@MannGeorgia Wow, #OlaGjello, "Across the Lake", transfixed me in the same way upon hearing Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. (Third Programme 1963). Transported me onto a frozen Lake Kilpisjärvi in northern Finland (1995) where I discovered cross country skiing.
My first job on leaving school was as a Student Civll Engineer working for the London Midland Region, LMR. The first 6 months were spent in a drawing office very close to Mornington Crescent underground station. After acquiring the drawing skills needed I was then transferred to the bridge section in Stephenson House near Euston Station.
Access to the original drawings like the one shown below was an every day experience for all of us.
It was always a highlight of the day if an original by Stephenson himself came to hand.
We are a national research centre based at the University of Leeds. Our core partners are The Audience Agency, The University of Liverpool, The University of Sheffield and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
We are funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council, Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation over five years.
What we do
We work alongside cultural practitioners and organisations, academics, funders and policymakers to:
Summarise existing evidence to make relevant research more accessible
Support the cultural sector to develop skills in research, evaluation and reflective practice
Convene discussions around questions of cultural value
Shape policy development
Offer funding for research partnerships through our Collaborate fund
Tuesday 17 January 2023
Mea culpa
Oops. I got it wrong on my Monday post, on reflection I should have written, 'The sight of a major snow fall in Formby is uncommon '.
I promise to be more precise next time.
Monday 16 January 2023
Rare Weather Forecast for Formby?
The sight of snow in Formby is uncommon. I've lived here since 1972 and major disruption to life in Formby can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
I await the outcome of this forecast with a degree of scepticism.
The Met Office has put a yellow warning in place for ice but there's also warning of wintry conditions https://t.co/7EnSVuj9Ob
Too many of us take little or no notice of trees in our environment. I suppose it has something to do with the idea of 'familiarity breeds contempt', trees are simply there and after a while we hardly notice them.
The longevity of trees also plays its part, trees live out their lives to a much longer timeline. We live busy quick lives, we literally 'don’t have time for them'.
Unless someone threatens to cut them down then we often spring into action.
Ask yourself what do know we really about them. Have a look at the following does this surprise you?
Studies show: Trees are the true air conditioners. Under a tree, the temperature can be 15 C° cooler than measured in the ambient air. Shade and evaporation create the same effect as a conventional A/C, but without electricity. A tree produces about 20-30 KW/h, as much as ten A/C pic.twitter.com/wi8B3to2TD
Reflect, a small tree of only about 20 m in height produces about 10,000 l of oxygen/day. That is enough for 5 to 10 people, who each need 500 to 2,000 l of oxygen/day. Have a blessed rest of the day. ❤️💙💚🤗 pic.twitter.com/6Vto9rr0Na
I spotted this video by Sarah Scott while browsing the web. It was just too good to ignore. Enjoy Sarah's celebration of the natural world.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Its a breath of fresh air during this period of miserable weather.
I'm fortunate to live locally to pine woodlands that are home to red squirrels and earlier last year I made this short film about the magic of being in nature.
Sarah Scott
Saturday 13 January 2023
Chinese New Year in Liverpool
Sadly I haven't enjoyed a Chinese New Year in Liverpool since 2017. On that occasion it began with a Dragon procession from close to the Pagoda in Liverpool.
The crowds were huge but cheerful and well ordered. Finally after a powerful series of deafening crackers exploding at various points the procession finished at Great George Square.
This year is a celebration of the year of the rabbit. Here in Liverpool I'm sure the festival will be equal if not better than previous years.
2023 sees in the Year of the Rabbit, which begins on January 22.
In Chinese culture, the Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity. 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope.
People born in the Year of the Rabbit are believed to be vigilant, witty, quick-minded and ingenious.
Do go, you'll not regret it.
🎉 | Liverpool’s Chinatown is set to be a festival of colour and sound this January as it welcomes the Year of the Rabbit. #ChineseNewYear 🐰
Beat the January blues and kick start your 2023 by taking time out to enjoy Formby’s wonderful wildlife. Join Paul our Community and Participation Manager on this short and gentle walk - a great way to boost your well-being by connecting with nature and people.
What a fantastic project. I wonder whether Sefton Council would get involved?
A simple way street-trees🌳improve our health is by encourage #walking🚶
We like being in tree-lined streets. Trees separate us from the roadway. Encourage slower driving 🚗 offer shade in summer, stunning colour in Autumn and absorb pollution
WEEKEND!!! Time for yourself and your loved ones. How about a concert of nature for body and soul with flowing bubbling water, birdsong, rustling leaves? A wonderful good morning and a blessed day to my beloved and much appreciated fellow inhabitants of planet Earth. ❤️🍀🌳🌲🌱💚 pic.twitter.com/mAkFsFiNCM
If you look it up on Google you'll find an extensive article on the Wikipedia website. Here's an extract:
While other forms of graffiti may be expressive, decorative, territorial, socio-political commentary, advertising or vandalism, yarn bombing was initially almost exclusively about reclaiming and personalizing sterile or cold public places.[1] It has since developed with groups graffiti knitting and crocheting worldwide, each with their own agendas and public graffiti knitting projects being run.[2