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'Sailboats'

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:25 am

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Here's another short composition I did a short while ago, that some of you might want to hear.

I live close to where the two river estuaries Taw and Torridge meet by the sea. Instow and Appledore are perched on the edges opposite each other, where the rivers join, and is a favourite place for yachting - not massive luxury craft, just smaller conventional one or two person boats.



Almost all the way up to Bideford, the estuary is home to moored craft, and at high tide some of them hoist sails and start out to sea, bobbing along, each following the one in front. Once in open water they do a slow dance, zigzagging across the bay.
That's the scene I've tried to capture in this piece of music I've called simply 'Sailboats'.

http://www.box.net/shared/gnccohaxgm

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'The Devon Suite'

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 8:43 am

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I have a more serious musical side - sometimes, I'm afraid, maybe a little over emotional.



The problem is, I'm so in love with Devon. Returning here to live, which had always been a dream for decades, but one which never seemed to materialise for various reasons, was the biggest 'dream come true' for me.
Back in the 50's, before we left for South London to enter the adult world and step on the first rungs of our chosen careers, many happy childhood days were enjoyed playing on the beach, having adventures only kids in their pre-teen years appreciate fully. Secret hideouts in the woods, pretending to be this or that fictional hero. Great times.
A couple of months ago, my 'serious' side of composing music kicked in. I wanted to try to capture some of the love of Devon in music, and believe no-one has done anything in that respect.
So I set to on something I call 'The Devon Suite'...just a few musical sketches, finishing with 'An Anthem For Devon'.
For me, the pieces capture the beauty, fun, love, and a little past sadness of this part of the world.
I hope you enjoy listening to it, as much as I enjoyed composing it...



'The Devon Suite'

No. 1 'Climbing' high onto Exmoor, two streams start to trickle, toss and tumble towards a peaceful but sometimes turbulent marriage...remembering the disastrous floods at Lynmouth in 1952, claiming 34 lives...
http://www.box.net/shared/yg0knre0yz



No.2 'Gardens In The Sea', exploring the rock pools at Combe Martin beach...

http://www.box.net/shared/soynq02jj9



No.3 'The Cream Tea Trot'. Business is brisk at the Olde Village Tea Garden, under a warm June sun. The traditional Devonshire cream tea consists of scones, clotted cream and locally made strawberry jam...

http://www.box.net/shared/duts7ikzvs




No.4 'Departed Friend'. The last steam train bravely leaves Ilfracombe Station, forever...destination, the scrap yard...

http://www.box.net/shared/7tncticmbt




No.5 'An Anthem For Devon'...

'Of all the Shires I see,
My Devon shares most beauty,
Two arms of gold, embrace the still or stormy seas.

Whilst strolling Devon's paths,
The treasures she affords me,
With jewels set in time for all the world to see.

From fortressed harbour walls,
To purple hills, majesty towering.
Out spreads a tapestry,
A rich legacy most empowering.
I humbly hold her hand,
In landscape green and grand,
With love for thee.
Hoping ever...I'll forever,
Be.'
http://www.box.net/shared/0jbu6hvil7

Last edited: Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:00 am

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So...eight months on. Now, where was I?

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:32 pm

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I don't know what happened there. I sort of went all quiet for eight months. Well, not for all of the time of course. Trouble is I get caught up in other things. But I'm still here. I think.
Music has become a bigger part of my life this year than gardening.
The garden creation was finished and, being easy to maintain, it wasn't enough to keep me occupied. So I got into composing music instead.
Since my last entry (way back in very early summer!) the weather has been a roller coaster, and hopefully the last of the extreme conditions have now passed with the last lot of gales a couple of days ago.
So, where has all the time gone - and on what? Had a stab at oil painting, with gross results (I think I'll stick to watercolours). Started building a model railway in the shed...boy's stuff, I'm afraid, ladies - hard to explain why.
And the rest of the time pottering around on my keyboard. Oh, and I picked up an old Wurlitzer organ which is now working great after an engineer stuffed a screwdriver into it and gave it a good talking to.
And now we're heading at a rate of knots for Christmas. Another year almost done with.
And heck, how will I ever catch up with all the Gardenstew forum posts (16825!) Gulp.
Never mind.
I believe I did say at the start of this blog that it would be a 'now and then' thing. Sort of proves my point.

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Fruits Of Labour

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:12 am

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Wow, another month gone! But the fruits of my winter gardening labours are now paying off in technicolour.
26 new goldfish in the pond (populated in small numbers over the last few weeks) - even a newt has taken up residence, so the water quality must be up to EU standards! But I had to install a net due to possibility of an easy breakfast for the herons.



...and, further afield, this is a place called Holdstone Down - somewhere I go for fresh air and exercise. This coastline has the highest cliffs in England - quite dramatic.

...oops - forgot to carry a stone up with me for the pile. Seven years of bad luck now!

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Icing On The Cake

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:44 pm

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Many thanks for your greetings!
...and here's the rich fruitcake that helped make the day, echoing my lifelong love of tickling the ivories - the much appreciated creation of my niece Nicola.



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Birthday Boy

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:09 am

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Hoorah! I'm 60. And can I now have my free bus pass? Thank you.
Went to the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway yesterday, which was closed in 1935, ripped up, and a mile of new track relaid at Woody Bay station a few years ago. The aim is to rebuild the line to it's full extent again - an ambitious project which I doubt I'll ever see completed.
So I paid my money, and took a ride. Every little helps.

Above: 'Bronllwyd' (pronounced Bron-clow-id') is the railway's main steam engine, built in 1930. They've added a wooden cab as I expect it gets quite wet and windy at this hilly location.

Above: Woody Bay station, which features the original Swiss chalet style building built in, I think, 1898, is a picturesque scene dotted with occasional mature fir trees. If the railway hadn't been lifted back in '35, it would now be the major tourist attraction in Devon. The evolution and competition of the motor vehicle was, of course, to blame for this.

Last edited: Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:15 am

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The Welsh Heron

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:13 am

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Just returned from a mini-break in Wales, staying at a friend's 100 acre sustainable pine forest. What an excellent few days! Walking the estate, (kilted most of the time), soaking up the beautiful rolling far reaching scenery high in the hills.




And of course time as well for playing some good old Celtic songs on the accordion...especially on my last evening, as we enjoyed the warmth of a roaring bonfire.

An excellent memento of my visit was a piece of wood found which highly resembled a heron. This now stands proudly (and snootily) beside my pond.


Last edited: Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:07 pm

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Sundial

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:52 am

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Laterally thinking, it needs the rain to be lashing relentlessly against the window to inspire, of all very unlikely things, a sundial.
I found a photo of a large sundial where the viewer becomes the 'bit' that sticks up to cast the shadow.

I was thinking previously of a more usual design, but as there is a ready made part circle of paving behind the pond, this could very easily become the scale of time - just requiring a shadow to fall across it.
The paving, as it happens, starts about where the shadow will hit in the morning (actual time not noted yet), and finishes well into the afternoon. So it won't provide a great proportion of time measurement, but enough to be able to read during the day for a rough time check(if the sun's out of course).
The question is, how will the increments of time be displayed on the path? It needs to be 'arty' I think.
I could use the narrow gaps between the pavers (currently grass) and inset something designy.
This won't tie in very well with actual hour increments - I would be extremely lucky for one slab to equal an hour. But there are nine gaps, so it might work.
Also my circle is much smaller than the one in the photo, so a human's shadow would be far too big to provide any accuracy.
A conventional pointer is therefore required in the centre. Perhaps something a bit Celtic looking - whatever that might be.
I shall have to swat up on how these things work, and at what angle the pointer projects. Unlike most other things, this IS rocket science.

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That's another job done.

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:19 am

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I'm delighted with the new pond edging effect of cobbles, which I think has worked a treat. I had to raise the ones by the path a little to maintain a less dangerous flooding situation, and after refilling the pond checked that the excess water run off was still under the patio slabs as before.
I like the almost flushness of the pond to the surrounding terrain, and as I shot it this morning there wasn't a whisper of a breeze about, so the water is like a perfect mirror.
There are no fish in the pond at the moment, and any change in the water's condition through the cementing will be left now to restabilise as it's gradually replaced with fresh rainwater (- heaven knows there's been enough of that lately!)
If I do eventually add some fish I'll need a heron deterrent too.


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Pond Edging

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 9:08 am

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Heavens, this seems a long dull month (actually shorter than most by a day or two).
With seedlings now swarming in the greenhouse, pricking out into plug trays as fast as I can evacuate each covered propogator, my thoughts also turn to the remaining unfinished edging to the pond, where the liner is still sticking up untrimmed, and unsightly.
Using, as Poirot says, ze leetle gray cells, I think I may have, as Baldrick says, a cunning plan...
The idea is to cast in situ cement blocks encapsulating the pond liner edge. I have been collecting 1lt plastic milk containers which, cut in half, should be the ideal size of mold for the castings.
A container is therefore cut in half, and a central slot cut half way up the two opposite narrower sides. This accepts the pond liner.
A large cement pouring hole is cut in the bottom of the container (which becomes the top), large enough to pour in cement, but retaining the container's curved edge to maintain a rigid block shape.
So, after lowering the level of water in the pond and allowing the edge area to dry out, the edge of the liner is punched with holes using a paper punch. These will act as achorage points within the cement blocks. The milk container molds are then slotted over the liner, and sit flush to the pond base. I have a built in ledge already to accept some form of cement edging.
The molds, just a few at a time, are lined up together, and filled with not too sloppy cement (or it'll just run out at the bottom) until the very edge of the liner is just about visible - this acts as a leveling indicator. The cement permeates through the holes in the liner to 'grab' it, and stop it moving once set.
Leave the cement blocks to set, remove the plastic molds, and move along to the next section and repeat until the length of edging is finished.
All then that remains to do is to skim over the tops of the castings where the liner edge is still visible.
The finished result should be a neat segmented cast cement block edge, with the liner trapped within. The blocks should be heavy enough not to shift, as each would be the weight of a house brick, plus the accumulated weight and 'liner grabbing' of all the blocks along the run.
As soon as it stops raining, I shall give it a go.
Just trialed the idea as pic below. Obviously everything needs to dry out before I can begin pouring cement in them.
A slight change of plan is to use a loop of garden wire through the liner to fix both halves of the casting tight together.
You might just see a loop of green wire where the next mold goes.


Last edited: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:34 am

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