I am sitting enjoying a cup of tea after an enjoyable, exhausting weekend making part of a ‘What if Machine ‘ at Derby Silk Mill Museum. It was such a fun experience that I wanted to record it straight away. To explain, a What If Machine is based on the idea of creating a very complicated machine to cause something very simple to happen. These type of machines were drawn by Heath Robinson in England and Rube Goldberg in America. Neither illustrator made their machines but have inspired many to try. Wallis and Grommet films have some fantastically complicated ideas for achieving simple tasks.
Category: Days Out
A Nice Cup of Tea
There is one drink I can’t live without and that is, a nice cup of tea. I enjoy tea of all varieties and as I write this I am enjoying a cup of red bush or rooibos tea. This variety of tea is naturally caffeine free so is good to drink in the evening . The underground health website details ten reasons that this tea is good for you. I have recently purchased a glass teapot which is perfect for brewing more unusual teas.
Harley Gallery and Welbeck Village
Last weekend I visited the Harley Gallery and Welbeck village. The village is owned by the Duke of Portland. He is responsible for continuing the Welbeck Project started by his Aunt, Ivy the Duchess of Portland. The village is not usually open for the public to walk around so it was lovely to be able to visit it.
I Love Making Things.
I love making things hence the title of my blog, Anne Clark Handmade. I also like to create small worlds using papier mache, fabric, wire and knitting. There is a lot of fun to be had experimenting with different materials. A couple of years ago I spent a day attending a Jessie Chorley workshop at Hope and Elvis in Nottinghamshire. We were given an old cutlery box to do something with and I made it into a small room with clock, curtain and dressing table.
Highdown Gardens West Sussex
Highdown Gardens near Worthing in West Sussex, are stunningly beautiful. They are situated on downland countryside with views of the sea beyond. The gardens offer a unique collection of rare plants and trees and have been deemed a National Collection. Entry to the gardens are free but donations are very welcome.
Global Service Jam 2014
I have just spent an enjoyable, challenging and exhausting weekend joining in with the Global Service Jam at Quad in Derby. It is the first time that I have ever been involved with something like this so I am giving some feedback on how I found it. To start with, here is some background information on what a Global Service Jam involves. The global bit is easy, it takes place all over the world on the same weekend or as near to that as is possible. This year over 100 cities joined in with Jam sites existing on six continents. On the poster below you can see the Derby Ram just over halfway down.
Carsington Water
Last week I went on a trip to Carsington Water, a reservoir in Derbyshire. The sun was out but it was a very cold day and the black clouds were gathering. The purpose of the visit was to see what the visitor centre could offer as an educational resource. It had very good interactive displays and lots of information about where our water comes from and how it is cleaned for household use. I found it informative and fun as an adult but I feel sure it would be equally so for children.
Holiday on the Scilly Islands.
Christmas is over and the advertisements on the television are all about where to go on holiday. This is not an easy decision as holidays can be very expensive and yet we feel that we must have one to unwind from our increasingly stressful lives. Last year I was very lucky to be able to revisit the Scilly Islands, a place I had not been to for 28 years. Sometimes it can be disappointing going back to a place you have fond memories of as inevitably places change.
Whitby, a Town Worth Visiting
I recently spent a few days in Whitby and thought I would share some of my photos. While there we had a real mixture of weather but this is Great Britain! The first day was reasonably warm for October and so we went to the beach at Robin Hood Bay.
- October sunshine at Robin Hood Bay.
- The tide was out and there were plenty of rock pools to investigate and sand to dig.
Rat Bags
- I recently discovered Rat Bags, a company making items out of sail canvas while on holiday on the Scilly Islands. I love to visit countries like Italy where you still find small shops with the artist or maker working at the back, producing their handmade goods. It is rare however to find this in the UK so on this recent holiday to the Isles of Scilly I was really pleased to discover a shop called The Canvas Shop in Hugh Town, St Marys, where you can see the handmade items being made. The company is called Rat Bags and they make practical, colourful, bags, hats and clothes out of traditional canvas.