27 June 2007 Task Sorted!

So I emailed Gareth, who sent me the name of the only company in the UK which blows Antique Glass - the eponymous English Antique Glass Company and they were perfectly charming and we can film any Monday/Tuesday when they are flattening glass. Brilliant news - only when can we find a Monday/Tuesday when either of us is free?!

And the other good news this week is that Martin Eidelberg, Professor Emeritus, Art History, Rutgers has agreed to be interviewed - he's an expert on Tiffany and has a wonderful impish sense of humour, reminds me of Robin Williams!

The bad news is that Peter Cormack isn't free to be interviewed when Charles is in London next week, and that the William Morris Gallery is absolutely definitely only going to be open 2 afternoons a week and Saturday and Sunday, and the staff will be reduced to practically zilch - this despite worldwide protests. Intellectual vandalism.

24 June 2007 - The aftermath

Breakfast with Mike Westbrook (not literally but on a CD) which seemed apt. Those wonderful squiggly menu drawings I made last night, don't make quite as much sense this morning. Wonder why that is. I guess this is what CM calls a 'sophisticated menu structure'!

However, there will be an introductory page explaining the contents etc, and this leads to two buttons, Catalogue Raisonne (which leads to general information on Brangwyn's work and stained glass in particular; the academic information on each stained glass panel or window; slide show of all windows and studies) and Movie Menu. The latter will lead to another menu which has buttons for the main film of the windows; longer individual films of each window; filmed interviews with experts and practitioners; filmed biography. The music can also be heard without having to watch the film, and we're hoping to get Mike to talk about the composition, and Andrea the performance. And last but certainly not least, Gareth will be filmed making the stained glass panel - and then we thought, how about filming antique glass being made?

Fire, jolly colours etc - having just finished work on Elemental, the film about the Japanese potter, Ken Matsuzaki, Charles is into furnaces! So that's my next task to sort out!

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!