Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Festival Fever

This week:

I have been mostly enjoying the abundance of cow parsley in the hedgerows.  I can't get enough of that heady, sweet, grassy smell, it reminds me of the lanes near my grandparent's bungalow.  I'm also using 'macro' on the camera and getting close up.


Alium in the front garden and chives flowering in the herb bed


Make a wish......

I have been trying to take photos of the wildlife before Big Dog chases it!  I haven't been very successful.


Can you see the hare?

We are very excited as every May we have two weeks of unusual, diverse, weird and wacky art, theatre, music and films in Salisbury.

This year, the theme for the Salisbury International Arts Festival is 'Catalunya'.  We have booked lots to see and my fellow Bungalow Girl is stewarding at a lot of events too.   No time for housework, shame.

Last Saturday was the opening of the Festival and this year it was free.  The strange wind-driven musical installations in the Cathedral Close were very atmospheric.


'Audible Forces'

I particularly liked 'Rol mo wind horse' by Jon Easterby (top right) which used goose feathers to catch the wind and instigate a rippling of cymbals.  Each wind device uses the central locking device recycled from a BMW car door!


'Sonic Reed Beds' by Kathy Hinde

This ensemble of sound sculptures re-imagines the natural reed using sprung steel topped with metal or stone.  As they move in the breeze, the tops collide creating random bell-like chimes.

But my favourite installation was 'Phantom Field' by Mark Anderson.  Twenty one wind synthesisers modified from computer fans!  The slightest breath of wind produced a soaring electronic noise,  the stronger the wind the higher the sound.


'Phantom Field' sounded other-wordly


'Rag and Bone - Boneyard Tales'

We were so lucky that the weather cheered up so we could wander around looking at the sculptures without a heavy coat on.  This man operated the dragon's head and eyelids from beneath much to the delight of these children.


You have to expect the unexpected during the Festival


It's not every day you find Spanish lemons strewn all over the Cathedral Cloisters!

There was Catalan cooking, theatre..... 


.....and lots of play stuff for young kids.  Made me miss having toddlers - for about one millisecond!

It was great having a long weekend with the girls.  I made sure that Maisie got her requested, favourite dinner (toad in the hole with cheesey mash) when she came home from work on Saturday!


 One day Maisie will turn in to a sausage

Bungalow bake off this week:


Buttery shortbread v homemade pitta

I used my thirty year old (extremely stained and selotaped) cook book from school for the shortbread recipe.


Sarah's pitta bread was absolutely gorgeous, so much lighter than shop bought and sooooo nice with a home made burger for our first (and fingers crossed, not the only) BBQ of the year!  Oliver joined us too when he heard we were stoking up the old barbie!


It was so nice to have lots of time at home doing the simple things.


We planted the runner beans


Ez helped us chop up the old rotten plum tree branches for kindling (nice hat)


The ducks enjoyed a snooze in the shade of the pear tree

I tried to make sure that I did stop gardening and doing chores now and then to enjoy the view.  Lovely weekend, happy bungalow girl.....











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