Showdown

Well...it was a truly beautiful day as I dismantled the exhibition in Gallery IOTA. It was hot, and very misty. I could barely make out the towers of the power station across Pegwell Bay. I had a visitor in the gallery when Terry from the Windmill Allotment project came over to see the work. Unfortunately I had just finished taking everything down when he arrived but we talked about playing the accordian and what was going on on the allotments. I promised to send him photos and audio.
So once everything was down I walked down into the town by the seafront and thought about the great experience I've had doing this project, and the great people that I've met.

Shipping news

So it was windy! We arrived at the boating lake to racing clouds, choppy waters, and a blustery gathering of model boat enthusiasts. Unfortunately a lot of the smaller boats couldn't go out because of the waves on the boating lake, but we got to have a close look at them all on display. There was a great mixture of traditional fishing and military boats, and more experiemntal designs. Two of our favourites were a sailing Ed the Duck vacuum cleaner, and a kettle- which even blew steam out the spout!
The Steam- Powered Internet Machine was great (the steam- making part especially) and it smelled fantastic too- it reminded Rose and I of the Steam Fairs we went to as children.
And there were lots of people in the gallery!! They seemed to really like it. I think a lot of the people who came to the Model Boat Regatta were locals, so they all found something interesting in other people's comments.
Despite the weather everyone seemed to have a great time!

The day I have been waiting for

Sunday 3rd September is going to be fun!
There's the 20th Annual Model Ship Rally on the boating lake outside the gallery, involving lots of stalls from local groups and organisations in Thanet. There's also Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane's Steam Powered Computer- specially commissioned for Thanet by Turner Contemporary. There's the great cafe oppoisite, the sea, and hopefully....great weather!
The address of the gallery is:
gallery IOTA
At the Monkey House, East Wing, West Cliff Leisure Park, Royal Esplanade, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 0HE
01843 853117

So come along!

The Private View

Well Dad was the first to arrive, then Tim who we met in the Community Cafe, Leslie from Walkers Friend, Salvio from Ramsgate Esplanade Bowls Club, Eileen and her grand- daughter from the Pegwell and District Association, and plenty of Phil's contacts, friends and family (who we'd been staying with). I was really chuffed that people we met through, and helped with the project made the effort to come out to the Private View. Everything looked great- thanks to Chris, Dad, Phil, Rose, Tom the Carpenter (while Dad was on holiday), and everyone who came to the gallery- it was a really great evening. I was really really happy!
(These pictures were taken in the calm of the following day)

Preparing the Show

From Wednesday afternoon until 6pm Friday was spent preparing the gallery- Chris and I pulled out wallplugs and filled the holes, sanded and painted, and Chris mopped the floor. Dad arrived and put up 30 aluminium brackets to hold comment cards, 6 shelves to hold 60 poloroid prints, and re- made and hung the three information panels to go with the audio work. Then Chris and I arranged and put up photographs, bought CD players and put up all the signage. Then I hemmed my skirt, Chris had a shower and it was 7pm!- time for the Private View

Mapping the Isle

So... I've spent the last three weeks processing the things people told me- everyone from Walkers Friend who I met on the 8th June, the Windmill Allotment Project and Pegwell and District Association, Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate town centres, and Ramsgate Esplanade Bowls Club, and the Benedictine Nuns at Minster Abbey. I have 127 comments logged and put in place on a map of Thanet. In the exhibition this map will work with comment cards- so you can look at a symbol for a type of comment on the map (something you like, dislike, would change, would keep the same, your favourite place in Thanet, or a story/ comment about the area) and find the number on this symbol which will relate to a comment card on the wall of the gallery.
Lets hope it works! Now for the rest of the show!

Ramsgate Bowls and Minster Nuns

Roseanna Arbon and I travelled down (very early) to Ramsgate on the 25th July to visit Ramsgate Esplanade Bowls Club, and the Benedictine nuns at Minster Abbey. Rose is a friend of mine who has studied Music Technology. So she brought her new digital recording equipment and I brought some questions to ask. The sunshine brought itself.
After a diversion through the town centre we arrived to a pretty full bowls pitch. It was the weekly visit of the Active Retirement group from Birchington. There were also some competition players practicing on another pitch. These players included two 16 year- old boys who everyone seemed very proud of- it's encouraging to see young people taking their place on the bowls green.
We were very warmly received and chatted to (well, distracted) some players who told us a little about their lives in Thanet at the same time as watching the woods. During the tea break we had a go ourselves, and had the game explained to us. I think both our favourite parts was and collecting the woods in the trolley to take them to the other end of the green, as it makes such a brilliant noise!
We later talked to the lady who makes the tea for the bowls club, who grew up in Thanet and told us stories about how it has changed since she was a teenager.

After some chips for lunch we got back on the train and got off again at Minster. I was a bit worried we wouldn't find the Abbey, but I needn't to have been, as it's right in the middle of what is a very small village. Despite its central location the grounds are very tranquil and peaceful. We were shown around by Sister Benedict who told us a bit about the history of the Abbey, and of Thanet. We then recorded the prayer in the Chapel, which the thirteen Nuns of the Abbey sing in harmony. After this we were treated to squash and chocolate bars as we interviewed Mother Nicola about life in the Abbey, how she came to be a Benedicine Nun, and what she think about the Thanet area. We left laiden down with free leaflets, postcards- even a recipe book produced by the Nuns, and boarded the train to London happy and feeling very privileged to have received such amazing hospitality.