Anselm Kiefer Exhibition, Tullie House, Carlisle

My Cousin Glen and I recently went to see this exhibition at Tullie House. The exhibition is presented by Artist Rooms, a collection jointly owned by the Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. I must be honest and say that I had never heard of Anselm Kiefer before but I am always ready to look at art that is new to me. This exhibition covers the period of the artist's career from 1969 to 2014.

Anselm was born in Germany in 1945 and now lives and works in France. He is considered one of the greatest European post-war  artists. He cites artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Caspar David Friedrich as influences and I can see some of the drama of Friedrich (who is a favourite of mine too) in his work but I can't see the van Gogh influence, except that there were some steel/iron sunflowers in one of his works. The first thing I noted about his art is that it tends to be either monochrome or earthy colours. He works in many mediums, paint, photography, metal, sculpture, collage, often using grit and sand to give the work texture, the earthy colours fit well with such media. He is fascinated by history, philosophy, mythology, science and the Third Reich and these subjects appear in his arts time and time again. There were a lot of exhibits on show but I will just write about three that interested me most.

The most striking painting for me was the one featured on the museum's exhibition information leaflet, (above) it was especially created for the exhibition and is called Urd, Verdando, Skuld (The Norns 1983.) The norns are "Fates" of Norse mythology representing Past, Present and Future, their names are written in chalk on the ceiling of the building. Hanging from the ceiling of the Third Reich-like building are the strings of destiny. All these subjects are ones that Kiefer frequently returns to. I looked at the pictures before reading the information about them and to me it looked like these strings were roots reaching down into a dark, murky vault of time, of history. Kiefer is of a generation of Germans that grew up after World War Two, and had to come to terms with and deal with the guilt of what had happened in their country shortly before they were born. He was not afraid to confront this history in his art, which also includes some self portraits of him doing the Nazi salute.  I am half German, born a few years after Kiefer and as I was growing up I was very aware of that feeling of oppressive history and guilt. I wasn't proud of my German background for a long time and even hid it, Now that has changed and I can embrace my heritage, because no country, no history, is totally negative and Germans have a lot to be proud of too. I think my own personal background made me see those things in that picture and I found it stirred a lot of emotion in me. It is a very hypnotic painting, it draws you in and looks much more impressive in real life than in the image in this post.

Another picture that I liked was Hortus Philosphorum (2010.) Keifer made piles of books from lead and photographed them. Over the books lay lead sunflowers, twigs and other items, Kiefer described lead as the "only material heavy enough to carry the weight of human history."  It was like the lead items were holding down the books, the knowledge trying smother them, but knowledge never dies. A very thought -provoking piece of work.

The next piece I liked was Untitled 1988. There were six small gold leaf covered items, and, being an ex-nurse, it soon dawned on me that they parts of the human body. These were casts of real body parts which included a kidney, inner ear and heart.  In the middle of them was a piece of seaweed that seemed to me like splayed out blood. Again, it made us think, these were such important parts of the body, of life, yet they were quite small.

I must admit I wasn't very impressed when I first went into the exhibition, it looked dull and strange. But as Glen and I  looked at the works we had many discussions about them, and they seemed to come to life. They captured our imagination, they made us think, made us talk and really, isn't that what good art should do?

The Anselm Kiefer Exhibition is at Tullie House, Carlisle until 7th June 2015, entry £3.00.

Alan Davies Little Victories Tour, The Sands Centre, Carlisle

Last week my friend Jayne and I went to The Sands in Carlisle to see Alan Davies in his Little Victories tour. When he came on stage he was just as I imagined, warm, informal and having the ability to just chat to the audience like we were friends, all with a youthfulness about him that belied his 49 years. Initially he interacted a lot with the crowd, finding out where people were from (someone had come all the way from Birmingham, must be a superfan!) and he also asked about the ages of people which surprisingly ranged from teenagers to people in their 80's.

He talked a lot about his family. His mother died from leukaemia when he was six leaving his father to bring up Alan and his younger sister and older brother. Much of the early part of the show dealt with his fraught relationship with his father. Sometimes the honesty of it was very moving, yet not sentimental, and often very funny, not easy to meld together, but Alan managed this brilliantly. One of the anecdotes was that his dad loved every kind of jam except blackcurrant. So when the home help his father had hired was making a cake for Alan's father's birthday Alan told her to put blackcurrant jam in it because his dad like it. When his dad tasted it he exploded with anger and Alan got one of his "little victories" over his father. Another thing that made the talk of his father more poignant was that he is now suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

After examining his own childhood he discussed his own role as a father and trials and tribulations of raising young children (he has two children aged four and five) a lot. Not having children of my own I couldn't relate to much of this, but that aside, some of it was still very funny, especially when he talked of his daughter swearing for the first time and his son pretending to choke to get attention. It was clear most of the audience fully related to the highs and lows of bringing up children that he related.

He also talked about being taken out of his school where he was happy and sent to a public school that his own father had attended and which Alan hated. He was the youngest at the school and more interested in toys than the more adolescent pursuits of the youths around him. But again, he brings humour to this in his own inimitable way and had the audience roaring with laughter.

The show lasted almost two and a half hours, and you can only admire someone who can do stand up for that long. It all felt very natural and unscripted, which of course it would not have been, but his professionalism made it feel that way.  All in all it was a excellent night and it does us all the world of good to have a laugh and Alan certainly gave us plenty of them!

Restaurant Review - Ruen, Carlisle

I've been visiting Ruen Thai Restaurant for many years now and have always enjoyed my meals there. It is conveniently located in the centre of Carlisle and there is parking nearby. The decor is beautiful, intricately carved tables and chairs, silk wall hangings and Thai painting of the wall, each table had a real orchid in a little vase on it. Tables have a good distance between them ensuring privacy. The general ambiance of the restaurant is very relaxing

To start Glen and I had the Ruethai Platter for two - Thai fishcakes, chicken satay skewers and Thai spring rolls served with a variety of dips. Everything was delicious I especially enjoyed the skewers, the chicken was very tender.

Our Main Course

For my main I had Nue Num Mun Hoy, Stir fried beef with oyster sauce, mushrooms and spring onions. Glen also went for a stir fry, Gad Pad Med Ma-Muang, chicken in a "slightly sweet" soy sauce with cashew nuts. To accompany it we had one steamed rice and one noodles. I thoroughly enjoyed the beef stir fry, the meat was tender and plentiful and full of subtle flavours. Glen loved her dish too. To accompany our meal we had a glass of wine each.

We didn't have room for a dessert and so just had a cappuccino each to finish the meal.  Throughout the meal the service was impeccable, very friendly and efficient and they make you feel important - the staff always recognise me when I go back there which is lovely.

For a starter for two, two mains, two coffees and two glasses of wine (one a large glass) the cost was just under £50.00 which I felt was well worth the money. It is well worth visiting if you are looking for a very good Thai restaurant. It also does takeaways.

Address:   4 Crosby Street
                 Carlisle CA1 1DQ

Website:  www.ruenthai.co.uk

Songs of Innocence - My Thoughts

Well I've finally made myself sit down and write about U2's latest album, just six months after it's release lol! Not sure why I haven't written properly about it until now - it's certainly not because I don't like it. I'm not going to do a song by song review, there's no point now and I will not be writing a deep analysis either. I'm just going to write about what the album means to me.

Firstly, Songs of Innocence was a long time coming, over five years, which, even for the slow working U2, was a record. I must admit, though I've been a fan for over thirty years I didn't hold out much hope for this album. The band's last few albums, though good, were nothing outstanding, nothing that excited or surprised me and I honestly thought, that's it, they're in their 50's now and they have had an amazing career but they have lost that spark, that creativity. I hated to admit it to myself, but after all these years of being a fan, I was drifting away and not over-excited at the thought of a new album, I needed a U2 injection, a boost to bring me back to the fold.

The first surprise was the way it was released, we knew that we would see an album soon, but there it was, at the launch of the iPhone 6, free in your Cloud waiting to be downloaded, Songs of Innocence! Of course there were a lot of people who were "outraged" at this intrusion of their phones, But people didn't have to download it did they? I got a new HTC not that long ago and in my music there were various songs I didn't put there, I just deleted them, no big deal. But of course, the U2/Bono haters had to jump up and down about it.

Now I'm not into the corporate side of U2 that's developed over the last fifteen or so years, in fact I really dislike that side of them. I admired them when they were not into all that.  But, like it or not U2 is a business as well as a great band, that's the reality and this PR stunt really got them and Songs of Innocence into the headlines, something they probably needed as they had been absent from the scene for so long. I think in some ways it may have backfired a little as many people were talking more about the so-called phone intrusion rather than the actual music on the album. But that aside U2 were back in the spotlight.

So this surprise release got me all excited, and, once I'd figured out how to download it, I listened to it. And I listened again. For me it wasn't instantly an amazing album, but, for the first time in many years, here was a U2 album where the music surprised and excited me, it was not safe or predictable, it was, different, very different and had me both questioning and feeling a buzz inside which is always a good sign!

I quickly realised this was the album I'd wanted U2 to make for a very long time, it's an album about their own roots and influences in Ireland. They've explored other influences in their career but never the things that from their early pre-fame days formed them in who they are as people and a band. I've always felt that, besides their talent, two things make U2 special, the fact that they the best of friends and that they are Irish (or in the case of Adam and Edge grew up in Ireland) being Irish is a big part of what makes this band great. So for me it was only natural that they would one day explore that in their music.

The albums looks at both musical influences The Miracle of Joey Ramone (The Ramones) and This is Where You Can Reach Me Now (The Clash)  and more personal songs such as Iris about Bono's mother who died when he was 14, and Cedarwood Road, the street where Bono grew up, and the beautiful, melodic Song for Someone about Bono's childhood sweetheart Ali who he is still married to now. Iris especially is heart-breakingly personal and incredibly moving. I have always admired artists are able to open their heart and soul to the audience like this.

The lyrics (credited to both Bono and Edge) are some of the most honest and soul-baring I've seen from U2 and are some of the best written for many years. I've always been a fan for whom the lyrics are as important as the music and over the last few releases I felt that the lyrics were often lacking, but with this album they are up to the best U2 standard once more.

As a fan of 32 years, I feel Songs of Innocence is very much an album for longtime fans like myself. We are of a similar age, and really understand where the songs are coming from, many of us have lived through similar experiences. And we used to buy our U2 albums as 12 inch LPs, (as per SOI cover) no Internet or downloads then! There is a tour starting in a couple of months and these songs will change and develop as always on tour, so looking forward to hearing them live.

Finally, there is a rumoured follow-up album called Songs of Experience which will be a look at their experiences later in their career. To me, and many others, it feels like these two albums are a lead up to the end of U2. It's telling their story in music, and, to me, it would be a good way to say goodbye. The band are in their mid-50's now and you have to be realistic about how much longer they can go on. They will have been together for 40 years next year, and still producing good music, what an achievement - and it also would be a good time to bow out. But who knows!

Is Songs of Innocence a great U2 album on a par with The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby? I don't think so, but it is a great creative, honest piece of music from a band that still has something to say. It is also the album that brought me back into the U2 fold, even now U2 can still surprise me!

The Posting Pot Cafe, Wetheral, Cumbria - Review

Photo taken from The Posting Pot Facebook page

My friend suggested meeting for a late lunch at The Posting Pot in Wetheral just outside Carlisle. Indeed it was a very late lunch, 2.30pm, and when I arrived just before then they told me they stop serving food at 2.30 and close at 3.30pm. However they were very accommodating and said they would serve food to my friend (who arrived at 2.40pm - late as usual!) and me.

It is a small cafe, (the post office and shop are next door) in the centre of the village right beside the green. There were several tables and a comfortable looking leather sofa beside the large window, and the place had a homely feel about it.

There was a good choice of items on the menu and I ordered the minute steak with caramelised onions in a deli roll and my friend just went for a rather large plain scone. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch, the steak was tender, the onions tasty and the roll was very fresh. My friend said her scone was also very fresh and she enjoyed it.

The service was friendly and very quick, prices very reasonable and the cafe had a good atmosphere. A group of people came in a while after we were served our food also wanting to eat but were politely turned away, maybe being open a little longer would be a good idea? I think I heard the server say something about the cafe being open longer in the summer but wasn't really listening closely so can't be sure about that. In the summer you can sit outside and that would be so pleasant in the lovely village.

We will definitely be going back, but a little bit earlier. The opening hours are listed as 9.00 - 3.30 Monday - Saturday. The food is good, reasonably priced and much of the fayre on offer is homemade and you can't beat that!

Address:     The Posting Pot Cafe
                  Wetheral
                  Carlisle CA4 8ES
                  Cumbria

Tel:             01228 560 201

Facebook:   The Posting Pot Cafe (There does not appear to be a website)

Cumbria's Museum of Military Life, Carlisle Castle

My cousin and I visited Cumbria's Museum of Military Life the other week, it was the first time I had been there and I was looking forward to visiting it.

The museum is in  the Alma block within the courtyard of Carlisle Castle. It is a small museum that cover the history of Cumbria's County Infantry Regiment and other military units from 1702 to the present day. It also looks at the social and military barracks of the castle inself, the regiment has had its headquarters there since 1873.



The museum is on one level and you pass through the eras of the military history starting with the earliest days. One thing that caught my eye was a photo of  men marching to war in Water Street, Wigton, I knew that there would be relatives of mine amongst those men and it was quite moving to see. There were uniforms, drums, medals, personal items, a reconstruction of a WW1 trench, photos and lots more from campaigns all around the world. I was surprised at just how many campaigns the regiment had been involved in.

The museum was well laid out and its staff were very friendly and helpful. There is a cafe, but we did not go there so I can't say what it was like. The museum is small but worth visiting as it is packed full of fascinating militaria. It also has a shop which had reasonably priced items for sale.

It is £4.00 entry and there are various concessions. It is open every day, though the hours vary according to the time of the year, check the website for full details.

Carlisle Castle's Portcullis

Address:  Cumbria's Museum of Military Life
                Alma Building
                Carlisle Castle
                Cumbria CA3 8QR


Website:  Cumbria's Museum of Military Life

Review - Afternoon Tea at Dobbies, Orton Grange

I have always though that the British tradition of afternoon tea is one of our best, but Dobbies garden centre isn't the first place you would think of to go to for it, but if you go along and sample their tea you will be pleasantly surprised!

Our Afternoon Tea

Dobbies has a choice of four different afternoon teas and we went for the luxury one. There is an area that is separate from the main cafe which is solely reserved  for people having afternoon tea. Tables are nicely spaced out to give privacy but we did find it a little cold - it was a very cold day outside, and we had to move from our original table to one that was warmer.

We were served quickly and had a choice of sandwiches, we chose salmon and soft cheese and egg mayonnaise, and drinks and we did not have to wait long for our teas to arrive. The tea was served on the traditional three tiered stand. The sandwiches were freshly made, crustless and very nice. There were two large plain scones - so fresh they almost fell apart - with butter, jam and double cream. We followed this with the strawberries dipped in chocolate which were delicious. There was a good selection of cakes, a meringue with cream and raspberries and blueberries, a strawberry tart, a toffee eclair and a carrot cake, all very fresh and tasty. It was more than enough, in fact my friend took one cake home for her husband.

The service was pleasant and quick, though the tea spoons were forgotten and we had to get our own from nearby, but not a big complaint. 

In conclusion, this is a really good value afternoon tea. Prices start from £8.00-£20.00 for two, and our luxury one was £15.00 so it was only £7.50 each, which was an excellent price for what we had. They are available every day from 2pm.

Address:  Dobbies,

                Orton Grange,

                Carlisle CA5 6LB

                Cumbria

Website:  http://www.dobbies.com/

Je Suis Charlie - Break One, Thousand Will Rise

Few can have missed the horror that happened in Paris yesterday - fanatics trying to snuff out free speech. Je Suis Charlie is the slogan of  a movement of support for those who died at the Charlie Hebdo offices  Vigils have taken place in cities throughout France, Europe and further afield as people express their condemnation and defiance at those trying to prevent free expression in such a violent way. For me personally, the best expression of the defiance was an illustration by Lucille Clerc, (originally wrongly ascribed to Banksy) a graphic designer based in London, she accompanied it with the statement: "Break one, thousand will rise." Sometimes a picture paints a thousand words also.

Renewing the Spirit Means Moving Forward with Intention

My good friend Dianne Beeaff is a writer based in Tucson, Arizona. Her latest book is called Spirit Stones, which takes us on a journey to numerous standing stones throughout Europe. It looks at the spirituality of such monuments and their place in the human psyche both in the past and present day. The book is a enthralling journey into our prehistoric past, it is an informative book which is easy to read and the text is accompanied by beautiful photos of these amazing places that still hold a sense of mystery and fascination in the modern world.

Below is a press release from the book's publishing company giving more information.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Linda F. Radke

Five Star Publications, Inc.

Phone: 480-940-8182

Email: fivestarpublications@gmail.com

High-res photos available upon request

Looking for inspiration in 2015? Get grounded with Spirit Stones

CHANDLER, AZ (Dec. 20, 2014) – What could hold more promise than a New Year? “The turning of the year is neither an end nor a beginning, but a continuance and a renewal. With it we are given a unique opportunity to refresh and rededicate our lives with clarity and intention.” Those are the words of Dianne Beaaff, author of the book that provides spiritual grounding in the most ancient of forms. It’s called Spirit Stones.

“Spirit Stones has been, for me, a journey through some of the most powerful places in our civilization’s history,” she says. “When we stand and reflect in many of these places, as I have been privileged to do, they inspire us to live more fully in the present, to capture and apply the powerful concentration of life they express.”

Both a history lesson and a modern-day guide to what the author refers to as “Spiritual Fitness,”Spirit Stones captivates readers with a unique metaphysical perspective. “This lively and engaging work explains why the ancient monuments continue to renew our sense of the wonder and mystery of life,” said reviewer Kristine Morris. “Her book is an affirmation that these objects have much to teach us about living in the present.”

Providing insight into the contemporary relevance of ancient monuments like Stonehenge, Castlerigg, and Callanish, Beeaff makes masterful connections between timeless generations of humanity, leading willing participants on a quest both grounded in stone and spiritually transcendent. “Through them, we can rediscover the inexhaustible, multifaceted, and wonderfully divine existence that is the life in all of us,” Beeaff explains. “Nothing is worth more than this day.”

Complete with breathtaking pictures of Western Europe’s most inspiring stone architecture, Spirit Stones is available through Amazon.com and FiveStarPublications.com. It is distributed by Ingram and Baker & Taylor. For more information about the book, visit http://www.SpiritStonesBook.com.

About Dianne Beeaff

Dianne Beeaff  is an avid traveler, author and historian. A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, she has traveled the world extensively and combines a lifelong love of history with a quest for present-day understanding. She has published poetry and magazine articles throughout the United States and Canada. She has also published two works of nonfiction including Spirit Stones, and an award-winning novel, Power's Garden. Her upcoming projects include a follow-up to her bestselling memoir, A Grand Madness, Ten Years on the Road with U2. Dianne's extensive collection of graphite sketches and watercolor paintings have been on display in both local and national galleries. She lives in Tucson, AZ.

Goodbye 2014

Another year nearly gone, they certainly whizz by faster as you get older. This year has been a quiet one for me really. I purposely did not do much travelling as I knew I'd need money for the next U2 tour. I did miss going away, I still get itchy feet once I've been home around three months and so have had cabin fever a few times this year! But the two short breaks I did have were lovely, I ticked something off my bucket list when I visited Stockholm in the summer. It was a place I've wanted to visit since my mid-teens and it didn't disappoint, such a beautiful city. The other short trip was to Bordeaux to celebrate my friend Debbi's official 50th birthday and we had a wonderful time and got to learn lots about wine making (and drinking) too!

The First Photo I Saw of Seamus

The highlight of my year was getting my new dog Seamus. I'd decided I wanted another dachshund and twice nearly got a rescue dog and, through no fault of mine, both times it didn't happen. The day after the second rescue fell through I saw lovely dachshund puppies advertised and I reserved one. I picked him up two weeks later and he has been a joy, very laid back and confident and rarely barks, unusual for a dachshund, but good as my other dachshund Pepsi can bark for two! Seamus makes me smile every day and is a sweet, loving boy and I now have a lovely canine gang.

Another highlight was my longest and closest friend got the all clear from breast cancer which was such a wonderful day and a huge relief. Health is everything really. You can have all the money in the world but if you haven't got your health that doesn't matter. I am lucky in that I am healthy, got minor problems like anyone my age would have, but nothing serious and I thanks heaven for that.

Biggest excitement was the new U2 album, Songs of Innocence and the tour announcement. It was a long time coming but worth the wait, U2 did what I've always wanted them to do - go back to their own Irish roots to look at how that formed them as people and as a band. I've always hoped for an album like this because I feel that the very fact they are Irish (or to be more accurate in the case of Edge and Adam) grew up in Ireland, is what makes them a special band. The result is a deeply personal, and at times moving, album that often lays Bono's soul bare as much of the lyrical content relates to his experiences. I always admire people who can do that, it's not an easy thing to open up innermost feelings like that to the

wide world. Lyrically too it is fantastic, some of the best for a long time. I was so glad that this album captured my heart again as the last few albums have been good but nothing special and I was drifting off a little, thinking they were past putting out an album would be able to excite and capture my heart again. But I was proved wrong, U2 can still surprise and delight me and I feel this album is very much for longtime fans like me, we understand where they are coming from with it. Now I can't wait to hear the new songs performed live because they always grow and develop in that setting. People have moaned about it being put in their Itunes purchases, but they didn't have to download it did they? Also, I have just got a new android phone and in the music app were quite a few songs that I had not put there that I could download if I wanted and had to delete, so it is a common thing.

Next year will be a busier one for me travel-wise, already got trips to London and Glasgow organised to see U2 and will be going to Dublin for shows there when they are announced. I will also be having a short break in Scotland with my cousin in the spring so lots to look forward to and I'll be writing about much of it here.

Thank you for reading my blog, and I wish you a happy and healthy 2015!

Christmas Rose

This is truly a Christmas rose, still in bloom in my garden on the 20th December, never known that before. Our winter so far has been very mild, only a couple of days ago it was 12c here which is very rare for northern England at this time of year. Our winters are definitely getting milder over the last few years. To be honest I don't really mind it when it is cold and icy because you often get blue skies and sunshine then whereas this milder weather usually means cloudy grey days which I hate. Anyway, it's early in the winter yet and all could change. And the good news is, after tomorrow's winter solstice, the days will be start getting longer again!

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

The Weeping Widow

I think most people have heard of the fabulous exhibition at the Tower of London called Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red (the title is taken from words found on the will of a soldier who died in Flanders).  It consisted of 888,246 ceramic poppies, one for each British and Colonial casualty of World War One. Such a simple concept that has captured the imagination of people world-wide. It has also re-connected us with that terrible war and the people, many our ancestors, who died in it. To see the carpet of poppies streaming out of window forming a sea of red around the moat of the Tower really brought home just how many people died, each poppy was a life lost. Unfortunately I could not go to see the installation in person before it closed on Remembrance Day, November 11th. But I was pleased to hear there will be national tour of the Weeping Widow and Wave parts of the installation from 2015 to 2018 after which the installations will be permanently exhibited at the Imperial War Museums in London and Manchester. Though these will not have the impact that original installation had, it will still be worth seeing and I will definitely go to see this when it come near where I live.

My Poppy

John Fell

However, I was one of the lucky people who was able to buy one of the poppies from the Tower, and it arrived not long after the installation closed. It is very beautiful and bigger than I expected and it now has pride of place in my living room. The poppies represent lives lost in World War One and I have dedicated my poppy to my great uncle John Fell who died in from wounds recieved at Ypres in 1915.

Exhibition - The Art of Remembering, Rheged Centre, Cumbria

My friend Marian and I went to visit The Art of Remembering exhibition at the Rheged Centre recently. Funded by the Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery fund it is described on Rheged's website in the following words:

The Art of Remembering is a new contemporary art exhibition supported by Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and developed by Rheged. It asks what emotional connection remains to the First World War, and looks at how we have memorialised the conflict over the past 100 years. The exhibition features new work by artists selected from a national call out and it includes four new artworks commissioned by Rheged especially for the occasion. The Art of Remembering asks questions about how we remember events collectively, and re-evaluate our moral and patriotic attitudes over time.

Downed by Al Johnson

It was a small exhibition using many mediums, ceramics, needlework, film, artwork and more. The first thing that caught my eye when I went in was a scarlet coloured crashed plane, this sculpture is called Downed by Al Johnson. Only when I got close to the sculpture I saw that the scarlet was made up of squares of knitting. It was quite a contrast, the blood red killing machine covered in soft fabric. The artist says that the piece 'references the cultural shifts in the perception of women, moving from the domestic sphere to munitions factory'. And is this area, skirting the English/Scottish border, there was indeed a massive munitions factory 12 miles long, with mainly female workers doing the dangerous work.

Sweethearts by Morwenna Catt

Another piece that caught my attention was some large fabric hearts called Sweethearts by Morwenna Catt. They hung on parachute-like cords from the ceiling and brought to mind the much smaller sweetheart cushions that recuperating soldiers used to make. They were made from vintage fabrics and pieces of soldiers' uniforms, some were embroidered with patterns and words. Black threads trailed to the floor from them like bleeding hearts, or threads of stories from 100 years ago....

I found it quite moving as I walked through the sweethearts and read what was embroidered on them. One had a Union Jack background with a photo-like image of three soldiers aiming rifles, 'Shot at Dawn' was embroidered on it in red.


The artist was inspired by her own family stories of relatives that fought in that terrible war. And now, all these years later, that is something that many of us can relate to, most of us had a relative that fought and sometimes died then, and so that conflict is still able to resonate in many people all these years later.

Another piece that caught my imagination was Tails You Lose by Dawn Cole. It was monochrome, in the form of a wreath, like those laid on Remembrance Day, but made up of hundreds of heated-treated foil and paper shillings instead of poppies, with wispy black threads hanging from it.

This work again was inspired by a relative of the artist, her great aunt, Clarice Spratling, whose diary had been found in an attic. Clarice was a nurse who joined the war effort and wrote about it in her diary. She had to pay one shilling to go, this reminded the artist of the King's Shilling when soldiers used to be paid a shilling to join up, though this had stopped by World War One. But during her research in Wimereux where Clarice was posted she found a headstone that had a rubbing of a 1915 shilling on top of it. I thought it was beautiful in it's

Tails You Lose by Dawn Cole

simplicity in silver and black and the interesting and moving story behind it. It reminded me that it was not just men and soldiers that went to war.

I enjoyed the whole exhibition, but have just picked my favourite pieces of work to fully review. It is interesting to note that most of the exhibitors were female.

I found The Art of Remembering very moving and it made me think and maybe understand just a little of what my grandfather and his brothers (one who did not survive) must have gone through. I think one of the things this exhibition was aiming to do was just that, make us think and remember. This was such a terrible war that it still affects us one hundred years later and changed the world forever.

If you want to see this free exhibition (you also get an excellent free catalogue) you haven't long to get there though, it closes on November 23rd.

Cafe Review - Peter Sidwell@Rheged Cafe

My friend Marian was staying with me for a while and we decided to visit Rheged. We were hungry
so decided to try chef Peter Sidwell's cafe there. It was quite small, but inviting. The menu was good with some more unusual items such a frittata, Persian lamb and cullen skink salmon on it and was reasonably priced.

For a while we just sat at our table waiting to be served, however you have to go to the counter to order, it would have been helpful to have a sign or state that on the menu to avoid confusion. As we were going out for a meal that night we didn't want something too big so both plumped for the Red Pepper and Feta Frittata topped with a Tomato and Herb Salad.When it arrived it was huge, light and fluffy and totally delicious, definitely the best frittata I've ever had. It was so big we both could not finish it all. I looked around at the other dishes arriving at tables and the food was of generous proportions and looked very good.

To sum up this was a cafe with some unusual dishes most of which had local ingredients. No dish on the lunch menu was more than £9.95 (our frittata was only £6.95). The quality of our food was excellent and it was perfectly cooked, we hadn't really expected such quality here. If you are visiting Rheged, it's well worth a visit.

Restaurant Review - L'Alysson, Rue St Remi, Bordeaux, France

Goats Cheese Entree

We had nowhere planned to eat on our second night in Bordeaux, but close to our apartment we saw a place down a nearby street that looked busy (always a good sign) so we had a look. L'Alysson Brasserie  was reasonably priced and it looked a nice place so we decided to try it. Again we decided to sit outside, a waitress came up to us and said, "You can sit 'ere, 'ere, or 'ere" pointing to various tables. However after sitting for a few minutes we realised it was a bit colder than the previous night so we decided to go inside. The waitress came along and went through the same routine, "You can sit 'ere, 'ere, or 'ere." We chose a table, I noticed the floor inside was covered in beautiful tiles.

We ended up ordering the same things. We had goats cheese on ciabatta as our entree. It was a large portion, a stack of two pieces of ciabatta with two large portions of goats cheese and a slice of ham, salad with half a boiled egg all sprinkled with roasted almonds. It was very good - and filling!

Ribeye Steak Main

For the main course we had a ribeye steak with frites, onions and salad. The steak was huge and the pile of fries would have kept me going for a few days I'm sure! The steak was very tender and cooked perfectly. I've got a good appetite but I couldn't finish the meal, nor could Debbi. We washed it down with a bottle of wine called Nodez which was better than the one we had the previous night. The desserts looked fantastic but unfortunately we had not the slightest bit of room for one!

The food was good, nothing fancy, but good plain cooking and there's nothing wrong with that. Service was friendly and the ambiance was relaxed and comfortable. It was also reasonably priced - around half the cost of Le Bordeaux where we had dined the previous night. We both enjoyed our evening there very much.

Address:  64 Rue St Remi, 33000 Bordeaux, France
Website:  L'Alysson Brasserie (this website appears to be under construction)

L'Alysson Brasserie (photo from website)

Restaurant Review - Le Bordeaux, Place de la Comedie, Bordeaux, France

This restaurant is situated in The Grand Hotel de Bordeaux in the centre of the city and has seating inside and outside, as it was a balmy late September evening Debbi and I decided to sit outside.

Le Grand Hotel de Bordeaux

We were given a menu in both French and English and while we perused it a huge basket of bread was placed on the table. We both ended up having the same for each course, (not something we normally do) starting with a volute of creamy cep with flowing egg (think that meant having a runny yolk!) with Bordelaise sauce and ginger croutons. It was rich and delicious.

For the main we had Rolled and stuffed Faverolle chicken with garlic porcini and chanterelle mushrooms, countryside bacon and fresh hazelnuts. Again it was very good, though I could have done with some potatoes with it. We were getting a bit mushroomed out, but it was lovely!

Dessert was a pistachio mousse, reconstituted pistachios, confit raspberries, fresh raspberries, a pistachio crumb and a sugar flower. It was a work of art on a plate and it seemed a shame to destroy the it. It was a fabulous dessert, a perfect combination of tangy raspberries and sweet mousse.

We had chosen one of the cheaper wines to accompany the meal, it was ok but not really to our taste.

Our Dessert

I know it's sacrilege, but, shhh, we are not the biggest fans of French red wine.

The service was friendly and efficient and courses came with just the right timing. The bread was refilled regularly, wish they would do that here!

The ambiance was perfect, the beautiful Opera was all lit up opposite, a busker was singing in English nearby and it was a perfect place to people-watch. It was so relaxing just to soak in the French atmosphere of the place that we both love so much. Seats were comfortable and the tables were well spaced to give privacy.

Le Bordeaux is an expensive restaurant, normally well beyond our means, but we decided to treat ourselves that night and didn't regret doing so.

Address:  Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux & Spa
                2-5 Place de la Comédie
                33000 Bordeaux – France

Website: Le Bordeaux

Bordeaux 3 - Chateau Feely, Haut Garrigue, Winemaker for a Day

We were up at 6am and on our way to the tram before 7am. Today we were going to Feely Wine, Haut Garrigue at  Saussignac to learn all about wine making and then make our own blend and bottle, cork and label it

We wrestled with the tram ticket machine eventually working it out and got our tickets and go it on the C tram to the Saint Jean railway station. Once there again it was a battle with a ticket machine - this time the machine defeated us so we found the ticket office and got our tickets there, good job we gave ourselves plenty of time!

Saussignac Chateau through the Vineyards

The train set off on time at 8am and as we glided east through the Bordeaux suburbs we munched on our delicious breakfast croissants. Soon we were passing acres of vineyards and famous station names such as St Emilion. After just over an hour we arrived at Gardonne, where we were getting off and being met by Caro Feely who was running our tour.

She was a warm, effervescent, chatty woman who was very organised. She and her husband Sean are from South Africa via Dublin, they are both have Irish Ancestry. They gave up high powered jobs about ten years ago to follow their dream of having their own vineyard in France. There were many trials and tribulations, well documented in Caro's book Grape Expectations about their early days in France. I had read the book and found knowing something about the background to this vineyard really added to the experience.

Haut Garrigue

Merlot Grapes on the Vine

The organic and bio-dynamic vineyard was only a few kilometers from Gardonne and Saussignac and its lovely chateau was just a short distance across the vineyard. Haut Garrigue was a delightful white farmhouse with bright blue shutters, surrounded by vineyards and had a fantastic view down across the valley, the Dordogne River shimmered in the distance. There also was a beautiful newly built gite that you can stay in, a tasting room and the working areas of a winery.

Caro Uncorking Wine in the Tasting Room

There were twelve people from various countries, the UK, US, Japan and France. Caro started by telling a bit about organic and bio-dynamic wine making as we wandered through the vineyards. Some of the stories she told us about pesticides etc used in some vineyards was plain scary. We sampled various types of grapes straight off the vines (totally safe as there were no pesticide used) and it was fascinating just how different tastes they had. It was very pleasant wandering around the vineyard, Caro took us at a leisurely pace so we did not feel at all rushed. The initially rather overcast weather broke out into a beautiful warm and sunny day, perfect! Walking around the vineyards took me back many, many years to when I was 21 and went grape picking in a place not that far from here, Bize-Minervois. It was a small, traditional village, no one spoke English and in the weeks I was there my French improved vastly. The actual work in the vineyards was relentless, hot and back breaking. We worked non-stop from 7-11, had a break during the hottest time of day and then another four hours work from 2-6. We could not stop for a minute, otherwise "Vite, vite" was shouted by the overseers. Pay was good, and we also had a litre of wine a day as part of our payment! I think it is the hardest I've ever worked, but it was an amazing experience. And here I was again decades later wandering round a vineyard, but in much easier circumstances!

The Menu

After the walk we went into the tasting room, neatly set out for us with glistening glasses and buckets to spit the wine we were tasting in (I've forgotten the proper name.) However Debbi and I did not use the buckets we were going to enjoy every drop of the wine! We tried a few white and red wines made at Haut Garrigue, I really liked the white ones which surprised me as I'm not that into white wine. Caro told us more about their vineyard and wine making, she was very good at this and made it fascinating to listen to and her enthusiasm was infectious.


By 12 noon we were feeling the effects of the wine a bit, after all we'd been up since 6am and only had a croissant since, so we were ready for lunch. Rather than write what we had down I've added the photo of the menu above. These items, beautifully presented, were served with unlimited delicious bread and salad and more wine. The pairing of food and wine was fascinating, anyone who knows me

Lunch

knows I don't like blue cheeses. Roquefort was served along with the Feely Saussignac dessert white (the latter is something I had not had before) and I loved the combination, the cheese tasted so different, the saltiness came through more strongly and the "mouldy" taste (which is what I don't like about those cheeses) was very much in the background. I loved the cheese and the dessert wine when served together. This was my second wine revelation of this holiday! Caro left us to take our time over lunch, we took our time and chatted to the other people there, who were friendly, some having travel lifestyles which I could only dream of.

At around 2pm, some of the people left and those of us who were on the Winemaker for the Day tour stayed on to make our own blend of wine. Caro, well organised as ever, gave us aprons that we could keep along with three bottles of wine to blend according to our own taste. We had fun tasting and mixing the wine, Debbi bottled, I did the labels and we both had a go with the manual corking machine to cork our individual bottles. Finally we chose copper foil caps and that was it, we'd created

Our Wines!

our own bottles of wine, Chateau Susanna and Chateau Voisey (the latter sounding very good as it's a French name!)

Around 4pm we got ready to leave, we'd had a a wonderful day. We'd learned so much, had fun and blended our own wine. It was also a very relaxing day, nothing was rushed which was lovely, we were really able to take in the whole ambiance of the place. It had been hard for Sean and Caro in the early days, but having visited Haut Garrigue I can see why they fought to succeed, it is truly an enchanted place. A stay at the gite much be fabulous! Their wines and tours have won awards and they are well deserved. You can see the full list of their tours French Wine Adventures.

Sean drove us to the airport and we had a 20 minute wait for the train back to Bordeaux. It was incredibly quiet at the station, there is a peace about this area. The train back was busy, Some people were speaking English opposite us and I heard the man mention my home city, it's a small world!

We got home about 6pm. We didn't go out, instead we had some nibbles and the wine we had blended (we could not take the wine home as we had cabin luggage only) and of course, celebrate Debbi's official 50th birthday. We had a lovely relaxing evening and we both agreed our own wine was absolutely delicious! It was a good way to end our short, but busy trip to Bordeaux.

Bordeaux 2 - Exploring the City - A Water Mirror, Great Bell and Roman Amphitheatre, Plus Some Wine Magic!

We had a lie in today, I was looking forward to a freshly baked baguette for breakfast from the baker just a couple of doors up from us, but it was Sunday and it was closed! Today was our traditional lazy day, when we just drift from place to place sampling the wine and food. We walked the short distance to the Place de la Comedie and found a table at a cafe (sorry didn't note it's name) on Cours du Chapeau Rouge. We had brunch of the hugest and truly delicious croque monsieur whilst watching life go by.

Aperol Prosecco

Afterwards we walked the short distance to the Tourist Office to buy tickets for the city sightseeing tour. We did that and had a bit of time to spare before the tour left so we walked back to the Place de la Comedie and found a seat under the impressive colonnade of the Grand Theatre cafe. We had an Aperol Prosecco which is a lovely refreshing mix of Aperol orange liquor, Prosecco and soda water, new to us both and much enjoyed!

We went to catch the bus tour and the bus drove through the Esplanade des Quinconces, the largest public square in Europe, dominated by a column with a golden statue of Liberty breaking her chains. Below this was a bronze fountain with horses rearing out of the water. During the war these were hidden by the Resistance in order to protect them.

The bus continued on towards the banks of the mighty Garonne River. At  Bordeaux the river is very wide and brown in colour, the river has a tidal surge and the brownness is silt brought in on these tides. We passed the Place de la Bourse built in the 18th century as the medieval city broke through the old city walls and expanded. The fountain of the Three Graces was erected in 1869 and one of the figures is said to have been modelled on Queen Victoria though I'm sure she wouldn't have approved of their nakedness!

We passed the Mirror d'Eau, the water mirror, a large area of granite and with water fountains that create alternately mirror-like and then mist-like illusions.

Next we see an impressive part of medieval Bordeaux the Porte Cailhau built in 1494 and remains almost unaltered since then. We continued on and then crossed the Garonne via the Pont de Pierre.

Grosse Cloche

Place de la Bourse

This was the first bridge to be built over the river, the very wideness of which made it difficult to span the river. But Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned the building after having to ferry soldiers across the river in boats on a march down to Spain. The bridge was opened in 1822 a year after Napoleon's death. It has 17 spans which is rumoured to be one span for each letter in Napoleon's name.

On the way back over the bridge we had a wonderful view of the the buildings on Bordeaux's river front. We passed through the Porte de Bourgogne and soon passed the Grosse Cloche, the Big Bell. the bell housed in a beautiful double turreted gateway. There is an inscription in the bell that reads: "I ring the hours and my voice is a call to arms, (…) I sing for happy events and weep for the dead".

On we went and passed the Cathédrale Saint-André, consecrated in 1096. Then we passed the Porte Dijeaux, one of the gates to the old city, and on to the Place Gambetta. The next place of interest was Palais Gallien the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre. It was surprising to find this in the centre of Bordeaux! It is thought to have been built in the second century AD when the city was occupied by the Romans and called Burdigala. there was a lovely little garden in front of it where people were relaxing. After that we continued past the Jardin Public that looked like a beautiful oasis in the middle of the city. 

Palais Gallien

We were dropped off and then told to go across the road to Bordeaux Magnum, a wine shop, for a tasting. We had the chance to taste one wine free and I didn't like it, it was full of tannins and smokey, just what I don't like in French wine. The man must have seen my face as I tasted as he asked if I would like the tannins taken out of the wine and of course I said yes, having no idea how that would be achieved. He got out a small item that was a wine aerator, which apparently mixes oxygen with air at precisely the right rate. Well if I had not seen him pour my wine through the aerator and hand it back to me I would have thought he'd given me a different wine! Debbi said my face was a picture. It was so much smoother and more to my taste, you learn something every day!

Me outside Maison Magnum!

We both really enjoyed the tour, Bordeaux has some amazing architecture and fully deserves its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

We headed back to the apartment and freshened up. We set out for our evening meal quite early as we had a very early start the next day. We went to a restaurant called L'Allyson very close by as it had a good menu at reasonable prices. And it turned out to be a fabulous meal and our rib-eye steaks were the hugest I've ever seen, tender too. I will do a full, separate review of the restaurant on this blog soon.

Once home we relaxed over a glass of wine on our balcony overlooking Rue Sainte-Catherine and chatted as we watched the people passing by below. I could get used to this life!