Chalk & Ice

One of the highlights last year was the adventure to East Sussex and the marvellous Peggy Angus exhibition at the Towner gallery in Eastbourne. This was followed by a visit to the wonderful Furlongs where Peggy lived and Ravilious visited so often - friend Demus and I were invited to walk around the garden after finding the property by its lovely understanding owner. We pictured some of the scenes ER painted and looked at from his very sitting / painting position.

Furlongs - 1934

Furlongs - 2014

You can still listen to the splendid BBC Radio 3 Sunday Feature: Chalk and Ice (by clicking this link) which was aired back in February and if you haven't done so you may like to squeeze in a visit to the Dulwich Picture Gallery where a huge exhibition of the great mans work is showing until 31st August - we are hatching another adventure to visit that in the coming weeks.

The old saying goes - take only memories and leave only footprints - I always have this in the back of my mind, but I did actually pick up a fallen cobble which was hidden in the grass. It now rests on my desk as a paperweight and something to fondle as a memory of this treasured corner of England.

Ouses, ouses, ouses

Grace and beauty in these chalk hills

Sometimes I think it's just meant to be. A rummage through an interesting box on a market stall sometimes unearths treasure. It did the other week. A set of War Office and Air Ministry OS sheets of the South Coast, some covering my most favourite folds of coast and countryside. 

The lovely curl of the Downs

Look at some of the locations here in darkest East Sussex so favoured by Ravilious and if you look closer you may find more..............Iv'e given you a soundtrack too while you explore the lovely curl of the Downs.  

You can judge a beer by its label

I admit, on this occasion, I did buy this beer because of the label. It's so simple and the colouring is superb - blue on yellow and uncluttered. Simply states: Contains malted barley! A lovely light snifter at 3.2% ABV from our local brewery. Nice yellow cap too. Would go very nicely with a bag of chips I thought - wrapped in newspaper of course. I make no apologies for the glass.

Talking of beer labels, I have been searching for the labels created by Edward Bawden for an age. He did them in the 1950's I think. The brewery was Walkers of Warrington who brewed a lovely sounding Brown Peter Ale. Anyhow, with the wonders of modern technology I have unearthed them here along with some other quite lovely EB items for your edification.

Peggy's place

Furlongs 1953 - Edwin Smith

Furlongs 1961 - Edwin Smith

Farewell Winter

Walter E Spradbery 1936 - Curwen Press

Betty Swanwick 1936 - Curwen Press

Ugo Mochi 1923 - Curwen Press

Unknown Artist 1923 - Curwen Press

Barnett Freedman 1936 - Curwen Press

Barnett Freedman 1936 - Curwen Press

Friend or foe?

There are few in the world of angling who understandably see the otter as foe, but many a day riverside has been enhanced by the sighting of this creature. A true barometer of how well our rivers our doing now by comparison to the dark days of constant pollution seen in my childhood. I absolutely love them.

I have a slight obsession with cotton tea towels, so was overjoyed to find this lovely Richard Bawden example on our recent summer excursion to the North of Norfolk. Almost too nice to use!

Richard Bawden

Shell For Quick Starting - Kennedy 1931