Patch Walk Easter Trail

Imagine wandering around a beautiful garden resonant with the spirit of creativity. Now imagine you've been given the means to make a fabulous textile collage of all the things you see and experience. That's the plan for Easter Sunday at Charleston in Sussex. Charleston was the country home of the Bloomsbury group, and is a unique example of the decorative style of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell who lived there during the 1920's. Viriginia Woolf, E.M Forster, Lytton Strachey and Roger Fry were all frequent visitors to the house. I'll be leading what's been christened the "Patch Walk" which is aimed at encouraging young visitors in particular to really open their eyes and experience the colours, textures and spaces that make Charleston unique. There'll be a number of "patch stops" along the way for people to pick up different bits and pieces like scraps of fabric, leather and buttons. They'll work all the things they collect into collages which they can put together in the barn. Do come and join us if you can. It's not JUST for children of course. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon on Easter Day. Let's hope the sun shines! Find out more on the Charleston website just click here.

A wanderer through the woods

I have to admit, this isn't one of my photos I'm afraid, as I neglected to take a camera on my recent walk along part of Offa's Dyke. I actually didn't want to bring my camera. I just wanted to look, observe, and record without resorting to photos. But of course an image does convey things to other people perhaps more easily than words sometimes. Thus this photo of Tintern Abbey on the banks of the Wye. It was lovely just to be outside in the fresh air, especially as these days I spend so much of my time in London. But I think all that could be about to change. Yes, I feel the need to move on. I'm not sure where I'll go, but I hope a leap into the dark might be met with a firm landing somewhere. Or maybe I'll get a camper van and continue my travels. I would just like to be unburdened for a while of stuff. Walking with a rucksack on your back, you realise just how little you really need to get by. Travel light and maybe you leave room for other things to grow.

Time for reflection....

Sewing on the go

Jean-Paul Flintoff is a man with a mission. He's been taking his treadle sewing machine out onto the streets of Britain as part of his quest to get people thinking more about their clothes and where they come from. I was reading his interesting book Through The Eye of A Needle whilst on holiday earlier this year in Morocco. I really recommend it - it's an excellent account of one man's journey to forge links between politics, religion and haberdashery. I was half way through Jean-Paul's journey, so it seemed apt that I should stumble upon this guy in the picture. He'd set up amongst the rag-traders at the souk in Marrakesh and was stitching away in the corner. I lacked the language skills to ask him exactly what he was doing...but I loved his laid-back look!

Talking of barbers....

Did you know...that barbers also used to be surgeons in Medieval times? The twirling candy-stick of a sign was no less than an indication of blood-letting services. According to Wikipedia(ok I know I'm a journalist and this isn't really a true source - but bear with me it IS fascinating!) - The red and white stripes symbolise the bandages used during the procedure: red for the blood-stained and white for the clean bandages. Originally, these bandages were hung on the pole to dry after washing. As the bandages blew in the wind, they would twist together to form the spiral pattern similar to the stripes in the modern day barber pole. The barber pole became emblematic of the barber/surgeon's profession. Later the cloths were replaced by a painted wooden pole of red and white stripes. Could this be true - any second sources out there?

Hair cut 100

It is in fact OVER 100 days since I last had my hair cut. I hate to admit it - but it's more than a year. You see I usually have my hair trimmed when I go up to Scotland to visit my brother for Christmas. But this year I stayed in London for Yuletide and therefore I didn't make it to the hairdresser either. The reason that I have my hair done up North rather than down South - well it's obvious of course - it's the cost. I had a cut, highlights and a blow dry up in Scotland last time for around half of what I'd pay in London. However, today I finally cracked. I just had to get rid of those split ends! So in an effort to save money, I went local. I had thought of trying the "little old lady" salon - but it was shut. Shame really - as I rather fancied sitting under one of those old-fashioned driers having had a shampoo and set! Then I tried the Asian barber - but he said he only did men (well I suppose the word 'barber' should have been a dead give-away really - but you know me, always pushing my luck!) He counselled against going to an Afro Carribean place, as he said it probably wouldn't be best for my long straight hair. But he suggested the Chinese hairdresser further along the road and I duly went along. It was £35 for a cut and blow dry. Not bad at all for the capital. Whilst there, I found out a very interesting and rather disconcerting fact. Apparently, Chinese women don't have their hair washed at Chinese New Year - as it washes all the good fortune out. I really hope that it doesn't apply to me seeing as I've just had my hair done on the cusp of the Tiger ....... something ELSE to worry about! Grrrrrr!

Maxime de la Falaise

Every so often you read something that inspires. I was leafing through my December copy of Elle Decoration when I flipped to the back page and discovered Maxime de la Falaise (1922-2009), who was apparantly a "wartime code breaker, a model, and an expert on medieval English cookery." She was a wonderfully eccentric English woman, with an impeccably bohemian heritage. But what really caught my eye was her inclination to "make do and mend." Apparently, she used to sling a swathe of opulent fabric over her ironing board to create a make-shift buffet table at parties. What a wonderful idea! I want to have a party right now - just so that I can try it out! Could one also place a few wild blooms in the iron?