Bowl 'em over

 Good morning. This popped up on my Burton on Trent memories page. I remember the Bowling Alley well. When I first tried tenpin bowling I found I was pretty good at it. I was recruited onto the Junior Bowling League. From then on I went every week. It felt good to be mixing with people of all ages, and I was pleased that they thought I was good enough. My first taste of proper grown up life.  

Top Rank Bowling alley, Bargates. Circa 1968.

I still have my badges.

I enjoy bowling but have not been for quite a long time. Perhaps I ought to go again, to see if I can still do it. Careful though, don't want to do my back in. 😨

I did a bus to town and a walk back yesterday, and have managed to lose the photographs. Thought I would take a short cut loading them, now they are gone. Oooops. 

Sunny again today. I have things to do. Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

Let them fall.

waiting moderation

Unknown commented on "Welcome home."

2 hours ago

Congratulations for continuing to support the tech oligarchs, who rake in billions while destroying the world. Good job!

 I'm back from Coffee Morning, enjoying a good natter and having a laugh with my friends. Look what came in while I was gone. Some sad person who hasn't got a life. They would be lost without my blog posts to pull apart. I am always going to make allowances for those who are not quite grasping the full picture. Some poor souls have nothing better to do than to vent their frustrations on a keyboard. I wonder what it is like to be so bitter about your life, which causes you to retaliate in a negative way. 

Welcome home is about celebrating normal life, celebrating people caring for each other, celebrating people supporting each other. Yet the troll is so bitter and twisted they seek out doom and gloom in every aspect of their own pathetic lives. Self destruction is now embedded in society. 

The only way forward is to take control of your own live. Not try and change other people who have a different opinion. Pointless attacking me. The negative sad people will fall by the wayside. 

I am now going to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. 

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona  

Welcome home.

 Good morning. As much as I dislike facebuck, my fingers quickly scroll past the dross, there are a few short video clips which prompt me to hesitate for a minute. They are the ones which trigger my  sentimental slushy side. Some of them are about animals. Sean and his sheepdog Kate. The beautiful partnership between man and dog. Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset. Frannie and Gracie, the two little dogs who run out to greet Dan the Postman when he arrives. 

Now we have surprise reunions. Those returning to their families after long periods away. Lots of emotional scenes. I blub every time one of these appear on my screen. 

I watched live last night as the spacex crew returned to planet earth. The parachutes opening, first two, then four. The gentle drop into the ocean. The rescue boats coming out to meet them. The dolphins cavorting in the sea, curious about what is happening in their territory. The hauling of the capsule onto the deck, and the securing down. Then the opening of the hatch and the four were helped out. 

Welcome home. 

Now to get ready for Coffee Morning. Have a good day. Toodle pip.   ilona

Look for free stuff.

If you go down to the woods today, which I did, . . . . you will see a beautiful green carpet of fresh wild garlic. Pick a bunch and take some home for your cooking. 

If you see a commode like this one left outside someones house, and it is free to take, and you need a toilet because you want to start car camping, or van camping, take this home. You could cut a few inches off the legs, and it will fit perfectly inside your vehicle. I don't need it so I left it there. 

Look for free stuff when you are out for a walk. 

Two hedgehogs are tucking into the food I put out for them tonight. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Remembering good times.

Good morning. Crafty Club was a good laugh yesterday. It was Pat's birthday so we celebrated with cake. She was over the moon with her lovely gifts. 

I took along my ongoing project, covering the gilet with scraps of fabric. You can see the progress by comparing the two photographs. I have decided not to cover the whole thing with patchwork. I shall stop just below the armpits, then find one large piece of fabric to cover the rest of it, carrying on with the stitching right to the top.  

I have copied some old photographs. I worked on Blackpool Pleasure Beach. when I was 19 - 20 - 21. 

My younger brother Stephen. I think this was the last time I saw him. He moved to India and came back for a visit. 

Me and the boyfriend camping. We had a tent in the back. He didn't like camping so we went in hotels after one night. 

We toured the south of England. The Eden Project was interesting. About 23 years ago. 

Also went to London. Inside a pod at the London Eye. 

Then we went to the USA, three times. The upside down house. Orlando I think, can't remember. 

I have a lot of good memories, they far outweigh the bad ones. One has to carry on. I am in contact with a boyfriend from way back, 45 years or thereabouts. I remember some of that, it was about the time I was driving buses. I have photographs of him which I won't post on here. I like that someone remembers me from many years ago. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

St Marys Church Barton upon Humber.

Yesterday at Barton. Let's look at the church. The door is open. 

I've been to Barton before, many times. I really must find some new places to go for a walk. More photo's on previous posts.

17th December 2020.

26th July 2023

Here is the Wiki page for this church. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Katie Rant

Katie is very good at this. A 'get it off your chest rant' to clear the decks and start again. Then move onto the next one. There will always be something to rant about. I will let the Queen of Rants do her stuff and stand aside. 

I see that Cro has posted another  'The Week in Brief ' feature on his blog. I find myself looking forward to these now. A short punchy round up of the weeks news, as seen by Cro. 

Another blog to watch is Rachels 'The Road to Kazakhstan'. A combination of her everyday life, with a smattering of the political scene. Try this post, Glad all over. 

It seems I have some imposters in the comments section on my blog. People claiming to be someone else. Inventing names for themselves, or stealing someone else's identity. We need a new algorithm, Sniff out the bullshit. I will pick out the trolls and delete, but you dear reader must take every comment with a pinch of salt and make your own mind up. There are those out there who see this as a sport. Protect yourselves. 

Sunday morning and all is well. Cats fed and birds twittering in the garden. Enjoy the day ahead. 

Toodle pip.   ilona 

Quirky pics from Barton.

Good evening. I had a drive out today to Barton upon Humber. No particular reason, it was sunny so I go out. I parked at Tesco which is a shared car park so it's free. The Ropewalk is next door which I have mentioned before. I had a look at the exhibitions. Not my cup of tea. I am not a fan of abstract, so I only took this one photo. 

Then I wandered around Barton looking for interesting stuff to photograph. This installation is behind a locked gate and is close to the Railway Station. I don't know what it is. I have pumped up the saturation to give it some colour. 

A close up. Still don't know what it is. Just playing around with contrast and saturation. 

This is one of those ugly communications masts. They seem to be springing up everywhere. I think they will eventually kill us all off with their 5g.  

The black electrical wires at the bottom of the pole are like massive strands of liquorice. 

There are a lot of independent shops in Barton. Bras and knickers on sale here. They look very nice for the fuller ladies. I have no need for sexy undies at my age. I will stick with my boys pants and vest. 

I called in Tesco for a few essentials. A spud in the microwave, with cheese and beetroot, for dinner tonight. 

Thanks for popping in. Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona

Overcrowded.

 Peak District Photography Group. Mam Tor sunrise. Fake of course. But take this as a warning. No need to follow everyone else when it comes to finding spectacular scenery and landscapes. Open your eyes, look for your own. 

James said, I took this in my living room. 😇😄😝

Paul said, iphone erased the bad parts. That's better. 😎😁😜

Darren says. . . . 

At the end of a local walk. Not AI. My photo.

A good start to Saturday, the sun is shining. Enjoy your weekend. 

See you soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

Spies overhead

It was a bit touch and go whether I had a dry walk or a wet one. I'd best take the brolly with me, just in case. Good decision. There were three showers during the two hour walk. It was lovely and sunny to start with. I have photographed these two trees before. Couldn't resist them again. You can't have too many photo's of trees. 

Sometimes I see a tree that is not a perfect shape. This one is an oddball. It looks scrappy with small branches sticking out everywhere. Like an unkempt mop of hair. 

I heard a noise overhead, getting louder. There were two of these helicopters. I missed the first one but got the second. We get a lot of helicopters and light aircraft flying over here. The helicopters are usually  Ospreys or Chinooks, sometimes Police. This one looks like it's military.

The sun didn't last, and the clouds came over. My lovely Van Gogh sunflower brolly I bought from York last year kept me dry. 

A stir fry with mushrooms and noodles was dinner tonight. I made extra so that's what I will have tomorrow for breakfast, warmed up with an egg added.  

I've just looked out of the window and there is a hedgehog scoffing the food I put out. They come every night now. Last night I saw two together. Most of the ducks have gone now, just three left. The same thing happened last year I remember. 

Have a good weekend. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Stitch and chat

Good morning, it's sunny and almost the weekend. I think I need to go for a walk now in case the clouds come over and chuck some water down on us. 

I will park this video here, because I may not have time later. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

The Times They Are A Changing.

I went to see the film A Complete Unknown, this afternoon. Timothee Chalamet was perfect as Bob Dylan. Here is the real Bob from 1964. 

I have spent tonight watching almost every Bob video, and every Timothee video. 

I won't do a review of the film because it's late. I enjoyed it because the music brought back a lot of memories from the sixties. In my opinion the best decade for pop music. If it is raining and the film is on near you, go and see it. And get yourself a Magnum ice cream while you are there. 

Goodnight. Toodle pip.   ilona

Fusion Art Fair at Harrogate

Well howdy. Here are my photo's from the Art Fair I went to on Sunday at the Showground. I took the photo's late into the afternoon on Sunday, the last day. Not many people around. I hope they had a busy time on the other two days. 

I chose random artists to chat with. Those who were displaying pictures which I found particularly appealing. You know me and colour. It was hard to choose my absolute favourites. Mark Munroe-Preston with his Treescapes would be high on the list of pictures I would like to own. You know me and trees, love 'em.  Check out Marks web site for more pictures, and a list of places and dates for his 2025 exhibitions. Take a look at the Reviews page and see Marks pictures hanging in the homes of those who purchased them. Check out this short promo video. 

These photographs are digitally merged with other photographs, paintings, drawings, textures, and found objects to create the final pieces.

I had a nice chat with the artist who made these collage pictures. I was interested to know the stories behind them. Jill Blakey is an abstract artist. Check out her web site here.

 Jill Blakey is an intuitive artist. She paints with no plan, allowing her intuition to take over. Jill’s paintings are often a real insight into her subconscious.

Martin was not around when I took this picture. Here is a link to his web site. 

This was a double display pitch for Geoffbeckett.co.uk and sophiegreenart.co.uk I had a chat with Sophie. She paints the flower pictures on the right. Geoff produces the quirky designs on the left.  

I had a smashing chat with Alvin Mukawu. His pencil drawings are astounding. His talent was spotted at an early age and was encouraged by his parents. He was lucky enough to win a scholarship at his college. Here is his Instagram page, you might like to check it out. 

This is art by David Brightmore. He wasn't around when I took this photo. You can check out Homepage - David Brightmore

These stunning pictures are the work of Fiona Scott-Wilson. They are created by cutting paper up into miniscule pieces. Take a look at her web site.

Fiona Scott-Wilson qualified with distinction as a graphic designer at Lincolnshire College of Art and Design.  She has worked in many art mediums and explored different styles of working over the years. She uses paper more like a brush stroke in paint, using a scalpel with more precision to hand cut intricate fine details

A small selection of photographs with links to the artists web sites. Now watch the movie. 

What a fantastic day it was. First the Tractor Rally, then the Art Show. Was I lucky or what. Meeting people is what it is all about. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip. 

Friction

 There will now be a short interlude while I interrupt the flow of joyful musings, and insert this controversial post. 

UK politics are crumbling. The latest fall out in the Reform Party is down to double standards within the party members. Rupert Lowe has been banned, thrown out, stitched up, because of his straightforward joining of the dots. Others want to gag him in case it upsets the applecart. It is becoming apparent that Nigel likes to be top dog and doesn't want the truth to come out in case it undermines his perceived authority. He is losing credibility because of this infighting. 

It is inevitable that when groups of people get together, for whatever reason, there will be friction between it's members. The common good seems to fly out of the window when individual ego's have been compromised. There is a strive for power going on, in all walks of life, whether it be political or personal. Some people want to be top dogs, others are content to be followers.  

In the case of Rupert v Nigel, one is for deportation of criminals who have embedded themselves within our communities, the other is to look the other way to supress any conflicts. Moral standards differ between cultures. 

My own opinion is, from a western brought up perspective, you don't turn up in another country and expect, nay demand, that the natives accept you, and allow you to act in a similar way as you would do in the country you came from. It's about respecting the law of the land. 

Read Rupert Lowe's statement.   and watch his video, and read the following comments. Then make up your own mind. I am not looking for comments on this story here. You don't have to declare which side you are on. I am looking at this from a middle ground. 

Now getting ready for Coffee Morning. Catch ya later, with an arty treat. Toodle pip.   ilona

How many tractors ???

Good morning. I am catching up on the weekends photo's and videos. Following on from the park up at the services video. Next morning I set off for Harrogate, and arrived at 9am. What a surprise when I got there. Hundreds of tractors assembling on the Showground getting ready to go off on a charity run to Knaresborough and beyond. It's an annual event to raise funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance. I had no idea that this event was scheduled for today, so a very welcome bonus indeed. I had to quickly get the video camera out of the bag and find my position to start filming. That's why it has a very rushed start. No introduction, just dive straight in. 

Drones were flying about for the aerial shots. I borrowed this one from Harrogate Radio. If you want to count how many tractors, it is reported that 414 took part. 

Here are some of my own photo's. In my element here. 

It was very well organised. All parked in line in an orderly fashion waiting for the off. 

I was pleased to see so many female drivers, some of them had two ladies in the cab. Thumbs up to them. 

Doggy out for a ride in the cab. 

Plenty of opportunity to get this message out there. 

Flying the British flag.

And so say all of us. 

I waited for the whole convoy to leave the Showground, and waved them on their way. There are other videos on yoootooob following this event, footage filmed in various locations along the route. Put Harrogate Knaresborough Tractor Run in the search box. 

With the yard empty it was time to walk to the other side of the Showground where I left my car parked outside the main hall for the Art Show. Another video and more photographs to post about that. 

Looking like a sunny day today. Get yourself out there if you can. You never know what you might find if you make the effort. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona