The Reader's Room

Today i joined the John Rylands library and gained entry to the special collections reading room, I got very excited by the formality and beurocracy of it all. After requesting the title on a little slip, someone behind the desks goes and consults the trolls and goblins toiling away in the archives to retrieve your book, which are then presented on some foam supports and a chain of weighted beads to keep the pages flat. Amazing!

My geekiness aside i did have a great time immersed in this little historical literature world. The books smelt so old, it was lovely! I could have stayed for hours, I only made it halfway through my first story, a work by Elizabeth Gaskell called the Grey Woman. This story will form the basis of one of my pieces for the Tales of the Unexpected show. The second piece will be based upon Lewis Carroll's 'The hunting of The Snark'.

Ciao for Now.

A trip down Memoir Lane

Oh Manchester, how i love to walk your streets in the summer by myself and fool everyone around me that I still live there. Alas, i do not, but it is lovely that it still feels like home.

A trip to the Manchester Gallery after Graduation showed me that the pesky little be-masked creatures that formulate the basis of my entire degree project had fallen down. Poor things, so armed with my portfolio and glue-gun i headed for a day out. Figures re-glued, I went to find the John Rylands Library. And what a feast for my eyes! and sore shoulders (heavy bags). A beautiful gothic building plonked in the middle of boring any-city anywhere architecture. It really is a stunning building, it is like a slice of pure history just sat there.

So in i went to get inspired, i sat in the historic reading room with my little pad and sketchbook and starting doodling. A few ideas had been floated around so i set to them with my own brain leading the way. After a meet with Ellie, the founder of the theatre company we have finalised some ideas for how i can contribute to the visual art and set design of the show and i most certainly am a wee bit excited.
Eeek. 28th Aug ain't far away. I'll be a busy bee! Now lets just not procrastinate guys... I am not allowed to clean the bathroom.