Wulf's Webden

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30 December 2024
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Oceans: Treasures of the Deep

The art exhibition at Loughborough’s Sock Gallery (Oceans: Treasures of the Deep) is worth a visit if you like oceanic images, finely detailed work or an intersection of the two. Artist Olivier Leger, who made his start locally, creates fantastic images of creatures like whales, sharks and turtles that turn out to contain whole worlds within them. The details aren’t just there for whimsy but tell stories as well. For example, the shark image shows things like a tiny Jaws poster (indicative of how we paint sharks as dangerous creatures), paper currency pinned to the fin (commercial fishing for a tiny part of the body destroys populations) and a host of sharks being led off by an angel of death.

Most days up until the close on 11 January, the artist will also be there to explain and the exhibition includes magnifying glasses you can use if you want to take a much closer look.

29 December 2024
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Double Curry

We ended up with quite a few guests for dinner today. What was originally planned as just a curry turned into cooking two parallel curries (similar but distinct recipes for the sauces) and pulling together some additional dishes to bulk things out. It was worth it through, both for the food (which turned out quite well) and the excellent company.

28 December 2024
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Last Sing Around of 2024

Today’s session was a special one, hosted round at Mo’s house. For that reason, it was only regulars who got invited but it still managed to be packed!

What did I sing? It depends how you count it. In what was still technically before the announced start although after the official start time, I put in a version of Diving Duck Blues, as an easy one for people to join in. As I was on ukulele, I didn’t try the riff and I’m not entirely sure I managed the detail of singing in the right key but it was okay as a warm up.

My main contributions were two pieces based on The 12 Days of Christmas. For the first, I added in some answering correspondence that was similar to several sources but most closely based on a 1998 rendition by JJ Norwich. The recipient, named as Emily, becomes increasingly less impressed with the gifts her true love sends her – too many birds and then an increasingly bizarre range of additional ideas. The second came from a piece the University choir did earlier this month, The 12 Days After Christmas. This also posits a frustrated recipient working through how the gifts were disposed of, sometimes quite literally! Both managed to raise a few smiles with what can sometimes seem a rather hackneyed song.

I got one final go and since, by then, I had a bass in my hands, I went for a lively rendition of I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free. I think I already have the privilege of knowing but I’m still looking forward to future sessions in 2025.

27 December 2024
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Actual Christmas Dinner Day

For family reasons we didn’t have a full Christmas dinner on Christmas Day, or at least not one with turkey. That gets rectified this afternoon and hopefully will be all the better for the recent practise run!

26 December 2024
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A Foggy Day

”A foggy day in London Town” is the opening lyric of a jazz tune I’ve enjoyed playing many times but it was also a bit on the misty side in Loughborough today. It wasn’t too bad at home but, as we drove up to the car park at Beacon Hill, I was reminded how mist often gets thicker at higher altitudes. Sometimes you can punch through it but Beacon Hill, a little over 800 feet above sea level at the summit, isn’t in the right league to be much good at that game.

So much for letting my mum see the view of Loughborough and its environs that is often afforded from that vantage point. Nevertheless, it was still a decent little stroll and at least atmospheric if not illuminating.

25 December 2024
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Christmas Greetings 2024

Halo Crown

This year’s Christmas design is a haloed crown. Perhaps I should also have worked a cross in there or embossed it in red and then I would have hit all three points of the way the carol We Three Kings describes Jesus: King and God and Sacrifice.

Although this is just an image made of pixels, there were several physical steps between the basic design (on computer) and scanning it back in. I used my Japanese woodblock carving tools to work it onto a scrap of plywood. Covered with Pritt Stick, I transferred the design to card and covered it with embossing powder. Finally, I used a heat gun to melt the powder and create the metallic effect.

In other words, quite a lot of work but so many creative things often are. Happy Christmas one and all!

23 December 2024
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Family Christmas

This year it falls to me and Jane to host the family Christmas. With the first guests arriving imminently, we’ll soon find out if our plans are in order. Guest beds assembled, presents wrapped, food and drink provisioned…. I think it is in place but now I just have to wait (and finish off a couple of semi-related chores like folding and putting away some more washing!).

22 December 2024
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Last Grocery Shop Before Christmas

Tonight I’ve drawn up a shopping list and tomorrow morning I’ll head out when Jane goes to do her regular Monday morning dog walking for a friend and see if I can get the last few bits I need to cover the provisions we need up until the end of Boxing Day. I’m not entirely sure I’ll manage that, depending on what is in stock and what I’ve forgotten but I’ll see if I can pull it off, leaving more time for the other bits and pieces lined up for the next few days.

21 December 2024
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Little Lasagnes

For today’s dinner I wanted to use up the bolognese sauce I made last night and lasagne seemed like a good option. We had one suitable dish but decided to pick up a couple more of them from Morrisons as they will be useful for Christmas and other occasions.

Overall it was tasty but I think I rather over-filled the dishes. One clue was that I couldn’t completely cover the top sheet of lasagne pasta so it ended up rather crispy in parts! Thinner layers next time and I’ll try to make sure the top one is white sauce with a bit of cheese rather than dried lasagne with a bit of cheese. Also, a whole bowl of meat, white sauce and cheese is somewhat filling. We certainly won’t be needing extras tonight!

Better do another lasagne soon while the lessons are still fresh in mind.

20 December 2024
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Making up parts

In my head I’ve been thinking that I’ve done my last Christmas gig of the year (the Mayor’s carol service at All Saints with Holy Trinity in town last night, performing with the Charnwood Symphonic Wind Orchestra) but that isn’t strictly true. Jane and I are also supporting St Theo’s in Rushey Mead (on the north east side of Leicester) for their carol service on Sunday morning. It isn’t quite such a formal affair as the band gigs but I have spent some time today finishing off clarinet parts for Jane to play.

Some are traditional carols so are very straight forward. Jane gets the alto part transposed for her B♭ instrument and I’ll play the bass part. Others don’t have well established four part harmonies so I’ll busk the bass line from the chords and there I’ve tried to write simple but useful parts for the clarinet. Rehearsal will be limited compared to the more formal gigs but it should turn out alright.