All of a sudden I am smelling roses

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I can not imagine my world without travelling and yet this morning I woke up in a strange bed and for over two hours had to think really really hard as to how I got here.  You see for two weeks I worked in Italy for the Boxing Bassano project then returned for four days to the Bloomsbury shoebox,  then straight to one month working in the Outer Hebrides for the Harris Tweed publication to return for three days to the Bloomsbury shoebox, then back to Italy for one week to exhibit and write for the BMotion festival with one night in the Bloomsbury shoebox. Finally now I am in the heart of Shakespeare country for two months, working on on my Harris Tweed book on a writers residency and bursary. So you can understand why it is that this morning I woke up and quite frankly had to search hard to my whereabouts.

With a plan of action I promptly discarded it and went off for a walk to be greeted by plumes of roses by the front gate with an aroma so sweet and delicious I quite forgot what direction I had intended to walk. Along with the sunshine I realised that I might indeed be in for a treat here at Church Cottage: I have a small rowing boat, a courtyard and the bath is in the middle of my bedroom. Yes, The Hosking Houses Trust have indeed found a terrific cottage to accommodate its award winners.

But I do have to get cracking and three things are pressing today. 1. To start the book. 2. To propose a new reminiscence project in Italy for the spring and 3.To make a video diary for Landrover, who have an initiative to enter a video on the theme of “Go Beyond the everyday”. The winners will be able to work with their Biosphere Expedition partners to help the endangered species in Namibia. Perhaps the third project for the day may seem a little separated from the previous, but actually, I would like my video diary from the Outer Hebrides to be viewed and what better reason, than to see if it will enable me to go on a productive jolly again – The Leica M9 would love it I know!  But endangered species? I think I have been working with endangered species for quite a few years, starting from the Oboe, Stone carvers, to my current work with Harris Tweed. I think my approach to sustainability of the arts and manufacturing industries is actually quite up the endangered species street.  Landrover Go Beyond

Meanwhile, back here in the cottage I discover there is a cat.. (not quite as wild as those in Namibia) nestling through my smalls so I suppose he needs to be shown the door and the chickens in my rose garden… perhaps they would like their photo taken before the sun goes off for the evening.

Life at Clifford Chambers day one…..

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Please see my ongoing personal dairy of photos whilst at Clifford Chambers  and Landrover Go Beyond for the competition. As always I could not be without my Leica M9.

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