Big Ben



Hope all is well I know it’s really cold where you are I think it’s global as the temperatures have really dropped here. So hats jumpers and scarves are required.
I read a wonderful story about the famous British clock Big Ben.
A tiny village Dacre in the Lake District became home to Big Ben. The Lake District is usually associated with Beatrix Potter, sheep and lakes, suddenly became a place of secrecy more like a spy story. The clock was hidden in a converted cowshed for three years, whilst a team of clock makers restored it.
The clock making company Keith Scobie- Youngs were given the restoration task they had to work with more than 1000 pieces. In order to keep the clock safe all the road signs leading to the village were removed and the villagers were sworn to secrecy. Whilst the clock was being restored a temporary replica was still operating in London.
Remarkable in this time of social media that the secret could be kept. So all turned out well in the end.
Bloggers keep warm and safe over and out London.









Sent from my iPad

Swans


I hope that you are all keeping well, I’m sorry to be repetitive but another dreary grey day here. Leaves are still on the trees so we have colour and of course Christmas decorations have appeared. I was reading about England’s most popular birds and apparently swans are one. So I was saddened to read an article to find that in Stratford upon Avon many swans and cygnets have died due to swine flu. It is said it’s more noticeable when swans die as they are so large. The deaths occurred in the Mute swans, though they don’t live up to the name mutebut less so than another variety of swans called Whoopers. Whoopers are named because of their loud honking noise.
Swans due to legislation in the 1200s belong to the crown, this is because at that time they were a prized dish to eat. In 1980 they became a protected species. They are a fascinating bird, they are one of the heaviest flying birds their wing span is 10 feet. They are said to mate for life. They have a reputation for being aggressive but this is only in the mating season as they are protecting their young, they are in fact very tame.
Cygnus is the Latin word for swan and there is a constellation called this, it is also known as the Northern Cross. In Greek mythology Orpheus was transformed into a swan after his death.
Swans are also frequently celebrated in the arts, Tchaikovsky’s Swanlake is one of the most frequently performed ballets in the world. One of my favourites is Hans Christian Andersen’s tale the Ugly Duckling. So here’s hoping that there aren’t too many more deaths.
Bloggers have a good week over and out London.















Sent from my iPad

Design


I hope that you are all doing well goodness me it’s cold here and another grey November day . The leaves are still hanging on but I’m guessing that they will fall soon.
So COP 26 seems over. Interestingly enough I had no idea what the initials sound for so thank goodness for google. COP stands for Conference of Parties. 197 nations agreeing to a new environmental pact. It doesn’t seem to have gone as many people wanted it to. So I was pleasantly surprised when I heard about a new exhibition that is opening in London’s design museum. It’s to do with waste and our relationship to it. Waste being a huge problem how can it be fixed.
The design museum was originally set up in the 1940s and in 2008 the museum was moved from east London to central London High Street Kensington, the famous designer Terence Conran was very involved in the new museum.
The exhibition aims to show the work of new design visionaries pioneering new ways to repurpose left over materials and how waste can be reused for design and changing society’s attitude it. Waste is an enormous problem for the environment so the designers aim to change from our attitude that when we think things are et end of their life and so should be discarded to it how can they used for a new purpose.
Some designers work explored working with using actual waste, agriculture and fishing waste turning them into such things as furniture.
The designers think that design helped create the problem of a wasteful throw it away society and they need towards rebuilding a cleaner future.
I found this idea very positive.
Bloggers have a good week keep warm over and out London.











Sent from my iPad