Liverpool, UK: I found something cool behind my house...

Liverpool's Festival Gardens...

 

It was specially commissioned for the International Garden Festival four years before I was born, and was the centrepiece of the city's early regeneration efforts.

 

 

While I was dancing around my bedroom in South Wales to The Spice Girls in 1997, it fell into disrepair and was abandoned.

 

But then, those who loved the area and didn't want them to continue building houses and various other leisure pursuits on the land, set about restoring it again ten years later.

 

Here it is now (as I found it)...

 

 

'Look what I've found!'

 

 

 

A tiny house on a little stand...

 

 

...with a cool hut looking out onto a pond!

 

It's a Japanese garden!

 

...and it's very beautiful.

 

 

And, guess what?

 

Since I've been here...

 

 I've grown a bit!

 

 

Or not. Nevermind...

 

 

Wanna see something that is amazing, though?

 

...

 

 

I can't believe that this is behind my house!

 

'If only I was taller'

 

Just a little bit taller...

 

I'd be on top of that roof, finishing this blog post in style.

 

***

Hello February!

Hello!

How was your January?

Mine went past rather fast, so I'm starting my chalking posts for 2013 today.

Here's a song (and some slightly altered lyrics) for you to sing while I upload some photos from my trip to Liverpool's Festival Gardens...

I'll count you in, yeah?

Three

Two

ONE!

Lyrics

 

"You gotta chalk where you wanna chalk

Chalk what you wanna chalk

With whoever you wanna chalk with
You gotta chalk where you wanna chalk
Do what you wanna do

With whoever you wanna chalk with..."



Brynna, Wales: Christmas is over...

It's always a little bit weird going back to where you live and work after you've spent time at home with family at Christmas.

But I've decided that if it's true, that 'we should see every place as new', then every place is strange, and so familiar.

This is my doorstep at home...

 

 

And these are the new chalks I got from my brother and his wife in Wales...

 

 

Safe journeys back y'all.

Brynna, Wales: HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas one and all!

Some of my family decided to get me chalk-related gifts this year. Which is awesome.

What did you get?

Hope it was good!

 

***

Scouring the internet: Christmas chalking homework

It's really cold outside and it's really cold inside. The rain hasn't stopped since I woke up and I can't bear putting warmer clothes on because it would mean taking off a layer before getting to the good stuff.

So, here goes. Homework.

Of course, this isn't really homework, it's just me having a nose to see what other people are chalking/have chalked out there, so that by the time this gross weather stops and my camera lead reappears (hopefully somewhere really obvious like in my hand), I'll have lots of ideas for chalking experiments in 2013.

(It also means I can play about with chalk-related pictures from the comfort of my alien duvet covers. No raindrops in sight.)

Homework -20th December, 2012

Other People Chalking

  



Helen Levitt took this photo as part of a series of pictures aiming to document the lives of children on the streets in 1940s America.

I just like this. It reminds me of a book I've just asked my mum to get me called 'How to be an Explorer of the World'.

This doesn't look much like chalk to me, but I like the broken bicycle in the corner. I like to think someone tried to cycle across the tyres leaning against the wall, but that it went a little wrong about 90% of the way across...

This is what the BBC published this morning (21/12/12) in an article about how the people who believed the world will end today, are going to cope now that the world's still going.

I bet they're well chuffed.

I know how this looks, but it's not true...

The Lake District, Cumbria: fun, floods and Christmas...

You know that week Cumbria was in the news a lot because the floods there were so bad?

Well, that's the week I decided to take a trip to the Lake District to do some chalking...

Yep. I did.

Looking at all the leaves falling from the trees...

Falling (not creeping) over myself with shock because I've found another horrible bird that wants to chase me...

HE is creeping.

Quite fast...

Towards me.

*runs away*

Taking my mind off the swan by finding a new house for my sister Winny...

(There's room for one more next door...)

Finding a car ferry that will take us across Lake Windemere for a staggering 50p!

Hooray!

'On a ferry'

Finding the perfect reflection...

Finding gaps in the trees...

OOH.

Finding a John Peel pub and then realising it's not named after the well-respected DJ we thought it was...

(See old man above wearing a hat I've never seen the other John Peel in)

YAY!

Everyone loves mulled wine and mince pies, right?

The next day it rained an absolute tonne.

'Keeping dry in Ambleside'

LOOK AT IT

(There are even waterfalls in the cracks of our hiding place)

I'm never coming out again.

That is until...

We spot something worth venturing outside for...

Oh my giddy aunt.

SANTA TURNS ON AMB'SIDE FESTIVE LIGHTS

YOUR DAD IS COMING!

And look!

Someone has found something else worth venturing outside for!

A canoe ride!

Warming our feet because we now cannot walk/run/hop anywhere without squelching.

The next day we found a glove!

'Here's lies the body of my glove'

(It's not mine)

And we found Biskey Howe viewpoint!

 

Before it was quickly renamed (not by me, I might add)...

...Adam's Land

'I declare this land, Adam's land'

Byeeeeeeeeeeee

DOUBLE RAINBOW

 

Pleasedon'trainagain.

***