Vince Cosmos Glam Rock Detective - Paul Magrs

Not read any Paul Magrs? Then you are missing out on some rather darkly sublime and eccentric company of an evening. Creator of Brenda, Whitby BB owner and part-time not your run-of the-mill sleuth who, shall we say, is a tad older than her given years, undertaking unusual crime solving with her faithful sidekick, Effie, in their own inimitable way. For some reason, I got it in my head that the actor Steve Pemberton would make a rather fetching Brenda when I first read 'Never the Bride' a few years back. To be honest the cover did it a bit of a discredit as the characters awaiting inside the book are beautifully darker and wittier than its strangely pastel book cover would imply. (In honesty, I wouldn't have picked it up if it wasn't for the intriguing back cover copy).  Great to see Cosmic Hobo has taken on the filming of his 'Vince Cosmos Glam Rock Detective'. This was due to be screened in the UK in January 2013 but seems to have slipped the schedule. Set in 1972, Julian Rhind-Tutt is cast in the lead role and suitably donned in befitting glam rock attire - an entertaining combo that can't be missed, surely?... 

St Olav's Gata, Oslo - Giraffe

If you wander up Akersgata and turn left into St Olav's Gata, just opposite the Decorative Arts Museum look up and you will see this glum little giraffe scurrying its way across the wall. Small tip if you are visiting any of the museums here, always have a 1 krone or 10 krone coin in your wallet as you will always be asked to put your bags in a locker before you go walkabout in the museum. Museums are free for everyone on a Sunday.

Old Town Norfolk Clothing - Beryl

Just had a look at Old Town and see they have added utility coat 'Beryl' to their no nonsense, pragmatic but utterly charming clothing range...
Photo Credit: Old Town

John Vogl - Andrew Bird Concert Poster

And here is said poster bought today from John Vogl commissioned by Andrew Bird...think I've banged on about Andrew Bird before in a previous post. He's rather good, you know.

A Renegade Art Fair Morning and A Lawless Afternoon

We dropped into the Renegade Craft Fair this morning on our way to Rough Trade in Shoreditch and I had intended to go for a walkabout to look for just a hair slide but got talking to Denver-based illustrator and designer John Vogl and bought an Andrew Bird screen print from him. John's work is beautiful; lovely colour palette and considered typography. A purchase of a Popul Vuh CD and a pair of heavy black 1960s glasses frames later from various establishments, it was back to Greenwich to see Lawless (screen play by Nick Cave - watch out for him as a corpse in the car at the very start of the film). Fabulous Guy Pearce plays one of his vilest characters to date superbly. Though I admit to spending moments glancing away from the screen when the brutal beatings were being dished out. 

Berberian Sound Studio

I fell in love today and that kind of thing doesn't happen easily. It was with the film 'Berberian Sound Studio' by Peter Strickland. Just me and two rather shaky on their pins oldies (must be a pair of original 70s Dario Argento fans) hunkered down in the Basement Studio Room of the Greenwich Picture House for a Noon screening today. If you haven't seen the film, do make an effort to seek it out as this is a gem of a film. A respected English sound engineer flown in from the pastoral genteelness of the Surrey countryside to work in a volatile and claustrophobic sound studio along side sleazy Italian directors, a cast of badly treated voice-over artists, a curmudgeonly Italian sound-engineer and a devilishly uncooperative administrator to work on an Argento style film. (For those not initiated in the world of Argento, this equals a lot of ear piercing screaming and supernaturally-based erotica). And a lot of attention is given in getting just the right calibre of scream. Added to which vocals from Trish Keenan (Broadcast)  are used added by James Cargill. I stayed in my seat as the credits rolled by; a fitting tribute to the much missed Trish Keenan and, unexpectedly, 'screams' by Suzy Kendall were credited (Ms Kendall played the lead role in 'Up the Junction' and was married for a while to Dudley Moore - his 'Song for Suzy' was written for her).

Gjetost

At Chez Carthorse, it's always time to stop for cheese and biscuits. I've now become hooked on brunost, a curiously mild, sweet and savoury dense brown goat's cheese with a caramel flavour from Norway. On first buying this in Oslo, I was struck how reminiscent this was of the infamous '70s confectionery the 'Caramac Bar'; one of my favourite sweets when I was a child. Cheese fact: the distinctive flavour of this cheese comes from the slow boiling of milk, cream and whey which caramelises the natural milk sugars. If I'm dropping by to Scandinavian Kitchen for a coffee on a Sunday morning, a few small barrels of Ekte Gjetost get put in the shopping basket. (In the background is page 61 of Signe Johansen's 'Scandilicious' where she suggests toasting the cheese with raspberry jam and a pinch of allspice - it makes a smashing gravy for vegetarian meat(less) balls too.

A Charabanc Outing with Richard Wilson

The sun was slyly revealing itself last weekend after a lengthy absence, so we took ourselves off in the lukewarm sunshine for an early jaunt to the De La Warr Art Gallery to take a look at Richard Wilson's 'Hang on a Minute Lads, I've Got an Idea'  - a facsimile of The Italian Job's team's chosen method of transport to bring back stolen bullion from Turin - a coach. Wilson completed the installation with a hydraulic system which emulates the tipping and rocking motion of the vehicle just as it does in the film while balancing precariously on the edge of the gallery building. By the way, The Italian Job is a favourite film of mine as we have the same style Alfa Romero as the luckless Italian police drive.

The Longest Day

A beautiful sunny evening for the Summer Solstice. Us folk are heading off to the beach shortly with a stack of blankets for an evening picnic. Pity we didn't get chance to organise anything as elaborate as the image above with a bit of greenery and some folk dancing...

Katy's White Lavender Cheese and Crisp Bread

Let me confess to you that I have an addiction, a habit of heavy duty crisp breads; always have done since I was a nipper and to this day it has never waned.  So while I'm in Norway at this point in time, fresh out of the Oslo kitchen this morning were these tasty crisp breads via a recipe courtesy of Marias Søtt og Salt. This was my first attempt at making these and they are really straightforward. I wondered why I had been shelling out my hard earnt money for crackers when after just an hour or so in the kitchen you can make a fair amount of your own at a mere fraction of the cost. Even better if topped with a delicious slice of crumbly white ewe's cheese such as Katy's White Lavender , made by Kate Bell,  laced with the tang of lavender - heaven! This cheese is also a pretty good addition to a Summer salad. Just don't get me started on the Wigmore...

Ingredients:
50 grams of wheat germ
70 grams of oat germ
100 grams of rye flour
120 grams of sunflower seeds
160 grams grams of sesame seeds
60 grams of golden linseeds
75 grams of rolled oats
140 grams of pumpkin seeds
2 tsp salt
700 ml cold water

(You could also adjust the mixture by adding a couple of tablespoons of poppy seeds or a cheese such as Emmental to the mix if you fancy a cheesy tang to your cracker)

Method:
Preheat oven to 170 C/340 F. 
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients, set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
The mixture should be enough to fill two baking trays - line both with baking paper.
Spread the mixture over the two trays, try to make the layers thin and even (to avoid some parts to get burnt and other parts being undercooked).
Bake in the oven  for 10 minutes.
Remove the trays from the oven, and cut the crisp breads (with a knife blade or pizza wheel) into rectangles or squares.
Put in the oven for another 30 minutes. 
Check the oven regularly to make sure the crisp breads are not getting too burnt (in which case, turn the temperature down slightly). 
Turn the oven temp down low to 100 C, separate the individual crisp breads and place onto a wire rack. Place into the oven again for another 1-2 hours to dry out completely. 
Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Store in an air tight jar/tin to keep crispy.

Photo credit: La Petite Carthorse

Aesthetic Apparatus

A trip to the Dutch Uncle private view last night as part of the finale of the Clerkenwell Design Week resulted in a purchase of one of Aesthetic Apparatus'  test screen print (1 of 1). Once I go fetch it back from the DU offices, I'll post a pic. Just 3 bottles of wheat beer was all it took to get me reaching for my wallet...

David Tibet - Meltdown Festival 2012

Just back from France and was way slow off the mark in buying tickets for this year's Meltdown at The Southbank this year curated by Antony Hegarty (Antony and the Johnsons). And after hitting the payment button, I have just realised I've bought two tickets which entitles me and guest pride of place to more or less sit behind the mixing desk (ie 'slightly obscured views' guaranteed) on the evening of Sat August 4th to see Cyclobe, Myrninerest and short films by Derek Jarman. In fact, if my memory serves me well, these are the exact same seats I had when I saw Psychic TV play here some years back. Myrninerest is the new project from David Tibet (Current 93) and, with composer James Blackshaw, will premiere  on this night the debut album 'Jhonn, Uttered Babylon' which is a work about the life and death of Coil's Jhonn Balance. The 4 rarely screened Super 8 films by Jarman will have soundtracks especially written for the evening by both Myrninerest and Cyclobe. 

Cynthia Ozick 'Foreign Bodies'

Cynthia Ozick's Foreign Bodies (published by Atlantic Books) is shortlisted for the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction. An absorbing read - I'm currently half way through it.

Andy Smith - Illustrator

Coincidences, eh? In a recent post re the Pick Me Up event at Somerset House I think I mentioned our lengthy lingering and loitering around the printed work of Tom Frost and Andy Smith. Yesterday this turned up in the post from Mr Smith. 

Michael Dean at The Henry Moore Institute

Michael Dean Installation at The Henry Moore Institute, Leeds

John Byrne 'Donald & Benoit'

John Byrne's sublime 'Donald & Benoit' published by Universe Publishing (2011). Who could resist the exquisite gritty lure of this book with such fabulous emporiums as the John Dory Public Library on Squid Row, The Lemon Sole Cafe or the Electric Eel Cinema at the far end of the Pier or Donald, a cat in oversized boxing trunks? Resplendent in both its eccentricity and beauty. (Big Rabbit of 'Big Rabbit's Bad Mood' by Ramona Badescu, illustrated by Delphine Durand can be seen peeking round in the background).

Normann Copenhagen 'Norm 69' Part III

Norm 69 accomplished. Next to hang it. Over and Out...

Normann Copenhagen 'Norm 69' Part II

Currently under partial construction in Greenwich this morning another Normann Copenhagen 'Norm 69' light to wrestle with. The annual marathon is taking place this morning just a few meters away so not much scope for escape now from Greenwich as the roads are impassable until all the runners have gone on their way to the finish line. So far I've only managed to split a little part of the central core but some white fuse tape managed to remedy the situation which hopefully can't be detected or, erm, prove flammable.

Get Your Glerups On...

A hard rain fell and a persistent gale whipped along the coast in Hastings for two days, so I decided to take on an indoor project sanding down the floor in the living room. It seemed like a great idea at the time - four hours later, in a dust cloud which snuck its way into every chink and crevice in the room, I wondered why I hadn't bothered to underake something simpler as the day's chore. After the clean up operation all I felt able to do was sloth around the house drinking hot beverages looking out the window at the rain and and languish in the warmest pair of Glerups felted wool shoes (well, yeah, okay they are slippers) from The Republic of Fritz Hansen courtesy of a gift from The Norwegian. 

Tom Frost Illustrator - Dead Wrestler

It was love at first sight with this charming fellow. I was wowed and won over by this fabulous plywood wrestler made by Tom Frost at the recent Pick Me Up show over at Somerset House. Had to have him. It's the natty pants over trouser and boot combo that does it, I think...

Pick Me Up

Hello there, I've finished work for a while and have been distracted by places and things to do in my time off. Forgot to mention just how good (and healthily very busy) this year's Pick Me Up was a few weeks back at Somerset House (see my out of focus image above which I took as I sped my over through the crowds to rummage among  through the fabulous print work items which were for sale). I spent a fair amount of my time lingering and pondering purchases of work by Tom Frost and Andy Smith. 

Norway by Beach House

"The beast he comes to you. He's a hunter for a lonely heart in the season of the Sun".

( 'Norway' by Beach House on Bella Union released as a limited edition single of 500 copies on red vinyl in Jan 2010)

We all have a duty to...

Edwyn Collins Wallpaper

Edwyn Collins wallpaper, anyone? I came very, very close to buying this. But opted for a shirt which has Edwyn's illustrations repeat printed on the fabric instead (currently in stock at Liberty by Barbour). This prompts me to say if you haven't read 'Falling and Laughing' by Grace Maxwell yet, you should get yourself a copy. A reminder of my mother's stroke which left her in a state of paralysis on her left hand-side and then slow drift into a coma before she died. I think Grace's description of the world of the hospital environment was probably the most painful part. But as the shorthand goes these days; we ♥ Edwyn.

Thee Headcoatees: Ballard of the Insolent Pup

Hey! What have you found in your record box on this cold February day, Ms Little Carthorse? Well, it's the splendid Thee Headcoatees with Kyra sounding a bit Grace Jones-like on 'The Ballard of the Insolent Pup'. What a turn up for the books, eh? Play loud. (Vinyl puritans - fear not, the yellowing chunk of sellotape is on the protective plastic outer cover and not sullying the cover sleeve.)

Sophie Azimont's Paper Rabbit

One of Sophie Azimont's slightly sinister Paper Rabbits (of which I have a few now) from Made in Hastings.

Tres Tintas - Javier Mariscal

A dilemma in Hastings - the living room (a bit of which is pictured here) is getting a colour rethink. The beautiful graphic work of Javier Mariscal wallpaper for Barcelona-based company Tres Tintas is now earmarked to go... It has to be said that painted walls are so much easier to keep changing. His design 1080 chairs (cadires) in the 9 Selvas collection is pretty fab too.

The Woman In Black

Susan Hill's The Woman in Black which was written back in 1983 and I've re-read it over the years and it never fails to hit the spot when you need a decent ghost story fix - one of the chapters is entitled 'Whistle and I'll Come to You' as a tip of the hat to M.R. James, master of the art form. The BBC in its wisdom used to screen, on New Year's eve, a ghost story introduced by the delightful Christopher Lee, dressed in M. R. James period scholarly garb in a darkened room by a open fire reading to eager pupils who sat listening attentively at the unfolding woeful tale. Note the annoying printed 'sticker' which publishers whack on their covers these days; poor designers working up book jackets only to have marketing stick these ruinous objects on them. The film is out shortly on February 10th in the UK.

Hastings High Street Retro Centre

Another shop to drop into if you are frequenting the Old Town, Hastings. These good folk are veterans (I used to buy clothes from their shop 'The Black Tulip' when they were based in Forest Hill, South East London, way back when). In this spacious shop there is always a period dress, pair of shoes, suit or hand-knitted tops from period patterns which I'd gladly find yet more room in my overly crammed wardrobe for. 

Anita Lane & Mick Harvey

Distractions, distractions in the record boxes stored under the bed...this time in the form of Anita Lane singing Serge Gainsbourg's 'Harley Davidson'. Rather splendid. Now trying to find my copy of 'The World's a Girl' by Ms Lane which is a gem.

Spending a penny with Pipilotti Rist...

Tuesday was a rather dark, overcast and gloomy day to be back at work. To counteract the grey, the rain and eager blasts of wintry gale force winds, I spent my lunchtime with Pipilotti Rist for a much needed 'Eyeball Massage' at the Hayward Gallery before the exhibition closes on 8th Jan. (Photo taken on my 'phone of a projection on the floor of the women's toilets.)