pentagram x 40

Have always liked the work of Pentagram ever since I was at college 40 years ago. They are now celebrating their 40 years of existence with this great little film looking back over their work.

shed 3

A friend of F has given him part of an allotment to try out. I went along with him earlier this year to have a look round and of course there were plenty of sheds. I love the variety and personalisation of sheds on allotments. Must take some more photos.

pont croix b&b

Have to make a mention of Sue's b&b in Pont Croix, Finistere. It's not been open very long but she's getting lovely comments from the people who've stayed. She offers a really characterful room with en suite facilities, situated in an interesting old town beside the river Goyen and she's a great host.
Being on a peninsular, Pont Croix is only a few minutes drive to a variety of sandy coves, dunes, rocky coasts and cliffs with a wealth of tiny, ancient villages inland. All year round there are stunning coastal walks and most weekends throughout the summer there will invariably be a traditional Breton fete in one of the surrounding villages.
I'm hoping to start loading some photographs of the area here.
A stay is highly recommended.

number 10

Not quite suitable for the shed section although it could fit. A great little wooden house in Oracle, Arizona. An earlier photo on the Flikr site shows that there is, in fact, a row of several of these. And the trees are brilliant.

from the bookshelf #2

Another gem from my sister's bookshelf. Beware of those illness germs.

from the bookshelf #1

From my sister's bookshelf. Rebecca - the Cheap Edition - published by Gollancz in the '40s. It struck me that, in the current financial situation, designing things to look cheap is going to become very popular again. There's also a '1st Cheap Edition' of Rebecca for sale online at £299 - cheap indeed!

i'm too sensitive

Sorry, i'm just too sensitive.
>>>Sensitive Artist

today's special

Dustysevens just posted these three really nice short films by director Paul Kelly about London's disappearing cafes. Obviously made a few years ago. Today's Special Nos 1, 2 and 3.

2010 reading

Just getting to the end of An Ice-Cream War and thought I'd list the books I've read over the last year so that I don't forget.

Mathew Kneale - English Passengers
Hanif Kureishi - Love in a Blue Time
Jim Crace - Being Dead
Joseph O'Connor - Star of the Sea
Joseph O'Connor - The Salesman
William Boyd - Any Human Heart
William Boyd - Ordinary Thunderstorms
William Boyd -Brazzaville Beach
William Boyd - An Ice-Cream War
Kazuo Ishiguro - Nocturnes
Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go
Ali Smith - The First Person and Other Stories
John Banville - The Sea
M J Hyland - How the Light Gets In
Alice Sebold - The Lovely Bones
David Mitchell - Black Swan Green
David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas
Michael Frayn - Headlong

I think my favourite reads have been Black Swan Green, Nocturnes, Star of the Sea and The Sea.

new year sales

It's time for the New Year sales and we can all go shopping for clothes - maybe a smart new suit. Make sure you've got enough credit tho'.

The Coasters - Shoppin' For Clothes

Happy New Year and happy shopping.

it's a goal

So, we lost the race to host the 2018 World Cup. Not that it matters much to me as I'm finding football is becoming more and more disappointing. It did remind me tho' of this great track about a football match. It features (from around 2'45) an introduction to all the players followed by a commentary on the match. Love it.

The Real Sounds - Tornados vs Dynamos

From the Rough Guide to the Music of Zimbabwe available here