Monthly Archives: May 2012

‘Bison mad!’

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s heraldic term is ‘mural coronet’ – a circlet of stone with battlements or columns. I had a door-to-door herald round yesterday trying to sell me one, but I couldn’t be persuaded. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ‘Ugg!… Ugg!…’ ‘Yes?’ … Continue reading →

Posted in archeology, art, conversation, drawing, heraldry, history | Tagged art, arts administration, cave painting, conversation, curation, discovery, heraldry | 2 Comments

Simon in the evening…

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s weather is rumbling like a baby elephant’s belly, but with splashes of iridescence streaking across the dusty Axminster. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> More weather, but this time as a piece of prose scrawled in green ballpoint pen on … Continue reading →

Posted in colours, green, observations, poetry, surrealism, Uncategorized, words, writing | Tagged art, colour, observations, surrealism, words, writing | 4 Comments

A giraffe with croutons…

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s sounds are: the bees humming, the birds singing, the click of willow on leather and people screaming and dying in a distant country on the radio. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Veronica Crush, writer and poet from the glory … Continue reading →

Posted in art, drama, sculpture, story, surrealism, writing | Tagged cream of mushroom, croutons, giraffe, madness, sculpture, surrealism, writing | Leave a comment

Short and daft items…

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s joke is the one about the Queen dreaming about finding herself on a crowded bus with a fat old corgi and no money. Oh, how we laughed! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Excuses for being late. No.122. I’m sorry … Continue reading →

Posted in Grumpiness, observations, people, Royalty, serendipity, words | Tagged H M Queen, joke, late, observations, overheard, saxophone cases, transportation, words | 2 Comments

Look out everyone, here come the giant beavers!

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s featured dance is ‘the moonwalk’. Come on Veronica, slide those feet. Mm, nice ankle movement there! Oh, how gracefully you float my dear! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Oh, wonderful! Yes, this is another ‘Badger Book’, a British pulp … Continue reading →

Posted in art, books, drawing, green, painting, surrealism, writing | Tagged Badger Books, british science fiction, Doom, fox mulder, painting, pulp science fiction, R. L. Fanthorpe, writing | 2 Comments

What the TV ads have been telling us…

Posted on May 26, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s shopping list: broccoli, black wax, extra-strong white bread flour, 400 grit wet & dry paper, beetroot, white-board pens, tomatoes, 2 mouse traps, 2 wooden rolling pins, chicken tikka masala ready meal, pair of compasses, shampoo. … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, information, observations, surrealism, TV, words | Tagged advertising, ear wax problems, gum line, madness, mouse traps, poetry, style, surrealism, TV, words | Leave a comment

But where’s your research?…

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s adjectives are: Parsimonious, Flaming, Chromed, and Buttered. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ‘So what we like to see is evidence of all the stages in the development of the ideas for your piece, your source material, your sketches, your … Continue reading →

Posted in art, conversation, painting, school, sculpture | Tagged art, Art school, arts, conversation, painting, sculpture, shy side | Leave a comment

Marble and soft feathers…

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s dictionary word is ‘didapper’ – the dabchick or little grebe: one who disappears and bobs up again. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It was a warm day yesterday. I was walking through the city centre, I turned a corner, … Continue reading →

Posted in art, conversation, Dulltown, surrealism, writing | Tagged conversation, madness, surrealism, writing | Leave a comment

Yet more overheard and misheard snatches of conversation…

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s heraldic term is ‘erased’ – of a charge, such as a limb torn off. As in, “Checky or and gules on a pile argent a lion’s head erased.” Oh, I loved heraldic language! Erasure (heraldry) … Continue reading →

Posted in conversation, drama, heraldry, poetry, serendipity, surrealism, words | Tagged checky, gules, heraldry, madness, misheard, overheard, serendipity, surrealism | Leave a comment

Sculpture on the bench…

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s financial forecast is for twenty-pence coins to stand upright in the gaps between the floorboards, and net credit margins to sigh and whimper under the stairs. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ‘So, Mr Whatt, I see that you are … Continue reading →

Posted in art, conversation, Grumpiness, sculpture, surrealism, words | Tagged art, blue chalk, conversation, primitive ritual, sculpture, surrealism, words | 4 Comments

Hm… more small items…

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s joke is the one about the two horses sitting playing cards when the drunken jockey walks in and interrupts them – and hilarious consequences ensue! Oh, how we tittered! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Excuses for being late. No.120. … Continue reading →

Posted in art, conversation, observations, painting, religion, sculpture, surrealism | Tagged celebrities, conversation, joke, observations, religion, sculpture, surrealism | 6 Comments

Sticks and stones may…

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s dictionary word is ‘impleach’ – to intertwine. Another word that bloody William Shakespeare made up just to annoy us… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ‘Hey…… Hey!…… Hey, you!… ‘Eh?…’ ‘Hey you!’ ‘What?’ ‘You can’t just say “What”…’ ‘I just … Continue reading →

Posted in conversation, poetry, surrealism, words | Tagged conversation, dictionary word, insults, monkey jar, poetry, surrealism, words | Leave a comment

A titchy art item…

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s weather is entirely made up of damp brown cardboard and curly hard pieces of old orange peel. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Many artists: painters, writers, poets, composers, sculptors &c. might say, ‘Oh, my art is all about emotion … Continue reading →

Posted in art, observations, painting, poetry, sculpture, seeing, thinking | Tagged art, brown cardboard, fake emotion, observations, painting, poetry, sculpture | 4 Comments

A little ginger in your work…

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s architectural term is ‘bucrane’ – in classical architecture, a sculptured ox skull, usually garlanded, often found in the metopes of a Doric frieze. I have one of those in my Doric frieze, but it is … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, information, poetry, surrealism, words | Tagged architecture, doric frieze, euphemism, Japanese in 3 weeks, metopes, poetry, surrealism | 4 Comments

Personal items on the worktop…

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s financial forecast is for blustery hollow banknotes blatantly flirting with heavyweight streamlined derivatives. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What’s all this then? This is a shot of my kitchen worktop a few days ago – there’s not much kitchen … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Film, painting, photography, theatre | Tagged amateur drama group, books, computing, drama, light meter readings, music, photography, shutter speed and aperture, theatre | Leave a comment

Charlie’s dream job…

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s dictionary word is ‘pettichaps’ – the garden warbler. (Northern England) Isn’t it nice to woken up in the morning by the pettichaps? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A picture postcard arrived this morning showing a nice black and white … Continue reading →

Posted in conversation, jobs, phones, Royalty, story, surrealism, writing | Tagged airmail envelope, conversation, dictionary word, Prime Minister, surrealism, writing | Leave a comment

More smallish items…

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s instruction is to arrange to hide under a duvet until Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics are both over and done with. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Excuses for being late. No.120. I’m sorry I’m late, but … Continue reading →

Posted in conversation, information, observations, photography, serendipity | Tagged conversation, instruction, overheard, photography, serendipity | 4 Comments

She brought them together with a loud click…

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s heraldic term is ‘inescutcheon’ – a small shield borne in the centre of another shield. Gosh, I wish I had one in the centre of my shield… Still, maybe one day when I’m famous… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> … Continue reading →

Posted in art, heraldry, sculpture, surrealism | Tagged art, conversation, heraldry, sculpture, style, surrealism | 4 Comments

Snapping in the Cast Courts…

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s sound is that of some mice playing an enthusiastic game of hockey in the gaps between the ceiling joists. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I thought that I might dig out another photograph for you to look at from … Continue reading →

Posted in archeology, history, observations, people, photography, sculpture, seeing | Tagged antique sculpture, film, history, photography, sculpture, shy sort, Victoria and Albert Museum | 2 Comments

Mayonnaise typing…

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Dave Whatt

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s joke is the one about the Lord Chancellor dropping a handful of loose change down the marble staircase during the annual minute’s silence. How we heaved with suppressed mirth! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aha! What’s this? An envelope … Continue reading →

Posted in poetry, style, surrealism, words, writing | Tagged joke, madness, surrealism, typewriter, words, writing | 2 Comments