More from Alton

 As I'm usually that gal with a plan up her sleeve, my original one had to be scotched because what I'd chosen wasn't open. A quick spin round a well known search engine told me that Alton has a sculpture trail and as we were taking a wander anyway a nose along the High Street seemed as good an idea as any. My friend Jane has lived here for more than thirty years, but she too was seeing some things for the first time. Sometimes it's just nice to be able to follow a route which someone else has devised and not have to do the thinking. We arrived to find the added bonus of the vintage vehicles....usually the centre is like a ghost town on a Saturday afternoon apparently so it was rather splendid to see the place buzzing. Brief notes included as appropriate😀

Outside the Railway Arms we have two pieces of work by Richard Farrington. One shows us how two men would have transported a large barrel up a flight of steps and the other one....I'm going to whisper so that I don't look like a complete philistine, but it looks like it would be right at home in the Thomas the Tank engine yard. Perhaps the fact that Alton is on the Watercress Line with regular steam trains running along it was his inspiration. There's a reason that I'm not gainfully employed as an art critic!

This one's been included simply because of its rarity value. There aren't many places you get to see the Royal Cipher for Edward VIII as he only reigned for 325 days. Apparently there are a handful of postboxes, but I've yet to clock one so this little find was pleasing for that reason alone. It's on the Telephone Exchange.

Another mild obsession of mile stones or mile plates as in this 19th century metal example. The shortening of Winchester to Winton is merely a cost cutting exercise....less space needed less metal needed.

On the former Red Lion is this rather stunning Gothic looking hanging bracket. A local blacksmith called Nimrod Lock made it.

Many homes will have had or possibly still have a set of kitchen scales made by the famous Birmingham firm of W & T Avery Ltd. This set though outside the town hall could weigh up to 10 tons. I'd like to know what they were weighing....any ideas anyone?

'The Bear' by Mark Coreth [2005] and two cars which just made me laugh as they look like they've escaped from one of the Pixar animations. It wasn't quite so amusing when I saw a beautifully preserved Peugot 205 accompanied by its very proud owner. Suddenly I felt a bit of a veteran myself as I learnt to drive in one of those!😆 

Hope everyone has a good weekend. We have a couple of non Mythago weekends upon us so further outings are in the pipeline.

Arilx

1982 does Medieval

 I only wish I could tell you who created this marvellous Medieval inspired incised artwork. All I know is that it was done in 1982 and you can find it in the Cross and Pillory House in Alton, Hampshire. Whoever it was understood odd angle that the original Medieval artists depicted the human face with....I have seen many a fellow in church wall paintings looking very much like that chap in the pillory. We were taking a post prandial stroll with our friends who live in the town. I saw many other marvels which I'll share, but this one was my stand-out and I want to give it the floor.

Arilx

Paralympics

There's so much noise about the Olympics that I rather feel that the Paralympics is the poor relation when it starts. I have so much admiration for the incredible feats that the participants achieve...I simply can't do what they can despite being a so called 'able-bodied' person. As the Games are on right now it seemed the perfect time to share this aptly decorated phonebox which has been kept intact throughout the whole period.

 

The 'balloon' was an old exercise ball found in a skip a few weeks ago! I love the way this phone box has taken on a life of its own and I always check to see whether it's been done up for a special event. For any fellow fans of such things it has its own dedicated Insta page as 'ComptonPhoneBox' where you can enjoy some of its previous incarnations. Usually we don't have time to stop, but we were heading home after a fantastic weekend so there will be some photos and stories to share.

Arilx

 

Lectern

Dropping by and hoping that everyone has enjoyed their Bank Holiday weekend [well those of us in the UK anyway].....please can someone explain to me how it is that we are already nearly at the end of August?!! It's been lots of bits and bobs going on here at GBT. For the first time in a few years we've actually got our act together and picked some blackberries which are now steeping nicely in a brewing bucket with some of our home grown raspberries. That lot will all be made into wine😍

A wee jaunt back over to Michelham Priory in East Sussex yesterday saw Mythago making its dancing return at the Medieval Festival. I have featured this lovely place on here a few times, so will spare you the repeat photos, but I did rather love this wooden 17th century lectern and its traces of original paint remaining. It's supposed to be an eagle which is a symbol of St John, but I'd have guessed goose or duck had I not known. Whilst the eagle is very common I have seen lecterns with other creatures including a parrot of all things. I'd certainly give this one house room.

Speak soon.

Arilx

Just what the doctor ordered.

Famous last words....in the end I didn't escape Covid, but on the plus side bar the weariness, it wasn't too bad and I just sat it out at home. To stop me from climbing the walls we did make good our escape for a brief sortie down to the beach at East Preston on Sunday. A quiet sit on a bench looking out over the sea with a flask of coffee in the early evening sunshine was just the tonic I needed. There was barely a soul to be seen, but instead there were oodles of these gorgeously coloured beach huts💗

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Arilx

Streamline Moderne

 Had you asked me yesterday what architectural style this fabulous building is I would have confidently replied that it's Art Deco. Today I have learnt it's actually Streamline Moderne which is contemporary and related, but without the decorative elements which come with the former. This was inspired by aerodynamic design and is all about the horizontal and curving lines. Whatever the details this place is glorious and a testament to a time when the functional could be made to look so glamorous. The garage was built in 1919, but the frontage is from 1934. Although the garage closed in 1973 the buildings were left in situ and over time became derelict. Once again someone with vision came to its rescue and got it listed in 2007. The old workshops were demolished, but this was the car showroom which is now a private dwelling. Somehow filling the car up at the supermarket petrol station doesn't quite have the same appeal!

Arilx

Not skirting round the issue

 Last Saturday we travelled over to Newbury for a pub lunch with Mr GBT's siblings plus their partners. It's been years since we've all managed to be in the same place at the same time. He's one of six so you can appreciate the logistics in organising it, but it was good to catch up with them all. They're a friendly low key bunch. By Sunday Mr GBT had gone down with Covid (he's got a milder dose this time) which has meant no further gallivanting this week. Fortunately I am still testing clear so I did manage a quick trip into town when I wasn't working and look what was waiting patiently for me on the sale rail outside the charity shop....right up my alley💜 Wasn't loving the waistband mind and that has now been banished and redesigned to make it to my taste. I just need to do a bit of sequin juggling to even the pattern out and when done I shall look forwards to twirling my way through the weekend. 

Being a dame with a very specific taste means I don't often see things which I really like, but this one's ticking all the boxes and worth every penny of my £4 investment. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

Arilx