Belgrade Poetry Festival

I just got back from reading at the Belgrade poetry festival. It was really great and I met some lovely people - poets and translators. Me and Ana did a live performance of part three of The City and I also read some of my other poems more informally in a cafe. There was much beer and laughter. Here is a link to the programme where you can read a bit of me and Ana's work in Serbian and see the other poets... http://trgnisepoezija.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/alis-medikot-ana-seferovic.html

The urban swans are nesting again...

I really am weirdly fond of Plymouth...

Vintage Textron Ads

When I went to the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle last week to write a review for museeme, one of my favourite unexpected discoveries was a vintage advert for Textron fabrics which consisted of two girls on broomsticks wearing Textron blouses, their bottom halves made of grass and reeds like some strange marsh mermaids. I have searched and searched for that image and sadly failed, but in the meantime found so many amazing vintage ads for Textron (the tree stove one I actually own a print of not realising what is was for!) that I felt I had to share some here.

The oldest known image of Lisbon...

I've become a bit obsessed with going to Lisbon recently. Here's the apparently earliest known image of said beautiful city from the Crónica de Dom Afonso Henriques by Duarte Galvão of 1500-1510.

Coupler

My friend Ryan Norris, who did the great music for part three of me and Ana's The City poem has a new video "Sideman" under his Coupler moniker. You can watch it here

Calling all collectors!

Do you, or does someone you know, have a collection - it doesn't matter how big or small or esoteric? Do you have a space or selection of objects that is like your own miniature museum in a corner of your house? A windowsill? A cabinet of curiosities? Have you organised an exhibition in a non-traditional space? Do you have an interesting way of curating the world around you? If so I would love to hear from you for my other blog museeme, which can be found here. So please message me!

Poetry Pasties

I was really thrilled to be working for a couple of days in Veryan School on the Roseland peninsula last week, for the local Under Our Feet creative project in schools. The first morning was spent cooking and we made fantastical pasty creatures with wings and horns and tails. We spent the afternoon then working on the characters of our creatures and creating stories. Day two was spent working on atmosphere and poetry (including changing how one feels in a room by finding a special place - including the bin it would seem!), culminating in a craft afternoon where we made what can only be described as Dada poetry pasties - cardboard pasty type objects filled with lines from the children's earlier poems and descriptive work like ingredients to be shaken up to make a new recipe for a poem each time. Tristan Tzara would be proud...!

Museeme - my new blog!

Today I have launched my new project - museeme, a celebration of stuff in a virtual world - a blog which seeks to explore the definition of what a museum and curation can be, all the strange personal and public museums, archives and collections of the world, and the hidden stories and meanings behind groups of objects, places and art works. Everybody is welcome to submit ideas for featured collections, reviews, articles etc, so do check it out at http://museeme.blogspot.co.uk, and please list it in your links if you like it.

Dragon Glacier

In the 18th and 19th centuries when the alps and mountains in general were not seen so much as a place to visit as to fear, there were many caricatures done, illustrating glaciers for example as dragons. Here's a good one, though sadly I'm not sure who it's by... But I do like the idea of ice dragons slowly rumbling down the mountains like a slow ice slick...

Trilobites!

I have always been very fond of Trilobites - they kind of remind me of giant sea woodlice, another creature I have always had a soft spot for - they even curl up in defence in the same way! So I was delighted to discover these when watching David Attenborough the other day. I had no idea they had glamorous spines and very powerful eyes for the time that unlike any other creature were not soft but had lenses made from crystal - each one completely different depending on whether they lurked under mud or swam through the ocean - some even had wrap around eyes like crystal sunglasses - some even had solid visors to protect their eyes from the light! Here are some particularly good photos of ones found in Morocco - people think they are so well preserved here as they were buried in a landslide millions of years ago. It's making me nostalgic for my I Love Trilobites t-shirt I had as a teenager to add that extra something to my indie disco outfits... If you want to read a really good book about trilobites I would recommend "Trilobite! Eyewitness to evolution" by Richard Fortey, the fabulous expert from the Natural History Museum in London.

Carnival - Coney Island 1950s

Iron lace reaching for the sky
prancing to a hurdy gurdy tune
watch how gently the silk lets you down
mountain climbing on wheels

Nosferatu hands

This is what happens when you let me and Ana out DANCING... Author shot for The City?

I met reindeer!

Whilst at The Eden Project yesterday for tree decorating I also met these handsome creatures! They have very mysterious feet - two side toes for gripping snow!

My Tree, My Community at Eden 2012

I was very lucky this year to run this project again, this time at Nanpean school where the kids were wonderful. They created these amazing book/house/lantern decorations based on Christmases past in their village and the things they discovered in morning workshops and at a tea party for elder locals. Thanks to the teachers and to Elliot and Beverley for coming and helping decorate the tree yesterday. All trees can be seen at the entrance to the Eden Project over this Christmas period!

Tree house of the day! Beach Rock, Okinawa, Japan

18th century hair of parks and war

Finally the proof I have magical powers!

'50s kitchen millinery

A colander needs a little embellishment and when in doubt use a jelly mould! Genius...

Get ready for Autumn 1950s Paris stylee

Figuring out whether I can afford to buy new vests from M&S this Autumn somewhat makes me wish I could be in this fashion world instead - hint of pagoda lighting up the boulevards via veiled witchy hats anyone? And nice coats... Click image to watch full British Pathe video!

PARIS - CITY OF FASHION

My favourite Narnia.

The previous post made me remember the cartoon of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe that me and my siblings were all obsessed with when we were little. I still think it's my favourite and the most atmospheric adaptation, and Sheila Hancock as Jadis is amazing... Turkish delight... Turkish delight!

Camel sleigh racing!

Now whilst I have always lusted after a sleigh pulled by wolves a la the White Queen, Jadis, in Narnia, and thought maybe I would have to settle for huskies (though living in the somewhat temperate West Country with a giant cat that attacks dogs, not the most viable plan) I am now starting to think this could be another option. This is in Mongolia too, a country I've always been fascinated by - icy deserts, horse fairs and lots of dinosaur bones and now camel sleighs! And of course they are furry Bactrians, which are definitely my favourite type of camel. Need I say more...

Now that's how to impress a lady - antler stylee...

I've always been rather fond of natural crowns, now if only I had antlers too...