After a long trawl through Max Reinhardt's Late Juntion site on the bbc iplayer I have tracked down a crazy good track I heard round midnight last week. It is sung by a half-Armenian woman from Suffolk...
Cevanne
Monday, 16 August 2010
Thursday, 22 July 2010
A departure from Annabel Karmel
I have never warmed to Annabel Karmel's work apart from the inspired combination of mashed banana and avocado. So I am proud to document today's suppertime success:
Rice-flour fusili with leftover beetroot sauce stirred with grilled mackerel and yoghurt.
Totally polished off.
Here's the beetroot sauce from a Jocelyn Dimbelby recipe scanned from A Taste of Dreams published 1976:
Rice-flour fusili with leftover beetroot sauce stirred with grilled mackerel and yoghurt.
Totally polished off.
Here's the beetroot sauce from a Jocelyn Dimbelby recipe scanned from A Taste of Dreams published 1976:
Monday, 19 July 2010
The Really Terrible Orchestra at the Edinburgh Fringe
I have just designed the flyer for the upcoming RTO concert at Edinburgh's Festival Fringe:
No prizes for guessing that Carnival of the Animals is on the bill.
Thursday, 15 July 2010
mrpeach the Architect performs at the Edinburgh Festival
How about that, I have been invited to participate in an ArtsAdmin event on the Festival Fringe in August. Artist Richard Dedominici will be coordinating a Human Library where human books will be lent out for 10 minute chats to library visitors to expostulate on the future of their profession. Subjects of the Edinburghian books include beekeeping, wrestling and now, Architecture, as I have been invited in that particular capacity. Borrow me between 3-4pm on 11th August at the Forest, Bristo Place, Edinburgh.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Interactive ipad books for children
Are these the best thing since the invention of the printing press? Or are they to be viewed with a similar sneer as the one bestowed upon wall-to-wall C-Beebies by a certain tranche of middle class parents? So far I am torn on this matter.
A couple of weeks ago I had the good fortune to be able to jump on a bicycle, alone, at midday, under the beating sun with no need for a coat on and cycle 15 minutes to arrive at the Hampstead ladies pond for an idyllic and ultra-refreshing swim. As the dragonflies flew past my head I had not a care in the world, it belied description. And as I savoured the glow afterwards, gazing down the meadow an apparent brainwave came to mind, to design Liberty print kilts for little boys and girls! R&D is underway, watch this space as they say.
I mention this as a preamble to another apparent brainwave, to harness skills for an interactive i-pad book for children. I thought this was a novel idea and tapped it straight into google where in a split second I had over 350,000 hits. (The kilts were definitely more original). Nevertheless, I guessed that very few of these would be an interactive book that I actually appealed to my critical eye. The book, or series of books, that I have in mind are remaining tightly under wraps, suffice to say it was published over 30 years ago and deserves an outing in the new millenium. But it has got me all in a lather about my stance on this.
Peruse Alice in Wonderland for ipad. It feels like you are the first to see this, no? but there have already been over a million viewers on that youtube video alone.
Why I am deeply suspicious:
Speed. The advert is over five times as fast as I would like to view it. This is purely a sign of my age and reminds me that since the fast cuts of hospital series ER first came on the screen I have been increasingly left behind by the ever accelerating trend for speed in editing the moving image. Somebody half my age has been brought up on this and has a brain that appears to tolerate watching such a storm of images and process it, whilst also processing music through and earpad (sic - I know) in one ear and corresponding on facebook with one eye. The trailer for the world cup was, for me, the latest in this Babel-like fantasy which shows no signs of slowing down. Since the 'Alice' advert is in this gear is then it seems like too much to hope for that the ipad book will provide a slow enough medium to discover the text at any real level of depth.
Sensation. Corny it is, but surely nothing beats holding the soft paper of a book. I could rhapsodise about the aged origins of a sheaf of papyrus, the world-changing democracy of Gutenberg's printing press, the well-chewed, well-loved corner of a board book for a 6 month old, and I have; it's all true. When holding an ipad I bet what you feel is a thrill of owning and touching the latest piece of MacSoftware worth £xxx and that the kudos is more than half about the zeitgeist and your utter coolness to be touching such a fancy piece of kit, rather than an engagement with the text it portrays.
Wholeness. This was pointed out to me by a friend but I'll claim it was latent in my mind. A piece of art has a beginning, a middle and an end, right? or thus it was drummed into me by a certain dragon of an English teacher a while ago. When I read a bedtime story to a child the child knows and I know that I'll be getting to the end and then that afterwards presumably that story can be digested in the mysterious drift off to sleep. Music and visual art also gain their own force in being made whole. When you open an ipad book I expect you select it from the sea of other files you own and that when you are in it there is no physical sense of its entirety, short of maybe a time-bar if you tap the screen. It leaves the medium open for abuse, for unsatisfying nibbles and tastes of artistry that may be abandoned at the moment that attention wanes. I'm all for long attention spans.
Why I am thoroughly seduced:
Fusion. I have a feeling that this format has created a whole new medium for art that is greater than the sum of its parts. What are its parts? Well, the written word, visual art, the spoken voice, music, animation and lastly, the empowerment to be able to bring about cause and effect in all of these. So, the talking book answers a need when you are in some long daily commute by car; the illustrated book is the current state of the art and is loading up your bookshelf, looking good; the music is there in the film version; the animation has been there in Walt Disney's Fantasia for well over 50 years; the web has been there for more than a decade and now we navigate websites at will. A toddler until a certain age that I have not yet had the glee to observe cannot navigate a website at will, but pressing on a throbbing potion which is audibly calling out "Drink me!" and then basking as the liquid plays some sort of trick may well be possible.
What else? That's about it for now. Ever cautious, the cons seem to have outweighed the pros at the moment. It's all a ruse to keep you from guessing what my ipad fantasy will turn out to be, but again, watch this space, the voice of the century has agreed to read it for me!
A hot tip for that coordinated mother-toddler look
If you are at a certain age and stage I have a little project here to achieve that coordinated look for mother and toddler. Instructions for making your own trouser and top combo.
What you will need:
- a toddler, a sewing machine, elastic, perseverence against the odds and an easy-going attitude to what you thought of as "style" before you read this.
To do:
1. Trawl your local charity shops for a jumper that is not quite 'you' but that has a great colour and fabric - today I found a brown and blue striped merino wool top from Gap for £5
2. Purchase, take home and cut off the arms leaving the seam on the arm side and raw edge to the body
3. If you think the fabric is going to fray, take the sawn-off body and do a zig-zag stitch on the raw armholes. There you go, that's your new top!
4. Take each arm and hack out a quarter circle from the wider upper arm end. Make the resulting shape look like your toddler's trousers when they are lying there flat and folded in half down the middle. What used to be arms are now legs!
5. Take the legs and make a great effort to work out which sides you need to pin together in order to sew these into something resembling trousers. Tack the raw edges that you have pinned and attempt to put toddler in to check for adjustments. Measure the length of elastic you will need for the waist in order to make these bags stay on.
6. Take them off again and sew seams together
7. Make a hem for the top by double-folding the edge towards the inside and sew into place leaving a slot for the elastic.
8. Pin a safety pin onto the elastic to hold onto whilst threading this through.
9. Sew together and neaten up as best you can!
OK, this is somewhat of a hoax because once I got home and tried the stripey jumper on I quite liked it and am still wearing it now, intact. But if anyone gets there first be sure to let me know! If I ever do it I promise I will put post photos here.
The inspiration for this was the time I used my cashmere polo neck to dress my own toddler (legs into the arms) after a complete soaking in the sea without a change of toddler clothes to hand. It looked so snug that I wondered why we did not do it more often although there was a lot of spare fabric around the waist.
What you will need:
- a toddler, a sewing machine, elastic, perseverence against the odds and an easy-going attitude to what you thought of as "style" before you read this.
To do:
1. Trawl your local charity shops for a jumper that is not quite 'you' but that has a great colour and fabric - today I found a brown and blue striped merino wool top from Gap for £5
2. Purchase, take home and cut off the arms leaving the seam on the arm side and raw edge to the body
3. If you think the fabric is going to fray, take the sawn-off body and do a zig-zag stitch on the raw armholes. There you go, that's your new top!
4. Take each arm and hack out a quarter circle from the wider upper arm end. Make the resulting shape look like your toddler's trousers when they are lying there flat and folded in half down the middle. What used to be arms are now legs!
5. Take the legs and make a great effort to work out which sides you need to pin together in order to sew these into something resembling trousers. Tack the raw edges that you have pinned and attempt to put toddler in to check for adjustments. Measure the length of elastic you will need for the waist in order to make these bags stay on.
6. Take them off again and sew seams together
7. Make a hem for the top by double-folding the edge towards the inside and sew into place leaving a slot for the elastic.
8. Pin a safety pin onto the elastic to hold onto whilst threading this through.
9. Sew together and neaten up as best you can!
OK, this is somewhat of a hoax because once I got home and tried the stripey jumper on I quite liked it and am still wearing it now, intact. But if anyone gets there first be sure to let me know! If I ever do it I promise I will put post photos here.
The inspiration for this was the time I used my cashmere polo neck to dress my own toddler (legs into the arms) after a complete soaking in the sea without a change of toddler clothes to hand. It looked so snug that I wondered why we did not do it more often although there was a lot of spare fabric around the waist.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
what to do at the Edinburgh festival with a toddler?
Having trawled the Edinburgh Book Festival program and the Fringe festival program I hereby highlight the events recommended for toddlers ie. people under 2 years old. It goes without saying, as an adult if you only attend these events you might feel like a toddler yourself but here goes:
Book Festival
I am looking forward to the annual occupation of Charlotte Square. Located at the west end of the magnificent George St it's one of those excellent grassed town squares that you wish were public. The office people looking on to it certainly don't seem to use it for the other 11 months of the year. It is gloriously open to the public in August and these toddler and babes in arms events are free events! but they require booking.
Bookbugs
Little ones and their grown-ups can sing along with traditional nursery songs and action rhymes. This incredibly popular event is hosted by Edinburgh City Libraries and is part of Scottish Book Trust’s Early Years Programme. Maximum 4 tickets per booking.
Scots Rhymes
Craigmillar Books for Babies returns with their ever-popular singalong event chock full of Scots rhymes. A lovely playful half-hour which helps to develop language, rhythm and coordination skills through motion and gesture. Maximum 4 tickets per booking.
Fringe Festival
The choice here is overwhelming, even when you isolate the events suitable for under-twos. Weirdly it is not possible to do this on the fringe website as far as I can imagine but in some spare minutes after toddler bedtime I lay on the recliner and manually trawled the program. In doing this I questioned the age rating of some of the shows, witness Oz, seemingly about the trauma of death in the family. Why this is rated as being suitable for 0 to 1 year olds I have no idea, perhaps it's a typo in the program or perhaps it's for babies so young that it remains for the adults to seek interest in the storyline. On the other hand a trawl through the online program led me to shows which the printed program missed for 0 to 2 year olds including Baby Disco, surely worth a visit with a little one who has newly found their feet and Buzzing, which discovers the poetry in insects at the Botanic Garden. Here are the rest of those isolated events for your delectation. I have copied in the blurb from the program and you can click on the links to find out cost and times and to buy a ticket! Only a couple are free but I have indicated when they are:
The Amazing Bubble Show
C too St Columbas by the Castle, Johnston Terrace
Breathtaking bubbles, people-inside-bubbles, square bubbles, amazing bubble colours, sculptural bubbles, special effect bubbles. A show for kids of all ages to thrill, laugh, love and learn about the world of Bubble-Ology. Book early.
Doctor Austin and Sparks in Space
C Central Carlton Hotel North Bridge
Puckish pop scientist Doctor Austin is back with cheeky puppy Professor Sparks in an all-new puppet science show for the whole family that's out of this world - literally!
Flamenco for kids
C Plaza George Sq Theatre
Flamenco for all the family - learn the rhythms, stamp your feet, clap along, get up on stage...and dance! Costumes for kids and instruments to try out.
Hairy Maclary
Assembly @ George St
Out of the gate and onto the stage went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. Come and see the UK show, based on Lynley Dodd's much-loved children's books, featuring many of your favourite characters.
Little baby Snoogle-Fleejer
Church Hill Theatre
An imaginative tale by President Jimmy Carter. Others might flee at the sight of a terrifying sea monster, but Jeremy is surprised to discover a kindred spirit and learns some valuable lessons along the way.
Monkey Music
Pleasance Courtyard
Back by popular demand award winning Monkey Music has fun filled workshops for six-months to two-years (10:30am) and two-years to five-years (11:30am). There'll be action songs, games and fun with percussion instruments. Join in the fun with Monkey.
Our Little Green Book of Children's verse
St Cuthberts Parish Church, corner Lothian Rd and Princes,
FREE non-ticketed
New original fun-filled show! Come and join performance poet Jenny Wilcock as she travels through her garden and beyond.
Oz by Don Zoldis
the Spaces@Surgeons Hall, Nicolson St
Reeling from her sister's death, a young woman finds herself on a journey of the mind, into a world suspiciously resembling 'the Wizard of Oz'. Enjoy a hilarious and often heartwarming exploration of grief and perseverance.
Pandora's Book
Church Hill Theatre
A precocious little adventurer must save the day when stories escape from a magical book. Join Pandora as she outwits folktales from around the world in this whimsical, humorous tale featuring live music, puppetry and multicultural performance techniques.
Penguin
Pleasance courtyard
'Penguin' is a spectacular puppet show, adapted from award-winning book by Polly Dunbar. Follow the twists and turns of this wonderful tale, in which a silent Penguin turns marvellously eloquent and a little boy finally gets his heart's desire.
Petite Rouge
the Spaces@Surgeons Hall
'Petite Rouge' - book, music and lyrics by Joan Cushing. Children's musical - Red Riding Hood is a duckling and the wolf an alligator called Claude! This entertaining fable is colourful with jazzy foot-tapping tunes.
The Red Bus Children's Show
The Meadows
Classic entertainment for children on board our original 1962 red double-decker Routemaster bus in the Meadows. Puppetry, singing and storytelling every day, 11am 'til 5pm. You can't miss us! Rides first and last thing.
Seesaw
Dancebase
Sparkleshark
the Spaces@Surgeons Hall
Sparkleshark' by Philip Ridley is an adventure-laden show wherein teens battle monsters and rescue princesses, becoming fast friends. Highly interactive, come and witness the power of storytelling! First premiered at the Royal National Theatre in 1997.
Tall Storrie and Wee Godley
Pleasance Dome
Scots mother and daughter team Janey Godley and Ashley Storrie have exciting games, storytelling, comedy, funny improv and music. Kids are encouraged to bring along their own favourite instrument and join the house band.
A World of Pure Imagination
Laughing Horse@The Three Sisters, Cowgate
FREE non-ticketed
Interactive show of favourite stories and poetry from authors including Kipling and Lewis Carroll. Each performance varies, uniquely brought to life by entertainers inviting you to share their world of pure imagination.
Ok, so the last one sounds right up my street. But with the likes of a children's musical penned by ex-president Jimmy Carter I feel I must issue a disclaimer and point out that the above selection is made wholly on the basis of age bracket alone and I have not viewed any one of the above shows. Barring Monkey Music which I did go to last year and about which my most generous comment is that I will reserve judgement until revisiting this year.
Book Festival
I am looking forward to the annual occupation of Charlotte Square. Located at the west end of the magnificent George St it's one of those excellent grassed town squares that you wish were public. The office people looking on to it certainly don't seem to use it for the other 11 months of the year. It is gloriously open to the public in August and these toddler and babes in arms events are free events! but they require booking.
Bookbugs
Little ones and their grown-ups can sing along with traditional nursery songs and action rhymes. This incredibly popular event is hosted by Edinburgh City Libraries and is part of Scottish Book Trust’s Early Years Programme. Maximum 4 tickets per booking.
Scots Rhymes
Craigmillar Books for Babies returns with their ever-popular singalong event chock full of Scots rhymes. A lovely playful half-hour which helps to develop language, rhythm and coordination skills through motion and gesture. Maximum 4 tickets per booking.
Fringe Festival
The choice here is overwhelming, even when you isolate the events suitable for under-twos. Weirdly it is not possible to do this on the fringe website as far as I can imagine but in some spare minutes after toddler bedtime I lay on the recliner and manually trawled the program. In doing this I questioned the age rating of some of the shows, witness Oz, seemingly about the trauma of death in the family. Why this is rated as being suitable for 0 to 1 year olds I have no idea, perhaps it's a typo in the program or perhaps it's for babies so young that it remains for the adults to seek interest in the storyline. On the other hand a trawl through the online program led me to shows which the printed program missed for 0 to 2 year olds including Baby Disco, surely worth a visit with a little one who has newly found their feet and Buzzing, which discovers the poetry in insects at the Botanic Garden. Here are the rest of those isolated events for your delectation. I have copied in the blurb from the program and you can click on the links to find out cost and times and to buy a ticket! Only a couple are free but I have indicated when they are:
The Amazing Bubble Show
C too St Columbas by the Castle, Johnston Terrace
Breathtaking bubbles, people-inside-bubbles, square bubbles, amazing bubble colours, sculptural bubbles, special effect bubbles. A show for kids of all ages to thrill, laugh, love and learn about the world of Bubble-Ology. Book early.
Doctor Austin and Sparks in Space
C Central Carlton Hotel North Bridge
Puckish pop scientist Doctor Austin is back with cheeky puppy Professor Sparks in an all-new puppet science show for the whole family that's out of this world - literally!
Flamenco for kids
C Plaza George Sq Theatre
Flamenco for all the family - learn the rhythms, stamp your feet, clap along, get up on stage...and dance! Costumes for kids and instruments to try out.
Hairy Maclary
Assembly @ George St
Out of the gate and onto the stage went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. Come and see the UK show, based on Lynley Dodd's much-loved children's books, featuring many of your favourite characters.
Little baby Snoogle-Fleejer
Church Hill Theatre
An imaginative tale by President Jimmy Carter. Others might flee at the sight of a terrifying sea monster, but Jeremy is surprised to discover a kindred spirit and learns some valuable lessons along the way.
Monkey Music
Pleasance Courtyard
Back by popular demand award winning Monkey Music has fun filled workshops for six-months to two-years (10:30am) and two-years to five-years (11:30am). There'll be action songs, games and fun with percussion instruments. Join in the fun with Monkey.
Our Little Green Book of Children's verse
St Cuthberts Parish Church, corner Lothian Rd and Princes,
FREE non-ticketed
New original fun-filled show! Come and join performance poet Jenny Wilcock as she travels through her garden and beyond.
Oz by Don Zoldis
the Spaces@Surgeons Hall, Nicolson St
Reeling from her sister's death, a young woman finds herself on a journey of the mind, into a world suspiciously resembling 'the Wizard of Oz'. Enjoy a hilarious and often heartwarming exploration of grief and perseverance.
Pandora's Book
Church Hill Theatre
A precocious little adventurer must save the day when stories escape from a magical book. Join Pandora as she outwits folktales from around the world in this whimsical, humorous tale featuring live music, puppetry and multicultural performance techniques.
Penguin
Pleasance courtyard
'Penguin' is a spectacular puppet show, adapted from award-winning book by Polly Dunbar. Follow the twists and turns of this wonderful tale, in which a silent Penguin turns marvellously eloquent and a little boy finally gets his heart's desire.
Petite Rouge
the Spaces@Surgeons Hall
'Petite Rouge' - book, music and lyrics by Joan Cushing. Children's musical - Red Riding Hood is a duckling and the wolf an alligator called Claude! This entertaining fable is colourful with jazzy foot-tapping tunes.
The Red Bus Children's Show
The Meadows
Classic entertainment for children on board our original 1962 red double-decker Routemaster bus in the Meadows. Puppetry, singing and storytelling every day, 11am 'til 5pm. You can't miss us! Rides first and last thing.
Seesaw
Dancebase
Sparkleshark
the Spaces@Surgeons Hall
Sparkleshark' by Philip Ridley is an adventure-laden show wherein teens battle monsters and rescue princesses, becoming fast friends. Highly interactive, come and witness the power of storytelling! First premiered at the Royal National Theatre in 1997.
Tall Storrie and Wee Godley
Pleasance Dome
Scots mother and daughter team Janey Godley and Ashley Storrie have exciting games, storytelling, comedy, funny improv and music. Kids are encouraged to bring along their own favourite instrument and join the house band.
A World of Pure Imagination
Laughing Horse@The Three Sisters, Cowgate
FREE non-ticketed
Interactive show of favourite stories and poetry from authors including Kipling and Lewis Carroll. Each performance varies, uniquely brought to life by entertainers inviting you to share their world of pure imagination.
Ok, so the last one sounds right up my street. But with the likes of a children's musical penned by ex-president Jimmy Carter I feel I must issue a disclaimer and point out that the above selection is made wholly on the basis of age bracket alone and I have not viewed any one of the above shows. Barring Monkey Music which I did go to last year and about which my most generous comment is that I will reserve judgement until revisiting this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)