This weekend is when the annual Heritage Open Days take place. Various buildings throughout Britain open up so we have the opportunity to see inside places where we might not normally have access.
Westgate Chapel is opening its doors to the public, so I've volunteered to go down and spend the afternoon helping.
I'm hoping to get a chance to visit the catacombs; in all the years I've been involved with the Chapel, I've never managed to see them, so cross my fingers for today!
Scarborough is having a number of open day events. Including, next Thursday, a special day about Star Carr! Sadly work commitments mean I won't be able to make that, which is very frustrating.
But the information leaflet has photographs of 2 of the antler frontlets which were found there. These are what make the site so significant.
At Scarborough Museum is an exhibition called 'fears, foes & faeries', which is on until the 30th September.
Anyone with any interest in folklore, and charms and amulets, would find this a fascinating looksee.
It uses the Museum's collection which came from William James Clarke, who was collecting between 1900-1945, and lived in Scarborough.
The photographs are of one of the exhibition cases in the 'Charmacy & Health' room.
Below is a close-up of 2 of the exhibits; on the left is the throat of a goose; on the right is a fabric bag, which held a charm for health.
Animal parts were used by cunning men and women, and witches, as part of healing rituals, and the philosophy of 'sympathetic magic'. To twenty-first century eyes, this can seem uncomfortable and even cruel.....the kingfisher nailed to the mast of a boat, which came from Guernsey, as recently as 1913, was one which struck me particularly. It was supposed to bring a good catch to the fishermen. And possessing a kingfisher feather was thought to bring protection from lightning.
Life was tough for ordinary people in the early years of the twentieth century, and they needed any help they could get.
More information can be found here.
Due to my computer monitor going on the blink, I'm unable to access the t'internet at home. So I can't upload any photos at the moment. This will have to be a 'read-only' post!
The ArtWalk was interesting; busy; and tiring, as always.
I took some blurry and dark photos of the tea-lights, in their jars at Westgate Chapel. It looked beautiful.
My friend, Ann, and I went up to the local lagoon, and sailed the origami boats away in the dusk of Saturday evening; the final day of March. An ending, and a new beginning. We set sail our wishes; said goodbye to those things no longer in our lives.
I've got my City & Guilds Feltmaking portfolio back; but although I have been given the grade, I'll withold telling it, until I can illustrate the post with a photo.
And have begun the process of growing plants in my garden, as Miro suggested! The potatoes are chitting; the pea-plants are in; the bean and tomato seeds are in. And so are some sunflower seeds; continuing Jon's tradition of planting sunflowers in the garden.
Planting seeds is to have faith in the future.
The 8th of February is Hari-Kuyo, the Japanese Festival of the Broken Needles. Broken needles are collected throughout the year, and then on the 8th of February, taken to the local shrine, and stuck into a piece of tofu; then thrown into the nearest water-course, or river, or sea, and the water God asked for blessings.
My needles aren't broken; or piercing tofu; but put out of harms' way, in a pincushion!
