Autumn mist.

 

I have used the power of nature to help me cope with the illness and loss of my dear cat. Tears fall easily, but this blog is not a place for sadness so I am choosing the memories of him when he was well and the times when he made me laugh. On one occasion I had the temerity to throw some dirty linen into my (yes my) laundry basket when I heard an indignant yowl and a disgruntled feline appearing from beneath the pile of clothes. I removed him and ten minutes later he was back curled up on top of the pile. Typical bluddy cat. He was very gentle, ridiculously friendly, but quiet and he had quite the fan club and yes he could be a right royal pain too😂

It has been a quiet few days as I begin to adjust. I've been charmed by the turquoise streaks of kingfishers flying at speed, moved by the beauty of the autumn colours as David and I have started a small walking project and stunned by the energy of Brighton. To my amazement I stumbled across this by my favourite sculptor Janine Creaye in Horsham Park. I'd heard rumours that there was some of her work there, but had been unable to find it when I'd gone looking a couple of years ago. It's very soothing.

Have a good weekend.

Arilx

Over the rainbow bridge.

Our gentle giant Humphrey is now at peace. We will miss him terribly, but it's been an absolute privilege to have him in our life. 

Arilx

 

David's new toy.

 

This has come to join us at GBT. It's David's 3rd mandolin which makes it officially a collection. There isn't enough wall space for any more though. It's rather gorgeous. Hope you all have a fab weekend.

Arilx

 

5th November

It is always amazing to find a preserved Victorian shop frontage and this one is in Lewes. Richard Urry was a coal merchant and this was his premises. The town is known for its huge bonfire festivities and every year they issue a warning that people shouldn't travel in which is ignored by everyone. It turns our that Mr Urry got himself in a bit of bother back in the 1890s when he thought it wise to lob a burning barrel of tar into the River Ouse from the Cliffe Bridge. This spot of high jinks saw him locked up for the night in the Lewes police cells. Tonight the streets will be ablaze with flaming torches once again with the spectacle of all the bonfire societies processing along the streets. It marks the end of the 2026 bonfire season which started back in September and will undoubtedly go out with a big bang🔥🎇🎆

Arilx

Right under my nose.

Looking back through old blog posts I can see that I last popped into St Andrew's in nearby Nuthurst back in 2015. Many's the time I've gone past it since, but not felt any need to stop. However, as I was driving along that road again last week, I pulled up on a whim. As there was a gentleman sitting quietly in the pews I didn't tarry and just took a handful of photos of things I hadn't noted before. I rather liked the fluidity of this modern window when compared to the rather stiff and uninspiring Victorian ones there.

Nothing about it rang any bells and it wasn't until I took a closer look back here at GBT that I started to notice that there were figures within the streams of molten glass.

By now I was curious to find out who was the artist behind it. An online search soon gave me the name of Tom Denny and at that point the penny dropped. I have swooned over his work in Tewkesbury Abbey  https://gnatbottomedtowers.blogspot.com/2015/07/tewkesbury-abbey.html and in Gloucester Cathedral https://gnatbottomedtowers.blogspot.com/2023/04/gloucester-reimagined.html. It even reached the point his work is so recognisable that I didn't even need to check it was by him when I encountered more examples in Malvern Priory and Hereford Cathedral [see photos below]

This most recent find is an earlier example commissioned in 1994 and I think his distinctive style has developed to become more identifiable in more recent years. This is the only one in Sussex and there it was sitting right under my nose all this time in a country church in a tiny village a couple of miles away and I literally had no idea. The universe works in strange ways sometimes!

Arilx 

The Witchcraft and Vagrancy Act

 Here in Horsham we are lucky devils because we are able to enjoy three months of free music every Friday night over the summer which covers a wide spectrum of genres. Within that time frame the museum opens its garden once a month with an additional offering. At the last minute I got wind of a "spooky folk band" coming up from Brighton so we decided that day to go down and see what The Witchcraft and Vagrancy Act were about. Were they spooky? You can judge yourself from the photos below which were taken on a very bright July evening.

Were they any good? They were fabulous and definitely a sinister soulful take on traditional folk. I was intrigued when the main singer downed his violin and sat down with a jig doll. I somehow didn't expect it, but it was very fitting. This is the tune which accompanied the dancing wooden figure. I have kept this back to All Hallows as somehow the dark half of the year seems more fitting for their material. The Bonegrubber's Jig.

Arilx

Down at the chippy

Our favourite local chippy has got in on the Halloween mania. The guy who painted it works in the shop and spent days creating it. I love a bit of 👻 and might as well climb on the band wagon He's made a nod to the late Tim Curry who we sadly lost in August. It goes without saying that I came across the artwork when we were there buying a sneaky chippy supper for our recent wedding anniversary!

Have a great weekend.

Arilx