Friday 31 December 2010

good news

Well, we're back just before the New Year after all! Sorry about that, I'm sure you all deserved a break! Anyway, the reason is this:
I had wanted to interview David Kirby for the film since he was tremendously important in helping construct the Lantern Tower at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, but none of my contacts had any snail mail, email or telephone number for the gentleman in question. So imagine my delight when just before Christmas John Reyntiens sent me David's email address. We were soon in telephone contact. Not only does he sound very enthusiastic, but he's also emailed a whole slew of archival photographs detailing Liverpool work in progress at the Loudwater studio - AND he told us that Patrick's design and use of dalles-de-verre for St Mary's, Leyland (which David also helped construct) was pivotal in deciding whether to undertake the Liverpool commission. We didn't even know about the Leyland project, so this is all a huge boost.
The film would not be complete without an interview with David, so despite the fact that he lives in Herefordshire and every trip eats into our miniscule profit margin, I think we're going to have to take some time off from editing! 'Go the extra mile' should be our motto!
Happy New Year to you all. :-)

Friday 17 December 2010

frost, fish, Film Farm

Tuesday 7th saw me on my travels once more, this time to lecture near Aylesbury. As noted the snow on my side of Kent had melted away, but come Sevenoaks it was all snowy again which finally gave way to the most beautiful hoar frost I think I've ever seen. Thence across to Bristol area for the night and the following day a drive down to Truro for another lecture - again fabulous frost sparkling in the low sunlight - the sheep were snapped during this trip (reminds me of a dreadful painting my grandfather had above his fireplace, always struck me as odd, the miserable looking half frozen sheep marooned above a blazing log fire!). Stayed the night with a lovely lady in St Agnes, an old tin mining village.Thursday a Reyntiens research day, first to see the five amazing Piper/Reyntiens windows in St Andrew's, Plymouth (the fish are a detail from the Trinity window in the south transept). And on to Devizes to see the spirited Piper/Reyntiens panel in the Museum of Wiltshire Archaeological Society, from which the pots are a detail. Night at a B&B north of Oxford and then the following morning a drive to Film Farm arriving in time for luncheon of scallops wrapped in pancetta (a FF Favourite).Charles' friend Alan had been delighting himself night fishing off the east coast beaches (must be barking!) and presented the director with a cauldron full of whiting (see photo). Luckily Charles undertook the fiddly filleting process whilst I faffed around putting together tomatoes, spinach, carrots, celery, chilli pepper, grated cheddar, some prawns and smoked fish and mash to make a Jamie Oliver style fish pie. Followed by fish soup and Gruyere toasts the following day, and gallons and gallons of fish stock for the freezer.
And then it was back to editing work until Tuesday when I drove back to Kent. Wednesday went to Christie's to witness the auction of Brangwyn's Cider Press and Brass Shop, both woefully undersold to my mind, especially considering the prices some rather worthless pieces attracted. Hey ho, c'est la vie. Cheered myself up no end by then not only 'doing' the Glasgow Boys at the RA (wonderful except for the labelling, one room was decorated in gold and the writing was impossible to read) but also Gauguin at Tate Modern (he was one of my earliest artistic passions so interesting to note that I still found the work fascinating and compelling some 45 or so years later - my love of art started at a very precocious age you understand!)
Now to contemplate Christmas - and do some organising! Have a good one - we'll be back in the New Year.

Sunday 5 December 2010

the snow show must go on!

Well, although the footie briefly but tiresomely intruded on the news, you will all have realised that SNOW took centre stage this last week, not least in Lincolnshire and Kent (see photo of a table outside the breakfast room). When the snow falls heavily and drifts my house becomes completely cut off from the world, so I took the necessary precaution of leaving my car in the village 1/4 mile away. Conditions in Kent became progressively worse, the M20 motorway was again turned into a lorry car park c/o Operation Stack, roads were hazardous, normal trains not working, Dover completely cut off by rail, road or sea - but we do have one excellent advantage nearly on our doorstep - High Speed Rail, Ashford to St Pancras. So, come Wednesday's lecture in Theydon Bois, despite a hacking cough and redder nose than normal, at 7am I released my car from its blanket of snow in the village and drove to Ashford, thence the train to Stratford International, bus to Stratford tube and central line out to Essex. Not my best ever lecture but I did give it my all! Still shivering I then made my way to Finchley Road station to see a Brangwyn watercolour in a private collection, which cheered me up no end because it was one of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen. And the lovely lady gave me a warming cup of tea and some yummy lemon polenta cake which slightly revived my spirits (having had no breakfast or lunch). Thence back to chilly Kent and I was still shivering and shaking until the following morning.
Postscript: the day after I took the photo, i.e. yesterday, the snow melted overnight, as if by magic, but the weight of it on the poor old roof, and then the subsequent floods of water, infiltrated the tiling and and a few ceilings with the result that by morning all the clothes in the wardrobe were sopping wet, an old Mongolian carpet was similarly affected and huge lumps of plaster have detached themsleves. UGH!