Antiques, Stones, and Curios

Last night I watched the last episode of Antique Road Trip with the man they dubbed “The Master”, antiques expert David Barby, who passed away July this year at the age of 69. Like myself, he was born in Rugby, and lived there all his life.

In March 2012, Barby appeared on screen with severe facial injuries which were sustained after he fell over a table whilst filming an episode of Antiques Road Trip, which might have precipitated his brain haemorrhage,

I did a couple of visits on my way towards Seaford which included a pit stop at The Humphrey Bean pub, part of the Wetherspoons chain. I had a Mexican chicken burger washed down with a pint of Ringwood 49er (4.9 % ABV). They also had on tap Thornbridge Jaipur but as a premium ale was not included in the meal deal. Swines!

One day whilst listening to Radio 4 and there was a programme discussing the influence and legacy of “Children Of The Stones” (1976) which I remember watching at the time. It was one of those genre dramas along with The Tomorrow People and Space 1999.

The series followed the adventures of astrophysicist Adam Brake and his young son Matthew after they arrive in the small village of Milbury, which is built in the midst of a megalithic stone circle.

Filmed at Avebury, Wiltshire during Summer 1976, with interior scenes filmed at HTV's Bristol studios, it was an unusually atmospheric production with sinister, discordant wailing voices heightening the tension on the incidental music. The music was composed by Sidney Sager who used the Ambrosian Singers to chant in accordance with the megalithic rituals referred to in the story. Director Peter Graham Scott was surprised on seeing the script that the series was intended for children's airtime due to the complexities of the plot and disturbing nature of the series. The series is frequently cited by those who remember it as one of the scariest things they saw as children. Involving a temporal paradox and issues of individuality and community assimilation, the series is also thematically challenging for its intended after-school audience, and can be described as a children's version of magical realism. Infact, critics have dubbed it as a Wicker Man for kids.

My “Electric Eden” book arrived in the post before I left Teynham. That will be another to read when I get back on Monday. Rob Young is one of the contributors to The Wire magazine, which I use to read regularly each month.



Going to Eastbourne today for the beer festival, so if I am not too inebriated I shall do a report this evening

Art Beer And Books

An excellent day in Eastbourne. The weather turned out to be gloriously sunny, and to be frank, what other better way could you have than imbibing in some real ales at a beer festival.

I met my brother and his friend, Brian, outside the Winter Gardens where the Eastbourne Beer Festival was being held. Cheers went round the queue when the doors opened up to let us in.

Two halls were filled with stands of regional, local and national brewers, plus a perry and cider stand ,and one for international beers, that is, the type of beers you get from Belgium.



I decided not to muck about with a weak beer to start with, and then move up# on gravity. I went both feet forward and started at the five per cent level before going upwards.

These are the beers I tried -

Brewsters Stilton Porter (5.0 % ABV)
Frog Island Croak And Stagger (5.6 % ABV)
Phoenix Wobbly Bob (6.0 % ABV)
Orkney Skull Splitter (8. 5 % ABV)
Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes (10% ABV)

Finished off with a very strong cider -

Chafford Hellishly Strong (13% ABV)


coming42 enjoying a beer

Music came via two bands, a duo called Band of Two and the other called Pocketsize. The latter played folk towards bluegrass and country style.





We soaked up the beer with a slice of pizza, whilst Brian had a lamb dish which he couldn't finish ending up with me hoovering up the rest. Yum yum!

After the strong cider I felt it was time for me to go and thus I walked round the Towner Contemporary Art Gallery just a few doors away.



The first floor gallery has an exhibition on called Point of Departure, which is inspired by the locality of Eastbourne ,the collection display explores the edge of the Sussex landscape. 

As it says 9n the website “Our coastline has long been an inspiration for artists – from modern British artists Edward Bawden, John Piper and Eric Ravilious to recent Turner Prize winner Wolfgang Tillmans.

These artists were captivated by the beauty and drama that unfold where the South Downs meet the sea, and shingle beaches neighbour the heart stopping white cliffs of Beachy Head.

The ferry port at Newhaven was particularly influential as the gateway to Europe – transcending the edge of the landscape to connect Sussex to the rest of the world."

Afterwards, I went around some charity shops and bought a few books.

Sebastian Faulks - Birdsong (Vintage)

Iris Murdoch - A Severed Head (Vintage)

Hilary Mantel - Fludd (Penguin)

Jeanette Winterson - Boating For Beginners (Methuen)

Charles Dickens - Oliver Twist (Penguin)