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

Wild Times

 We have been blessed with another crop of lovely new members joining Mythago this year. Purely by chance I met one of them separately at a talk being given about Sussex butterflies a few months ago. This has got us chatting about our shared love of nature and the beautiful things we've been lucky enough to see over the years. Although she's lived in the district for a few years, she's a Londoner so there are many places she doesn't yet know about. I offered to show her around our local nature reserve a few weeks ago and we finally made it happen on a dry and sunny afternoon last week. A couple of relaxing hours spent watching a family of Great Crested Grebes and then trying to remember [not always successfully] the names of the wild flowers we saw😊

I asked online what those strange red blobs are....most likely to be Willow Bean Gall Sawfly. 

Another trip to see one of the nature spots on her patch is in the pipeline.

Arilx