How beautiful the autumn sun has been here in Hastings – the warmth, the clear
air, flawless blue skies and shimmering sea. Battleaxe has been basking like a lizard, storing up sun for the coming winter. Mind you, I’m looking forward to winter clothes. Nice flesh-containing tights, skirts,
winter woolies, proper coats… The last few weeks I’ve had to wear
jeans all the time – too unseasonal for tights, too chilly for bare
legs, which anyway, have lost their summer tan….
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| Beautiful view from Rock-a-Nore |
At the weekend
we went to Bexhill. Visited the Sussex Guild Craft Show at the de la
Warr. If you have never been to one of these, Battleaxe would totally
recommend. They are held around Sussex about 6 times a year. The prices are eye-watering, but they have the most truly beautiful
things… I got a new cereal bowl (see later) and Philosopher got me a
Christmas present that I am not allowed to see or talk about. Had coffee sitting outside at the de la Warr. It was like summer.
Then, a walk to Hastings Old Town. These pictures were taken
down at Rock-a-Nore. They have installed new railings and a new walkway
right at the end of the Stade. You can get down to the beach with a
bit of clambering but the cliffs look exceptionally unsafe even to a
devil-may-care Battleaxe.
Back to cereal bowls. Confession time –
Battleaxe is a bit OCD about breakfast. It is my favourite meal
of the day and always has to be the same. (Except for fry-up hotel breakfasts, of course…) For years I’ve had Dorset
Simply Nutty Muesli, blueberries and skimmed milk. Not only is the food
the same, but so is the bowl I eat it from. About 10 years ago I bought
a bowl from a potter in Lyme Regis. I really love the slightly matte
speckled blue of the interior – it is just like a thrush’s egg. No
exaggeration, I’ve used that bowl every day. Being anxious about
it getting broken, a couple of years ago I got our Lyme friend Karol to
commission two more bowls from the same potter, which she did, but oh
horrors they are not quite right – the insides are too shiny, and have
no speckles. Everywhere we go I inspect artisan potteries for possible
replacements – with no luck so far… We now have more bowls than is
decent….
However, at the Craft Show in Bexhill we found a
ceramicist (they don’t seem to call themselves potters any more) called
Ann Hitchcox, from Forest Row, whose bowls immediately struck me with
their loveliness. I bought one. It is bigger than the old one, and has a
green speckled interior, but has that same satisfying rough stoneware
edging contrasting with the smooth interior. So far I have used it
twice…. I fear it may be a bit more fragile though… and it won’t fit
on my breakfast tray when Philosopher brings me breakfast in bed….
ah, life is so difficult.
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| New bowl – top, old bowl – bottom |
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