by Cicely Mary Barker ... her first book Flower Fairies of the Spring was published in 1923 bringing her international acclaim, and her many beautifully illustrated books which followed have become classics with children and adults alike.
Click on Flower Fairies to visit the official website, for lots of fairy fun.
I recently discovered that Cicely Mary Barker first found inspiration for her Flower Fairies Journal whilst staying in Storrington in West Sussex, a village we know very well, as J and his family were brought up and still live there to this day. Click on Flower Fairy Journal for a more in-depth account.
by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite ... was the first children's book illustrator in Australia to have her work printed in lavish full-colour editions and to establish an international career. She was hailed as one of the most significant new illustrators in England post World War One. She wrote and illustrated more than sixty children's books, most of which were published by Angus & Robertson in Australia and A & C Black in the United Kingdom.
Ida's exquisite watercolours and fine pen and ink drawings have recently enjoyed a widespread revival of interest.
My first car was a red mini, the very one pictured above in a local newspaper advertisement for sale, must have been the best one on the forecourt at the time! My parents were by no means rich but they delivered their promise of a new (secondhand) car for both me and my brother for our eighteenth birthday presents on passing our driving tests, what an incentive, we both passed at seventeen. My first test didn't go too well, the examiner had to apply the emergency brake at a set of traffic lights. I only drew the short straw for the most notorious examiner at the test centre, I remember him frightening me to death at the time, it was as much as I could do to read out the number plate, let alone to be competently driving a car! I passed on my second test in this little car above.
Any driving test or Mini memories out there?
With bubbly in one hand, and time on the other, I make a wish for 2008 to be a Prosperous and Happy New Year to all I have met over the latter few months of 2007.
I really do believe that through the blog friendship I have made with you all, and reading all the thoughtful comments left for me, has been instrumental in giving me added confidence to make a huge decision, which is going to lead to a change in my life in 2008, which who knows without you, I may never have made.
Bottoms Up!
"In Fungus the Bogeyman I wanted to show the petty nastiness of life - slime and snot and spit and dandruff, all this awful stuff which is slightly funny because it detracts from human dignity and our pretensions."
The Worthing branch of retail chain British Bookshops Sussex Stationers, in Montague Street, is supporting Chestnut Tree House children's hospice's competition. The task is to design a Christmas card for the hospice, which is based near Arundel and is the only children's hospice in Sussex.
Raymond Briggs, illustrator of The Snowman, will be choosing the winners of each age group. The winning designs will be transformed into Christmas cards which the hospice will sell next year. Last year's winners, along with an exclusive design donated by Mr Briggs, will appear in the shops at the end of this month.
For more on Raymond Briggs click on this link.
Our highlight of the trip though was visiting the numerous Christmas markets scattered around the city, each one easily reached by train and tram. The evenings got very cold and so a good excuse to have a warm mug of gluhwein or two whilst walking round, or post mugful as in my case staggering, me and alcohol just don't mix! If you fancy trying some, we have discovered you can buy the very same thing over here in Lidl, we always stock up with a few bottles for over the festive season.
In the photo above you can see my two lovely terracotta mugs. We happened to stumble across a mediaeval market along the Rhine, where they were serving gluhwein in these, I liked them so much I sacrificed the deposit you pay for the mugs and brought them home, miraculously they made it in one piece!
Buying the Presents 1934
The notion of exchanging gifts at Christmas can be traced back to the Magi (the Three Wise Men) who, guided by a star in the sky, travelled to Bethlehem to offer gifts to Jesus: gold, incense and myrrh. However, it was not until the 1860s when the story of Santa Claus (St Nicholas) became fashionable that the idea really took hold and it became popular to give gifts to members of your family and friends.
Do you remember your school nativity? I went to a Catholic primary and the nativity played a very important part in the school calendar, well what else would mum have done with her old tea towels? What about Christmas carol concerts, recorders polished (and tuned!), screeching to the tune of Little Donkey, proud parents looking on, such happy times were had by all.
The Christmas tradition seems important to all of you, thanks for all your great memories of the nativity and of Christmas celebrations, I was really amused by all your exploits! Marie screeched on her recorder like I did, but Fiona was a true professional, she really could play. Michele's comment was a classic, I am seriously going to consider hanging entrails from my tree next year, just imagine the look on your visitors' faces!
