The keys to the kingdom ...

End of weekend 3
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

of allotment heaven ... were handed to us a couple of weekends ago, and we are now paid up members of the West Ham Allotment Society. This is the state of our plot after about 6 days of digging and building ... I rather anticipate the whole endeavour taking a serious toll on my ability to engage with any other 'hobby' projects.

You don't see that every day

The news bells of St Magnus the Martyr
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

Last Friday we made a special trip down to the city at the end of the day, to see the brand new bells soon to be hung in the tower of St Magnus church (where my friend Nick is the verger). A couple of years ago they kindly let us record their hand bells in the church crypt for the sound track to our film ... Nick remembered my enthusiasm for the whole event and rang with the tip off about the new bells. They were made at the Whitechapel bell foundry - I bet they don't make that many full sets of 12 these days.

Cold Climate

Yesterday turned into quite a day. Started with a very chilly swim in the lido, then an arduous cycle to work (at the Royal College of Art) then I went into town to see a very long Chinese documentary - Crime and punishment (2007), by director Zhao Liang.

All of these elements seemed to have a great commonality - all cold, and only really enjoyable once they were over.

New Blog on the block

I'm really enjoying an additional 'group' in my life - now with a virtual presence in the form of a Blogumentary.

I don't think the 'ladies art group' (my most established group endeavour) will ever go this way ...

Ohhh ohhh afternoon delight ...

Petit Trianon - "Farm"
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

For New Year 2008 I returned to travelling like a student thanks to the crushing effect of the Euro vs Pound, I found myself in Paris after about 20 years still eating packed lunch baguettes and skimping on coffees.

This time I made it to Versailles, I've wanted to visit there for so long I was scared that the final reality of Marie-Antoinette's petit domain would leave me less impressed than my teenage encounters with moody paintings in the Louvre. Not a bit of it, we had a perfect day sunny but icy enough to slightly thin the crowds prepared to hike down to the Petit Trianon estate, there were even moments when you couldn't see another tourist! After the delights of the farm we returned to the palace bracing ourselves for the crush.

Bear & Policeman
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

I knew the Jeff Koons show was on (one of the motivating factors for taking the train out despite microwave induced food poisoning!) but I wasn't prepared for just how great it would be! I would love to have been in on the hundreds of meetings no doubt endured to bring together this inspired overload of lavish extravagance. God knows why people have complained about the sculptures being shown here - they look as if they were made for the place. Who'd have thought contemporary art could improve on such already over-the-top excessive ridiculousness - afternoon delight indeed - shame we couldn't afford to eat cake.

Coll to Chile ...

My Great Great Great Grandparents grave
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

For years my Grandfather has been badgering other family members to travel to Chile in search of the rest of his extended family who emigrated there from Scotland back in 1880's. He's mainly motivated by the mysterious fact his father changed his name from Gilchrist to Thompson (not an obvious choice!) and no one seems to know why.

Some years ago I visited Coll (A Scottish Island!) with my collaborator Karen as part of our project A Hypertext Journal (now identified as a pre-blogs blog) anyway at that time my motivation was that we were diligently following Boswell & Johnson's journey to the Western Isles and I only spent about 4 hours there due to both our gruelling schedule and the quite bizarre Cally Mac options.

It was only after I got back that my Grandftaher revealed that this small island was in fact where my Great Great Great Grandparents had lived for some years before departing for the other side of the world. Since then I've always wanted to go back and look into this, so the run up to my 40th seemed as good a time as any.

Otter beach on Tiree
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

Mr. P&M (otherwise known as 'Eagle Eyes' but that's another story) managed to find the grave in question within about 40 minutes of us arriving on the island. As it then rained for the next 5 days consistently that left a lot of time to peer through the downpour at illusive shapes in the sea (mainly waves) fantasising that we'd spotted a killer whale or at least an otter. I did see one in the end (it was on Tiree in fact) at a distance, but the sort of scamper it did up the beach gave it away.

You can see the little fellow's paw print as evidence on my Flickr photos, as well as the incredible range of wild flowers we saw despite the rain.

Faulty at Forty

I'm going to be Forty tomorrow and in honour of the planned celebrations I have developed the worst spot my forehead has seen this side of teenage years. One smart arse suggestion was to suddenly insist on a pirate theme for the 'do' ... I'm considering cutting my own fringe as a cover up device ... probably also a mistake. I've spared you an image.

Folkestone Triennial

Anna & Rona enjoy Sci-Fi!
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

Now I know that various readers are using this Blog as a guide to successful day trips from the big smoke (!) So I feel obliged to mention last Saturday's very enjoyable trip to the Folkestone Triennial.

I went with my 'Ladies Art Group' (or LAG as it's affectionately known) and we had a great day despite group difficulty in relaxing enough to go 'off art-map'. My personal favourite was the Heather & Ivan Morison converted fire/house truck full of sci-fi, although I always wish with these spaces that you didn't have to have an invigilator - although the one in here was very pleasant (in fact all the staff seemed extraordinarily young/helpful) you can't help but see them as part of the work, or indeed listen to their interpretation (albeit I'm sure the 'official' one in this case). I would have liked to just sit in the van and in fact wonder about who owned it, and why it might have been made ... the imagined context for a mobile home with robot fabric curtains and chunky wood furnishing.

David Batchelor's Disco Mecanique
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

Surprisingly I also really liked David Batchelor's Disco Mecanique - not really my cup of tea normally - but in the glorious setting of the former Metropole Hotel ballroom it really was delightful. Although by the time we reached it I was pretty windswept and I did know a cup of tea was next!

Jaywick revisited

Nice decor shame about the sausages!
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

We went back to Jaywick for the windiest 'carnival' experience I've ever had last weekend. Click the photo link to see more images of the impressive animal kite display in a high wind against a grey sky. Here Mr P&M braces himself for the Jaywick fried breakfast experience ... those glasses didn't help ... no wonder the majorettes were so 'chunky'!

Jaywick Carnival