23 June 2007 - Pushing the right buttons

Here's Charles wearing his snazy FBSG T-shirt (designed and painted by yours truly), slaving away at the Bruges rushes in his edit suite.

Later, over a bottle of Crozes-Hermitage 1996 rescued from the flooded cellar, Charles and I discussed the layout of the DVD, the menus, how many buttons, whether there is a jolly musical intro before one reaches the first menu - it brought it home to me how the whole concept has expanded - bit like Topsy - but also how very exciting it is, how adaptable in format, how multi-layered. I feel a little like Oscar Wilde with his blue pots - am I worthy of this brainchild.

I had also become concerned that the words I'd done before camera encapsulated each project rather too succinctly not leaving sufficient room for manoeuvre, but these will go into the overall film, with more detailed expositions within individual sections.

All most confusing for a bear of little brain!

5-7 June Dublin's fair city

And isn't it just! I'm told we spent a day here when I was early 20s but cannot recall a thing - and I wasn't high, honest me lud (not even taking the shot above!). Arrived c/o Ryan Air an hour late, to perform pre-filming recce and research (not your usual R&R), dashed to the Pembroke Townhouse - very comfortable, stylish, clean and not part of a dreaded daisy chain - walked back into town and caught the bus to the wonderfully named Representative Church Body Library where the staff were brilliant and patient and I got the info I needed.

Back into town and walked back to the hotel soaking in the atmosphere, the Georgian squares, the wonderful doors, the friendly people, folks sitting out in the sun having a pre-prandial. Perhaps I'm old fashioned but on my own I find it difficult to eat or drink out, so gathered myself a salad and some decent bread from a deli and ate same slowly during the evening whilst I caught up on work on the laptop. Gosh, what an anorak!

Following day 'walked' some of the town guide, taking in the sights then on to the Hugh Lane Gallery (thoroughly enjoyed the Francis Bacon studio - I know people who live like that all the time and not just in one room either - naming no names of course!) to see their Brangwyn collection - they have the amazing Mars and Venus, the chap being a rather lascivious looking devil!

Wanted to do more sight seeing on the way back but luckily forced myself to book into the National Library first. They were due to shut in 10 minutes for lunch and one needs a ticket. To get a ticket one needs a passport photograph. Ugh! Luckily the bookshop provides a service. Dash downstairs, polordoid type photo taken in a trice or thereabouts. Need identity. Passport at hotel. Joggle back to hotel, collect passport, joggle back to Library, fill in form, get ticket. The letters I want to see are next door, dash down road. Need another ticket. Luckily the guy was charming and we commiserated about Collingwood Library in North London. FINALLY got to sit down with the letters. Afterwards back to main library to read old newspapers. Waled back to hotel rather slower this evening! Won't let on about a meal!

Following day walked to St Patrick's where the other Brangwyn memorial window to Lord Iveagh is to be found. Took notes about important things like plug points in vicinity of window and what would be the best time of day to film - it's in the north transept (seen below centre). Statue of Benjamin Lee Guiness outside the Cathedral (below left). Thence on my pre-ordained tour of Guinness sights - Iveagh House on St Stephen's Green, the Iveagh Gardens, Iveagh Market Hall (the winking stone below right is said to be Lord Iveagh - good to know they had a sense of humour) etc etc (but not the Brewery - I'll leave that for Charles to investigate, beer not exactly being my tass de the, accents excused). Back to the hotel to pay the bill, collect my bags and then a few hours wait until returning to the airport. Luckily the weather still gorgeous, so sat in one of the parks, sunning myself and reading - that's multi-tasking for you!

Guess what - Ryan Air was one hour late again.

24 May 2007 SGFA (part 2)

I kept on getting diverted by FBSG and Christ's Hospital and Ferens and daily events, but finally finished the article. Now to find some illustrations, like this one of FB wiping an etching plate with an American assistant, Edward D Trumbull in the background at the printing press. This is Brangwyn's Temple Lodge studio, Hammersmith.

Whatever qualities Trumbull had as an artist were forgotten when Brangwyn subsequently discovered the American was a bigamist!

17 May 2007 Abingdon

Avenue that is, Northampton. And, with suitable Boris Johnson type apologies, the Northampton header wouldn't have produced the same excitement would it?! (And later I remembered it's ABINGTON Avenue after all! Oops!)

FB designed a window for what was the Congregational Church and is now the United Reformed Church (shown above, and detail below - isn't she lovely!). Obviously a very vibrant parish with daily events. We were welcomed by Ruth Redhead, Eddie and Joyce Jeyes. Ruth read us a piece written by a relative of Fitness who had commissioned the window, Joyce enlightened us as to the symbolism in the design, and Eddie was cajoled into taking his place at the organ seat and giving us a recital.

Filming outside the church, the net curtains of adjoining houses twitched - 'Ooh, who's that then, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? Bill Odie and Kate Moss, it just must be, and its the starlings in the belfry they're after.' Well, we may be delusional but unfortunately none of those descriptions fit us 100%!

Back to Film Farm via Fired Earth showroom at Warmington Mill (a coffee shop there would be a great addition next to the canal?) and a superlative Waitrose cum JL at Rushden.

16 May 2007 Guinness country

Well almost - Charles and I loaded up the Alfa and drove down to the church of St Andrew and St Patrick, Elveden in Suffolk to film the stained glass window FB designed as a memorial to Lord Iveagh (Guiness family) - the window is above the door in the photo. Gillian and Neville Turner (see above) were most welcoming and gave us the full guided tour including the graves of the Maharajah Duleep Singh and family (I kid you not), the original mediaeval St Andrew's church, the shepherds on the pinnacles of the Western Tower (they gave the money and demanded recognition!), the extension dedicated to St Patrick and designed by Caroe (the o should be topped by an umlaut but I can't find the symbol), and the magical cloister and bell tower (also Caroe mit umlaut) erected in memory of the first Vicountess Iveagh. Ah, there's love and devotion for you - recalls the Taj Mahal (which, incidentally, I always considered chocolate box kitchy - that is, until I went there, some twenty years ago, and, despite the crowds, it just took my breath away. It is beautiful and truly magical).

Back to basics after that detour. The church is, unfortunately, cheek by whatsit with the A11 along which traffic thunders in a never ending manner. The photo shows Charles trying to record bird song amid the traffic roar!

The other bird - me - wasn't quite on song, mind elsewhere or something so we had to retake my blurb rather more than a few times (and then afterwards, looking at the rushes, noticed I'd still got my sandals on instead of some slightly smarter black shoes - ***** - can't win 'em all as FB might have said).

Persuaded Gillian to talk about the window but then mortified her because we compared the feel of it to All Things Bright and Beautiful which isn't exactly her favourite hymn! It might be rather jolly to have some youngsters singing the hymn though - any offers of help? The church hosts a campanologists get together in the summer and Neville has promised to tape the ringing for us, which is splendid.

Recovered from our labours in the newly opened Elveden Estate Shop and Cafe (with accent) Restaurant which is excellent - well worth a visit.

Back to Film Farm through sheeting rain - ugh!

15 May 2007. Smokery

Dear Reader

No, I haven't descended to the dreaded weed, or even Bill and Ben, but did give a lecture to a super NADFAS group at Cley by the Sea (Norfolk) and at the same time stocked up on smoked salmon and smoked olives and smoked cheese and kippers at the fabulous smokery there (surprise surprise), and purchased some lavender bread at the Deli (never come across this animal previously, but believe me, warmed in the oven and combined with the smokery delights was truly magnificent).

I was due to lecture to the group last year, but it happened to coincide with the opening of the BRANGWYN Liss Fine Art show at The Fine Art Society - and I just couldn't get from one to the other in time - and hey, I wasn't going to miss my first BIG Brangwyn show of the year! I had, therefore, been feeling frightfully guilty, but think/hope I redeemed myself.

And on to Film Farm to devour said goodies and discuss progress. Have decided to complete the film this year if possible, leaving Gareth's episode as a separate film which can be edited and added at the last moment.

11 May 2007 Spirals and knots

Relevance? Well, possibly the spirals of the projected V&A structure, or spiralling out of control, or the position I find myself in viz a viz the designs FB did for Tiffany in 1898-99.

It's like this. Two finished panels are listed in the Grafton Gallery catalogue (1899), Music and Baptism of Christ. The former doesn't appear to exist but the latter does as does another panel, Child with Gourd. There are two designs which could possibly be Music - but which one is the right one? There are some obvious sketches and some cartoons (with leading shown) illustrated in contemporary magazines but might some of the latter be finished panels? Difficult to say. Wot [sic] a dilemma.

So I've been digging through various old magazines at the V&A Library trying to sort out this knotty problem. But I never graduated from Brownies, so my entanglement in granny, reef, slip and weaver, not to mention Gordian is overwhelming.