Christmas and the Fly Agaric mushroom.

While working today at The Bothy  heard a programme about Fly Agaric Mushrooms on Radio four. It was an interesting programme and it reminded me of a blog that I had originally written in 2012. ...Its getting closer to Christmas so I thought I'd send it out again. If you like my blog then listen in to the radio four programme to find out more.

I recently came across this seasonal story. A lot of the Father Christmas stories, flying reindeer, red suit, coming down chimneys etc appear to come from the Koryaks or Kamchadales of Siberia, near the North Pole. A Koryak shaman would use hallucinogenic mushrooms, fly agaric on the night of the winter soltice. He used his 'spiritual ' journey to fly to the tree of life, a large pine tree which lived by the north star. There he would try to answer the villages problems.

The shaman would dress in an outfit of red with white spots or trim and would go out in the snow with a sack to collect the dried mushrooms. If his gur (yurt as we call them) was blocked by snow he would climb to the top and slide down the central pole through the chimney hole. He would give his guests that were gathered in the yurt mushrooms . Did you know that the traditional symbol for victorian chimney sweeps was a fly agaric mushroom.
The fly agaric also gave the shaman a burst of superhuman strength.....so maybe the reindeer would prance around much higher than normal. Perhaps the reindeer and the shaman all thought they were flying !

It was probably the druids who originally brought the story to England. The English settlers took it to the New World with the influence of the Turkish St. Nicholas from the Dutch colonialists.
The early Santa wore red but was small and elf like. It was in the 1930s that  the artist Haddon Sundblom created the Father Christmas that we know and love for the Coca cola campaigns. 
Merry Christmas !

Chedworth Mosaics

The mosaics at Chedworth Roman Villa are quite brilliant, fantastic designs and themes..When it was in full use , with brightly coloured walls..it would have taken your breath away.

Funny how nowadays, the Farrow and Ball paint colours and shabby chic works well and is fashionable in Cotswold homes, but when the artistic and skilled Dobunni tribe lived here.....well what did they think of the bright  reds and blues of the Romans!...I wonder if they were influenced and splashed a bit of colour on the walls of their homes. I can imagine them painting the lengths of timer in stripes and perhaps mimicking the mosaics onto large slabs of stone using sponges and natural earth colours.

I haven't researched into archaeological papers ,and I'm sure that nothing would have survived...but just knowing other artists and craftsmen...I just know that they would have had a go...after all it could well of been them that created or helped to make the mosaics.It is thought that unlike the Silures, the Dobunni were not warlike and submitted to the Romans arrival...accepting the Romano-British lifestyle...so they could have enjoyed the mosaics too.

There are at least 20 other Roman Villas within a ten mile radius so if you were a local craftsman and could pick up the art of mosaics....well it would have been a good job and could have taken you far. I can imagine local craftsmen being allowed to help mark the pattern out, sort tiles and perhaps start by making the stripes and doing the grouting. Perhaps one of them might have had a flair for drawing and was allowed to produce the birds........they might even have made some Celtic  'selfies'

If a Roman of the time came and saw the stone mosaic sections available at B&Q etc....I'm sure he would have liked the idea of buying ready made strips but he would have thought they were all a bit too drab....I bet he would have liked the wallpaper though...that's pretty mad these days !

The Bothy Shop in print.

In the summer my workshop was featured in the Landlove magazine. It was beautifully written by Kerry Fowler and fantastically photographed by Sussie Bell. It's a few months since it was published so I'm hoping that it is OK to show the scanned pages. 

If It's not legible then please  click here for link to The Bothy Shop - Wordpress.

The story behind a stained glass galloper in Govan Church, Glasgow.

This summer I was in Edinburgh visiting family. I was only there for a short time and really wanted to revisit Glasgow.....a day is not long enough!

As well as visiting Kelvingrove Museum, the transport museum and walking part of the amazing graffiti trail I made a point of visiting Govan Church.

Govan Church and Showman's Yard

Inside are some of the most striking stone carvings that I have ever seen, The Govan Stones, Viking Hogback stones.  Large black curved burial stones looking like upturned boats or the humps of whales, they gave me goosebumps! I thought they were magnificent....stunning. I would have loved to have seen them all those years ago when they were in their original positions.

Three of the five Viking hogback stones in Govan Church.

Whilst walking around I noticed a little galloper painted and part of a stained glass window. The curator said that the fairground families that had the yard next door had paid for the restoration and had added the galloper into the glass. Now that I'm home I'm enjoying trying to find more out ,of the link between the fairground and Govan Church.

Galloper decoration on stained glass in Govan Church.

This area was once the home of Fairfield, a massive shipyard.

http://www.govanremgroup.org.uk/digital_stories.php

Picture by Hawkeye Aerial Photography courtesy of BAM

 When it finished two old fairground families set up quarters but were never allowed to live on them full time. Now the area across the river has had the beginnings of development with the building of The Transport Museum ( Riverside Museum),the land around is starting to be more valuable. Tara S Beall was Artist in residence at Glasgow's Riverside Museum and tried to promote the knowledge, history, culture and modern life of the two local fair families, the Stringfellows and the Johnstones. In 2013 there was a three day event and I think that she is still involved with helping fight the causes of these families.

For over 50 years Govan Church has been important to the show folk holding weddings,christenings and funerals. When restoration was needed the families had six windows restored.. ‘

The inscription added to the base of the St Elizabeth window reads:

 TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF CATHERINE MACAULEY, ALISTAIR McCRONE PHYSICIAN, and LESLIE BURNS SHOWMAN. AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE DEVOTION OF THESE AND OTHER FRIENDS, INCLUDING THE FIRST GOVAN EASTER CARNIVAL, THESE SIX WINDOWS WERE RESTORED AND REDEDICATED ON 9th JUNE 1991

Inside Govan Church,Glasgow

It appears that cultural traditional events, lives etc are sometimes classed as intangible which means that they are not protected in the same way as 'tangible' such as buildings etc. In 2013  the UK had not signed a UN charter to help protect cultural heritage and the 'intangible. Social events and craftsmanship is 'intangible' but the vehicles,buildings and tools are 'tangible'. Now that we are heading for leaving Europe will any of this change? I think a big can of worms are being opened. If anyone needs to correct me or knows more, then please comment, Thank you.

https://earlymedievalgovan.wordpress.com/category/museums-conservation/

There has been a fair in Govan for 260 years, and at some a bit of local folk lore arrived. A sheep's head is carried at the head of the Govan Fair procession every year. The story goes that a young man was once refused permission to marry the ministers daughter so he came back at night, cut the head off the ministers prize ram and carried it through the streets of Govan on a pole. On the first Friday in June this event takes place with the grudge being 'put to bed' with the minister crowning the Govan Fair Queen.

https://govanremembersistheww1.wordpress.com/sheeps-heid/

Well I'm not going to delve further in this blog post, but I will say that Govan is worth visiting. There is a huge community spirit and a lot of voices who need to be heard and all care for the area. I loved visiting Govan Church and of course being a fairground decorator/painter, I loved finding the little stained glass galloper.

You can find lovely stories and images on this site -Govan Reminisence Group  http://www.govanremgroup.org.uk

The Bothy Shop in print!

This is a copy of an article written by Kerry Fowler and beautifully photographed by Sussie Bell in the Landlove magazine.

The B

My scraffito at THe Winchcombe Pottery

Years ago I used to have a painting workshop at The Winchcombe Pottery. I used to chat with Ray and Mike Finch, Eddie Hopkins and visiting potters, but didn't have a go. A few more years later I used to swap eggs for egg cups with Ray Finch......but it was only last year that I started working with clay.

Blackbird by Katie Morgan

Last October I joined a Saturday morning class at the famous Winchcombe Pottery. Matt Grimmitt taught us all and after my many attempts at slip decoration , told me about scraffito.....I am now completely hooked! I love Thomas Toft slipware dishes but I find that my style of illustration seems to work well on the earthenware pots.

Geese by Katie Morgan

Matt kindly made me some mugs and I decorated them giving them to friends and family as Christmas presents. 

Pigeon by Katie Morgan

This year I am achieving one of my ambitions by decorating platters celebrating Winchombe Potteries 90th Anniversary. They are made by Matt so have three marks, The Winchcombe Pottery, Matt Grimmit and my own.

Pigeon by Katie Morgan

These celebration plates will be available to buy from The Winchcombe Pottery.

Apples by Katie Morgan

All photographs taken by Alison Morgan - AlisonMPhotography

Knobstick Roses - The art of the British Canals

William Henry Hodgson was born in Crewe on the 7th February 1878. In 1908 he married Jane Sweatman , the daughter of a Blacksmith in Middlewich. Luckily for him, his father in law set him up with a cottage and a large workshop...yes I'm a bit green...but a girl can dream....of the workshop !....Anyway after painting signs for a local pub he was asked by a local boatyard boss, Tommy Williams to paint his boats for him. Later, Samuel Fox came down from Westport ,wanting to employ 'Bill'. Mr Fox found the family a house in Davenport Street and Bill worked there until it closed in the 1930's. Bill then worked for the Anderton Company at Middleport until he retired at seventy. The Anderton Company already the nickname of 'knobstick'. A knobstick can be either someone who refuses to join in a trade union, or a cane with a knob on it. A painters Mahl stick is just that ..but I don't know where the name actually came from.

© the copyright holder
photo credit: The Canal Museum Stoke Bruerne 

Apparently Bill was a quiet man but an obsessive painter, painting all day and painting again at home. People used to leave jobs for him at his backdoor ...( personally this is sounding all too familiar ! ) He not only painted boats , he also painted furniture, mirrors, cushions, screens and even an ice cream van....covered in fancy lettering pictures and flowers....love it.

Photograph by Speedwell of cabin of boat called "Sweden"

Add cwww.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=38998&page=5

Funnily his family just wanted to appear like every other family on the block and were not impressed when he told them that he was going to paint the living room. This he did with trees growing in each corner, lots of bull rushes ad flying birds, up the walls and ceiling. Everyone thought it was marvellous.

Photograph by Speedwell of cabin of boat called "Sweden"

Add cwww.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=38998&page=5

Bills roses were always more realistic and three dimensional , and being a good painter he had devised a technique that could still be quick.....time is money!

His castles were black outlined with the usual lake and mountains but you can see that he couldn't resist adding more of his artistic touches,  sailing boats in the background with their reflections, swans with proper markings, beaks and legs, detailed bull rushes and stripy waving flags and tiny weather vanes. ...lovely.

He had eight children to support so doing outside work must have helped with his income.  I'm sure he must have dreamt of being able to make a living from painting large canvasses.

Bill Hodgson died on the 29th November 1957, not famous in the art world, but extremely well known and respected by the boating world....I wish I could have met him.

I expect that if he was painting now he would still have been the same, probably not well known on the 'World wide web'...not enough time to self publicise... not having time to spend everyday looking at facebook,Instagram, twitter etc etc...only having time to live and paint .....who knows......

Lets all give a HUGE CHEER for William Henry Hodgson....A true artist and boat painter.

Acknowledgement - Flowers Afloat by Tony Lewery.