World Cup Stitch Up

I am really not bothered about the World Cup - but I confess to being enthralled by the BBC trailer. It is all done in embroidery! When I first started pointing at the screen and yelling "Look, Bob! look at that stitching!" my OH suggested it was probably all computer generated. But he's wrong [a rare occurrence] If you haven't seen it yet, here it is 

Two guys, Edward Usher and Xander Hart, from the BBC Creative Team were tasked with coming up with a memorable trailer [this headache occurs every four years ever since we all started humming 'Nessum Dorma'] Remembering that Russia has a great tradition of tapestries, they decided to produce something depicting the history of the World Cup. 

Then they considered the brutalist concrete architecture of the 1960s and created an "embroidery machine" reminiscent of a futuristic Moscow bus stop from the Communist era - a machine which bursts into life every four years to create a tapestry.They approached animator Nicos Livesey who has previously made a film using machine embroidered panels 

The result is amazing - loads of previous World Cup highlights which even a non-footie-fan like me remembers- Bobby Moore in 66, Gary Lineker, Iceland's thunderclaps, Zidane's 1998 headed goals...

The London Embroidery Studio reproduced these in 608 panels [enough to stretch the length of a football pitch] Their machines worked 23 hours a day for 3 weeks - which is amazing, over 270,000 metres of thread went into the stitching!

The panels were put together to make the clip, and a soundtrack was recorded at the quintessentially British Abbey Road Studios. Sir John Tomlinson sings an old Russian Folk tune 'Ochi Cherne ' [Dark Eyes]  The title sequence for the actual footage of match programmes will be the same tune in a different version by Sigala [aka Bruce from Norfolk] I cannot manage to upload the brilliant video about the construction of the trailer, but you can watch it if you click HERE

I love it! and I admire the commitment which has gone in to producing this. I doubt I shall watch any of the matches though [unless England or Belgium get to the final]

No Stool Pigeons Here

Nobody seems quite sure of the origin of this phrase meaning decoy or police informer. Some say it is from the practice of fixing a dead or replica bit to a stool to attract other birds - but that word was probably stole meaning tree stump. Others say it's from the French word estale, a decoy bird. Nothing to do with three-legged seating. Who cares?
When we first moved to Dorset, I lamented the loss of my kitchen table. It was the right height for me to sit for meals, roll pastry etc. But three years later, I'm getting used to climbing up onto the stool, and eating at the 'breakfast bar'
And although I mutter about being high up, there is one great advantage - I'm perched up higher, and can look out into the garden at mealtimes and watch the birds.

There seemed to be fewer birds for a while, after Jim's oak was felled in 2016. But lately they've been returning. Our lawn is not a pristine green carpet, but daisies, buttercups, clover, dandelions and other wild flowers thrive there. A recent Guardian article has encouraged me enormously, as it describes how 're-wilding' can benefit the environment. It does make sense, when you think about it - our British wildlife is designed to eat the plants which grow in our soil/climate - so filling our gardens with imported foreign plants is expecting them to change their diets. [but this is not an excuse to avoiding weeding]
I've noticed all sorts of birds, the RSPB site is helpful - we have noticed herring gulls, blackbirds, robins, tits, swallows, magpies, woodpigeons, starlings and more. The 2018 Great British Birdwatch revealed interesting facts about Dorset gardens and the increase in the number of smaller birds visiting us here in the South West. 

I have been aware of many birds eating from the feeder on the tree at the front of the house- but not from the feeder I hung at the back - I suspect that may be the frequent presence of neighbouring unfriendly cats.
Do you have any interesting feathered friends visiting your garden?

Don't Tell 'Em Pike!

This is such fun - fifty years since Dad's Army was first shown on the BBC, and the Royal Mail has announced that on June 26th they will be issuing a series of commemorative stamps. How cool is that? I may buy up some second class ones with Private Pike on.

Ian Lavender is the only cast member still alive, now aged 72. No longer the fresh faced young Private Pike. I am glad that he's around to see this celebration of one of the best shows, which still brings a smile to so many faces.

Bobby Buddies On The Beat

PC Conroy of the Dorset Police had to take his small son to hospital - and noticed how much calmer the boy was when somebody gave him a soft toy to cuddle. That gave him an idea, and he enlisted the help of mum Tracey,  a keen knitter.  The idea of a Bobby Buddy was born.

Often children get caught up in situations where the police are involved : a family argument or a loved one going missing. As the police try and reassure these little ones, and build relationships with them, it can be helpful to have a bear around to distract the children from the difficult circumstances going on around them.
Mrs Conroy has written a simple pattern for knitted bears, and Dorset police are hoping to equip their patrol cars. [details here]
What a thoughtful innovation. Bear with me while I get out my needles...
UPDATE on yesterday's post. Whilst I really don't approve of scams, or cheap plastic carrier bags, I was amused this morning to hear that a group of enterprising young teenagers in Windsor were selling inexpensive Royal Wedding Souvenirs to tourists the other week. They'd bought up a load of carriers from a well known clothes store, which bear the initials of the happy couple, and were selling them on at £1each!

The Bag Lady Has A Rant

I am being super diligent about taking my cotton bags when I go shopping.

When I buy my fruit and veg on Wimborne market, the guy is happy to tip carrots, spuds and onions all in together and not use plastic bags. 
I keep the bags rolled up inside another bag along with my purse, keys and phone. There's a bag in my car too. 
But it's important to keep my bags clean. It doesn't take much effort to put them all through the washing machine and then give them a quick press with the iron. Some of these bags are more than ten years old. 

My iron is ten years old now, and is as effective as ever. I think that regularly rinsing out the water tank each month has helped maintain its efficiency. 
Bags, irons, whatever, these are tools to help run my home and it is important not to take them for granted. It is right and proper that people are trying to avoid "single use plastic" - but it's even better if we can also look after tools and equipment so they serve us well for multiple use for many years. 

Hooray for companies like e-spares who are brilliant at providing the parts needed to mend gadgets and keep things working.
Let's go on mending and making-do, instead of chucking out and buying new. And share the skills with others, and teach the younger generations how to do it. After all, we are not just saving money, we are helping to save the planet!

Beauty For Brokenness

A few weeks ago you'd have found me out in the garden wearing Bob's helmet and visor [part of his lathe safety kit] and some heavy duty gloves - wielding a large hammer. I was smashing up some terracotta pots, and tiles and plates.

We took all these fragments to church on Pentecost Sunday. Bob made two 'flames' using scrap wood which our neighbour was happy to donate from his skip.
During the service I was by the table at the back, and people came and fixed bits of broken tile and pot with the adhesive.
I was really encouraged that so many people came and did some sticking - and really moved to watch folk helping the less mobile, or guiding the hands of those who could not see clearly, or lifting up the smaller children so they could put their fragments in place. It was a truly collaborative effort. At the end of the service, we carried these 'flames' to the front, and Bob talked about the Holy Spirit takes broken people, and joins them together to make something beautiful. Every piece has a part to play in building God's Church - and flames are one of the traditional symbols of the Spirit. The flames came home with us - and we spent quite a while tidying up the grouting and ensuring every piece was firmly affixed. Last Sunday the two finished flames were on display - and people said how moving it was to see them there.

God is at work in us His purpose to perform
Building a kingdom of power and not of words
Where things impossible by faith shall be made possible
Let’s give the glory to Him now.

Though we are weak His grace is everything we need
We’re made of clay but His treasure is within
He turns our weaknesses into His opportunities
So that the glory goes to Him.

Rejoice, Rejoice, Christ is in you
The hope of glory in your heart
He lives, He lives, His breath is in you
Arise a mighty army -we arise.

Ware Were We?

There was some free time during our Conference this week - and on Wednesday afternoon, Bob and I drove to Ware, a small Hertfordshire town, famed for its Great Bed.
I found a fabulous little woolshop "Crates of Wool" where a busy group of women were sitting round a table learning pompom crafts. They were so friendly, and we talked about their projects. "Do you knit?" they asked. I showed them my pictures of the Christmas Tree which turned into blankets for Romania.
I was interested in the cupcake wool - I hadn't seen that before. I'm a bit cynical though - it is simply wool which knits up into stripes, and it seems quite expensive. But it did look fun

We drove back, stopping briefly at the Garden Centre.
This was a fantastic edifice with a high glass roof, reminiscent of the Palm House at Kew.

We are not great gardeners, but do enjoy looking at what is on sale and what the latest trends seem to be.
Lots and lots of 'candles' which are battery powered and have flickering plastic 'flames'.
Wellies in all colours under the sun, and those for toddlers have little handles to help pull them on.
And barbecues big enough to roast an ox, with digital gizmos and fancy add-ons.

And the opportunity to get somebody to design your garden for you...at a price. We did laugh at the sign on the Venus Flytrap Plants. Presumably the flies in Hertfordshire can read
Returning to the Conference Centre, I popped in to the room where there were some exceedingly busy ladies all sitting behind their sewing machines. These were the Log Cabin Quilters of Langford. This group meets weekly in their church hall - but annually they have a 3 day break together and sew continuously. They stop for meals - but as it's a conference centre, someone else cooks and clears up - so the sewing was going on from before 8am till after 9pm

These good ladies were so cheerful and friendly, very happy to display their work to those of who stuck our noses in the door. They make all sorts of items - and support Project Linus by making security blankets for sick and traumatised children.

I guess this post could have been called teacakes and jellyrolls.
Where were we? Bob and I were at High Leigh Conference Centre in Hertfordshire with a group of other Baptist Ministers and their spouses.
It was a wonderful break and I caught up with some old friends, and made some new ones [and we swapped craft and thrift ideas] 
The grounds of the centre are lovely- and it was fantastic to wake up and see a little bunny hopping outside my bedroom window. At one point before I went to breakfast, I counted fourteen of them nibbling the grass.

I feel truly blessed and refreshed - time away, with the opportunity to enjoy the beauties of creation [the woodland cathedral and the happy little rabbits] to chat to craftswomen, watching their knitting and sewing - and above all, to spend time reflecting on our calling to ministry and where God has led us and may yet lead us.

WWW = Whipsnade, Woods, WW1...

If people know the name Whipsnade, they generally think of the zoo. The ZSL [Zoological Society of London] opened the world's first 'open animal park' here in 1931.
But in the same year, a man named Edmund K Blyth was also  in Whipsnade, just up the road from the zoo, busy with another enterprise.

Blyth had been an infantryman in WW1, and his two best friends had been killed in that conflict. In 1930, his third friend, who had survived the war with him, was killed in a car crash. Soon after, Blyth and his wife made a journey to see the new Cathedral in Liverpool. As they drove home, through the Cotswolds, he was struck by the beauty and majesty of the trees, as the setting sun lit up a coppice on the hill. He felt this glorious natural display was perhaps amore fitting csort of memorial.
So he set about planting a "Tree Cathedral" - where the trees would grown up to form the 'walls' of a sacred place dedicated to the memory of those who had been lost. He wanted to create a place of "faith, hope and reconciliation"
Blyth said "The Tree Cathedral has the shape of a traditional medieval cathedral, but formed of trees. Although it contains beautiful areas, that is not its primary significance. It is managed to emphasise the vigour and balance of individual plants, in patterns that create an enclosure of worship and meditation, offering heightened awareness of God's presence and transcendence."
The planting was interrupted by WW2, but on his return, Blyth resumed his work. His son also became involved, and in 1960, the Cathedral was given to the National Trust.

We've just been a way at a conference for a few days, and I asked Bob if we could divert our route to visit this place. Nobody else around, we walked together through the sun dappled corridors of trees.

The different sections of the cathedral are planted up with a wide variety of trees - look at this list!

Ash( cloister walk); Beech(summer chapel, corner towers); Cherry (autumn circle, Easter chapel, dew pond enclosure); Cedar (north transept, Christmas chapel, lady chapel); Cypress(dew pond enclosure); Hornbeam (south entrance avenue) ; Horse chestnut (transepts, western approach); Lime (nave); Lombardy poplar (corner towers); Norway maple (Wallsam Way); Norway spruce(Christmas chapel); Oak(south entrance, nave, Gospel Oak); Rowan (summer chapel); Silver birch(chancel, corner towers) Scots pine (corner towers, north transept, western approach); Whitebeam(south entrance, summer chapel); Willow (dew pond enclosure); Yew (summer chapel, Wallsam Way, chancel)

Every summer there is an interdenominational service in the Cathedral - this year will be particularly special, marking the centenary of the end of the conflict.

I should imagine the atmosphere of worship in such beautfiul surroundings will be quite amazing.

It is free to visit, and there is a carpark - but the site itself seemed to us to be a little lacking in information panels. You can read all about the cathedral on the National Trust website. More information here too - I wish I had printed these pages out beforehand, it would have been useful. 

Sadly traffic and time pressure meant we did not have long there-but it is indeed a beautiful place, and I should love to go again.

Both As Bad As Each Other

The trouble is that Bob and I both love making and mending things. Redemption, Re-creation and Restoration are important principles, both in terms of people and possessions. And we usually have more than one project in the pipeline.
Plastic boxes in the garage, a basket in the porch, a bag in the bedroom, a biscuit tin on the spare bed, a suitcase in the under-stairs cupboard... All of these bear witness to various pieces of Work In Progress.
Then there is the stack of wood under the lathe, the crate[s] of fabric in the loft, his jars of screws and mine of buttons - we both have our own Great Stash.[aka SABLE]
Last weekend, Bob was sorting out something when he came across a project he had started just after Christmas, and then put to one side, and forgotten about. Another Project Half Done
"That's It!" he declared. "No more new projects until we have finished the ones already started. We will write them all on a project board and tick them off as they are completed"
No more UnFinished Objects
This sounded very wise to me - I began mentally compiling my list. But I'm not yet sure of the rules. I bought a dress pattern from Tilly and the Buttons last April - and finally got the fabric on Norwich market in October - but have yet to start construction. Because I was knitting green squares for a Christmas tree, making a cat cape for Rosie, turning up curtains and shortening skirts for friends, producing kids crafts for church and sewing bunting etc. Meanwhile Bob has been doing little tasks for friends, making and mending their broken objects - and creating visual aids for church events. 
It would be good to see everything listed, and make some sort of plan of action, but I wonder how this will work out in practice. Top of the list must be the redecoration of the Cornerstones Futility Room. Unfortunately whenever we have been in Norfolk recently, we've either been resting, or enjoying time with the family.

At least we understand the way each other works, and appreciate the need to use our skills. But Bob is right, the to-do list does need organising.
I will let you know how we get on...watch this space

Scarface

No! do not read that as Scar Face, but Scarf Ace. 
On Friday I called round to Jenny's house, as she'd sent me a picture earlier in the week of a large bag of fabric she was hoping to re-home. It had been languishing in her son's garage. I said I was on my way to a sale at the Bus Stop Club. You may remember that two years ago I did my first [and last!] abseil, to raise money for this local group, who do so much to help others.
"I'll come with you" said Jenny, which was lovely. It's always better to have company, especially when going to any sort of sale - but you need to pick the right person. One who will say "Yes -you should buy it!" or "Are you sure about that, Ang?"at the appropriate moments. Jenny is that sort of good friend. 

As we looked at the stuff on display, there were some brightly coloured bundles, tied up like lumpy puddings in cloths. Susan explained that Lush [who are a local company] had donated some scarves and some bath bombs, so they'd made little bundles of four bombs for £1. "I don't suppose you bath very often, Ang" said Jenny. We all fell about laughing, but I knew exactly what she meant - I usually take a shower.  
Under the table however was a box with more of the colourful scarves in. The fabric was a scratchy cheap cotton, and tbh was not really the sort of thing you'd actually want to tie round your neck. I wasn't sure who would buy these without the bonus of the bathbombs inside.I lifted one out. "This would make brilliant bunting" I said."Can I take one and make some for you to sell on your stall at at Fete on the Field in three weeks' time?" "Take them all!" said Susan. I explained that one teatowel makes 15feet of bunting, so I really only needed three or four. I ended up with 5 in my bag. 

2 squares made 90 flags, which I then strung on tape to make 6 packs, each 10 feet/3metres long. Then I cut up the third scarf and made 20 handbag tissue packs. 

As well as the scarves I used some of Jenny's fabric to bag the bunting and line the tissue packs. I had a spare roll of bunting tape, and some packets of tissues in the Great Stash. I packaged the strings into cellophane bags with a tag.

So Jenny and I have managed to declutter, and we hope the BSC will be able to raise more funds.

Shoes To Set My Feet A-Dancing

Back in the 1960's I had a pair of Dr Scholl exercise sandals. How I loved them! I had saved up to buy the pukka product, the 'Pescura' style, with its patented peg and slide fastening. I was convinced that if I wore them all the time I would develop elegant slim [long!] legs like Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton***.Out of school, they were on my feet most of the time.

The Head had banned them in school, and my Mum said the wooden clattering was irritating. But I think they were one of the few 'fashion crazes' I actually bought into. Mine were plain wood with a neutral beige leather strap.
I wore them till the rubber sole had got right down to the wood, and the edges were a bit chipped and scuffed.
They looked rather scruffy.
So I stripped off the remaining rubber, unscrewed the straps and restored the clogs. First I sanded the wood and painted it bright yellow [I could only find black, brown or yellow gloss paint in the garage] and then I resoled them, using pieces of rubber cut from an old car tyre. Then I screwed the straps in place, and clattered back to university in my unique footwear.
I have never been able to wear flipflops, or other sandals with 'toeposts' comfortably. But the broad strap of the Scholls gripped my feet and I was so comfy in them.

I've often dreamed of owning another pair. But they are not cheap and seemed an extravagance.
Imagine my delight to find a pair,in my size, as new, for only £3 in the CS at the weekend. And then my distress to discover I did not have enough cash with me.
I cycled back first thing on Monday and bought them the instant the shop opened "This makes us feel like Harrods in the sale" said the assistant - and we all reminisced about wearing Exercise Sandals in our youth.
They have a lovely red snakeskin sort of pattern. I suspect some bright young thing purchased them and then couldn't get on with them. I may have to paint my toenails in celebration.
***I never managed to achieve the long slim elegant legs then, and I doubt I will now, but they certainly make me feel bright and summery. Cue an old Petula Clark song...