Biddulph Grange Video

 https://youtu.be/F8UBVSBS9i8

Albert Camus QUOTE

Intensity 

Live to the point of tears.

Desire for meaning in a meaningless world.

Rebellion - fight injustice.

Hubris - excessive pride or self confidence

 

 

Christopher Hitchens

 Does this have resonance today?

The following is a quote from Christopher Hitchen's autobiography "Hitch 22" which was published in 2010. 

James Fenton was the winner of the Newdigate poetry prize for the sonnet sequence titled, "Our Western Furniture". On the cover of the first published version was a paragraph from Commodore Perry's * report to Congress in1856.

"It seems to me," opined the gallant commander: that the people of America will, in some form or another extend their dominion and their power, until they shall have placed the Saxon race upon the shores of Asia. I think too that Eastward and Southward will her great rival in future aggrandisement (Russia) stretch forth her power to the coast of China and Siam and thus the Saxon and the Cossack will meet .... Will it be in friendship?  I fear not!  will the world look with breathless interest; The antagonistic exponents of freedom and absolutism must thus meet at last and then will be fought the mighty battle on which the world will look with breathless interest; for on its issue the freedom of the world will depend."

* Matthew Calbraith Perry was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican American War. He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854. Wikipedia

Reawakening Pottery

 Re-awakening 

This was a difficult topic for me. I can remember being told frequently as a child, " You are in for a rude awakening my girl."  Is remembering the same as re-awakening? Returning to Kidsgrove my birth town after living in France I began a new blog which is called Living Life in Reverse because everyday I am reminded of the 60 years I lived here. The houses I lived in are still here. The school I taught in has been demolished and replaced. The Leisure Centre no longer exists.The shopping experience has completely changed. The old railway line has been transformed into a tree lined walkway. Some of this is positive and some negative.  I arrived just before the first lockdown and I was taken to a grand exhibition in Stoke called the British Ceramics Biennial. Then the pandemic arrived and all thoughts of exhibitions, eating out, theatre visits, sporting events and even shopping were put on hold. 

 Last week  however I experienced a true re-awakening  when I visited the Gladstone Pottery Museum. I am a Potteries girl. My sister was a figure paint-tress at Royal Doulton's. My mother and I always turned over the figures in shops to search for my sister's initials. My next door neighbour worked in the clay-end and frequently regaled us with stories from the clay-face. My first job when leaving school was lab assistant at the British Ceramic Research Association. I worked in the plaster lab. We were researching how to make plaster moulds last longer. I had to go to college to two afternoons and three evenings a week to study pottery. 

My main subject at college was pottery. In the college holidays I did a stint at Meakins, scrubbing gold off hollowware. When I was a teacher I went to pottery classes for teachers one evening a week. When I was in France I went to pottery classes. The corny cliché applies to me you can take the girl out of the Potteries but you can't take the Potteries out of the girl.

Oh and of course I have watched every episode of "The Great Pottery Throw Down" twice. Although I didn't cry not even once. 

I have considered pottery classes but--well-- you know the old arthritis in my fingers makes it a no-no.

P.S. The TV programme "What's my line" had a contestant who was a saggar maker and the following week he had a saggar maker's bottom knocker. I watched the programme in our next door neighbour's house. He said " Oh yes that's Jim Jones he knocks bottoms for Jack Hancock."

Blue

 Blue was the sky on her wedding day.

Blue were the flowers in her bouquet.

Blue bruises were evidence of last evenings fight.

Blue were the lights that came into sight.

Blue were the eyes which sparkled with tears.

But white was the dress she'd saved all those years.

 

Mslexia Again

This was emailed to Mslexia   02/03/22 

It happens every time Mslexia arrives. I am inspired to write. 

So the latest in fiction is "Up-lit" is it?  No more misery memoirs then. I no longer want to know what the "latest is". I do not want to write in a certain genre because it is the latest. I do not want to be boxed to suit the publishers. 

I no longer want to be published. I never did. OK I lie. There was a short time when I thought that maybe? - or- perhaps? - or - well you never know? Then I read some where that J K Rowling's work was rejected 12 times before it was finally accepted.  I knew that I could never be a professional writer so I contented myself with self publishing. I entered minor competitions where I had some success. I had a few letters published in magazines. I also derived great satisfaction from reading my work to the writing groups of which I was a member.

So to continue with Mslexia's inspiration in this issue. (March April May 2022)

Extraordinary in the ordinary.   This was a sub heading in the piece about "up-lit ".  I wonder from where this expression was derived..

I love the term that Arnold Bennett used, "The interestingness of ordinariness".  I know it's clumsy but I have used it frequently.

In fact I used it on 14/08/2021 in an email to Mslexia which included

 a piece that I had written--

         Rainbow Woman I am Not

I am not an exciting, brilliant red woman,

nor a dynamic, energetic orange woman.

I am not a shining, beaming yellow woman,

nor a peaceful, calming green woman.

I am not a communicative, opinionated blue woman,

nor a shadowy, spiritual purple woman.

nor  a dainty, blushing pink woman.

I am a plain, ordinary, BEIGE woman.

BUT Arnold Bennet said that he was fascinated by

"The interestingness of ordinariness".

     by Jean Wild

I know the piece was run of the mill or even a bit pathetic but I note that the quote was, shall I say, useful?

Oh, and by the way I should come clean. I have many pseudonyms. Mostly I use Fleure Sauvage when I blog about gardening.  Jean Wild is my writer's name.  I have been over the years Victoria Richards, Victoria Wild and any combination I cared to use.  I have a few email addresses. 

wildjean@hotmail.com

fleuresauvage@gmail.com

fredabateman22@gmail.com

and the one I used to subscribe to Mslexia  vickbateman@hotmail.com

These days I sign,  

Keep safe,

Freda Bateman

P.S. My self published book is called,

The Sarah Wainwright Story: Extraordinary Episodes from the Life of an Ordinary Woman

by 

Jean Wild

SENSES

Seeing *, hearing *, smelling *, 

tasting *, touching *. 

The surface shimmers like jewels. 

Shivering I dip my toes into the icy water. 

My feet feel the sharp shingles. 

Goose bumps appear on my arms. 

The roaring waves break and smash onto the rocks.

 A  silver spray reaches my nostrils and lips.

I smell the salt. I run my tongue over my lips to taste it.

Walking deeper into the waves the icy water creeps up my legs, then my body. I dip down until the water engulfs me.  I leap up and shake my head and watch the sparkling droplets fly around me like stars.