Category: General

Some may not think so, but that’s me. A mate just sent me this and when I was watching I seemed to get something in my eye…

Today we visited the British Library exhibition of Illuminated Manuscripts.  It is very well organised, starting with the preparation of the parchment and vellum and the grinding of malachite and lapis lazuli and other minerals to provide the colours.  The careful application of gold leaf was also demonstrated on video.  When you think that the work was carried out by either natural light or candlelight, it is amazing how painstaking it was. The folds of the gowns, the expressions of the people depicted.  Breathtaking!  Much of the collection belonged to Edward IV, who commissioned works from the masters in Bruges, where he spent time in his exile.  One bible, originally the property of  Cardinal Wolsey, had been used by him and Henry VIII in their attempt to bolster his petition for divorce.  Unfortunately the pages on display did not show any of the notes in the margin.

The earliest books on display are from the 10th Century, showing the neat, squareish Anglo-saxon hand, which is actually easier to read than some of the later ones.  The illumination in these examples is less ornate and colourful than in the medieval books.  All of the books, mainly religious such as Books of Hours, had been specially commissioned by nobles or royals, who obviously didn’t mind a few oddities  such as the army of the Midianites in full medieval armour. The beauty of these illuminations is absolutely stunning, done by artists who devoted their life, and probably their eyesight, to the work.  Even the pattern work on the borders of the pages is entrancing.

If you are in London and have the time, it is an exhibition well worth visiting – at about half the price of the Leonardo at the National Gallery.

The teacher took a deep breath, opened the door and faced her new pupils for the first time. She was surprised to see that the room was not the modern affair to which she was accustomed with little groups of tables leaving half the class with their backs to the teacher. This was a good, old-fashioned classroom with serried ranks of individual desks all facing the blackboard. The windows were high, allowing light into the room but preventing the distraction of a view to the outside.

Continue reading “Spirit of ’66 – December CW”

Right then

There was a strong chance that this whole thing was going to go seriously pear-shaped when Bearsy posted the first non-entry within a day of my setting the competition. I was minded to go back to reset the rules by saying that it did not have to be your own work and that the closing date was one minute after his entry appeared. Continue reading “18th Photographic Competition Result”

Continue reading “A Poem For My 26th Birthday.”

What might this really important stuff be, then? Before we get onto that, I’d like to talk about some of the fun stuff. A good part of my time is taken up by the continuing battle against illicit traders – counterfeiters and smugglers. Not that I am a policeman, my role is to gather information and make sure the right people get it. It is often the case that different branches of the authorities in the less-developed markets operate on the old Soviet principle of hoarding information for the supposed advantage it might bring them – Customs don’t talk to Police, the Financial Police don’t talk to the Criminal Police… It is also often the case that I, and by that I mean of course someone in a role like mine, talk to all of these people and can help whoever seems most likely to make use of the information to put it all together and take some effective action. Sometimes, if I achieve a really good relationship with a policemen or customs officer or something, I get to ride along on raids and seizures and watch – from a good and safe distance, of course – while some of the Rsholes, (‘scuse me ladies*) are reeled in.

The really important stuff, though, happens in the office. I have to start explaining why with a statement of the blindingly obvious, the security manager can’t be everywhere at once. Every employee, as King Agesilaus of Sparta is often misquoted as saying, has to be a brick in the wall. The security manager has to manage security not by managing, but by influencing. He or she has to be able to take a full part in business meetings at all levels, to put together a business case that stands up to often clinical examination by the finance, marketing and corporate relations types and, I always insist, has to be accountable. Some of the stuff I do sometimes has to be confidential, never anything illegal (- as I’ve said before, I work in some places where you really, really do not want to see the inside of a gaol,) but sometimes not the sort of thing you would discuss in polite society. Whatever I’m doing though, I must be able to account for it to someone in authority, if not the whole board. So accountability is important, and so is a demonstrable ability to contribute to the bottom line. Continue reading “What I do when I’m not on my holidays Part 3”