Studio 8 Live

Studio 8 now live at stickam.com/andrew_charles The live video stream, allows for my entire artistic process to be seen and shared, the opportunity not only for viewers to see what goes on behind the scenes as it were but also for me to share and to find information;, there is still some tweaking to do but it is up and running all the same complete with two way chat screen.

growing results

with the ten minatures with Malcolm at the framing shop I am able to crack on with the ten accompanying boards.

Each one formed from three quarter inch ply cut at a local joiners, the final size after a lot of tooing and frowing settled at 10 x 23 cm.

Raw Canvas was stretched over each board and primed with two layers of white gesso before being textured with acrylic paint mixed with an acrylic gloss medium for added depth of colour.

The Leyland Clock

This is a sketch of the Leyland Clock that stood within the garden of the Brewery Arts Centre, currently away for repair the site, as it stands at the moment is a bit of an eyesore, so, with hope that it returns soon, or someone decides that something a little more aesthetically pleasing to the eye would be better placed.

In the meantime, back to BYGONE DAYS from Arthur R. Nicholls Historian and Vice Chairman of Kendal Civic Society

There used to be a standing joke about the Leyland Clock in the grounds of Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre, that it always showed the right time, - at 1.50 twice a day!

Despite the advertisement on the clock - 'Leyand Motors For All Time' - it had ceased to work for some 20 years or more.

The Lancashire Steam Motor Company started up in 1896 and later as Leyland Motors Ltd, placed clocks at seven prominent positions on major trunk roads. The clocks were mounted on latticework towers , the face hanging below a sign advertising the name of the firm.

Our Kendal clock was on the A6 North of the old Jungle Cafe, south of Shap summit. It had faces showing in both directions at an angle, studded with reflex lenses to reflect car headlanps.

For many years the clock was wound by Thomas Huck, a local farmer, who was paid £2 a year for his pains and after his death by his daughter, Mrs Lenore Knoles.

Seeming to have outgrown its usefulness it was removed in 1970 and stored for three years before being put up again at the Brewery where relapsed into its slumber.

The British Commercial Vehicle Museum Trust placed a commemorative stone at the old site, inscribed with a brief history of the Leyland Clocks, and refurbished it, starting it again at noon on Sunday October 6, 1966. It was later taken away for further work.

When it returns if you want to know the time don't ask a policeman but look at the Leyland Clock . Hopefully, it will have right.

End of News Piece. NB. I hope the good Arthur R Nicholls wont be upset being a now regular inclusion of my BLOG I shall have to place a note to him; on my list of things to do.

Returning from the Brewery I passed under the recent edition to the Town Centre, a pedestrian walk way under the now familiar scaffold that adheres to the exterior wall of the recent Fire Damage to the property that gave home to around 13 Artists, each losing a life times work and gaining a brand new start in life, to lose everything and to have to start again, with nothing, is a terrifically cleansing experience and indeed as much a spiritual as a practical opportunity for rebirth.

For those with a sense of curiosity, the huge tanks that sit around the base of the scaffold is simply water, ballast to hold down the scaffold, not something that I have seen before having spent many occasions staring up into the maze that is a scaffold system, each piece fitting like a jigsaw piece and with a specific design and purpose with Health and Safety at its fore, not only for the workers but also for passers by, Scaffold, when it collapses is not unlike the 'mexican wave', or the dominoes that people lay out in their thousands to watch them all topple with a flick of a finger, when it starts to go a thousand pieces or more role in quite a beautiful way.

John Watton -artist and forger

I was first introduced to the carvings on the gatepost on Serpentine Road by Andrew Crawford, now a (slightly) older man who enjoys sharing his times of old Kendal through the eyes of one who once roamed the streets, a young and exploratory boy, at the time he was unable to tell me anything about the carvings other than, "Thers' not many folk know they're ere". Even today few venture from the centre of town be they local or tourist unless they have specific business in that area.

Today when off in search of them to provide the fotographs for this BLOG I have to admit to having no slight difficulty in locating them even then, not without getting a little lost in the ancient walkways of Kentbank, what a fascinating part of Town.

Arthur R Nicholls historian and vice chairman of Kendal Civic Society however provides the information to go with the carvings and echoes my earlier comments on the pace of peoples lives forcing them to be missing out on some little treasures.

BYGONE DAYS - by A.R.Nicholls

We are so often in a hurry or taken up with private thoughts and worries that we fail to notice strange and interesting things on our way.

A gatepost of a house in Serpentine Road is a case in point. There, carved in stone by John Watton are the faces of the remarkable mans four children.

He was chosen by the K Shoes Company in 1949 to be the first editor of their house magazine, The Eyelet. It illustrated the work of the different departments and factories, tellin gabout the hobbies, holidays and the like of the employees, to foster a family feeling.

John was so successful in his task that he remained as editor until 1975 when an economy drive saw the magazine was discontinued.

But this wasn't his first outing in print.

Watton joined the Border Regiment as a Territorial before the outbreak of the Second World War and received a commission.

During Dunkirk he was taken prisoner at the nearby village of Incheville, becoming a prisoner of war.

Yet he was never content to remain in prison, making several abortive attempts to escape, and was eventually moved to a more secure place. As an officer he was incarcerated in the infamous Colditz Castle where he used his artistic skills in forging German documents and passports for fellow officers to use in their escape attempts.

He also acted as an official artist and unbelievably, was able to send drawings of life in the castle for publication in The Illustrated London News.

End of news piece.

D0g Kennel Wood

I first found the site of the wood conservation organisation in Queens Road some years ago, on that day in particular I was fortunate to find not a soul working or walking in the grounds, I enjoyed a wonderful peaceful half day in the grounds without disturbance or in knowledge of the history, that was until last week.

BYGONE DAYS by Arthur R Niholls, historian and vice chairman of Kendal Civic Society.

DOGS. Either you love them or hate them. Two problems still beset us today, that of dog mess in the streets and parks, and dangerous types of dogs attacking people. Aproblem that was only eradicated n Britain in 1922 was that of mad dogs. That is dogs suffering from rabies.

A rabid dog would foam at the mouth, the disease causing such distress that it would bite anything at han.

When it bit a human being it transmitted rabies or hydrophobia, which is a craving for or fear of wather.

Its symptoms were terrible and it was often fatal; in 1838 there were 24 cases of humans dying from the disease. What had all that do do with Kendal?

Such events happened too often even here and action was taken in 1846 resulting in the municipal dog pound or kennel being constructed in a part of Serpentine Woods known as Dog Kennel Wook, which is now the BTCV tree nursery, where the ruins my still lie. A plaque was fixed to the wall of the kennel reading 'Kendal Dog Kennel - Erected by Private Subscription' 1846' the plaque is now preserved in Kendal Museum's store.

Various attempts were made nationally to control the scourge but it was not until the Dogs Act of 1871 that powers were given to local authorities to take measures such as fining owners and destroying mad dogs.

Thankfully, we have little fear of catching rabies today. if ou hear the name Dog Kennel Wood you will know why it was so called.

End of News Piece

Sandes Hospital

The local newspaper, The Westmoreland Gazette, is for the most part, a community

Newspaper, as Cumbria opens its gates a little wider to the outside world this is slowly becoming something of diminishing responsibility.

One of my favorite parts of the paper is its 'Nostalgia' page, testimony from some of our older residents of life in Kendal from another era, a regular spot for Arthur Nicholls, historian and vice chairman of Kendal Civic Society, that brings the reader a small insight into notes of historical folk lore and history, it is this which I bring today and hopefully on other days.

BYGONE DAYS by Arthur Nicholls

A constant stream of pedestrians passes the gatehouse of Sandes Hospital in Highgate each day without thinking of looking inside. there under the archway is the insignificant, black painted Poor Box. The hospital was not a medical establishment but one providing hospitality.

In 1659 Thomas Sandes, a wealthy wool trader, endowed the hospital for the benefit of eight poor widows aged 52 and upward who were, or had been, workers in wool and were of good reputation. 52 was then a good age for a working woman.

In return for a free cottage and a shilling a week, the women had to work, carding, spinning and weaving raw Kendal cottons supplied by Thomas. The requirement to work ended in 1852 when the cottages were turned into almshouses.

They received security in their declining years but little else. they were not allowed to marry or receive male visitors and to some extent depended on the charity of others through the Poor Box.

In the yard behind were their small cottages and a chapel. A school and library were originally housed in the gatehouse before the school moved into a building at the end of the yard and became the Blue-coat School.

It was an honour to be elected for a place in the school, which merged with the Grammar School in 1889.

End of News piece.

Blue coat schools originated in Tudor times,

Thomas Sandes was also Mayor of Kendal in 1647

The coat of arms above the entrance to the Alms houses was divised by Thomas Sandes and was an amalgam of the Shearman Dyers Arms and those of the Sandes (Sandys) family, neither of which he was entitled to use.

the coat of arms shows a swag of woollen cloth which surmounts the shield and the initials TSK refer to Thomas and Katherine Sandes, the date of 1659 was probably when construction of the Hospital began.

Dr Briggs, a clergyman of Kendal, reorganised the Kendal Blue Coat School so as to include a day school of industry for the children of the poor of his town. this was probably around 1786 and based on the success of Haygarth's work in Chester Blue coat school.

The Blue coat school was for the education of forty boys, who were tought the art of carding and weaving, and thirty girls, being children of the inhabitants of Kendal; the hospital as a residence of eight poor widows six from Kendal, one from Skelsmergh and the other from Strickland and all to be nominated by the mayor and aldermen as trustees of the charity; the 'inmates' receive the weekly sum of five shillings (25p) each and a provision was made for a schoolmaster to read prayers to the widows twice a day, to teach poor children preparatory to their entering the free-school

The founder also bequeathed a library to the Blue coat school.

The original gatehouse still stands and has not changed a great deal and is currently a Tea Room, set in the wall remains the original black metal poor box (foto above), the alms houses are still in the yard behind (foto above) and still home elderly folk.

the houses were rebuilt in 1852 by Miles Thompson. in 1886 the school merged with Kendal Grammar School which was succeeded in 1980 by the now Kirkbie Kendal School, whole trustees still own the property.

Another post of interest, entitled 'IN THIS WEEK' highlites of the past, 100 years, 50 years and 25 years ago, People of the past that were, or are, associated with Cumbria and 'The Past in Numbers, in this weeks Gazette it is 10p - The cost of a parking space at Kendal's £200,000 multi-storey car park when it opened in April 1972, currently amidst the constant public outcry over the lack of parking spaces in Kendal, it is more likely to be in the pounds rather than Pence.

Dignity and Respect

As the towns folk remain devisive regarding their winter wonderland, my wonderland is how it is justified to allow trucks and Heavy Duty vehicles to thunder along the roads with historic buildings hundreds of years old either beside them and between.

Between the town council and the local press the Money numbers add up toward having an adequate amount of money to consider a mini vamp of the Kirkland Area, the agreed reason being to assist and encourage a proportion of the million or so extra people expected to enter the town as a result of the completion of the K- Shoes project (spring the proposed completion date)

For Kendal to properly absorb those numbers of visit the city centre, in my opinion, should be pedestrianised fully for a mile radius from the town centre, take a look at York, a superb example of what an historical town can achieve when it wants, and..... it stops those trucks that vibrate and shake our architectural history, it may be in small amounts however damage is acumalative, as remedy for this situation buildings should be regularly monitoring............ and so damn peaceful as to allow a fuller chance to absorb the vibrations of history that resonate.

Where words are not enough

tripping the light

Even as christmas approaches the light is changing, the air becoming clearer and crisper as the frost draws in the nights.

before this however, at least at the moment of this, the latest paint work for the exhibition, the light was absolutely breathtaking, a rare occasion for one such as I, quick as a flash, the image was, literally burned into my brain, a little like looking at the sun for more than a millisecond and being left with a foggy blindness in the middle of your vision.

Contrary to trying to blind yourself in a vain bid to 'see the planet Sun through the glare' (has anyone else tried that or am I the only artist in the world to risk his sight in such a futile and reckless act!)

On this occasion this is that which remained, my back yard, the miserable sight that I wake to each morning, it is typical of so many of the places in Kendal that, in some strange associated way, remind me of the Berlin Wall of old except the wall that stands before me is the pathway to somewhere rather than the end of the path.

The shadows that are cast by the darkening sky are quite deep due to the steepness of the hill and Kendals amazing architects that seemed to cram as much as possible into the smallest available space though to still afford the residents a piece of valuable personal space, like a jigsaw, they all fit together nicely.

I have just written to a chap called arthur nicholls who writes the most amazing columns in the local community newspaper and by far the better person to tell you of this amazing place than I, hopefully I will be able to bring you his words and eagerly await reply.

The secret places

Does anyone ever really look at the town they live in, how much of a town does someone look at when they choose to visit, questions, rhetoric, no one could ever give a difinitive answer however my guess is that in general those who live in a town are so overworked, overstressed, over involved in lifes issues that all but the necessary is overlooked.

Equally so as a tourist, while signs and bill boards, restrictive and coersive instructions guide and direct people, in accordance either with traffic flow maintenance or by sending people to find, places to eat, drink to sit and rest, there are places of interest where people are signposted, the main tourists areas, but what of the areas that are overlooked or deemed unimportant, this town is full of them and eagerly await my artistic exploration, it is these places that capture my heart rather than the main drag.

Of these places there are many, the image of Castle How( above), erected to commemorate a great battle that once existed in times long past, equally as 'unimportant' are the areas around the site of the canal head, the very heart of the import and export of goods and materials. I have to admit that even the finding of this latter location was by no means a quick and easy task coming a full 3 years into my occupancy of the town; what other secrets lie ahead for me to uncover, only time will tell.

YARD 5

Acrylic on Canvas

BELLEVUE PLACE

Acrylic on Canvas

Light and life

venturing forth into the town I just managed to catch the most perfect light, standing on one of the park benches along the high-street allowed me the perfect view right to the end of the street above the heads of the hustle and bustle of life as people went about their business.

This is my first large piece for the Doodle Bar Exhibition next september and is in distinct contrast to the ginnel pics created earlier in the year, measuring 120 x 60 cm.

There was no initial sketching as is usually the case for me and my concentration was on the colours of the sky and the absence of distinct shadowed areas, it is not the best picture but I guess that is why I am a painter and not a photographer! Canvas is my support of choice, there is something a bit special about painting on canvas, I dont know what words can best describe it as it is more of an affinity with the material more than anything else.

As I stood there looking over the heads the streets were busier than normal, it had nothing to do with the christmas rush as there is little in evidence to suggest the time of year however I could not but help to feel a little, anger, frustration, sadness even that, with promises of an International food market and music, it takes little to drag people from their homes, sadness that so many remained tucked away during the recent Remembrance Day Parade and anger that the simple thought of food was the driving force behind the people attendance in the town when a third of the world is experiencing starvation, a point brought home all the more as I watched one of the local homeless people rushing to wherever he was going.

autumn arrival

No Kendal Images for you this week so heres a couple of recent acrylic works.

Autumn is here, the trees are bare and the lost souls, viz a viz abandoned gloves are starting to appear perched on fences and walls, alas the other catologue of fotos if these lost souls have been destroyed courtesy of a virus piggy backing a legitimate programme, what can you do other than to resign yourself to accepting things that are totally beyond your control and, of course, start to photograph them all over again.

In an optimistic aire that would do justice to Buddah himself, the conservative estimate of around 4 thousand images covering the past three years has been completely disregarded, the alternative is depression incarnate; in addition to these image files I also lost a lot of admin and written work so I am pretty well setting off from scratch now.

The Town, well into the autumnal changes borne of light, filtered almost, forcing everything to be just that little bit more defined than during the summer, colours are flatter and graphical design of general shapes and objects crisper and more pronounced, but back to the block.

It has been a week of functions for me, Rememberance Sunday, The United Nations Association Peace Group, The 'end the War' campaign group, a session with the Kendal Branch of MIND where I look after the Art therapy group until someone qualified comes along, a few hours in the of the John Bateson * the Towns Mayor and fellow councellors while they discussed and perused the planned changes for Kendal, I am for sure not the only resident of Kendal who knows of these town enhancements but I am the only one who has shared in the passion of those responsible for that change, the end of the week was rounded of by attendance at a preview nite for one of the local and gifted artists(More details on this in the BLOG, Art, philosophy and a Spiritual Journey) one meeting was missed, Tim Farron, the local Lib Dem Leader speaking in a local hall.

Back to kendal, what changes are happening around here, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds for redevelopment, my personal opinion is that it is not enough and could, if goaded become quite political in my discourse however will endeavour to remain on track; all this redevelopment, houses, homes, reopening of the canal, whole areas within the town seeing a future of open land for recreation and, I was happy to hear, a unification of all that does not balance up.

There is a fund available now for shop fronts to do up the facade that is the tourist bait, money for developement schemes and many other projects such as public art, in that regard I have a networking meeting in December and look forward to reporting back.

work has been steady though from the imagery for this BLOGS purpose, that being the town, there has been little progress still with only a hand full of images completed with all others sitting in the wings. the one part of the Doodle Room exhibition will be the photographic works and they are growing nicely.

* Johns Role as Mayor ends in May of this year,, with his recent and successful interest in local research I am hoping that he would be able to come aboard in the last few weeks leading up to the exhibition to help me tie in a few loose ends that will most definitely be there.

Primary references

While the Town remains my primary source of inspiration the available information is limited to the green civic society plaques that adorn the walls of the town and the invaluable contemporary historical and first hand knowledge of the locals, I have to smile while I write this, as is the case with every town of historical significance there is a much loved and revered reference to Folklore.

I have so far collected the following books which have brought much to me in the way of both knowledge and an inspiration to move forward to where I am now

The first is A Cumbrian Trilogy by Melvynn Bragg, a romantic though absolutely wonderful story following a family from historic times through the generations to modern times, I have to admit that it was the well research that captivated my sense of history and prevented my finishing the book once contemporary issues were reached.

The second, Lakeland Towns by Jom Watson, a beautifully illustrated book by Cicerone Press that concentrates on the main Towns of Cumbria.

Thirdly, an Historic Photographic record of Kenda, part of the Britain in Old Photographs series Kendal by Margaret and Percy Duff. Wonderful photographs that must have taken so long to acquire as to make it quite invaluable to me, my own collection not even reaching ten as yet, the day is young.

Finally I have a pamphlet type book published by the Kendal Civic Society entitled, A walk around Kendal, this takes in a a descriptive walk through a very tiny part of the Town, and provides good historic information.

Having just returned from a spiritual retreat it will take me a few days to get back into the swing of life at which time I actively start my own journey through the town, with camera and sketchbook there is much to document and discover and will, I am sure, be no quick task, fortunately the exhibition is not until next September, however, now allready October so time will pass quickly.

First steps

Despite many photographs and locals, sketches of buildings and points of interest and a varied assortment of paintings, there is still much to encompass to capture the fullness of a vibrant and growing town, particularly if I am going to gain an absolute cross section of life.

For starters there is the Civic society whose role takes in both the historic and contemporary aspects of town planning, listed buildings and the erection of the many 'green plaques' that adorn the walls of many of the towns buildings, plaques that list the general history, characters and original usage, many of which were the founding places of trades that no longer exist, the wool, cooperage, livestock, dignitaries and historical persons of some renown such as Sir Alfred Wainright et al.

There are also a multitude of groups, clubs, sporting and charitable organisations, many of which are probably unknown to the many such as the Philosophical and literary meetings of which I was not even aware until a recent bout of research uncovered them, as I visit each location I will, where applicable provide both internet links and names of those involved in the general running and membership for your information.

Where books that will help in the research are concerned I am already getting directions from interested persons, books I am sure that will, not only unravel many of the towns mysteries and folklore but also help and inspire me in my work.

The fan page on face book is beginning to grow now and, following my forthcoming trip to sussex, be launched.

succumb to a passion

It has finally happened, the town, Kendal, that I have been bleating on about, my musings growing steadily over the past year, have finally taken hold, unable to continue piecemeal to record its buildings and folk I am now forced to commit a dedicated time to this pastime.

With it now being October the nights are drawing in and the ambient temperature already forcing me out of my sandals, what a stupid time to make a decision that forces me out into the weather but hey, such is life.

I am not sure as yet how this study will take place, I already have many fotographs of the townsfolk and sketches of buildings, I even have a couple of books, donated by Andrew, a Kendalian born and bred, which provide many photographs of ‘Old Kendal’, despite its sometimes desperate history it nonetheless continues to be a place of great romance for me.

I have set up a dedicated facebook page that will act as a fan base and have started to mailshot many local people who might have an interest, either in following an artistic study of their town or wish to follow my research as a part of their own learning curve, research! The thing I had most difficulty comprehending in college only now makes sense in as much as I have an open time scale to do it properly, one hopes.

This will not be a blog of historical facts laid out in the form of a chronological story though it will be impossible to avoid the historical facts, these will however materialise and form in the most organic way as I complete my wanderings around the town and will lead, ultimately to the Doodle Room Exhibition arranged for September 2010, more details on this nearer the day.