Summer holiday photos - part 1

Ok, here we go...

I think this first selection may as well be from the slate mine we visited.


I think this was my favourite part of the museum. In theory, setting up a display of mannequins to show how the slate was worked is a perfectly good idea. In this case, though, I suspect that their budget was severely lacking. See for yourself the style of dummies and clothing which they found to represent these tough Welsh slate workers.



This one has strangely long arms


and I don't think this one is a miner at all. I think he's a Russian spy.







My brother Dave, being a miner.



This sign was in the ladies' toilets, beside an overly complicated water tank/tap system. It's so wonderfully poetic!




While I'm here I'll post photos from Beddgelert as well. It's very touristy, but I guess that's what happens when a place is so picturesque!








I'll put up another photo post in the next day or so.

It's been a while...

... as someone pointed out to me today, so many apologies, if anyone had actually noticed!

Now that I have a new computer I can upload photos again, so here's a selection from my summer holiday down at my gran's house.


This is Anita, my gran's dog. She was adopted from a rescue centre and had been badly mistreated, so is terrified of everyone.



Tilly, on the other hand, has no concept of being terrified of anyone. She thinks humans only exist to play with her.



She belongs to my aunt, as does Badger, who likes nothing more than to lie on your feet to be stroked.



These are Tiddles (the bigger one) and Clem. They lived with my gran for as long as I can remember. Clem had always had an enormous crush on Tiddles, and spent a lot of time following her around and headbutting her in a bizarre sign of affection.



Tiddles was very old, and had barely been eating for a while. Shortly after we were down there she went to the vet for inpatient treatment, and died in her sleep one night. I'm so glad I got to see her one more time.
Granny doesn't know if she's going to keep Clem now. She's worried that he'll be too lonely on his own, so might have to rehome him.


We spent one day at a wildlife reserve. I really enjoyed playing with the macro setting on my camera, and I'll do a post of those photos another day.
One of the best things there was an army-style assault course. We all had a go, and timed ourselves. I'm just glad I wasn't quite last!
To give you some idea of the sort of obstacles, here's a few pictures of Chris having his turn...







I had great fun doing the course, even if I did get stuck in the cargo net, with one arm trapped up behind my back...

Dave and Huw on the swings.



Finally, our traditional just-before-getting-in-the-car-to-go-home photo.



Back row (l-r) - my dad, Dave (little brother #1), Flora, Alex (a cousin), Huw (little brother #2).
Front row (l-r) - my mum, me, Granny, Matt, Chris.

It won't be as long before the next post, honestly!

The Bee Gees Vs. The Harlequin

We've just had our second Easter weekend, due to our parents having visitors from France staying over Easter.
On Easter weekend itself, Boo, Matt, Chris and I went to the beach for a picnic. A traditionally bracing Scottish picnic, of course...
Boo and I spent a happy hour or two hunting for bones. I needed lots of tiny ones, because I want to make my own mummified/fossil fairy. That one on ebay, while cool, was just too expensive, so I decided that I needed a Project. I found quite a few bird bones, and Boo found 3/4 of a somewhat dried out frog, and gave it to me. Its tiny little foot bones should come in handy. (Pun most definitely intended!)
It was nice to have a couple of days holiday from work. We didn't do much, except for some tidying round the flat. We also sorted out some videos and DVDs to sell at a car boot sale. Since we'll have to be moving house soon, it seems silly to pack up things we don't really want...
Chris and I went to the Pixar exhibition at the museum too. It was really interesting, although I would have liked more information about the technicalities of animation, and a bit less of the 'look at us, aren't we great?'
The 3-D zoetrope (bottom right picture) was absolutely amazing!

This weekend, we all went through to my parents' house for a belated Easter dinner, and an Easter egg hunt. We each wrote a series of clues for one other person to lead them to their eggs. My dad used to write them, but he says that we're all old enough to write good clues, and he can't be bothered anymore! Everyone found their eggs... eventually.

However, the most anticipated part of the day was the premiere of the film we made a few weeks ago. Most of you will have heard of 'The Bee Gees Vs The Harlequin'. The weekend we spent making this film was one of the most fun times I've ever had, I think. Pretty much everything that could go wrong when making a film, did. We spent less than £10 on props (as is plain to see) and were basically making it up as we went along. Try to ignore all the continuity errors - we did!
Here's your chance to finally see it. Enjoy!