Sorry folks, but where has that time gone…? And it is not that I have been lazy it i more that I have never stood still.

Busy, busy time for the Silverdale and Arnside Art and Craft Trail, for which I am joint coordinator and this involves a fair bit of work…(possible understatement there!) This month i have shifted 95 promotional packs, one each to all our exhibitors, as well as catalogues to all our sales outlets and advertisers…getting on for 20,00 flyers, 1000 catalogues and 1000 posters…phew! It is a great event. Check out the link and come and visit. It is my top ‘gig’ of the year. I am exhibiting at home, Venue No. 13, together with my friends Angela Hargreaves  and Susan Fletcher.

And talking of shifting things; I have also moved a huge tropical fish tank in to my son Finn’s room, (thanks John!) Finn is thrilled to inherit “Dek the plec”, (who is quite enormous and very beautiful), and 3 little white catfish and 2 tetra’s. Check out ‘gobsmacked Finn’.

And even more “shifting” and perhaps THE most important, to me at least….i have just completed a 37 mile fell race. “Are you mad?” I hear you say. Yes, I have just ran the ‘Old County Tops Fell Race’.. a Lakeland classic! And, I have a very stunning hard-won t-shirt to prove it. You can only get the t-shirt if you complete the race – how cool is that. And to get it i just had to run up Helvellyn, Scafell and Coniston Old Man, oh and trot along in between them too. It was somewhat wet, (three saturdays ago) and a blinking long way, but thankfully I had an excellent partner, ‘Mike, King of the wet lap’, (he completed his own ‘Bob Graham Round in the wettest weather ever) who dragged me round and consumed vast quantities of flapjack and maltloaf en-route in the style of ‘The very Hungry Caterpillar’. A grand day out. I get a massive high just thinking about it, (ooh, and a twinge in my knee). Talking of running, been working on my friends fell running commission, preparing boards….

Anyway, enough about me…what have I been shifting out of my shed……

My latest commission was a 64th birthday prezzie for an Exmoor pony saviour, keeper and fan. A wonderful project and I was under tough competition from the kids of Silverdale Primary too as they had recently completed a ceramic art project under the tutelage of the surprise recipient of my panel. You can see their artwork here and mine here….

Anyway, back to the bench in a big way now… only about 4 weeks to the Trail…. yikes!