Tour around Benwell Towers

The old Benwell Towers building which is behind Benwell Lane is being renovated by the Muslim community.  It will become a school/education centre in a few years time.  This will be a task and a half! Previous occupiers have collectively made a bit of a mess of the place.  It has been used in the past as a pub, night club, film set since it had been used as a residence for the bishop. Give them their due, the muslim owners have received no funding from lottery funding, they have raised the money themselves.  When opened, the building will be open to the wider community, there will be sports facilities and events.

We were invited in to look around, we got up on the roof, it was a lovely day, worth the visit.

Sheree Mack (Writer in Residence Literary & Philosophical Society)

Well done to Sheree for hosting a great "pecha kucha" inspired event at the Literary and Philosophical Socirty. As well as reading her own poetry, she presented Jo Colley, Claire Webster Saarements, Stevie Ronnie, Bill Mc kuminsky and Sue Spencer. The performers for the evening were the brilliant Aidan Clarke and wonderful hang drum music of Simon Wood .

Ray`s retirement party

Diamond Jubilee Street Party

Queen`s Diamond Jubilee at La Boca Art Cafe

Lou, Andrew and Brian behind the counter at La Boca for the jubilee. Cutting the cake and making up corned beef sandwiches while "What do you get when you fall in love, a guy with a pin to burst your bubble....la la that`s what you get for all your trouble......I`ll never fall in love again" We set up a performance day, Laura read poems, Aimee Winehouse sang, I wore my pinny and turban and told stories, Margaret Frayne sang jazz and a good time all around.

A lone trolley was spotted outside the cafe and BD couldn`t help but por his goods into it!  Rob pushed and Andrew took charge wearing his queenie mask.

Canada May 2012

The CN Tower is well worth a visit, 1,815 feet (553 m) high with glass panels in the lift!  There is a floor also with glass panels where people dare eachother ot walk across. Young kids were lying on it, arms outstretched of give the illusion of falling to ther photos. We went to the 360 restaurant were the food is amazing. Tip - make sure thqat you remember where your table is as when you return from the bathroom, guess what, it`s not in the same place. Every 45 minutes or so, sat at your table you can see a fabulous panorama of Toronto. We stayed for 3 hours and by then it was sunset and the buildings were cloaked in pink.

Helicopter ride over Niagra takes some beating, but as it turned a couple of times, so did my stomach, wasn`t actually sick, but I did feel that I was in a clip from Inception.

Quebec is a fabulous city, we ate at Pope George a really old pub and were entertained by two French men and their dog. We got on talking about art and one of them said "Put your hands down the trouser"& I did a double take...is this bloke asking me to put my hand down his trousers? But no, I clicked, he began pretending to draw with his right hand while his own left hand was down the back of his pants.  I remembered a book I have called Drawing on the Right side of the brain. It explains that our right hemisphere always jumps in first at most tasks, especially when we try to draw.  If we can fool the left side to take a back seat, the creative right brain will be given more chance. We are advised to turn a picture upside down, just enough time to confuse the left brian and voila, the creative right is in charge.  This is what he was trying to tell me, Keep the left hand hidden when we draw. Phew.

At Montreal, we were "treated" to a hike around the Grand Prick... er I mean Grand Prix track.  D was all of a flutter "Take a picture of me on the start line"  "Take a picture of me beside the garages" "Take......"  For goodness sake!!  Pirelli, isn`t that a slipper manufacturer?  All I know, and ever want to know.  He kept telling people how the coach driver went into a wobble on the approach...SO!  I did really enjoy a visit to the Mussee Beaux Arts in the city, Leger, Picasso, Matisse, Lipchitz, Rodin and Giacometti, wonderful and not a bit of burning rubber in sight.

Didn`t have one poor meal throughout the stay and loved China Town in Toronto.   We took a rikshaw which was pulled 7 blocks by a young lad who was at university and earning extra money. I have never seen such wonderful foods, colourful stalls and people. One sign did amuse me, an acupuncture establishment "Call here for acupuncture and get poked more often"  I don`t suppose that it`s the first time that phrases have been lost in translation, they probably only meant that there would be more needles for your money. Maybe it should have read "Call here and get more pricks for your money"....No? Ah well, somebody ought to tell them, but it won`t be me.