An Arty Afternoon Adventure In Cambridge

An Arty Afternoon Adventure In Cambridge

Back in the spring, there was an article in The Daily Telegraph about a new exhibiton, The Art and Technology of Depiction, mounted in the Fitzwilliam Gallery in Cambridge, featuring David Hockney's work over his lifetime. He is now 81, and the works show how his art has evolved, and how the other artists, such as Van Gogh, Monet, Constable, and Warhol, had influenced him. There was also a second part to this exhibition, mounted in the Heong Gallery, which also featured a 47-minute video lecture by the artist, on perspective. The show would be on until nearly the end of August, and I really wanted to go!

But, as so often happens, the days and weeks flew by; to be fair, I also forgot about Cambridge sometimes, but then - doing some tidying-up - I found the cutting from the newspaper, with all the details on it: and there were only 2 and a half weeks left to go, before the exhibition closed.

With the various problems we've had with our eyes and the extreme heat we've experienced this summer, we weren't really up for a long drive to Cambridge, spending time at the Fitzwilliam and Heong Galleries, and then facing a long drive home; but then Wendy stepped up to the plate, and volunteered to drive us there and back. As just about everyone who knows us is aware, Wendy loves to drive; and she is also interested in art, so we settled on Friday, 20 August. We'd set off reasonably early, hope for a smooth run up the North Circular A406, followed by a stretch up the M11 and land in Cambridge in nice time to enjoy "David Hockney's Eye."

We found the closest car park to the Heong Gallery, at Queen Anne Terrace. It is quite an old multi-storey car park, built when vehicles were a bit smaller than the Ford Tourneo we were in! - and the curves going up the ramps were very tight, but we found a good billet, and then had a 10-minute walk to the Heong Gallery.  

It is an intimate venue, with some wonderful pictures of perspective and the different ways of looking at things, and David Hockney's more recent use of modern digital technology. He believes it is not a "cheat" to use modern tools; it is how you apply them, and the unique way they produce art, than makes for genuine art. 

In the courtyard outside the Heong Gallery was a sculpture of a tree, fashioned from blocks of wood, and Wendy took the opportunity to have a go at drawing it; paper and pencil were provided, and in a very short time, she had produced a very fair representation of it.

Wendy's free-hand drawing of the sculpture in the courtyard of the Heong Gallery

She showed it to the young curator, and he was impressed with her effort - especially as Wendy had drawn it free-hand: she hadn't even noticed there was a stencil available on the side!

Sadly, we didn't have time to watch the video lecture; we were all gasping for a drink and a (small) bite to eat, so we strolled on for another 10 minutes or so, to the main Fitzwilliam Gallery. 

We headed straight for the cafe, but this is always a problem for me; there was nothing "plain" on offer, only a choice of a couple of sandwiches, all containing what I call "mucked about" fillings! Why can no-one see that there are some folk out here, who would just like a couple of slices of white bread and butter and cheese - with no coleslaw, chutney, mustard, ham, or any other bits of "this and that," that the sandwich makers think make their offering "better"?! For me, once all the fiddley extras have been added to the mix, the sandwich has been ruined; which is why, quite often, I take a marmalade sandwich with me, a la Paddington Bear, which I can keep under my hat - if I am wearing one!

I had brought with me a bar of chocolate, and so I wasn't completely without a bite to eat; there was also hot drinking chocolate on offer, so I was o.k. with that. Wendy and Bob each had one of the sandwiches that were still available, and tea, so we all managed quite well.

Then we spent a happy time going round the main Hockney's Eye exhibition - and what a delight it was. You could see the way older artists had influenced him, but still his own talent and view of the world shines through; and, as he is still working with great enthusiasm, continues to inspire the people who appreciate his work so much.

His pictures were displayed among works by the other artists from the Fitzwilliam's permanent collection, which made them even more interesting and inspiring.

We enjoyed wandering through some of the other rooms, including one with examples of suits of armour, and a knight on horseback! That was great fun, and we took a few minutes to pose for a couple of pictures:

"Don't be ridiculous! You may well be a knight in shining armour, but I am NOT getting up to sit behind you on that horse so that we can gallop off into the sunset..."

I can just hear this bloke saying, "She's the one!"

Wendy won't take any mediaeval nonsense from this one, either!

"At last!" exclaimed Bob, "if I can't practice the Platinum Waltz, I can at least dance the armour-plated waltz instead! (I hope the steps are about the same...?)"

The Gallery closed at 5.00, so we headed back to the car, and decided to try and find a Beefeater Restaurant in Cambridge. Thanks to Google, we found one in the Girton area, and settled in for a delicious early dinner; it was a real treat.

Our waiter, Kyle, was terrific - friendly, helpful and attentive, he took our order and relayed it precisely to the chef; I had fish and chips and garden peas - no sauces, of course! - and Bob and Wendy both had chicken, and it was all cooked exactly how we like it - well done, and we really enjoyed it. 

We are trying to leave a positive review on TripAdvisor, but this particular restaurant is proving difficult to locate on the system; if necessary, I shall write in the good, old-fashioned way, and say how delighted we were with our visit. 

Then we drove back home, again straight down the M11 and A406, North Circular Road. By the time we left Cambridge, the traffic was quite light, so we made excellent time and, thanks to Wendy and her Chauffeuring duties, enjoyed a brilliant day out; it was so good we could all go to the exhibition.

 

 

 

The Thieving Magpies (With Apologies To Rossini)

The Thieving Magpies (With Apologies To Rossini)

We have a large fish pond in the garden, with various types of multi-coloured fish - none was expensive, and we started off with about half a dozen, but we reckon they must be really happy there, because over the years they have produced lots of fry.

We also feed a couple of stray cats: Snowy 1 and Snowy 2 (an older cat, who is now called "Old Deuteronomy) and they have a food bowl outside the kitchen door. When they have finished a couple of sachets of food in gravy or jelly, they also get a second course of Whiskers, which is dry cat food - they love both sorts, but by the time they get to the Whiskers, the cats are usually pretty satisfied, and quite often leave some of the pellets behind. 

Once they have gone to start washing and grooming themselves, that is a signal to the magpies; they swiftly swoop down to collect anything that's left over, and clear the bowls so quickly, you'd think they hadn't had anything else in the way of food for ages. 

Of course, when they have nested and have young, the parents are particularly busy, making umpteen return trips to the bowls: grab a morsel, fly away, and a couple of minutes later, come back for more. It is wonderful to see them, and their luminescent plumage shining in the sun, with their energetic work never ceasing.

To go back to the fish, and our efforts to make sure they are well fed if we have to go away: We invested in a rather clever device, with a spout that sits over the water in the pond, and when the hopper is filled with a goodly supply of pond sticks, there is a timer that releases a metered amount of food, three times a day.

Magpies are such intelligent birds and, just recently, have discovered this source of fine dining as well! 

One bird's technique is to stick its beak right into the spout that delivers the pond sticks; this clearly works quite well!

 How to get delicious pond sticks from the feeder!

However, today we saw the first magpie joined by a second, who had worked out an even more superior method of securing a meal. Apart from employing the "beak in the spout" technique, it then withdraws its head, and taps hard on the top of the dispenser, thus ensuring any stray pond sticks left higher up in the system with be delivered into the spout.

"I think this will be a good place to aim a sharp tap with my beak!"

 I know birds are brilliant, but to see such learned behaviour right in front of our eyes, just a few feet away, is truly inspiring. 

 Reward!

Making sure they have food to tide them over feeding their young when the ground is bone dry, and I guess natural food hard to come by, is one thing; but with magpies also enjoying their "thievish" reputation, I'll be certain not to leave anything shiny or valuable around, in case that also takes their fancy! 

There are so many superstitions surrounding magpies; in Europe they are mostly unfavourable, whilst in Asian countries they are considered good luck! I prefer to follow the latter option, but I knew people who would always show respect for magpies, by saluting any bird they saw.

It is also said that magpies mate for life, which gives an explanation for the first two lines of this old poem/nursery rhyme: a single magpie has lost its mate - or has yet to find one - but two magpies are united in happiness.

 

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.