Garden of Secrets…. It Can Happen…. Art and Archaeology Workshop…
by Bernie Bell - 10:06 on 11 June 2023
Garden of Secrets….
Wendy & David moved to Eday just over a year ago and are restoring an old forge and croft – exploring their bit of land and discovering its secrets.
Wendy wrote a poem and sent it to me…….
Garden of Secrets
Bees are floating
among the borage
buzzing purple
at the periphery,
on my knees
I scrape and pull
clumps of opportunist grass
shake out and brush away the soil
revealing stones laid beneath.
A pebbly path
curves around the alder
stretching its heavy branches
along the shelter
of dry stone wall.
I touch another texture
a patch of mottled cream
hollow when tapped.
Half hidden still.
I work my fingers
gently round the shape,
loosening the grasping roots
lift a sculpted bone
curving to blunt square end
craving attachment.
"A whale"
my whispered exclamation
"a whale bone,
in my garden!"
then I see another,
fan shaped piece
leaning against the wall
moss and lichen camouflaged.
With reverent strokes
my hands explore
the contours
of these giant bones,
great beasts of the sea
who roamed these isles
long, long before me
now longing to know them.
I do not know
who placed these treasures here
who laid the pink and grey stones,
the gravel paths
who lived and dreamed and loved
this place
yet I touch
what they have touched
walk and breathe
where they have walked and breathed
separated by unknown time.
To them
I mouth a silent promise
I will cherish
this gift,
my wondrous garden
of secrets.
Wendy Alford June 2023
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It Can Happen….
I received this from 350.org… https://350.org/
“Last week we heard the incredible news that after 27 years the British Museum will be dropping BP as a sponsor.
This is a huge win for climate activists everywhere, especially those active in the fight against greenwashing. Many groups, including the youth strikers and the Art Not Oil movement, have contributed to this win over the years, but ultimately it's down to the consistent hard work of BP or not BP? and Culture Unstained.
To celebrate this win, I've looked back over 10 years of incredible actions by these campaign groups, some of which I've played some cameo roles in, and have written this blog to share what I think are the main things we can learn and take forward in the rest of our fights.
From sheer persistence to unmatched creativity, this win can inspire us to succeed in all our other campaigns. With an enemy as big as BP sometimes we all worry that the fight we're facing is too big, but wins like this show us that the tide is turning, the age of fossil fuels is ending, and the more of us that organise together the faster we will get to the future we deserve.
Congratulations again to all of our friends at BP or not BP?, Culture Unstained and the wider Art Not Oil movement and congratulations to all of you who have ever attended or supported one of these actions.
Together we are powerful. Let's keep winning together.
Tommy”
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Art and Archaeology Workshop…
This has so many good things in it, and involves so many most excellent people and places – do – take a look……
https://archaeologyorkney.com/2023/06/09/n2n-2023/
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Here’s one I made earlier…. https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/11/17/when-a-broch-becomes-a-ting/
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