Oxford

On Thursday my daughter had no school due to a teachers strike. So we decided to have a day out to Oxford. It's not far on the train and the sun was shining. The perfect day for an adventure. We were heading to this majestic building below, home to the Pitt Rivers museum.    

Inside it is just as impressive.

The Pitt Rivers museum is a collection of archaeological and anthropological artifacts. It was  founded in 1884 by one Lt General Augustus Pitt Rivers, after he donated his collection to the University of Oxford.
It's an amazing place filled to the brim with curiosities from all over the world. Inside the light is dim. Much darker than the picture above in which my camera made things look far brighter, compensating for the lack of light. A kind light for the old things and just right to add to the atmosphere. There was so much to photograph and look at and read and on top of that there were drawers underneath filled with even more secret wonders! To be honest I would have been happy just staying in here all day with a notebook and pencil sketching and writing. Anyway here are a few  of the things that I took pictures of. Things that jumped out and spoke to me.

Masks

Ornate keys which made me wonder about their stories. Which doors had they opened? Who had been their keepers?  

 Magical things

Spells

Most objects were labelled by the tiniest writing imaginable.Others were more readable.
Above, the small paws of a poor mole, cut off while still alive. It's feet kept in the pocket of a man, as a cure for toothache!  I am fascinated by the past and things such as this, but I'm so glad that we have progressed with cures for toothache these days.  I'm sure the mole would be too!
If you suffered from warts, then the charm below would have been for you...

In case it's too small for your to read this is what it says on the label.
"Charm for warts Oxfordshire~ Go out alone and find a large black slug. Secretly rub the underside on the warts and impale the slug and thorn. As the slug dies the warts will go"

~*~

This little bird made me feel sad.

Shadow Puppets

                                                                           Music

I loved the colours and designs of these old playing cards

And was  particularly attracted to all the things depicting animals of course.  

It was very atmospheric in the museum and some of the things such as the shrunken heads, weapons and ancient surgical instruments were rather unnerving. It made us wonder what it would be like to stay the night, or be there in the dark surrounded by all of these objects that hold the spirit and ghosts of people. Then I found this video showing the museum viewed by torchlight, which I thought you might like to see. 

I gazed in awe, as I always do, at the beauty of mother natures creations in the natural history part of the museum.

On our way to lunch we passed the most adorable little cottage.

And met a white rabbit blowing bubbles. :)

We were lucky that the day was dry and warm. There were lots of ladybirds flying around the old university buildings. On their way to look for a good sleeping places for winter I expect, which I'm sure they will find among the many stone buildings here. 

Our last stop, after a little shopping, (well I am with a teenage girl. ;)) was this fabulous exhibition that was totally unexpected as I hadn't known it was on.

Original sketches and notes by Tolkien, JK Rowling, Alan Garner, Susan Cooper, Philip Pullman and CS Lewis, including his original map sketch of Narnia. There were also some very old looking books and manuscripts concerning magic and angels, and some illuminated with gold. All was so wonderful to see, what a rare treat.  Sadly  no photography was allowed inside, so I will have to keep all of these precious images in my head. What a special end to a great day out.

I'm not going to talk about the weather, but...

Everyone seems to be talking about the weather have you noticed? I know us British folk are supposedly renowned for it, but lately it's more than normal and even people on Twitter are tweeting about weather and they are from other countries. Maybe it's always been this way and I'm just noticing it more?  Anyway all I have to say on weather is that many years ago it snowed on April 22nd. I know this as I remember it clearly as I woke up and rushed outside to see if my guinea pig had given birth. She had produced a little miracle in the night whilst the snow fell in Spring all those years ago.... and yes it was April!  Everything does seem a month behind though. In the garden daffodils are in bloom alongside the primroses and none of the trees are in leaf yet.  Like the Spring, I have been slow too. Slow writing here and slow producing my work. Maybe others are feeling this too.?I like to think it's because my body is in tune with nature's pace outside rather than the busy rush of news, tv, social media and fast paced gossip way of life. ;)

So I have some things to share. Firstly some snaps of Easter. ( I hope you had an enjoyable one, whatever you got up to)

A couple of weeks ago I went for another walk on my lunch break. I thought I'd share some of the inside shots of the Abbey that I took. They are giving me the urge to paint an interior picture which I haven't done in quite a long while...

I wouldn't mind being accidently shut in here one night, then I could get to browse the dusty pages of  these books. Think of all the words hidden. All the worlds captured inside those old bindings....

 And  of course I would look in here to see if another world existed behind it's old doors. 

My desk has been a hive of activity this last week finishing off a drove of wooden hares, threading beads and  ribbon.

They are finished now and  here they are all hung up.

Several have moths painted on them as waiting for the butterfly chrysalis to hatch on my windowsill  I have been thinking a lot about the past moths that hatched the year before last  and that very special  first one.
I even fitted in some pendants using up the odd scraps of spare wood

The hares and pendants will be listed in my Etsy shop  at 7pm ( BST) tomorrow evening  (16th April)

I will leave you now with some music by Ludovico Einaudi  from his latest album  'In a time lapse'  Saturday night I was lucky to get to see him at the Colston Hall in Bristol. What a great evening. We weren't supposed to take pictures really, but me being a bit naughty (ssh) sneaked one in at the end. Here he is before his encore.

Easter Moments

As Easter weekend draws to a close now and the sun sets on what has been yet another glorious sunshiney filled day. I thought I'd share a few moments of ours.

                                                     Waiting for lunch...

A giant Easter bunny and some other magical moments to treasure at 'Secret World' Wildlife Rescue. 

                                  Baby owl

And another adorable little chap just 3 weeks old....

 Sweetest fox cub. :-)

And then on Easter sunday another magical moment!

One of the chrysalis's hatched! (See last post) I believe it to be a lime hawk moth? What an amazing stunning creature and how appropriate to re-emerge on Easter Sunday.

I freed it soon after to a place very near to where I found the cocoon.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend however which way you spent it?
x