View from the island

Well we have finally made the decision to relocate to the Western Isles - the isle of lewis
if you are interested we are blogging our journey on a new blog

go to a view from the island

Shibboleth

A couple of weeks ago we went to London with the purpose of seeing Sound of Music (Steve's birthday present - don't ask!!) - whilst we were there I wanted to go to the Tate Modern to see Shibboleth in the Turbine Hall.
I am generally a fan of the Tate Moderns exhibitions in the Turbine Hall. It is a fantastic space and i think the Tate are good a pushing a few boundaries as to what is art.
Shibboleth is basically a huge crack in the halls' floor - it is fascinating. From the perspective of how on earth did they manage to do that but also the artists perspective on what it represents. Doris Salcedo has done some really inspirational pieces of installation art around the world. i particularly like the thinking behind the piece in the Tate Modern - the tate's website says the following

Doris Salcedo’s Shibboleth is the first work to intervene directly in the fabric of the Turbine Hall. Rather than fill this iconic space with a conventional sculpture or installation, Salcedo has created a subterranean chasm that stretches the length of the Turbine Hall. The concrete walls of the crevice are ruptured by a steel mesh fence, creating a tension between these elements that resist yet depend on one another. By making the floor the principal focus of her project, Salcedo dramatically shifts our perception of the Turbine Hall’s architecture, subtly subverting its claims to monumentality and grandeur. Shibboleth asks questions about the interaction of sculpture and space, about architecture and the values it enshrines, and about the shaky ideological foundations on which Western notions of modernity are built.

In particular, Salcedo is addressing a long legacy of racism and colonialism that underlies the modern world. A ‘shibboleth’ is a custom, phrase or use of language that acts as a test of belonging to a particular social group or class. By definition, it is used to exclude those deemed unsuitable to join this group.

If you are in London i would highly recommend it - it is also really interesting watching others interact with the piece.

Oh and of the Sound of Music - the singing and set were brilliant - Connie's acting though left a little to be desired, but lets be honest it is the songs you go for!

Pictures

We have put lots of pictures on the Flikr account recently!

Scottish holiday ones ...




Frank even has his own set ...




there are more links on Steve's blog - Frank

More festival fun

A couple of weekend's ago we went to Trowbridge Pump Festival
This has become a bit of a regular in our round of festivals. despite the awful weather and broken toes we had a good time with friends,

Saw some great music - Levellers were brilliant, the Spooky Men's Chorale were very funny, and I liked some stuff we had not heard before - Van Eyken, Roy Bailey and Ruthie Foster.

It was also the first outing in our new van (Evie picture below), once we eventually got her started thanks to the AA man - always a good start to any holiday! - and we got use to the new quirks i think we both felt she is going to be a good travelling companion this year.
some pictures of the festival below and here


Evie the new van!

last Sunday i reconnected with part of my soul...

Last Sunday Steve, Jen and I went to see Metallica at Wembley Stadium.

IT WAS AWESOME!!

Given that they are in their late 40's, Metallica still know how to play and put on an amazing show... the rifts and amazing skill as musicians (whatever you think of the genre of music) resonate so soundly with my soul - it is a great feeling!
Wembley is pretty cool too!

more photos are here




this picture was taken by JBrown

goodbye Flo ...

Well yesterday saw a end to a big era in my life - we made the decision to finally scrap my campervan (affectionately known as Flo) and sending her to the big scrapyard in the sky.

I bought Flo about 5 years ago for a very reasonable price and she has been a great van for touring about in and doing festivals even though at times she would over heat and had funny quirky things about how she operated - it all added to her character!

After Greenbelt last year - Steve was driving her home and her engine blew - the garage assured us that it would be a case of fitting quick replacement engine and then we would be off again - they proceeded to do nothing about it and so she has sat in their garage rotting away all winter.

I feel quite upset about getting rid of her and strangely attached to what is actually a block of metal and oil ...why is this?
why have i formed such a strong attachment to an inanimate object?
I have decided that it signifies a loss, not just of a possession but of a freedom that somehow having a home on wheels gave me.
Having the campervan for me when I was a single person enabled me to travel around and feel safe when i locked the doors at night, Flo being scrapped some how is the final possession that was 'mine' that has been sacrificed now i am a married woman, my Independence gone and now accountable to another.

So thank you Flo for all the journeys and sights we have seen and for making my holidays and exploring safe





P.S. think Steve is secretly pleased as he was too long for the bed and so Flo mark II will be bought with his height in mind! and be assured there will be another van in my life...

Free ticket to Greenbelt ?

if you are looking for a free ticket to greenbelt we are looking to recruit a team of stewards in the new forms cafe venue, you need to be friendly and happy to count people and point people towards the door! you'd get some meal vouchers when working too.
leave a contact e-mail below if interested.
it's an indoor venue and where a lot of the alt worship is happening on site.