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Showing posts from December, 2014

Christmas Poem, William Barnes, Dorset dialect poet & friend of Thomas Hardy

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William Barnes - St Peters Church,Dorchester To have zome fu n last night: how wer’t? Vor we’d a-worked wi’ all our might To scour the iron things up bright, An’ brush’d an’ scrubb’d the house all drough; An’ brought in vor a brand, a plock O’ wood so big’s an uppen-stock An’ hung a bough o’ misseltoo, An’ ax’d a merry friend or two, To keepen up o’Christmas. An’ zoo you didden come athirt, An’ there wer wold an’ young; an’ Bill, Soon after dark, stalk’d up vrom mill. An’ when he wer a-comin near, He whissled loud vor me to hear; Then roun’ my head my frock I roll’d, An’ stood on orcha’d like a post, To meake en think I wer a ghost. But he wer up to’t, an did scwold To vind me stannen in the cwold, A-keepen up o’ Christmas. We play’d at Forfeits, an’ we spun The trencher roun’, an’ meade such fun! An’ had a geame o’ dree-ceard loo, An’ then begun to hunt the shoe. An’ all the wold vo’k zitten near, A-chatten roun’ the vier pleace, Did smile in woone ano

Cast Court reopening (at last)

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For years, they have kept us away from the Renaissance Cast Court, hiding all the copies of statues of Michangelo, the Doors of Paradise, the pulpits of the Pissani's and Donatello's sublime statuary and so much more. Before restoration All those years it has been a parking lot for curators.  Such a pity it has taken so long! Why do we only worship 'real' works of art? | Polly Toynbee | Comment is free | The G

Zeppelin Walk

My Zeppelin Walk went off well, after a lot of research! The public walk was virtually rained off but acted as a rehearsal for a group walk with students from Lafayette University. The route follows that taken by Kpt/Ltn Henrich Mathy in Zeppelin L31 on 8th September 1915.   I note that someone else has copied the idea - so that's flattering. The walk begins where Mathy dropped the first bombs on Central London.  The route is: Russell Square Queen's Square Lambs Conduit Street Dolphin Pub. Jockey Field Grey's Inn Road Bourne Estate Mazim plaque, Hatton Gardens 61 Farringdon Street Smithfield Postman's Park Gresham St Morgate Finsbury Square Liverpool St Norton Folgate Although we have so far not got further than Moorgate on foot. ZEPPELIN > Historical Note

Pain De Campagne Rustique

I am on the 4th Day of making this french country bread.  Mostly, it involves a bit of kneeding and then leaving the dough around for a long time. So, I have no idea, as yet, whether the effort is worthwhile. Here is a recipe but not the one I am using. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pain-de-Campagne---Country-French-Bread/

Museum of London moving to Smithfield?

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The following article was published by Salon IFA Issue 332 15 December 2014 Next issue: 5 January 2015 The Society of Antiquaries of London Online Newsletter (Salon) is a fortnightly digest of news from the heritage sector. It focuses on the activities of the Society and the contribution that the Society's Fellows make to public life. Like the intellectual salons of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe, it aims to amuse and to sti mulate debate as well as to inform. A copy of Salon ’s editorial policy can be found on the Society’s website . News and feedback for publication in Salon should be addressed to the Editor, Christopher Catling . Museum of London considering a move to Smithfield General Market The Museum of London has revealed that it is considering moving from its current Powell & Moya-designed building to Smithfield General Market, which was saved from demolition to make way for an office and retail scheme in July when Eric Pickles, Secre

Clichés

Clichés   They are, originally, phrases which are so overused they are predictable and therefore boring.  In design, solutions which have been used so often they elicit a groan when proposed. http://literarydevices.net/ cliche/ However, because they are so well used they often are clearly understood, and can be concise, and this can,in certain limited circumstances,  be a good method of communication (if they can be used in an innovative way). Have a look at this for further information on the appropriate use of Clichés. http://thefederalist.com/2014/ 06/06/in-defense-of-cliches/ In essense, you should avoid all hackneyed, boring, dull use of cliche, but you can occassionally get awy with cliche by   using them,knowingly, cleverly, or by subverting them. Here is one article on cliche and design http://www.smashingmagazine. com/2011/02/21/clich-s-and- idea-generation-how-to-turn- clich-in-a-successful-visual- solution/ cliche is a bit like kitsch, avoid lik

7th Arrondismont, Paris

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The CSM tutors stayed in the Hotel Royal Phare whose name was grander than the reality.   But what a good location.  The Rue Motte-Piquet is on the Metro and in walking distance are Les Invalides and the Musee DÁrmee; Musee Rodin; Eiffel Tower, Musee Quai Branly, and across the River are the Trocadero, and the City of Paris Museum of Architecture, and the Palais de Tokyo and Musee of Arttt Moderne.  All well worth visiting. On route to the Tour is Rue Cler and Rue Sante Dominque both of which interesting roads with  traditional French shops such as wine shops, boulangerie and butchers.  I  had the best pain de raisin here, after queuing with a lot of Parisians.

Palais de Tokyo and the Musee dÁrte Moderne

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Across the River From Quai Branly Museum, near the Eiffel Tower are yet another 2 wonderful Museums in Paris.  The Palais de Tokyo is a modern White Cube gallery full of the most interesting installations.  Varied in quality, yes but there are so many of them each with their own big space - either white, bright, or dark, filmic, and some with chaotic art pieces.  But the shere quantity truly gives the measure of the French love of culture. The suspended crawl-way made out of clear parcel tape was a mere bit of claustrophobic fun, but the marvelous tree growing out of the white  columns was a true deconstruction of the White Cube ideal..  Next door is a 'traditional' collection of modern art with paintings from Cubism to the present day, with just enough paintings to give a tolerable narrative, and enough star names to satisfy anyone.  But the glory of the collection is the Salon de Dufy with a huge work of art made for an international exhibition; and the Salon de

Quai Branly, Paris

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The  Quai Branly is an amazing museum dedicated to art from cultures all around the world.   This, would once have been called an Ethnographic Museum. It was set up as Jacques Chirac's Grand Project and is designed by Jean Nouvel.  It has been heavily critised for the way it deals with the source material, and has a very heavily and rigorously controlled editorship of all aspects of the Museum.  What is interesting is how the many decisions that have been taken - probably with good intentions, somehow open the Museum up to all sorts of post-colonial criticism. And yet, one has to admire the single-minded focus, the stance that has been taken and stuck to.  Forget context, we don't have room to discuss context properly, so we are just going to present these items as gorgeous works of Art. The building is screened from the road by a large glass wall,  designed to make the garden visible from the road and to shelter those in the garden from the  roar of the Seine-side road.  

Roman Ship Dug Up In Thames - British Pathé

This is a video of the Roman boat discovered by Blackfriars Bridge in 1963. Roman Ship Dug Up In Thames - British Pathé