Boats, Blooms, Birds...

This time last year, the Scillonian III whisked (or rocked!) Karen and me away for a very special week on the Scilly Isles. This week has been very sad and similarly our trip last year was in the aftermath of my Father's death but despite this we found our little holiday very uplifting and it is with great fondness that I find myself looking back at it.

Our guest house was just along this tiny lane...

...with a gorgeous view across the bay which emptied almost completely of water at low tide.

The atmosphere of the whole place was truly unforgettable. I felt that even many of the mad-made things added positively to this feel - not least all the boats!

Even 'retired' vessels get put to good use!

The islands were adorned with stunning flowers and we especially loved these Whistling Jacks (a type of Gladioli).

The Scillies are famous for birds. Many of the common residents, like the Backbird and this Song Thrush, seem to have no fear of man and are surprisingly tame. Also, as these islands lie 28 miles off Land's End and right out into the North Atlantic Ocean, they are possibly the best place in the UK to see more unusual migrants and we were delighted to see plenty of interesting visitors including a Woodchat Shrike and a Golden Oriole. 

Not forgetting more familiar migrants like this beautiful Swallow

Last year we celebrated 25 years of the best imaginable marriage and our trip was part of this celebration for us. So we made sure we enjoyed eating out at restaurants, visits to a lovely pub near to where we were staying (on St Mary's), lovely walks, trips to amazing gardens...

...enjoying the scenery...

..and, of course, painting it. Here I photographed the painting, scene and artist in the one shot - I'm always envious of Karen's spontaneous style and instinctive use of colours.

Our last day (exactly a year ago today) we didn't have time for 'island-hopping' but we found a little studio that were happy to give us a lesson in lino-cutting. Karen did these Whistling Jacks - such a pleasing and well balanced design that was not too cluttered either.

I used this photo (taken the day before) because I thought that simplifying the strong shadows might be quite effective on a lino cut.

(sorry it's rather a dull photo - it should be black and wight - and straight!!)

Finally, I painted Karen this card for Valentines Day this year.
I couldn't resist reminding her of our unforgettable adventure and sharing it with a truly amazing lady!

Truly Heartbreaking

Words like heartbreak and tragic are so often overused (especially in sport) but unfortunately, this time they are sadly all too appropriate. I painted this card for my friend and work colleague Jim and his family. As a gesture it seems totally inadequate in the circumstances; his young wife is extremely poorly at a nearby hospice suffering from an inoperable brain tumour. A few weeks ago, Jim had to wean their baby onto bottles and now his wife is drifting in and out of consciousness. Please remember them in your prayers.

18th May 2012
Sadly, Jana died this morning.

No apologies for another 'Walk Post'

 

Above: It was a walk full of Spring flowers.
Left: Ah, the joys of a drought!
Below: The Bluebells stole the show again for me.

Our first Cowslips of the year - and a wild Strawberry.

  

Ok, which do you prefer - the mown strip on the left or the 'weeds' on the right?

Well our 'strapped-for-cash' council obviously prefers the mown side - so much so that they are prepared to pay three guys with strimmers and mower to create it!!
 

 Ah well, we never tire of these fabulous views at the top...

... and to think, when we were children we used to walk up  this slope.

Makes me tired just thinking about it!

 All good things come to an end - time to walk back home.
 

My Favourite Lunch-time Walk

My walks from the workshop this week were such a delight,

I thought I'd share some pictures - taken in 'walk order'.
  

From the workshop drive, I cross Tilburstow Hill Road and take the footpath opposite.

I was delighted this week, to flush two Red-legged Partridges - ages since I last saw some here.
I heard a Little Owl 'yapping' in the distance.

I then arrive at this view; I love the way the countryside disappears off into the distance.
  

  

These shots hint at this weeks typical April weather.

Showery (even hail at one point) and at other times, lovely sunshine with billowing clouds.

In the hedgerow behind, you can even see Buckthorn blossom just coming out. Below, it was nice to get a picture of the funny bunny with blue sky!
  

  

 These days, it seems there is always one or two Buzzards circling high around here. But my bird of the week was an unexpected Raven, located first by hearing its characteristic 'grok, grok' call. A short way up this tiny lane gives amazing views in all directions. ...
  

...including this very old cottage.
  

 

Along this footpath, which is quite elevated, I have fabulous views to the right

and pretty woodland on the left.

  The highlight for me at this time of year are the carpets of Bluebells. If you look back to 14th January, you will see Karen and I found one in flower - many months earlier than should be, but now is the right time and they are coming out in their thousands. Their blue colour has a superb tinge of lavender and over the next week or two, the sight will get evermore glorious!

 

The Wood Anemones are also beginning to appear.

I like the old and new combination of this.

If I were a horse, I couldn't wish to live in a more idyllic spot!

 Finally, the pathway returns to Tilburstow Hill Road and a short wander back down to the workshop...



 ...passing the pub on the way - sadly no time to stop!! Whenever any of us has a birthday (or any other excuse we can think of), this is inevitably where we find orselves.

Finally, I couldn't get a sunnier shot, but you can just see the workshop right in the middle.
  

Speed Carving!

A couple of weeks ago, a friend made this video of 'yours truly' carving a harp 'knuckle'. The time lapse makes it look as though I'd just downed several hundred Pepsis! Seriously though, I'm very pleased with the final result and I plan to make a link to it from our Pilgrim Harps website. Shaping the knuckle is a very satisfying task as for me, it's the point at which the neck/pillar part is fitted to the soundbox and it really starts to become a harp. Hope you enjoy it!

A Bunny for Easter?

This giant green bunny is on one of my favourite lunch time walks from the workshop and it always brings a smile to my face. If you click on the picture it should bring up a larger version and you might just be able to make out the stile I aim for. I can either cross it to walk up to surely one of the quietest lanes in Surrey (you even have to get out of the car to open a gate to drive part of it!) or I just sit for a short time on the stile before walking back to work. However, given the precarious location of this particular stile, I could end up with a giant sized 'currant' deposited on my head. You could say it's rather topical for this time of year but bunnies have very little to do with the real celebration of Easter. Though it hasn't escaped totally unscathed, I'm glad that Easter Day isn't quite as commercial as Christmas Day because to me it is even more important and the day with the most to celebrate. Happy Easter!

Today at the workshop

Not exactly an 'outdoors' post this, but I thought my blogging friends might be interested to see this rather poorly harp that I started working on today.
The soundboard of this 'Grecian' pedal harp has seen better days, and there are two reasons why. The main one being that this harp is around 180 years old, but secondly, it had been strung with modern concert harp, wires which had put far too much load on it.

Here, I have removed the 'top strips' which run down either side of the soundbox, to reveal the screws helping to hold the soundboard on. I have also cut with a hand saw down either side of the centre strip.

Actually, this old soundboard had lasted very well. With a harp of this age I was expecting to see 'tell-tale' extra screw holes from one or two previous boards. As there were none, this proves that it was the original soundboard - quite unusual. The whole body had been glued using animal glue which had broken down to a certain extent. However, this meant that I could carefully remove the old struts (shown here) from the back of the soundboard to re-use on the new one.

The screws look hand-made as they are all different sizes and the slots are not always running right down the middle!

The holes at the back of the soundbox literally let the sound out. But one side of the body had parted company with the supporting ribs. I could push a shim of metal behind them.

So the last thing I could do to it today was to glue and cramp it all back. The glue I used is extremely strong (much better than the old animal glue)