Pride London 2007

Book Club

Started reading The Curiosity of the Incident of the Dog in the Night Time again because Craig is. Its what he is calling his first 'real' book and we are all reading it at the same time so we can talk about it. In fact Thomas has had the idea to start a book club. Guess what the first book to be discussed is?

Anyone interested in coming, read the book and I will post the date soon...it will probably be the week of the 16th of July

Greenwich & Docklands Festival

This weekend Greenwich + Docklands Festival provided free entertainment for the East End...

Entertainment included, music, dance, singing, theatrics, aerial ballet, puppets, jugglers, comedy, karaoke, costume acts, fire, water, flags & fireworks...

The rain didn't put people off coming to The Dome to see such delights as Osadia turning normal heads of hair into fanciful gardens of colour, feathers, beads and wired extravaganzas.

The performers came from all over the world...and all we had to do was take a walk, a cycle, a bus or a train or even just step outside to see the world on our doorstep.

Lights Out London

Tonight London switched off its non-essential lights between 9pm & 10pm to save energy & heighten awareness of global warming.

Check out the Guardian article on the event and Lights Out London for photos of the London Skyline in switched off.

National Insect Week

National Insect Week...so we made insects out of plasticine & egg cartons...as you do...or as Sarah & Emma do...have you noticed that plasticine smells more like play-dough...and that egg-carton-caterpillar to the left has a tail (blame Josh L) and as for the unicorn butterfly and the pig-fly (looks like what ever it is runs in the family)...and I am afraid that we have no photos of Christine's worms prior to their demise...just imagine 4 green worm Loch Ness Monster lookalikes...

No Barbecue

So I went home to Ireland as promised for my Aunt Mary' s 60th Birthday Barbecue celebration...except that there was no barbecue and no Mary!

But I still had fun catching up with family for the weekend...highlights follow:

• mum taking me shopping for clothes (that are not Tshirts and combats)
• my brother Olan taking, Sheila, mum and me to Greens where I had such an amazing tagine of monkfish that I considered leaving my number in the comments book!!!
• David and Sarah, my niece and nephew (above) making rice krispie cakes in my honour - Sarah did the sprinkles
  
• talking, eating and drinking into the early hours of the morning...my mums apple crumble featured in most meals (yes I will admit it even breakfast)
  
• dancing into the early hours of the morning
• walking some kms in the morning and getting sunburnt in the only 3 hours on Sunday from 10am-1pm that there was sun in the whole weekend.
• finding more Banksy-like graffitti (see right)
• checking out David's new blog and working through some different ideas and ways to share info and teach each other what we know and keep in contact.
• catching up on news and laughing at those family jokes or familyisms that would make no sense to anyone outside...
• finding the book that I told Craig that I was going to read again because he was reading it because the reason I couldn't find it at home was because I thought it was so good that I thougt my mum should read it and gave it to her - I got it back again and started reading it and realised all over how clever a book it is.
• did I mention the monkfish - no really if u are ever in Cork in Ireland - go to Greens - forget starters or deserts, don't eat breakfast that morning and order two monkfish main courses...you won't regret it - that is unless you actually do leave your telephone number in the comments book!
• oh and actually getting in and out of the country was definitely a highlight seeing as I discovered my passport was out of date!
  

The Ark

You never know what you are going to come across on a bike ride to Greenwich...like the HMS Ark Royal...a military aircraft carrier just parked up by the pier as if it was a little pleasure boat...

For more info check out this article (personally I prefer my picture to the one in the article - I think the almost cardboard cutout effect of the photo speaks of the futility of war and the darkness is death...and that war is pretty black and white, its either right or wrong and that this ark carried flying agents of death while the original one carried doves of peace...its amazing what a picture can say!)

Britain's Only Deaf Stand-Up Comedian

Went to Lee Hurst's Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green...its always worth going - even if you have to buy tickets you can get £5 off if you are a member (costs nothing to become a member) and then when you do go you get free tickets in the post for other nights at a later date. Went with Tom tonight on two of the 5 free tickets I got in the post...and got to see Lee Hurst and another few comedians, but the piece-de-resistance (if thats how its spelled) was the final act of the night - Steve Day: Britain's only deaf stand up comedian and he says if there is another one, he hasn't heard of them!

It was a bit surreal...not the gooseberry-wearing-walrus-dancing-on-a-porkchop variety of surreal but it was interesting surreal. Listening and reacting to a comedian who couldn't hear your laughter felt odd, with the lighting he couldn't even see the faces of more than a half dozen faces in the front row to judge reactions and at the end, yes people clapped loudly and enthusiastically...that is except for Tom who raised his arms and waved his hands in the 'deaf clap'.

Check out Steve Day's Site here and check out his show - you won't be disappointed.

Gardening

Patrick's Wonderful Gardening...he worked long and hard (its been reported) to create these artworks which will it seems help the plants grow up straight...

Patrick's gardening is a little like youthwork - it can sometimes be long and hard work creating measures, boundaries & safe areas for the young to grow within. However in reality we may not have the effect we intend but may provide support simply by being there or existing (in what ever form).

We may nurture the seedlings, meeting their needs providing them with food, water, shelter & light and some grow more than others while some don't seem to at all.

We try to remove the barriers to growing - the darkness, the hunger and the predators to give them a chance in life.

We try to be the gardeners in a sometimes wild and uncultivated garden watching the buds blossom of their own accord and grow towards the light (however haphazzardly).

Camden Green & Bike Fest

Another festival, more freebies, trying out newt things, music, food and sunshine and another 90km between us for YAP cycling from Poplar to Regent's Park.

Dean, Caitlin & Fran joined us and kept Craig & Josh occupied with the go carts...its surprising they had the energy to cycle home.