Jubilee

Sorry, yet another long blog absence - but I have been busy.  I have been to see this - twice!

The story behind the Great Bed of Ware is fascinating - it started off in the 1500's, apparently as a bit of an 'advertising campaign' for one of the Inns.  It was on the route that pilgrims took from London to Walsingham in Norfolk, and presumably was one of the stopping off points.  Over the course of its long stay in Ware the Bed moved around between five inns, The White Hart, The George, The Crown, The Bull and the Saracen’s Head from which it was sold in 1870.  Henry Teale took it to Rye House, Hoddesdon, as a visitor attraction. It's mentioned in various literary works, including Twelfth Night. And, since 1931 it's been at the V&A, but for this year only, it's in the Ware Museum.

Although you are not even allowed to TOUCH the bed now, if you look closely, you can see graffiti dating back hundreds of years where various occupants have carved their names. 

Apart, from that, I've been a bit productive, I've knitted necklaces, and I've made some more books, since I finished my book making course - this one is made with watercolour paper and covered with part of a carrier bag from Desigual

and this patriotic one is again made of watercolour paper, and covered with some card making paper, and finished with a book mark.  (Don't tell anyone, but the book mark started life as a  tag from some red white and blue underwear I bought in M&S!)

I've also visited the Mall Galleries to see the Prism exhibition, which was fabulous.  I got there at 12.30 and didn't manage to drag myself away until after 4.30pm.  There was SO much to see, and such inspirational work.  I think it's brilliant when you leave an exhibition and are bursting to go home and sketch and stitch - which is just what this exhibition did for me.  Such talented and innovative artists, it was a brilliant day.  I bought a photographic licence, and took lots of pictures, but you're not supposed to publish any of them, so you'll have to take my word for it.  However, Gina said I was welcome to show a photo of her work, so here it is, her brilliant full size machine embroidery of figures speaking on their mobile phones, hung in a telephone kiosk

Yesterday, along with a million other people, I went up to see the Jubilee Pageant, with my friend Angie and her son Jacques.  

I even made myself a Jubilee T shirt,

although, due to the standard British weather, it was covered in several layers of clothing so I needn't have bothered!

We had a good position near Tower Bridge, but as that was at the end of the Pageant, we had to stand there quite a long time, and consequently we got very cold, and very very wet.   It was quite a relief when the first of the boats appeared ...

and we did get to see the Queen.

Yeah, I know I could have stayed at home and watched it on the television, but I'm glad I went, and I  still got to watch the highlights when I got home and turned the central heating on.

I haven't forgotten that I am due to post about the course I did in May - to follow .................

Jubilee - Blur