!
Garden - I'm a fair weather gardener and the weather has been so lousy that I've hardly been out this year until the current heat wave, and then I suddenly realised the weeds had taken over, so had a mad splurge the last few days and it looks tolerably better, but with 1/2 acre to tend tout seul (although I draw the line at mowing the lawns) it's a bit of a facer.
Work - Returning from the last trip to Film Farm I worked flat out for a few days on our new project and then an absolutely hectic week on the Tokyo Brangwyn Exhibition 2010 for which I've been appointed consultant curator. Plus lectures, meetings, general catching up - FBSG hasn't had much of a look in. And in recording Driftwood #3 I mistakenly let myself in for completely revamping the Reproductions page of my Brangwyn website and adding all 100 illustrations - something I've been meaning to do for ages, but takes a tad longer than a few minutes!
But I did get a break to celebrate Labour Day and we had a walk round the Saxon Shoreline north of Folkestone with views of Sheppey and then back inland to Luddenham, windswept and pleasantly bleak (contradiction in terms?) and one could almost imagine what the coast would have been like centuries ago with just a few dotted farmsteads, sheep grazing, birdlife flourishing. then on to the Sportsman at Seasalter, which I believe is the only pub in England to have a Michelin star and it was EXCELLENT. Nothing pretentious, plain decor, scrubbed oak tables, mix of chairs, relaxed but knowledgeable waitresses and good quality fresh food superbly cooked - so if ever you are in the region - make a detour! (beachuts at Seasalter above)

Off again Saturday to visit my mother, travelling via Northampton armed with tripod and the new Olympus E510 - very swanky! Then a few days at Film Farm either discussing the new project or getting on with FBSG. Our projected trip the first week in June to interview Andrea about Miscellany's approach to the music and thence on to Gareth to film him making the stained glass panel has had to be postponed unfortunately - probably until August.

(below: Bluebell woods, Kent, 1 May 2008)

Northampton again

Ruth has emailed that the prototype is the Mansfield Road Baptist Church in Nottingham - which is really odd because it stated a West Bridgford church in the Abington Avenue Minutes. I've already arranged to visit Northampton on my next trip up north, together with tripod this time so I don't get camera shake. I'm feeling a new camera coming on - something with SLR possibly. And then I'll check out the Baptist church. Phew, academic rigour!

Quarters

Go on, you're kidding me - we're 1/4 way through the year already? Aaaaargh!
Well, the 2nd edition of DRIFTWOOD is published, and I've written the script for the Tiffany section. When we met up at Film Farm 24 April we recorded all my dialogue for that section and re-recorded Northampton because I'd enlivened it a tad - hopefully. Unfortunately it transpired I hadn't got sufficient images to keep the dialogue going in the Northampton film so when we started editing, the whole thing sort of unravelled and we didn't get very far, and my photo of the memorial plaque had camera shake, so I was somwhat in the doghouse - hey, give me a break, I'm comparitively new to this game. Anyway another lesson learnt and good job this isn't the Apprentice - otherwise I'd have been FIRED!
However we did produce a rather lovely opening page which will be used for each section, including the Brangwyn Portfolio wrapper design (rather Batik looking), a relevant quote and a logo which identifies each window in both the film and the PDF files.
The good news - there is some? - is that we've been commissioned to produce a DVD about another artist (NOT Brangwyn) which is all rather exciting but under wraps at the moment, but needless to say, it ended up monopolising most of our precious few days, brainstorming and so forth.
Meanwhile Gareth has family problems so the project could possibly be delayed yet again on the Welsh front. Another heartfelt AAAAARGH!

Northampton

On my monthly trip up north to visit my mother I dropped in to the United Reformed Church to take a photo of the photo they have of the Minister at the time of FB's window (long winded sentence), take a photo of the plaque in memory of those killed during WW1 since the window commemorates them and one soldier in particular, and photograph the atrium behind the east window. Ruth very helpful as usual. I mentioned that I was then progressing to West Bridgford, Nottingham where the architectural prototype of this church is rumoured to be. I was under the impression that said prototype was CofE and so had narrowed down my list of churches in that area. Ruth wasn't so sure, tried ringing the previous Minister but unfortunately he was out.

Arrived at Nottingham. St Giles was castellated so no good, the church on Boundary Road too modern, but a URC I happened to drive past looked a possibility. Unfortunately didn't have time to return because was due in Thornton.

Winter Wonderland

I set out from Kent yesterday morning in bright sunlight and wearing only a T-shirt (well, plus jeans) all set to visit Rachel in London and collect my newly purchased set of The Studio magazines. As I left I noticed a few drops of rain - within half an hour the countryside was blanketted in snow and the fast lane of the M20 was white. London was just the same, all the suburban rooves frosted like fairy cakes, tree branches drooping under the weight of the snow. Under Rachel's expert guidance the car was soon loaded with my 108 volumes plus two index volumes, and after a jolly lunch I set out again for Kent. By this time the snow had disappeared in London but as I entered Kent it started snowing again, almost blizzard conditions at times. By the time I reached home the landscape was a winter wonderland, and with that glorious silence which comes with snow.

Today the bookshelves were emptied and The Studio given pride of place. Also provided an excellent opportunity to re-organise my books, but there just isn't sufficient space for everything!

Accompanying photos show the snow in the garden and my wonderful new acquisition (left hand side of the bookshelves).

Mad March

It certainly was a wild one, wet and windy, and an endless Operation Stack (that's when they use the M20 as a car park for lorries - this time it lasted weeks partly due to the frightful weather and partly due to French strikes).
Work continued nonetheless, and my latest booklet, 'A Humble Offering to the People of Walthamstow'. Being a Short History of the Formation of the William Morris Gallery and Brangwyn Gift (certainly not a short title) went into production the middle of the month (pictured above). If you'd like to purchase a copy email me (£4 plus 50p post and packing). I also completed the film script for the Northampton window and the 1st DRIFTWOOD script (first mentioned in blog dated 2 February 2008).
And then it was Easter, rather an exhausting process, collecting the grandparents from Bristol and Scarborough areas, feeding 8 for a period of 5 days, and then delivering the oldies back home again afterwards. The highlight of the weekend was my elder son announcing his engagement - a due cause for celebration.
And then on to 3 1/2 days extremely intense work at Film Farm. I managed to get my daily run in before breakfast, but after that there was no let up - one evening we finished at 11.30 (way past my normal bedtime!) However we did succeed in launching my new website http://www.libbyhorner.com/ and also the podcast DRIFTWOOD which I think is great fun, but then perhaps I'm biased! Go have a look and a listen and let me know what YOU think! If you'd like to make any contributions, highlight local exhibitions, a book publication, a musical event or have a rant about the art world - just let me know. It can't be all bad because it was immediately accepted into the illustrious iTunes Podcast Catalogue (Arts). Wowzers! (Just click on the word Driftwood above to access)

We also succeeded in recording my blurb for the Northampton film and going through the script in detail, but did take a small break to visit the Tastes of Lincolnshire fair in nearby Horncastle, where I was introduced to the delights of smoked eel c/o Smith's Smokery and bought myself some Lincolnshire Poacher - a superb cheddar which was first produced in 1992 and was named Supreme Champion at the British Cheese Awards in 1997 against 500 other cheeses!

February

Gosh, here we are, beginning of March, there's a bitter wind blowing up from the marshes, the snowdrops have faded, the daffodils are coming into bloom, we've had some truly outstanding sunsets here in Kent (probably pollution more than anything else) and even a lengthy 29 day February has flown by and where are we regarding progress? Well, lots of interviews and filming earlier this month, some more Ferens work completed, the William Morris Gallery booklet ready for publication save a final photograph, the design layout for FBSG accomplished, a couple of other projects nearing completion (of which more come the close of the month) and now I'm into transcribing all the interviews we conducted, which is a lengthy business. Today I transcribed the half hour interview with Peter Cormack and it took me roughly 2 hours plus breaks in between to stretch my back, go for a run, have a coffee, keep my mind alert etc - so basically the whole afternoon. I can visualise long long days stretching ahead of me, good basic production work but nothing creative, which tends to numb me, so I'll have to invent other carpe diem strategies for the remainder of each day to keep me happy.

Are you happy? :-)

Complicated or What?

Well, having completed all the filming (except for Gareth making stained glass), I decided the time had come, the time that shall surely be, to draw up a DVD Menu - a moment I appreciate you had all been awaiting agog.

When one opens the DVD there will be a title and a jolly rush of images of windows, which leads into the mission statement and 3 buttons. With one of these you can skip the intro, the other 2 allow you to enter the catalogue raisonne or the film options.

Let us assume you want to look at the Cat Rais (of course you do). This is basically just like a book, and copiously illustrated, but you can either read it on screen or print it yourself from the PDF file. The window (as in computers, not glass) will show 8 buttons which lead to - Acknowledgements, Bibliography, Introduction (containing a brief history of stained glass, how glass is made and stained glass panels are made, and Brangwyn's involvement in general), Glossary of terms, Glass makers (details of the glass makers with whom FB worked), a printable index, a copy of this Blog, and Stained Glass Windows. This latter button leads to another window with 8 further buttons which give one the catalogue raisonne details for Small Works (small or shelved commissions), Tiffany (details of six panels), Bucklebury, Northampton, Manaton, Bruges, Dublin and Elveden.

If however you decided to investigate the Film Options you would be presented with a window with 6 buttons titled something like Main Film (this gives an overall history of all the windows together with interviews with experts and practitioners and parishioners and will be about 30-40 minutes long), Making Stained Glass (an educational film devoted to Gareth's work producing a stained glass panel from a design Brangwyn made for Tiffany in 1899 and also showing how stained glass is produced at English Antique Glass), Biography (a 10 minute film with commentary including shots of places FB lived and some of his works), Stained Glass Windows (eight 10-15 minute films providing more detailed descriptions of the windows, together with interviews with such luminaries as Brian Clarke, Peter Cormack, Martin Eidelberg, Martin Harrison and Patrick Reyntiens), Slide Show (eight slide shows containing 20-30 slides of each window or group of windows). The last button, Music, leads to yet another window with 2 buttons entitled Sound Tracks (of the Miscellany recording) and Interviews (with Mike Westbrook and Andrea Argent).

And if we still have the energy there may be an Easter Egg (which, for the uninitiated is a hidden file)!

So that's a fair bit of work for both of us and lots of complicated structural techy stuff for Charles. I feel absolutely exhausted just contemplating it. Sit down Libby, have a break.

FFFF Thursday and Friday

John Tennant and part of the Nativity window at St Mary the Virgin, Bucklebury.

The sundial and fly.

Great excitment Thursday morning because in loading up the car we discover that mine hosts have a whole gaggle of beautiful hens, some of which lay blue eggs, which got CM thinking about expanding his flock again.

A short drive to Bucklebury to interview John Tennant about the windows in the church and take some more shots to supplement the filming we had done there a couple of years back for ART? It's just a job! (the Brangwyn film commissioned by Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham) - but you all knew that I guess. Another good session and I took a photo of the fly in the glass reminding us that tempus fugit! A good reason to carpe diem!

And thus back to Film Farm, two rather weary souls, but all is not over yet, because on Friday CM has to put all the film rushes onto DVD for me, together with built-in timecodes, and the stills on to a CD, and we also had a telephone interview with Martin Adams about the iniquitous events at the William Morris Gallery for DRIFTWOOD's first rant session. And we recorded some links and CM made the most wonderful intro from the sound of the sea and gulls at Dawlish and the harp and hang we taped in Dublin (see 12 September 2007). AND he treated himself to a coal fired Fish and Chips from Stickney for lunch, the latest 'find' (I succeeded in ducking out and opted for anchovy fillets and artichoke hearts and some killer Lincolnshire Poacher).

Farraginous, Falemic, Flapdoodle February.

FFFF 8 bags Wednesday

Expressive or what? Brian Clarke and the ever youthful Martin Harrison

We always knew this would be the killer day and so it proved.

Early starts are not on Charles' agenda but I had to bang down his door at 6.30 so that we could pack and be at the Royal Academy by 8am. No breakfast but at least the pre-ordered taxi was prompt - 8 bags checked in. We were in the RA Library again, a beautiful room, looking at sketchbooks FB had left to the RA which included sketches for St Andre's monastery outside Bruges, and also photographing a large study for the Northampton window. We succeeded in finishing before the 10am deadline and somehow struggled with our 8 bags to the nearest coffee bar for a much needed shot of caffeine and croissants.

8 bags - check, and the next taxi which took us to Martin Harrison's house near Sussex Gardens where we set up the green screen and interviewed Martin (an art historian and authority on Victorian stained glass) and Brian Clarke (an artist and stained glass designer of renown). As you can see from the images, both sessions were lively events as well as the gentlemen being very erudite and good speakers.

8 bags - check. Martin kindly helped us lug them to Sussex Gardens where we flagged down a taxi to take us to Imperial College where there is a cartoon for the Youth and Age window FB designed for Tiffany. Last time I went to see this work I waltzed in happily through the Prince Consort Road entrance. Now however they have installed security devices making it impossible to enter. A guard finally took pity on us and led me to the office of my contact. He wasn't there of course so then we went looking for the Prof but he wasn't there either. Then we went to the Common Room and luckily spotted the contact en route so raced after him. It transpired that he knew nothing about our visit but, having read my email confirmation, kindly let Charles into the building and helped us carry 8 bags to the room in question. We had only been there a matter of minutes when a rather flustered lady marched in and demanded to know what we were doing, announcing that she had millions of hopeful students about to descend on the room. We smiled graciously and made due obeiscance and I waved the magic email once more. Slightly mollified she allowed us to remain for the 20 minutes it took for CM to set up and photograph said cartoon. Then - 8 bags - check and a slow and tired walk through the college to Exhibition Road and another taxi ride, this time to Temple Lodge, Hammersmith, Brangwyn's home from 1900 to the mid 1930s.

CM was by this time 'faint for lack of nourishment' so we popped into The Gate, the vegetarian restaurant in what used to be Brangwyn's studio. We each had a fabulous fruity/veggie drink and CM had a morsel to fill his hollow legs. Then some filming of the front and back of FB's house and the river for the bio section. I'd hoped to be able to leave London by 4pm but this turned out not to be the case. For one thing, trying to hail a taxi in Hammersmith proved impossible, so we finally had to ring for one. 8 bags - check, back to the multi-storey car park where China had stayed overnight - the charge wasn't quite as horrifying as anticipated luckily. 8 bags into the car, and off we head for Chieveley.

We had promised ourselves a really good meal for this evening at The Crab at Chieveley and had booked a taxi from the B&B. Unfortunately by this time it was rush hour and we just crawled out of London. Then there was a hold up on the M4, we tried diverting via Slough (also busy), and we anticipated having to give up our repast. However we did finally arrive with sufficient time to spare for a wash and brush up and a change of clothes.

And it was all worthwhile because the meal was EXCELLENT (if expensive). Strange company though - one lady managed to pour a glass of red wine all over the white tabelcloth and her dress, and at the next table a couple spent the entire meal consulting their matching laptops! I think if I had been the management I'd have told said offending couple that if they didn't appreciate my food sufficiently to eat it, observing the niceties, then they could take their trade elsewhere!

View through Brangwyn's front door - wonderful streaky yellow glass!

FFFF Monday and Tuesday

Having sorted out the equipment, charged batteries (mechanical and human) and girded loins, we loaded up the poor overworked car and set off for Steyning, an attractive village just north of Brighton, but not over blessed with eateries open on Mondays.

As we prepared to set off on Tuesday morning I discovered that Charles' hat had fallen out of the car the previous evening (apparently my fault of course). Lying as it was on the ground, said headgear had experienced more than a little rain during the night. It was sodden, and the weather still being of an inclement nature, CM wished to keep his head warm and dry. I was not the most popular bunny.

However we decamped to Ditchling and for safety's sake parked the car next to the wonderful little museum in that village. Although the museum is officially closed at present, not only was Hilary (the curator) there, but also a gentleman who was giving a demonstration of the Stanhope press which used to belong to Pepler (dated 1805). Now CM owns miles upon miles of typeset and a couple of presses which will come into their own in the next but however many house renovations, so he was absolutely delighted to be able to see the press in action (as was I actually, it was fascinating) - DAY SAVED!

We also trudged round Ditchling in the wind and the rain getting film and photos for the bio of Brangwyn to be included in FBSG, and even went up to the Jack and Jill windmills where the wind was so strong we nearly got blown away.

Next port of call, Lewes, to interview Martin Eidelberg, Professor Emeritus of Art History, Rutgers University, an expert on all matters Tiffany, and a lovely, lovely man with a great sense of fun (see photo). Not only did he give us lunch and do the agreed Tiffany/Brangwyn/Bing interview but he also talked about the Clara Driscoll book for DRIFTWOOD! (See also Crackers, 13 Janaury 2008) What a STAR!

Followed by a V E R Y L O N G dark, wet drive to London, catching the rush hour traffic. UGH!

FABULOUS FEBRUARY FLYABOUT FORAY

Got the chair - where's my crew?

With abject apologies for flagging the incorrect title previously!

Armed with my special FFFF folder (FFFFF) mit pretty pink label, I arrived at Film Farm (FF) on a wonderful sunny Saturday to be greeted as usual by Muriel and Dot. After catching up with their news, Charles I had lunch, over which he expounded on the recent techy exhibition he had attended (Broadcast Live & Video Forum at Earl's Court 2), in particular the podcast seminar. I had been contemplating how I could reach a wider audience with my lectures (since the fees marginally lessen the hole in my pocket resulting from my independent research projects). Would a podcast be the answer?

We mulled over possibilities whilst making marmalade for Hare in the Gate enterprises, this particular batch being named Groundhog Marmalade in honour of the day.

Like Topsy (not Morris) the idea grew, became totally unassociated with the initial scheme, took on a life of its own, and by Sunday evening we had evolved the idea of a general arts podcast along the lines of a radio magazine programme, taking in art exhibitions, book revues, poetry, music, food, the inevitable Brangwyn soundbite, and a rant. It is to be titled DRIFTWOOD.

Being incapable of resisting a challenge has led me into many strange activities including marathon running, triathlons, frisking round in Dawlish cove in distinctly cold weather, and writing film scripts. I have more than sufficient on my platter as it is without taking on more responsibilities. Am I completely barking? Answers on a postcard.

Have you noticed the favicon on my website? Isn't that fun? A design FB stencilled on the exterior of Bing's Galerie L'Art Nouveau in Paris, 1895, no less!

Progress

Progress - what progress?

Well, the article about the Stations of the Cross was posted today, so hopefully that is done and dusted, provided the client likes the product. Writing the catalogue notes is almost finished, following which it's the long winded polishing and double checking, plus a bio of FB and a brief history of stained glass. So, as a result of back to back 9-9's, almost on the new course as predicted at the start of this year.

A minor hiccup occurred when Gareth announced that his health was suffering following an operation last autumn. However, he's sticking with the project, albeit with an extended deadline, so we are now looking towards the end of the year (literally) and loads of extra visits to Wales to record progress, before the DVD will be published.
More exercise, more water, continuing to cook up storms and enjoying myself also on course, and next week Charles and I embark on the Fantabuloso February Flying Foray taking in Ditchling, Lewes, London, Bucklebury and a Waitrose near you, after which the filming (apart from Gareth) is complete.

the good, the bad and the ugly

The good news is that the book we wrote for the Brangwyn exhibition last year, Frank Brangwyn 1867-1956, has been nominated for the William M B Berger Prize forArt History 2007. So, 2nd year in a row for Brangwyn!

The bad and the ugly is that the news in the paper today is that small schools may be threatened with closure.

I just hope that this does not include Elveden School, which Ofsted listed as outstanding last year within the 'personal development and well being' judgement and 'spiritual, moral, social and cultural development' criteria. It also gained the International School Award from the British Council.

Bright and Beautiful

When Gillian Turner mentioned the hymn All things bright and beautiful on 16 May last year (see blog entry), little did she know what she was letting herself in for! But, being Gillian, she set the whole thing up, and the next thing I know we are off to Elveden, to record the children at Elveden CEVA Primary School - an old fashioned village school with 3 classrooms and a hall and a wonderful ethos and friendly atmosphere.

All 52 pupils assembled in the hall and sung their hearts out for us, for which we are hugely grateful. Afterwards Charles and I fielded questions from the older class, and very intelligent and insightful questions they were. Some budding filmmakers there. And for the young man who asked how many windows Brangwyn designed - the almost definitive answer is: 28 panels were designed of which about 22 were produced.

Following the recording C&I fell back on a reinvigorating cup of tea at the Elveden Estate shop and then fell foul of retail therapy in the form of wonderful cheeses and oils etc etc. Plus a visit to the Paper Mill Shop at Spalding where Charles did his 'kid in a sweet shop act' and gaily amassed coloured paper.

Eureka moment!

It suddenly struck me to check all the birds and animals FB had managed to squeeze into the British Empire panels, and there's a superb little booklet produced by Swansea Museums Service in 1987 which names just about everything - and hey presto, I've found my crested white bird - it's a white peacock and appears in Panel 10. Yippee!
There's still the 4 petalled flower to sort out and some pretty pink and blue love birds which Swansea say are leadbeaters but I can't find them on the net or even in the RSPB. Never say never. Tomorrow is another day the last I heard.

Crackers

Well, what a cracking start to the year. Read four books, including the rather wonderful and very illuminating one by Martin Eidelberg et al about Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany girls - turns out they produced many of the designs Tiffany took credit for! Re-read lots of articles, finished Tiffany and Manaton notes apart from fine tuning and polishing, spent some time in Photoshop tweaking images for the catalogue, visited Hurstmonceaux to look at a Brangwyn, the RA to check on sketchbook images, saw Tim Wilcox when working at the V&A Library (another contributor to the Brangwyn book 2006) - he's putting together what sounds to be a super exhibition about Laura Knight at the Lowry and Nottingham Castle - the circus and all the fun of the fair.

Thinking about books did you see the article in the Grodian Thursday - apparently 1/4 people in the UK haven't read a single book in the past year. I just cannot credit the fact - what are they doing instead? Wallowing in soaps? Sounds like intellectual poverty.

Anyway, back to work after that quick aside - examining the Manaton window in detail and describing the wildlife and vegetation involved much work with the Observer's books saved from my childhood days plus other references, but I cannot decide what this red four petalled flower is, nor the white bird with blue crest. One of the problems is that FB's nature and animals frequently became generic and the bright orange fruit in the window are actually apples (I have a letter from FB himself to prove it) so one cannot necessarily go by colour either!

Any sensible suggestions as to identification gratefully accepted.

2008

God bless her and all who sail in her.

Christmas is past (although the decorations are still up, see above) - feeding between 5 and 15 for 6 days is no joke and even the 6 bedroom house was pushed to the limits, but I got the sofa by the log fire so was a happy bunny - and needless to say FBSG work was halted for the duration.

What will the new year herald? Last year's plans got somewhat delayed, didn't finish Christ's Hospital monograph, didn't finish FBSG, BUT did achieve many things I had no intention of doing in the first place. And I'm not even Irish.

So here goes. In 2008 I am determined to finish FBSG (we've already got some interviews fixed for February) and Christ's Hospital - although now I have another project to complete by the end of this month about the Stations of the Cross, and, rather excitingly, have been pulled on board for a Japanese exhibition about FB. Don't get sidetracked Libby - I hope to finish the academic writing by the end of this month, the design work by the end of February, review the rushes and plan the editing and script Libby verbiage in March and perhaps get Charles started on the editing April. We've still got Gareth to film May(ish), so possibly get everything completed end of July? Writing this down makes it seem more possible or at least gives me something definite to aim for (ah, the wonderful sound of deadlines swooshing past). I also want to find sponsorship for the Reyntiens project (see 17 November, Glory of Glass), and get my SGFA and William Morris papers published. And I'm going to return to taking more exercise and doing more art work, drinking more water, drinking less wine. And listening to more music, and continuing to cook up storms. And continuing to enjoy life to the full. How's that?

Rhetorical dear boy, rhetorical.

MEMO: Never start a sentence with AND or BUT! :-)