Look up to the sky !

Tree and I were up early today to take the van to it's MOT. However, it was reluctant to start and we abandoned the idea until tomorrow. This meant we were ahead of ourselves and set off to work a little earlier than usual. As we came over British Camp, a deep fog enveloped us and we weren't clear of it until we got to Ledbury.At this point I noticed the sky was a distinct shade of pink, as the sun tried to push through the layer of mist above us. Weird yet wonderful. Is this what they mean by sky blue pink?

I wanna stay in bed another hour !!

Tree and I were up and out, not too early, yesterday and made our way to Cirencester. It was good to see the circle has improved even more since we last came. We cleared some fallen branches and had a lovely celebration to mark the Spring Equinox. Afterwards we went on a walk to the farthest point of the woods to find the deer antlers I had spotted some time ago, but to no avail. We found the skeleton of the deer some way from where it had been originally and suppose that a fox had dragged it there. Sadly, we did not find the antlers. Nearby we found some large burrows in the ground which are either a fox or badger sett. Oh well, it was not meant to be. No doubt I shall find some others soon.
Today was difficult, as I always find the clocks going forward messes with my sleep, and it always takes a couple of weeks for me to adjust. At least the evenings are lighter, which is so much better!

Bright blessings for the Equinox celebrations

Yet again I have to offer belated greetings for the passing of the Spring Equinox. Most people we know are celebrating this Sunday, as indeed we are. Tree and I have been invited to a gathering at Mosely Bog but have decided to go to Cirencester to celebrate. I spent most of yesterday writing the form of the ceremony and I look forward to getting there. The weather looks promising as well, not that it matters too much but I do like to be dry. I may get a chance to use my new stethoscope that Tree got me and listen to the trees talking in the wind. Anyway, have a good celebration, however you mark it, and be full of cheer for the herald of Spring! Bright Blessings!!

That Monday morning feeling

This morning I did indeed wake up with that Monday morning feeling.Tree and I didn't get out yesterday, as we hoped, mainly due to the weather being so horrid and I wasn't too well stomach wise. Instead I slouched on the sofa for most of the day, apart from the odd dash to the loo. However, the plus side of the day for me was that Herbie shocked us both by sitting on my lap. Now you might not think this strange but, if you knew him you'd know, he NEVER does that.He'd rather chew your face off. I have been working for months now trying to get closer to him and bit by bit he has warmed to the idea. Over the past couple of months he has sat between me and Tree, but never on our laps. He may be mellowing at last !! It's only taken 5 years!!!
Anyway, as i say, I wasn't feeling good this morning either and was 50/50 whether I should open the shop or stay at home. In the end I thought what the heck and came anyway. A good decision, as on the way we saw the Malvern Hills capped in snow from last night. We stopped to get a photo (which doesn't do them justice) and watched as everyone else rushed by with anxious expressions, oblivious to the beauty that lies all around them. Life is too short to get stressed to the extent that some do. This made me feel a lot better and I look forward to Beltane even more.

A belated Imbolc greeting to you all!

In all the mayhem that is post Yule I completely forgot to pass my wishes and blessings to all for Imbolc. Tree and I went to Shrawley wood, on one of our rare days out, to get in touch with the spring. Whilst there, I came upon two amazing pieces for wands and they have already begun the transformation. I also have my eye on some deer antlers that I came across a couple of months ago. I am waiting for Mother nature to take her natural course and strip them ready for me to turn into ceremonial staves. They will hold great significance and power as they are only a few feet away from a spot that is very important to me.
Other good news is that my son Elliott got in touch with me and we met up the other day. He has shot up and is now taller than me!! Most people are anyway!! Dan and Sez came over to the shop and I think Dan may be putting some photos on his blog, so give it a click. Blissfields tickets are on sale now, so get em quick. Otherwise, there is not much to report, a blessing in a way as I am beginning to gear up for Tiddesley Wood Spring fair. At least I enjoy my work now!!!!

Loony eclipse.

Well done to Dan for reminding me about the lunar eclipse last night. I was thinking it was going to be about 1am but noticed it was already happening at 10pm. A bit of a race to get the telescope out, but I managed to get a few photos. Unfortunately the camera had a problem with the image being dark and they weren't as sharp as I would have liked. The moon at the height of the eclipse went a beautiful shade of orange and resembled Mars, which was cool. As the pics are all very much the same I have just posted the two, a sort of before and after thing.

Missing the point!

Not so much of a blog, as a catch-up, I'm afraid. Oh well, at least it's because I've been busy. I must clear up a point from my previous entry concerning the Dr Hadwen Trust. It seems, from a few comments that I have had, that people think it is regarding the ethics of using drugs that have been tested on animals. It is not. The Hadwen Trust concerns itself with finding NEW ways to test drugs WITHOUT USING animals. This does not mean that drugs already developed cannot be used but concerns more the future of humane testing. Considering the pain inflicted previously to animals in testing, it would be an insult to their memories to not use these drugs. However, as soon as a replacement was available, then the switch would be made. Without the Hadwen Trust research, there is no future for animals in labs. Also, bear in mind that a report was written in 1989 detailing that had Thalidomide been tested in human control experiments, instead of animal, it would never have been used!! A strong argument for alternative research I think.
I shall catch up with the rest of this blog soon. See Ya.

I'm missing the snow already!!

You know how it is. When it's there and you can't get to work, etc, etc, you moan. When it's gone, a nostalgic mood sets in for the romance of crisp clear air and white horizons. You can't win! Anyway, while I was stuck in, unable to get to the shop, I decided to catch up on some reading and came across a brilliant article from the Dr Hadwen Trust about the launch of their new website . The trust has been developing ways of doing medical research without using animals. When considering that most data from animal research is not viable for human testing and the pain inflicted is therefore futile and criminal by moral standards, it makes sense to support the trust. I have been supporting them for some years now and have been very impressed with the number of procedures that no longer require testing on animals. Go on take a look! Go on, go on, go on.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow (or maybe not).

Well so much for the more frequent blogging. To be fair, I have been inundated with things to do. Tree and I went to the Spring Fair and spent loads of money and met some new people to trade with. We are making a concerted effort to move away from commercial traders and buy from independent craftspeople and made some good contacts.

And then came the snow. Thursday was a complete waste of time, having tried to get to work and failing by getting no further than Powick roundabout, so we decamped to Sandra's house for the rest of the day. It was a good job we did, as we were told many tales of people abandoning their cars on the top of British Camp and walking home. Friday was not much better. We managed to get to Ledbury and Hereford, respectively, but Tree had to come back early as snow was blocking up Hereford. By the time we had finished lunch the roads were covered in snow and slush. We decided to avoid the hills and went back via the motorway. Even the M40 was coated in slush and it took a long time to get home. Today I went over British Camp and there was a string of cars, still where they were abandoned the previous day, and the road was reduced to a single track in some sections where trees had fallen under the weight of the snow!

However, I couldn't resist the temptation and built not one but two snowmen. Well, with global warming, we may not be able to much longer.

It's a hard life!

Unless your a cat!

Well, not much to report, apart from news about the shop and that can get a bit dull, as an observer. Tree and I are back on the healthy regime and aim to get in lots of walks and fresh air. I have managed to put on a stone in weight since leaving the bank! This is down to the fact I am not cycling to work every day. We hope to get along to one of the Critical mass meetings on a Friday. The only problem is that by the time we get home it's too late. Hopefully in the summer they will start later. Failing that, Tree and I will just go out for a ride anyway.

Two posts in one day, what's the world coming to?

I couldn't miss out on this one. I was just in the newsagents, getting a paper, when I overheard this snippet of conversation between an elderly lady and the owner.

Lady "Well he likes to stop and fuss a bit"

Owner "I don't know. He says I give him too much work on his round and yet he has time to play with your pussy everyday"

Get it while you can Grandma, I say.

Hoorah for broadband!!

At last, I finally got my arse into gear and sorted out broadband for the shop. Not too momentus an occasion, you might think, but I have contact with the outside world again. Sadly it will not all be game playing and surfing for me as I will have to get the virtual shop up and running as well. The shop is looking a lot better now I have put in the shelving, as you can see from the photos, and we are getting a lot of new stock in soon. With business being quieter this time of year, Tree and I are thinking of taking a month off work next year and travelling instead. We may as well take advantage of the situation!!

I wouldn't wanna be Jade right now !!

As Big Brother is said to represent a microcosmic view of the state of our society it was inevitable that, like all civilizations in the past, it would end up destroying itself. The current debacle about racism is to be the tip of the iceberg in retrospect. Oh well, it was interesting while it lasted, however, I was beginning to tire of it. Even if it manages to continue, it will not be as it was. The interesting concept is that the real Big Brother is now watching Big Brother behave. Orwell knew what he was onto alright!
BB aside, I am getting broadband set up at the shop so I will now be blogging a lot more. Life will be a lot easier being able to do most things at work, rather than eating into my spare time.

I am the God of Hellfire!!!

Recently I read an article which said that a clothing company had been prosecuted for writing “We must apologise for our president, he is an idiot” on their washing instruction labels. I thought this was quite amusing, yet surely it must be a one-off occurrence? Oh no!! I checked some of my labels and found this one which, seeing as I have been accused of running an occult shop just because I have a pentagram in a glass cabinet, must make me the devil himself (sounds of, Hollywood style, evil hollow laughter, echo behind me). As I don't believe in the "devil", as he is a christian construct to control people, I haven't been phased by this !!! It puts a whole new meaning to hot under the collar. Does this mean I’m hot stuff!! Yeah right.

CBB, an all that!

Oh well I was nearly right. You know, a couple of Americans, a washed up musician or two and an unknown actress. Either way it’s all a bit the same, as usual. Anyway, life does not revolve around Big Brother! Tree and I took a day off to go and see one of our suppliers in Staffordshire and it was like entering Aladdins cave with all the crystal everywhere. We would have bought the whole warehouse, in our dreams, but had to settle for one or two rather nice pieces instead. It was a fascinating day and I learnt a lot about how they extract crystal without damaging the environment, as opposed to drift mining where they rape the hillsides with explosives and water cannons. When I have more time, I will get round to applying for BAFTS accreditation for the shop. In the meantime, we are soon to appear in the local ragmag to help promote where we are. The shop is now listed under Wyrdewood, in the business internet directory. I am getting business broadband set up soon, so I won’t be so cut off…hooray!!! Otherwise, not much to report so I’ll say seeya soon. Aloha!

CBB an all that....

Blimey, is it a year already since the last celebrity Big Brother? I can well believe it, when considering all that has gone by in the last year. I can only wonder at the prospect of this New Year. Oh, by the way, Happy New Year!!! Back to CBB, I won’t even begin to guess who will be in it. Instead I will forecast the types of celebrity and see if I am right.

Celeb Big Brother forecast

One American
One desperate politician
A former glamour/man mag model
A forgotten actor/actress
A has been child entertainer (i.e. Timmy Mallet)
A musician or musically related person
A topical person from some sort of scandal trying to prove they were stitched up
An airhead/play it dumb type
A feminist or gay activist (most likely annoying)
An unknown (you know, the type you say, “what they been in then?”)

Oh, hang on, you mean to say exactly like every other Celeb Big Brother?
Yep indeed!!

Keeping a promise. The Maha Mantra

I almost forgot. Even though Charles, one of the waiters, is Catholic, he asked that I put the Maha Mantra on the blog. We had a discussion about Lord Krishna, Rama and Sita, the Ramayana and The Mahabharata (Hindu bible). He seemed quite impressed that I had read it cover to cover, as it is 9000 pages long and most Hindus only read sections at a time. The recitation of this mantra gives, and brings, favour and reverence to those that recite it and, more importantly, to Lord Krishna.

Hari Krishna Hari Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hari Hari
Hari Rama Hari Rama
Rama Rama
Hari Hari.

More India photos

These photos are of the Park Hyatt Hotel and Anjuna Market. As I mostly recorded the trip on my digi video, the photos don't show too much. The hotel was surrounded by one big swimming pool, the biggest in India, and as you walked round, you crossed it by a series of bridges. Outside of our rooms was a lagoon with a view to the sea on our right.
Anjuna market was complete madness with everyone hassling, shouting or begging for you to buy. After a while you became immune to the mayhem. The sound of people saying "Na, Na, Na", which means no in Hindi was everywhere you went. However, when considering that you can buy a T-shirt for £1 or incense for 9p, it was a fantastic experience.

India Photos

Solstice Greetings/Hari Rama, Rama Rama, Hari Hari,etc...

Greetings one and all and may your solstice have been as good as ours!! We have been home just 24 hours now and are still a little jet lagged, but relaxed all the same. Goa was everything we expected and the hotel was brilliant. The service was more than I could believe, I swear if you dropped a bit of paper it wouldn't reach the ground before it would be caught by one of the staff, and everyone made every effort to ensure you had a relaxing time. The weather was a steady 34 degrees with a light breeze which was very welcome. We mainly stayed around the hotel or on the beach but ventured North to Anjuna one day to the market there. The market was crazy and a tale in itself, let alone the drive there on majorly potholed roads with a driver who spent most of the trip two inches from the car in front or in the middle of the road!!! We bought loads of crystal, fabrics and incense for the shop and it was good to be buying direct from source, rather than lining someone's pocket over here. We even made arrangements with this guy we met, called Farook, to send stuff direct to us here in the UK !! There were two guys at the hotel who were really friendly called Charles and Richard and we made sure we gave them fat tips when we left. The average wage, in India, is about 700 rupees per month (about £9) so they were well chuffed when we gave them 500 rupee tips on the last day ! As usual, I have shed loads of photos but will only post a few at a time.
Tree and I had a particularly good solstice, watching the sun set on the beach. It was made very special, for reasons to be revealed later, and will be one I will never forget !! Now all that is left is to look forward to the New Year and all that the future holds, a certainly brighter one than in the last few years.
Catch ya soon.

....and Breath

At last, a quiet moment to catch up on the blog ! That is not to say that I have been rushed off my feet with customers, but rather that I have been busy finishing off all the fiddly bits like shelves and electrics. We have been fairly quiet midweek but are hopeful for the weekends. The main thing is getting people to come up the passageway. The rent has been covered for this month already, so no complaints !!We have already been described as “ The best kept secret in Ledbury”, and we have had a lot of positive feedback regarding the pagan items we stock. Someone remarked that we were similar to a shop in Glastonbury, which I was pleased about. Although the shop looks good as it is, if I say so myself, I want it to evolve and grow in a free form, rather than a conventional, way. Otherwise, there isn’t any news other than the fact that I feel guilty for ignoring everyone at the moment, but it can’t be helped. When things are a bit settled Tree and I will visit you all…promise! In the meantime, India is just around the corner, time wise silly, not literally, and I can’t wait ! Catch Ya soon.

We are in business !!!

Well the shop finally got open on Friday and just in the nick of time. Thursday night and I was still signwriting and varnishing the A board. Tree's mum and dad came over and gave us a bottle of Champagne, which was nice. I could rattle on about the whole set up but I thought the photos would speak for themselves. The top photos are the shop as we took it over and the bottom how we opened. Spot the difference ?

A man of independent means.

What words can adequately describe the joy of no longer being in the employ of a capitalist corporation ? To be honest I am not sure, but who cares ? After twenty seven years, I am a free man !!! It hasn't quite sunk home yet as I am working very long hours getting the shop ready. The walls are painted and the displays mounted. The counter is made but not glazed and I've yet to carve the signs and make the 'A' boards. We have decided to open on the 17th November, as this gives us a bit more time to get everything ready. As I write, the printer at my feet is churning out flyers ready for the launch. As I said in previous blogs, I must apologise to anyone we have left out or ignored over the last few weeks and we will catch up as soon as the shop is open. By the time we get to December I will need the holiday in India !! Of course this could now be a chance to meet some new suppliers directly !! Love to one and all. See ya soon.

What d'ya mean Blogged out ? !!

I can't believe a whole month has gone by and I haven't blogged !! So much has been going on of late, I just haven't had a chance. To summarise, Wales is not in our plans for the near future, I've quit my job after 27 years ( yes folks, 27 years!) and Tree and I are opening a shop in Ledbury. So as you can see I have reasonable justification for not blogging. Basically, I am finishing off at work, then coming home,then going to the shop. Ooh, the excitement !! The shop was just a shell when I started but now is beginning to resemble something quite good. A complete refit, with a counter made by my own fair hand, and we hope to open sooner rather than later. Anyway, I am busy even now so I will have to post short updates until the shop is up and running. Sorry to anyone we may have inadvertently ignored and we will catch up soon, promise.

Oliver Postgate drops a Clanger

I don't know if you knew, but Oliver Postgate wrote an excellent piece in the Guardian yesterday about global warming. If the man who wrote The Clangers, Bagpuss, Noggin the Nog & Ivor the engine doesn't deserve a listen, then we are all doomed. Check out his blog.

You're in my face mate !

What is it with cats ? If they can't get your attention the easiest thing to do is stand so close to your face you can't see anything but fur. The particular culprit is Ziggy who cannot resist climbing all over me whenever I sit down. I thought it was cupboard love at first but Tree disagrees, as he normally does it having eaten. Can a cat be infatuated ? Bless !!

M is for missing photos

I've just checked out my last blog and realised that a couple of photos from yesterday haven't uploaded correctly. The top one is Lord Shiva, the bottom, Lord Ghanesha. I also forgot to mention that I met a man in Broad Street who sold me a book I have been trying to get for ages by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. It explains some of the more difficult translations in the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanisads. Altogether a good bay in Brum.

B is for B'ham, I is for India, V is for Visa

What a day ! Tree and I were up at the crack of dawn to go to Birmingham to get our visas for India. We were told, by someone in the know, to get there early, so we arrived about 10 minutes after the doors opened at the consulate. This was not good on our part as everybody who has been before knows to get there about an hour before. We took a ticket, number 422, as they were serving number 315. As you can imagine, we didn't hang about and went round the jewellery quarter instead. We came back about an hour later and still queued for another half hour. That is not the end of it though ! After you have submitted your application you have to go away and come back after 4pm to collect it ! We went back into town for lunch and spent the afternoon at the City Art Gallery. As I pointed out in a previous blog, people don't look up much and in this case I noticed how nearly everyone at the gallery missed the splendour of the building itself. Understandable you might say, given all the fantastic work on show, but I would argue that the ceilings, in particular, are an artform in their own right. There were at least four huge stained glass domes in the roof that were quite spectacular. I lay down on the floor and took several photos, which produced some interest from other gallery visitors. With regard to artwork, the Pre-Raphaelite work was inspiring and the Buddha gallery beautiful. I was also mightily impressed with some textile work using a method I had not come across before and liked the chrysalis, hanging from the ceiling, most.

A change is as good as a rest !

Not a lot to report since my last blog. Tree and I have just come back from a long weekend at Croyde. We hoped to catch some surf but Tree has been very unwell, temperature and everything, so we left the boards behind. A good job really as the swell was almost into minus figures it was so flat. Tree improved while we were there and we had good weather, so I was happy. Even though we only stayed two nights, it felt like a week and we agreed we definitely needed the break. On the way back we stopped at Glastonbury and had lunch at our favourite, The Rainbows End Cafe. I think a few issues, concerning where I am going, have been resolved, and that is a weight off my mind. It is a pity that I now have to face the endless barrage of complaints at work, about the branch closure, for the next two months. Oh well, things could be far worse !!!

Rain stopped play !!

As it was, Tree and I were going to have a nice day out, working the Green Fair at Gheluvelt Park, but then realised that the Ragged Hedge Fair was back on, after ten years. We contacted Will, who owns the wood we were handfasted in, and asked if we could trade there. Unfortunately, we were too late. So we decided to just go and check it out anyway. However, we hadn't allowed for the weather and after sitting, looking out of the window at the rain for ages, we decided to just forget the whole thing and chill at home instead !! The day is not lost though, as we have just booked our holiday in India. We got an excellent deal on a 5 ***** hotel and we upgraded to deluxe as well !! Our room has a sunken bath and looks out over it's own lagoon ! Plus, the hotel has the biggest pool in India. Fantastic !!!We will just dream of golden sands and sun from now on.