Monthly Archives: June 2014

DAW Barbecue 2014 at Sculpture by the Lakes

To mark the end of Dorset Art Weeks, Simon and Monique Gudgeon invited participating artists to a barbecue at their home at Pallington. Naturally both Sue and I (and Fluff) were invited along too 🙂 Despite the dozens of photographs I took at Simon’s it may surprise you that this photo, taken by Simon, perfectly sums up the DAW Barbecue at Sculpture by the Lakes for me – a feeling of warmth and friendship. Mind you, the evening didn’t start well as Sue and I had been missed off the Guest List (you’re in deeeeep trouble next time I see you Tash!) 😉

Luckily I was recognised by Ken as “one of Simon’s weirdos” so was allowed in. Then Simon cruelly tormented me by setting up my alter ego “Cedric” in pride of place on a plinth in the Gallery and sending everyone in to view him (and Amo made me pose by him whilst she took a photo )… It was made no better by the discovery that we’d left our drinking glasses at home, and Sue’s choice of beverages for the evening – highly non-alcoholic bottles of Cucumber-flavoured water and a Lemon/Mint Pressé – next time, I pack the hamper 😀

However, Simon soon came to my rescue with a crafty bottle of beer (which Sue then drunk) and we were loaned glasses by (I think) Claire Thomas and David Norton, which I’ll have to return sometime.

It was great meeting artists and friends old and new, and especially matching faces to names and facebook personas, though it was surprising how many people knew me – the power of facebook networking 🙂

As the night wore on and people drifted off home there were just a few of us left sitting around the fire (getting roasted after Simon piled half a forest on the fire) and swapping jokes and stories, mainly about how bad Darren’s coffee was, and my former life as Manchester’s “Most Wanted” 😉

Monique kept changing the music to match the mood and the feelings of warmth, comfort, and friendship will last with me for a long, long time – a perfect end to DAW. We drifted down the candlelit drive to the cars at close to midnight with a BIG heartfelt thank you to Monique and Simon for being, once again, the perfect hosts – oh yes and our little dog “Fluff” who was allowed to spend the evening in our laps says thank you too 🙂

barbecue

A Fiery Death

I’ve said it before, but this time I mean it.  That damn Yak aeroplane from Compton Abbas Aerodrome is going to come to a fiery end just as soon as I can find a SAM missile going cheap on eBay…

It’s been circling over my house for the last ten or fifteen minutes with it’s loud, rasping, farting, unsilenced engine shattering the peace and calm of the valley… Cars, lorries, motorcycles, etc have to have silencers fitted to their engines – so why not aircraft?

So back to missiles… I can manufacture all the explosive and propellant needed thanks to A level Chemistry, and even knock up a reliable infrared detector to lock on the plane using my C&G in Electronics and Ham Radio, but it’s the guidance system and detonator which will cause me problems. 🙁

That’s why I want an ‘off the shelf’ missile.  Anyone got one for sale? 😀