Scent and Sensibility

Art Installation - White Lion Street, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Has anyone else noticed that since the smoking ban when you walk into a pub it is common to be able to smell the toilets? Either the Jeyes Fluid or more usually the lack of it.

The Other

Another Country Right Next To Ours, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Reflected trees in the Wensum River, Norwich, Norfolk.

"'I should be ill,' she continued, 'if I did not live on the borders of the fairies' country, and now and then eat of their food. And I see by your eyes that you are not quite free of the same need; though, from your education and the activity of your mind, you have felt it less than I.'"
George MacDonald - Phantasteses

It is supposed to be viewed large.


Later Note Only ten year old Master Menace Blink shares my sense of the otherness of this landscape stating unprompted "This photo is really weird. It is both night and day." No one else has given it a second glance. ho hum I will just have to plough a lonely furrow.

straw and string

straw and string, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Well its straw and wool really but that is not alliterative. I suppose I could have written wheat and wool which is alliterative but somehow not le mot juste so I didn't. Very popular in and traditional to Austria, I have been told, these kind of tree decorations.

Are they like corn dollies and you are supposed to destroy them before the next planting or be cursed for the next year? I don't know.

And finally.........

Why are their only 25 letters in the alphabet at Christmas time?

Because the angel said No L

What do they sing outside Psychiatric Hospitals in Germany at Christmas time?

God Rest Ye Gerry Mentalmen

.

THE pierROT SETS IN.

A Snowball's chance in (City) Hall, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

While following the abysmal Ice Sculpture Trail through Norwich I saw "The Singing Snowmen" coming out of City Hall. It is actually Tom Carver leading the usual suspects. We traded insults and sneered at each other and then they melted away.

I have since learned that the sculptures were taken to nearby Earlham Park to melt away naturally. I wish they had brought one round to my house as I could have added lemon, tonic and gin to it. That way I could have, at least, got something pleasurable out of the event.


Snowbusiness like Showbusiness uploaded by Colonel Blink.

MG

MG, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

When Norwich Became An Icy Wasteland

I dont know anything about art but I know this is garfunkel, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Oh god, today we took the Menace and a friend of his around the Norwich Ice Sculpture trail and boy was it tedious. Even worse than The Gt. Yarmouth Festival Of Sand Sculpture Massacre. Something felt by most of the onlookers who instead of looking at the so-called art photographed it instead. Presumably so they could look at it at another time when they felt mentally stronger. Like the sand sculptures this photograph makes them look better than they were in reality and that is not saying much.

Baby, it's cold outside

Frost & Fog4, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

Mast Base

Mast Base, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

About twenty years ago this corner of the River Wensum, next to the mortuary that has turned into Zaks Hamburger restaurant, was given a face lift. Seats were put in, a large notice board describing the history of the area was erected and a Wherry mast was installed as a flag pole. After a few months the notice board was burnt and the seats had had an axe taken to them.

All that remains now of the revamp is the sign announcing the totally made up name for the spot -Petch's Corner- peeping through the forest of weeds, litter and discarded syringes and the mast.

Unfortunately when "they" concieve of these schemes and get funding for installing them they never get money for the upkeep and for the lack of a coat of varnish or even creosote the mast is rotting away and will soon either fall down or have to be taken down.

Sic transit Gloria Mundi which as any fule kno translates as "Every Monday Gloria gets travel sick".

Norfolk Harpys

Norfolk Harpys, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

These were modelled on woman who, still to this day, can be found in the smaller, more remote North Norfolk villages.