Blog & Podcast

In 2018, an anchor, believed to be Roman or late Iron Age, was found off the Suffolk coast during survey work by Scottish Power Renewables on their East Anglia One windfarm. It was raised – for the last time – in 2021. On 27th September 2022, for one day only, the anchor was put on display at Ipswich Museum. Luckily,

I have long been interested in Taoism.   I was initially introduced to it by dear school friend David.    I have been carrying out some renewed reading of key texts over the last couple of weeks because it has been selected within the next topic of my bi-monthly philosophy group.   This blog is not intended even to attempt to summarise any

In sunny August this year, my friend David Sharp allowed me to be a free artist in his lovely garden in Rushmere St Andrew. He has built there a wonderful Japanese teahouse and placed a statute of Buddha on its deck. I decided to use pastels for the work. I wanted to create a reasonable size work which would capture

Minsmere Nature Reserve is a wonderful place but until my last visit in July I did not know that it impresses with human history as well, at least apart from the WW2 anti-tank cubes of course.  Turning back from the beach on one of those very hot days we have all experienced lately, I saw the outlines of beautiful ancient

A work of art in essence comprises ideas and the expression of those ideas.  How do they come about and does the second follow the first or is the process more nuanced?   It is often hard for artists themselves to describe their creative process.  But, while it’s fresh in my mind, I will give it a go from the story

We all love sunsets. We will sometimes go miles to enjoy them. We celebrate them with our holiday snaps. They happen at the sea, on big landscapes, from the top of hills and mountains. But it took me 20 years in my house in Ipswich to notice, let alone study, the sunset in my back garden! I could put in

  My son and daugther-in-law say thought long and hard about the name for their daughter and knowing how much care they have put in to everything before and since I am sure they did. Elizabeth Joy!  They were veering strongly towards Elizabeth and the coincidence of Platy Jubes with the birth clinched it.  But what a joy too when

Apologies to James Joyce for the heading here but it does work well for this blog!  I asked for feedback following the recent relaunching of my website.  It has generally been very constructive as well as, fortunately, positive!  Thanks very much to those who took up their precious time to do it.  One point which came up more than once

In June 2017 my son Jacob announced he was getting married. In July. In Hong Kong. Whilst very unexpected and sudden it was marvellous to celebrate his wedding! Whilst out there I admired some images of traditional Chinese Art, particularly bamboo, and thought wouldn’t it be marvellous too if I could find out a little about some of the techniques

On 13th June 2013 I attended the Drawing Prize at Suffolk New College to give it out (some very good winners too) and afterwards I went round the Summer Show. I went past Shelley’s Restaurant, the excellent restaurant run by the students on catering courses. There were several people outside I knew involved in the Ipswich public sector and business