Eden Jolly // Journal

 

A brief catch up.

Due to a computer problem that strangely wiped out only my input, compounded by a total lack of effort on my behalf to get it sorted, and due to nagging from some people and requests from others I have at last got round to once again supplying a snapshot of SSW life.

But first some brief highlights of the year.

Welcome Reactor

19-06-1009

SSW welcomes the Reactor people from the future to take up residence both in the G.Hut space and inside their Geodesic umbrella. As future dwellers I am looking forward to getting some racing tips from them.

Meanwhile the Georgia State students are using the facilities to the full, we have Spencer building a ceramic piece for firing in the kiln, Adrian is chipping away at some of the old stone carving, Julia is in the foundry making rubber moulds in prep for some bronze casting, Nimmer is in the wood shop constructing a giant squirrel, “awesome” Mitch is thwacking away at the forge, Ian is in the metal shop welding away, Alec is working with plaster and clay, plus other stuff happening all over the place including some Ceileigh dancing lessons from Hillary and Kelly in readiness for a dance in the village hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muffintastic Galamania.

Lumsden Gala, and the stirling efforts from SSW and some Lumsdenites were rewarded by a Strange heat emitting from a great light in the sky. Sadly this great fortune was still not enough to make some of the local curmudgeonly biddies break into a smile. I am sure I would have heard it from a mile of if they ever did. Perhaps the sun had made the old lady type make-up set rock hard

 

 

The resurrected Gala has been completely transformed by the SSW-Ganghut-lumsdenite triumvirate, gone are the days of chucking a wet sponge at Sandy for a quid. Mind you, there are a couple of people in the village that I would like to take over from the recently deceased Sandy, some of whom could certainly do with the wash, and I would rather use a damp brick than a wet sponge with one character.

Suddenly all present were hailing the geodesic Muffin Men, (although at least one of them appeared to be a woman), as they paraded onto the village green wearing thier muffin men costumes. I have to admit that this was probably the best thing that I have ever seen at a villiage fete and judging by the expressions on the faces of the local populace, they all agreed. Fortunately this moment of theatrical genius was captured on film by Cecil B De-Tinker and can be seen somewhere or other on the SSW website.

 

If you find the film then peer closely and you may be able to spot a tall country and western type gentleman in a large black stetson. It is OK, he is allowed to wear the get up as he is a genuine American wearing genuine snakeskin boots, not some line dancing farmer from Torphins

 

 

 

Sweaty Nipples.

2009-07-01

After helping to trundle a giant OSB squirrel from the school back to SSW for adjustment, the Geodes decided to utilise the hottest day in recent Lumsden history to climb up to the top of the highest nearby hill, The Buck.

Now according to the rare C17th tome MacTaggert’s “ Bra and Bonny rambles O’er the hills o the Shire“ , a book I can thoroughly reccommend, from afar the Buck apparently appears  “Like the fair young maiden's breast as she bathes in the icy waters of a tarn, but crowned with a nipple not o' flesh but granite”

I suppose when MacTaggert (who wrote this just prior to arrest on public indecency offences) did have a point, as has the hill, describing it as a medium sized hill with a pile of rocks on top although accurate and prosaic would not help propel said tome to the top of the best sellers list.

As for Huxley and the geodes, (a popular childrens television programme in 30 years time according to them) they all made it up, and they all made it back down again, but due to a “shortcut”, this sweaty ordeal lasted quite a lot longer than anticipated.

Pink-pink-pink-pink,

Blue-blue-blue,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate.

2009-07-04

All of SSW decamped separately in drippy drabs to Dundee for the fantastic show put on by Ganghut at the DCA.  Artists, friends, collaborators co-conspirators, former and current interns at SSW, Boom Boom and Tinker had contributed constructed creations to the gallery space. Whilst there, we indulged in a spot of Table Squennis action in the DCA’s own squennatorium.

Digger’s squennis induced make-up was eye catching as Jeep Solid and gangband played a floor cracking set.

I bumped into the Stumpfmeister later at a truly dreadful exhibition opening. He was showing his SSW scars to any girl who would listen and embarking on quite outlandish tales of iron pour heroism. 

As strange sights go watching the be-tabarbed Chief Geode, Raymond Huxley, the Charles Manson figure of the organisation, and a couple of his chief enforcers avidly dancing future style with two radioactive party animals in Britain’s biggest indoor crown green bowling establishment will take some beating. And I have seen some weird things in my time I can tell you.

 

 

 

 

 

The fact that they had been ejected by the bouncers from the DCA could explain some of the more stiff moves that they were cutting on the dancefloor. 

 

Back to the future.

2009-07-05

Returned from the DCA to find a plinth shorn of a geodesic house and a last mushy breakfast being consumed by said geodes prior to stuffing the muffin king and his paraphernalia into the back of the Delorian van. They were here and now they have gone.

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Oddie

Running the risk of sounding like the afore-mentioned great bearded twit, it has been grand to see the swallows nesting in the eaves of the lean-to again.

I have noticed a decline in numbers of nesting pairs at SSW over the years, probably due to the French, however I have observed this particular brood from the nest building stage, a clutch of eggs, 4 fluffy heads and to watching them today, flying about, seemingly independent but still hassling their parents for food.

 

 

 

 

Now that sounds a familiar scenario.

 

 

 

Also spotted was the Osprey taking lunch from the local trout pond.

 

 

 

Smart.

 

 

 

Last of the summer residencies

 

Well for the time being anyway. After this lot leave we start the strip out of SSW so that the redevelopment can begin. Winter 2010 all residents will have warm studios! The foundry will still be an iceberg however but that aint no problem for me. I like the cold.

Anyway, my regular attempt to remember the names of 7 artists over a 4-week period has arrived again. To put things into perspective there were over 150 applications for the residencies so I’m glad we have limited space.

As ever, they are a great bunch of people, out of the many hundreds of people who have used our facilities we haven’t had a duff character here in all the time I have been here, well on reflection maybe two or three.

Strange really, because I have met plenty of artists at openings and such and the majority are complete and utter arseholes.

Amongst the new residents is Flatbat, a Dutch master at Squennis, and I have played them all. We also have Ladygame and Starfire (aka Mofo) here at the moment but I am yet to test myself agin either of them.

 

 

 

 

 

The stealth

2009-08-01

Three years after the last attempt at glory, two brave souls have entered the Grampian Motorcycle Convention Moped Mayhem.

 

With 50cc of raw ball breaking power between our toned thighs in the guise of a machine sent down to us from the Japanese overlords of speed, the beast we call “The Stealth” will carry our gladiatorial hero’s into battle. We will stand as Dark rocky declivities and frown upon the defeated below. Team Stealth will engage the enemy in a fight to a standstill on the 6^th September, fear for us I prey for we have no fear of our own.

There will also be burger vans and other concessions, plus an inflatable slide for the young ones.

 

 

 

 

What is the width of a dividing line?

2009-08-07

Listening to Kathleen Ferrier and reading John Mackay Wilson tonight, Culture indeed. Such culture.

 

 

Wilson relates to us tales of the nebulous notion of the Northumbrian/Scottish border while Ferrier sings of the real dividing line that we all must recognise, the border that Orfeo and Euridice failed to cross together.

Strangely, amongst the must-fest of 140year old books and 45year old vinyl a misprint manifest station brunged issues of men’s health and the well recognised sexual proclivities of certain social and clerical strata to the fore.

Hidden within a florid tale of an heroic oik and the hated Scottish king James the 4^th, a passage tells of a man prostating himself at the kings feet. This I hope was a deliberate revolutionary typo, with the added bonus of disseminating info to the working class that you should be wary how you move your r’s about in certain social circles.

 

 

 

 

I blame the public school system.

 

 

 

 

And obviously the French.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holland’s No1

2009-08-07

Holland’s,

 

 

Number 1.

Holland’s

Holland’s number one.

Yes “Flat Bat”, and I hope that you can guess his national ranking and country of origin, won for the first time today. That win moved him firmly into the I.T.S.A. World ranking top 50.

Well done.

 

 

 

 

2009-08-15

Fare ye wells and radical air

Team stealth put on a daredevil display of ramp jumping for the departing summer residents giving Tinker and myself strange sight of the underside of a motorcycle as it sailed over our heads.

Not both our heads at the same time obviously, that would be daring indeed.

They left hugely impressed with the daredevil display, though probably more so with the ceramics they just fired.

Once again the moment was captured in cinemascope and can be found somewhere on the website.

 

 

 

 

2009-09-01

Bikes bronze birds and booze

 

Well bikes and bronze anyway, plus some housemartins. The Grampian classic motorcycle club paid a visit to the workshops. Furnace drowned out briefly by the fabulous sound of a brace of Velocette’s (including a Thruxton), a very smart 60’s Bonneville, a Harley sportster, a couple of Royal Enfields, some modern Japanese metal and Sitting proudly amongst them all was my lovely lovely 1953 BSA C10 and Jonnie Johnsons 1937 Austin Ruby.

 

2009-09-06

Hollywood comes to Alford (via Lumsden)

Yes Sunday saw Team Stealth take on the elite of dubious 50cc moped racers in the Grampian Motorcycle convention’s Moped Mayhem which turned out to be a combination of some of cinemas finest, incorporating “Le Mans”, “On any Sunday” and “No Limit”

 

 

 

The race had a Le Mans type start and as the self elected team Captain I nominated Euan being as he is the youngest, fittest and quickest to heal, to take the part of Paul Newman and sprint across the tarmac and to roar off onto the circuit and find out if it was at all dangerous. Realising that it was quite dangerous I nominated Kenny to go next and, following slick changeover, he sped forth into the arena. Because of his full racing leathers and immaculate riding technique he was the Steve McQueen of the team, effortlessly falling off after every jump. Lastly through the process of cinematic elimination that left me as “Team Stealth’s” very own George Formby. Eeeeeh, turned out nice again.

Most striking was Euan’s improvised introduction of a fourth film. He apparently attempted to recreate the flying bicycle scene that appears on the poster for E.T. when he launched stealth at full speed at the ramp that none of us had bothered to check out first. Now admittedly full speed ain't that much but it was enough to launch man and moped skyward to quite an alarming height. Too soon however momentum was lost and gravity took over and unfortunately he had been so high that by the time contact was re-established with mother earth, and it was quite a contact I can assure you, we were in 14^th place

 

Great support was given to the team by Kelly and Kate, wearing as they were "Black 13" Team Stealth T.shirts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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