Flaking Away...

There's a duff 'regeneration' programme going on in East Greenwich where every conceivable scrap of land is having a huge amount of bland high-density architecture slapped on it. Recently a hoarding was taken down exposing this bit of old hand-painted advert gently flaking away in the November sunshine.

The Girl With the Replaceable Head

The Girl With the Replaceable Head

Things

Managed to tidy up the top of the sideboard to give the impression to house guests that I am vaguely organised. But just open the cupboard doors and, hey presto, all manner of random hoarded tat drops out. Listening to the track 'Things' by Frightened Rabbit and this sort of sums things up at the moment.

The Charming Interloper

This Hastings-based feline interloper sneaked into the house while I was busy painting. I am guessing, as she knew her away around the house, that this must be Lilly who belongs to the previous tenant (aka 'Grinderman').

Hastings Old Town - Grinders Unite!

Managed to finish work and start a new job within a week and squeezed in three days of moving accumulated items back into the house in Old Town Hastings. Here's a view from the upstairs window looking out across the town. Painting, tiling and tidying up the house after it was rented out for 11 months. A few expected wear and tear scrapes and paint chips etc. The only oddity in the house were a set of basic plates (which I had left in the house) that appeared to have been, for some inexplicable reason, chipped and heavily grinded all around the rims. It looked as though the tenants had occupied their idle hours by fashioning themselves a grinding device in order to give an aged appearance to new objects. I then found a motley collection of ceramic jar lids which had the same worn down heavily nibbled edges. These were left staged on the window ledges as a 'charming' rustic decorative display. However, a productive few minutes with recycling bag put an end to Grinderman's artisan offerings. Thanks but no thanks.

Illuminate Your Bicycle

This image reminds me that on some Friday nights there's an illuminated cycle ride organised by Pier to Eternity and Hastings Urban Bikes around and about Hastings which adds a little touch of magic to the dark Winter evenings.

Cast Iron Bargain

Mid-week I had to go back to the house in Old Town Hastings as the tenants have bought a house and are just about to move out in the next week. On my way back to the station, I stopped off at a second hand shop I've not been in before on Cambridge Road. After wandering around three floors I came across these three fab french 70s burnt orange cast iron saucepans going for a song at £10. I got to the counter and before I had a chance to get out my wallet or utter a word the dealer quickly noted there was a chip on one of the lids - perfect otherwise - and promptly knocked the price down to £7. I wasn't going to argue with that. These little heavy weights will end up back in Hastings shortly when I move back in.