Hello all,
it's been a while since I last posted. I have been a little bit lazy. I've still been visiting all the wonderful blogs around the world but just didn't have the inspiration to write my own. I've taken a lot of pictures in the last few weeks, so I should be posting more often.
As you can see from the title, today's theme is funfairs and fairgrounds.
I have a love/ hate relationship with funfair grounds. They fascinate me, but at the same time I find them seedy and macabre. There is something about them that perturbs me and attracts me at the same time.
I am woking on a performance about immigraion in the UK at the moment and our starting point is funfairs. At least, at this point in the process, this is where we will set the piece. The performance is called Dreamland (pinched it from the old fairground in Margate, which unfortunately doesn't exist any more) that responds quite well to the subject of immigration.
So, in the name of research, I went to a funfair that came to the area where I live about a week ago. I went the day before thefunfair closed. It was a cold night and the ground was practically empty. No more then 10 people altogether. And again, the feeling of seediness and sadness could not have been escaped. Here are just some of the pictures from that night:
Not the funnest of places, is it?
What are your memories of funfairs? Do they scare you, or do they remind you of the good times from your childhood?
I would love to hear from you (anonymous comments are more than welcome too), as it will all go into our research of funfairs and memories.
Hope that the coming week is filled with fun (if not funfair fun).
Red xx
Hello all!!
Having spent the last week suffering from a very bad stomach bug, I knew that a walk in my local green land, Brockwell Park, would be a good way to lift my spirits. I was also on a mission to find snowdrops.
Snowdrop is one of those flowers that if you don't catch it in a very short period of time when they grow, you will miss them and have to wait a whole year before they grow again. It is that time of the very last snow, bu how can you anticipate when it is going to snow for the last time in the year? Looking for them is a bit like digging gold. But I love them. And I love them for exactly that reason - they dictate when you can see them. In other words, they have control over when they can be seen. Of course, other flowers do too, but snowdrops don't give you much time. It's on their terms that the viewing is arranged. It's a bit of a chase with nature. I quite like that. So shy, yet temperamental.
And so this elusiveness of the snowdrops means that I don't see them very often. And indeed when I do, it is always just a few, never more than 10 in one place. And usually, it is accidental. This time, I went in search for an appointment with the white beauties.
The 8th of March is the International Women's Day that is religiously celebrated in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Every woman, younger or older will most probably get flowers from at least one person. As my mum was a maths teacher, she used to get lots and lots of bouquets of flowers every year. And I remember, this one year when I was maybe 10 years old, she received a huge bunch of snowdrops from a boy who lived in the country side. He must have loved my mum quite a lot as finding that many snowdrops must have been quite difficult.
Almost 30 years later, I still remember this kind gesture and the beautiful snowdrops.
And, that's not where the story ends. We enjoyed looking at them for a whole afternoon and then gave them to my aunt as they were so special and thought someone else should enjoy them too.
So, did I find any snowdrops?
Let's see:
At the very entrance of the park (well, entrance from my end), the little lake was frozen, but that didn't deter these brave birds:
Any flowers here? Nope, just very dry and frozen tree roots:
I got a bit distracted from looking at the ground and looked up to see the panoramic view from the top of the park. We are not very far from Central London:
I was lucky to catch the sunset, but no snowdrops:
Wait a minute, here is something green,... a promise of spring?
A shy promise indeed, but not the one I was looking for. So, I made my way down the hill about to go home, when something caught my eye.
Yep, they showed up just for me (well, I'd like to think so):
It is said that snowdrops are a sure sign of spring. I'd like to think that now that I saw them, the spring is on its way too. I enjoy winter, but I think I am ready for the nature to wake up and for the sun to shine and warm us up.
So, that was my Saturday afternoon. I hope yours was as happy as mine. Did you go in search of something? Did you find it?
Red xx
Hello all from cold, cold London!
I would like to introduce you to my new friend I met on my recent excursion to North London. Her name is Coco and she is the most playful and adorable creature I have met (click on the pictures to enlarge to take a closer look at this fluffy beauty):
I hope your week has been as playful as Coco's. Keep warm everyone.
Red xx
Hello all!!
We've had our first snow this winter. Yippee!!!
I adore snow. It makes me happy and I can't stop smiling. I was with a friend in a cafe when it started to snow last night and both of us got excited like little girls at the prospect of white London. Hour and a half later, it was still snowing. Here is how my terrace looked like.
It is impossible not to touch fresh snow:
Here is my little Xmas tree. I wish it looked like that in December :-)
This is where I spend lots of my time in spring and summer. Not last night though:
Beautiful big tree right in front of my terrace getting new white clothes:
This country comes to a stand still when it snows. I don't understand it. We've had snow here for years now and you'd think we'd be prepared for two inches of white powder.
Well, I think we should leave complaining to the Grinch and enjoy snowball fights, snowmen and the beautiful white wonderland.
Have a happy week.
Red xx
Hello all!!
It is very cold here in SW London. OK, the temperatures are not below zero, but this winter has been mild and just as you think spring is coming, winter decides to come in full force.
So due to cold fingers I have not been taking pictures of my outside surroundings, but have something in my photo albums from before that I'd like to share with you.
A little bit of trivia and a bit of history of Brixton:
Any interesting facts from the area where you live?
Have a lovely rest of the week.
Red xx
