Did I say that in the last post? I forget. Maybe one of the advantages of getting older, I could write the same thing every week and not even notice. What a lot of time it would save. This is a short post – too busy curating things. Anyway, I have not been to London once this week, quelle surprise, but at the weekend I am going up to Brum via London, to meet old friends from Castle Vale Community Housing Association. We only do it about every five years… I hoped to be specially thin, but no such luck. So, for now, have been home, busying myself with writing and ‘curating’ my boot, shoe and coat collection… Well, after all that, this first photo is not of home at all. It is Battleaxe on an extremely wet day this week at Mallydams, in all-over waterproofs.
On seeing the weather I moaned and groaned at Philosopher that I wished I’d never signed up to work there etc etc. Battleaxe is very Fair Weather, doesn’t even venture out to the garden when there is a drop of rain, never mind go out and tend wild creatures… But once I had dragged myself unwillingly down there, and found the right clothes, all was different. There I was, happily hosing down the outside aviaries in a downpour. Mind you, they didn’t need that much hosing – were soaking wet anyhow.
Curating? Well, we watch Portrait Artist of the Year, and one of the judges is Katherine… Serrano? No, can’t be. But she is described as an ‘independent curator’. Of what, one wonders. Mind you, these days, any old thrown together collection of whatevers is described as ‘carefully curated.’ Battleaxe thought she could easily become one herself. Plenty to curate round here. I started with boots, here is a carefully curated collection of 17 of my 19 pairs. Have sold three pairs already, on Vinted. This photo has already been on social media, so sorry if you have seen it.
Have just been through 19 coats, 27 pairs of gloves and a dozen hats… I’m definitely an expert curator now.
Here is my latest boot acquisition. There is a fantastic little shop here in Hastings called Shoe Shuffle. Battleaxe would totally recommend if you have never seen it, locals. They had a Black Friday sale so snapped up these truly ridiculous glittering green babies. Went to the Hastings Contemporary Gallery for coffee and told the women behind the reception desk about the shoe sale. ‘That’s it!’ they cried. ‘We’re closing the gallery!’ It would have been so great if they had actually done it. Then met friend Jan and she said if you put red laces in the boots they’ll look really Christmassy. So I did.
So, yeah, Christmas. It is only 22 November and already the shops are groaning with Christmas stuff, the lights are up everywhere… what is the world coming to. Perhaps people want a break from the dreadful state the world is in. War in Ukraine escalating, Israelis continuing to massacre Palestinians with impunity, our country falling apart around our ears and Trump? What the hell is that about. People seem to think that him appointing a series of semi-criminal conspiracy theorist loonies who have no appropriate qualifications whatsoever to the top offices of state is some sort of bluff… he will appoint the real people he wants later. I’m not so sure of that. There are no real people.
Went with Jan and Tom to Blackbrooks Garden Centre in Sedlescombe – it has gone beserk with winter wonderland. Had a Big Breakfast to the sound of Christmas music and it was actually snowing – great big flakes. This is a very feeble photo but it is the best I can do right now. By the time we came out the snow had turned to rainy slush.
To finish up this very short and slight post here is a very pretty photo I took in the Country Park the other week. The sun was just trying to force its way through the clouds. Ah, winter…
Hard to believe that’s actually the sea in that beautiful photo – it’s so incredibly calm and millpond-looking!