Alan, Aimo and Foz

Well I bet you can't guess what I've been doing today?  You will be very surprised when I say: I have been using my Kobo, actually.  I have bought two books and have a preview copy of another.  I think.  As usual, I smile because I have no idea what is going on.  Or, alternatively, I blindly press a lot of buttons because I have no idea what is going on.

I definitively have two books, Joseph Jacobs' British Fairy Tales, and Alan Garner's Boneland; because I have read some of each of them on ...

My Kobo

which Aimo gave me for Christmas. 

I have also looked at The Lost Book of Fleams on my kobo, which is also a tablet (you see I is the kids and know all this stuff), but I don't yet know how to write my blog on the Kobo.  When I do I will be able to update you wherever I am.  I don't know if the Wi-Fi reaches Fleams, but we shall see.  It would be good to write from another dimension if I can. 

I expect my Tech Support Team (see followers) will be hearing a lot more from me in the next few months as I update my brain's software.  Thanks Foz!

Poo, Poetry and Parasols

Time to start a New Year.  Who'll be first to First Foot the blog?  Let's hope its a tall dark stranger carrying coal.  Please let me know if you're holding coal when you read this. (That is not rude in any way, it is a  folkloric reference).

Well, how are things are Aimo's House?  Actually we aren't hungover as we couldn't go out last night or even consume alcohol at home, as we have BOTH types of incontinence going on here.  I'm not saying it was the Indian takeaway on Sunday night, but ...

But back to the New Year, my plan for this year is for this amazing book

A Christmas Present

to teach me to be a writer of weird and beautiful stuff. 

 

In case you're worried they will be no room for the funny stuff, here is a picture of some funny cats to reassure you things will carry on in the manner to which you are accustomed:

 

Another Christmas Present

Miss Aimson mined the antique shops of Norwich to get this for me.  Two kittens with a parasol.  Kittens always carry parasols in Fleams, so she thought of me.

 

 

A Cat Can Look at a King

Did anyone see the sublime cat moment on the news last night?  As the world talked about Nelson Mandela, our Prime Minister came forward to make a statement on behalf of our country.  As Lord Snooty stood there mouthing his vacuous speech, the Downing Street cat wandered onto screen behind him; ambled across, paused behind him ( I think to drink from the gutter) and then never re-appeared.

Well done that cat for puncturing the pomposity of politicians.  It was lovely to see an unscripted moment in our bland and lifeless public world.
 

Southern xxxxs

I just want to say if you ever say "The Great Storm of '87" you are a southern xxxx, and that's official.

Back to Smocks

Yesterday I wandered into a new plan for a change.  I am now looking at some writing about Kate W Aimson, the original discoverer of Fleams.  I am working in the area of short story - novelet for length.  Or maybe just short story.  We will see.  The vintage horror magazines (see post Badgers, Books and The Curse of Amen-Ra) are an inspirational example of short-story writing, and I am working my way through them.

Back to Kate W Aimson:

Kate W Aimson

Details about Kate W Aimson

Casual visitors to this blog are perhaps unaware of how I came to be interested in the work of Kate W Aimson, the story is this.  When we moved into our current house six years ago, one of the first houses ready on a new estate at Ladmanlow, Derbyshire; we found a collection of papers in the loft.  Of a new-built house.  It's very mysterious.  The papers dated back to the years before the First World War, about a hundred years ago.  At this time Mrs Aimson was travelling in this area on research expeditions to the woad-vats of the East Midlands.  She was distracted from her research by some fascinating discoveries here in North Derbyshire...

Magical Realism and Real Magic

Yesterday I was watching Practical Magic.  I love the film, and after watching it, and watching the "Making of ", I read the original book by Alice Hoffman.  I found that the film is completely different from the book.  The book is an example of magical realism, which I hate.  I would never knowingly read a magical realist-style book.  For some reason the style is known as magical realism, when the magic in it is not real.  I like real magic in my films and books (as in life).

A Real Magic Film

Someone decided when they were turning the book into a film they were going to turn the magical realism to real magic.  Good decision, that person.

The film also features gorgeous sets and costumes.  The two aunts wear nineteen-teens era clothes, which I think is my favourite era for historical costume.  The house, with it's kitchen, conservatory greenhouse, still-room, kitchen garden and flower gardens is quite a witch's dream.  (For witches who like big houses, rather than tiny cottages).  The botanicals shop is a witch's dream job and very beautifully presented.  The family spellbook is an inspiration, and not given nearly enough screen-time.  Make sure you catch all those bits!

Real houses, real jobs, real working in (or on the fringes of) the community, real herbs and spells, real magic.  A huge improvement on the book and its magical realism.

Unquiet, Flint, Art

Hi everybody you may well have been wondering were I have been - just haven't been very inspired since I was poorly with a cold - but I'm back now.  News - I have finished The Lord of The Rings trilogy.  Maybe that's what's been wrong with me - I've been suffering from Middle Earth withdrawal.  It's a definite possibility.

I've finished LOTR, read a trashy novel and am now started on Unquiet Country.  Look at the photo on the front cover:

Steptoe?

How cool is it?  I just bought it for the picture, then when I started reading it, it turns out to be about Norfolk, so I can carry on finding out about the history of Norwich and the surrounding areas.  Here are some more photos from Norwich:

A Flint Wall

More Flint

Square Flints

More Square Flints

Hope you like flint. 

Also talked about Norwich and it's qualities in comparison to Thetford at the school art exhibition preview on Friday:

Catch it while you can!

Where we saw Miss Aimson's "A" level artwork, amongst other things.

Just off to the bank to re-present a bounced cheque from a well-known gallery, which had sold one of my pictures.  Do you want to know which gallery?  I might tell you if the cheque bounces again, although they have assured me it was a temporary cash flow problem which is now sorted.  We'll see.