Chris Marker

 

Stills taken from Chris Marker's 1962 film 'La Jetée', currently part of an exhibition of his work at The Whitechapel Gallery. 

The film is made of up of black and white photographs which come together to play out as a photo montage at varying speeds. It's an eery, unnerving film but worth seeing if only for all the beautiful shots of Hélène Chatelain, the film's heroine.

I especially love the couples' trip to a museum filled with taxidermy.

 

I first saw the film as part of my course in Manchester. Suitably the art history block backed on to Manchester Museum which was filled to the rafters with taxidermy and where I often ended up wasting time in between lectures and buying endless tatt.

John Bulmer

Photographs of the North of England from the 1960s

I was reminded of John Bulmer's work recently by an article in a weekend paper. I love how his photographs tell a real story - often a bit of a depressing one - but are also so beautiful.

Trash & Treasure

The body of this woman carrying water is made from dried butterfly wings. Fear not:

An arguably strange buy, found at a car boot sale in Manchester's Trafford Centre. One of the reasons I like car boots, flea markets etc so much is because of the random, amazing things you can discover in the most unlikely places. Another favourite, also a find from our Northern friends (this time a flea market in Preston), is this Dave and Shirley name plate bracelet

One man's trash really is another man's treasure.

More from Preston here.

Tessa's Smiths Tee

 I got so many compliments when I borrowed this T-Shirt, and was even offered £100 for it! To which Tessa replied 'Tell her I'll be buried in it.'

We went to Salford Lad's Club a few years ago - made famous by Stephen Wright's black and white picture of the band:

We even had our own personal tour! The Salford lads who were there and using the club's facilities must have been a bit bemused.

 Here we are trying to re-create the magic

Winter Essentials

Last weekend I hopped on a train with Tessa and spent a couple of days on the Isle of Wight. It was very wintery weather and the coastline looked dramatic as we watched the rain blow in.

Of course Tessa and I debated high brow topics all weekend, but in between and especially on the platform at Southampton station we discussed what items we most need (want) in our wardrobes this winter. This discussion was prompted by my favourite jeans which basically fell apart as I was wearing them over the weekend, and are now sadly too embarrassing to wear due to a rather large rip in an unfortunate place.

Jeans shopping is never fun in my book, and now sadly I am forced to seek some out. R.I.P £12 Primark jeans I have worn for 3 years.
 We agreed on the notion that jeans were an essential winter purchase. We also discussed boots, trainers, coats...
We decided this was not an essential:

 But for me, these definitely are and have been for many years running now:

Another great winter comfort is my massive fleece lined parka that I got a couple of years ago in Manchester. It really means business.

I tend to think the things to spend money on over the winter months are on pieces that you wear on the outside, i.e shoes, boots, coats etc... Everything else seems to be covered up the rest of the time. There's a lot of talk about knitwear at the moment. I've been a jumper lover for years and years. You can read my knitwear musings here, here and as well as an attempt to save a beloved knit here.

HAPPY MEXICAN PUMPKIN HALLOWEEN

This pumpkin figurine from the British Museum is made out of sugar in the form of skull, and would have traditionally been used for the Day of the Dead Festival. The stem of the pumpkin is wrapped in gold foil, as are the eye sockets... Less gore more gold, I say.

 

Scary that soon it will be time to think about Christmas... Hannah and I made this Day of the Dead inspired wreath a couple of years ago in Manchester, when we had too much fun decorating our cold house with insanely bright tinsel.

Wall of Pipes

I've never seen pipes cellotaped to the wall above the Lemsip before. I wonder if anyone ever buys them? Reminded me of an entire wall of pipes in Cheadle, Manchester.

Screen Print

This evening I randomly came across this picture of a silk screen print I made a few years ago in Manchester. After having withdrawal symptoms from printing regularly at school, I did an afternoon's worth of it with Daisy, one day in our second year... Really not my greatest effort, but I do enjoy using the tote bag I printed with there assorted animals.

Red Bricks

I caught the Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston train home yesterday evening after visiting Daisy

and her rabbit, Serge, obviously.
It was nice to be back amidst the red brick

But I had forgotten how much colder it always is up North.
Time to dig out these bad boys

Which I didn't remember all being of the purple/grey/oatmeal family. Daisy was buying some of this thread for a project she's working on at the moment - I'm now kind of regret not getting some for snazzy repairs to my well loved chunky jumpers.

True to form I wore Daisy's clothes pretty much throughout my visit. She has the best wardrobe, have a look here.

Ode to Daisy

In a few days Daisy will be heading up north, back to Manchester. For me, especially now I've met Serge (see below), this is extremely sad news and I will miss her lots. I will also miss drooling over outfits like these:

 

One good thing though, I can go visit Daisy in Manchester lots, and my old favourite haunts like the £3 pound shop and vintage places that sell great things like this jacket of Daisy's.

Birds of a Feather

Daisy and I unintentionally wearing matching falcon rings from Manchester Museum.

Heart of Stone

Another heart related post (see below). Mum found this pebble with a heart inscribed naturally in to the stone, on one of our favourite beaches in Cornwall and sent it to me when I lived in Manchester.

Glass Houses

All up North: Manchester, Stoke on Trent Railway Station, Preston.

salmon

Such a shame about that face - but I love the shirt Tom stole from his Dad when he went to London. Salmon pink, brave.

Watch

A slightly odd gift to myself this week after handing in my dissertation - this watch with bull heads on. At least I think they are bull heads, they look a bit like guinea pigs too - either is good with me. It was a fiver from a pawn shop in town, wooohooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.