Thursday 17 May 2012

9th of May


9th of May

Moved the Van to the top part of the village, by the War memorial. Partly to make the project more visible to the village, but also too see who would come forward. Had a great chat with Mr Barron. And John Walker popped to show me his archive and brough some beautiful photographs for the Maggie law to copy and recod.


I had a meeting with Marie and Suzanne about where we where at with the project.

 Met a  father and daughet walking past talked to the, about the project and the digital camera classes. They seemed very interested and also talked about the possibility of the cinema in the village hall which really went down a treat.

The school mums took some interest in the Van and the Secondary school kids on the bus. Then a few of the older kids from the school popped over Jo Jayden and Luke. The chiara. We talked about what films we might show that where universal and Luke was keen to help making posters to advertise the cinema.


 Digital photography
three people came to the digital photography session. Ian, Whinnie and Hamish all adults and all new to the me in the project.

We had three very different camera and the participants all had different skill levels.
We explored the camera settings what they where for and how we might use them. Then we talked a little about framing and how to set up the image. After which we went out around the village.  Cath Roberts popped in to chat and kindly washed up the tea cups!  

 Down to the harbour. 

Hamish had brought a Polarizer filter for saturated images, and I was able to talk on a more individual basis to each of the participants.

We talked about the difficulty of fitting in photography with kids and ho you can combine the two.

About playing and trying out the settings of the camera experimenting with angle and view in the shots.

We talked aobut injecting some energy into activities in the village.

Hamish asked if there would be further camera workshops and I said I would see what could be arranged.

And perhaps we could tie something on with the party on the pier event, perhaps a photography exhibition. To give the photographers something to work twards.

 Finished at 8pm then popped round to Daivds who looks afters the Hall . He had hoped to dig out some of his old photographs to show, but had a lot on. He was very kind and welcoming. And we hoped to catch up later on under better circumstances.

He said he had been pleased with the rise in activity in the Hall this year and that they had managed to make a little profit. This is great to hear news and I explained to his that there was now a cinema licence that  meant people could hire the hall for screenings.

I read the papers in the harbour bar in the evening, and checked if it was possible to add a photography exhibition to the party on the pier event. in august should we decide to do so.
 A posititve yes was as ever the answer. And spread the word about the cinema licence.

I saw the village writing group and let them know that the licence had been bought (8 women) they where very excited to here that films could be put on in the hall.

I wondered if a list of volunteers that would have and interest in running a programme could be found so that it was a group of many other than the same keen few.



Then too bed.!
Still no internet much a pain!)

May 8th


May the 8th

A semi day off today. !

Meet Moira Watt this morning for 11 o clock tea.





We recorded some of her memories of growing up and living in the village. She talked about the different jobs she had had. At the Jute Mill and then on the Harbour working filleting fish.

She lives in the house she was born in on Queen street. She was very welcomingand I met her Budgie Billy it was amazing to meet someone living in the house that she was born and brought up in.  Moira plays the piano for the Mission every three weeks.

Went back to the Van

Bridget popped buy and we had a lovely Coffee at the Harbour bar,  we talked on about the longevity of the project.

I felt like we where just beginning to scratch the surface of  ideas and possibilities. And wondered how with such busy lives that people have how we might sustain some of the ideas and possibilities into the future.

We then went for a walk to look at some of the wild flowers in the village, we found orchids, primroses.

A kind shower and cups of the tea at the white house,  Emma Sam and Isla furnished me with Many cups of tea and we sat in glorious sunshine, and talked about why she had moved into the village and how welcome she had been made to feel.

Emma has setup the Tadpoles group, and a writers group in the village and is very active in applying for funds for cleaning tidy and improving the village.







Bridget popped buy and we had a lovely Coffee at the Harbour bar,  we talked on about the longevity of the project.

I felt like we where just beginning to scratch the surface of  ideas and possibilities. And wondered how with such busy lives that people have how we might sustain some of the ideas and possibilities into the future.

We then went for a walk to look at some of the wild flowers in the village, we found orchids, primroses.

A kind shower and cups of the tea at the white house,  Emma Sam and Isla furnished me with Many cups of tea and we sat in glorious sunshine, and talked about why she had moved into the village and how welcome she had been made to feel.

Emma has setup the Tadpoles group, and a writers group in the village and is very active in applying for funds for cleaning tidy and improving the village.




 Then by chance I met with Cath Roberts an artist who lives in the village.

Together we talked about showing films and creative working. Youth clubs and so on!

We talked abut a project in South East Northumberland that has a portable cinema kit that villages and towns can hire in  and show films allowing cheep access to films for villages.

We wondered how much it would cost to show a film in the hall and what the licence might cost? And how much the equipment might be to show films.
But that it must be cheeper than driving to Dundee or Aberdeen.

May 7th


May 7th Maggie Law day

We set up at the Maggie Law. From 11-3pm several families came past
And we talked to the children and  older people that came to see what was happening
 


 Marek recorded Robert Gove down by the Harbour he was able to give some fascinating historical in-site to the village. and Derek (fisher man on the Harbour)












We also where able to talk to Alex Sandy Welsh Who had the last line fishing boat in the Harbour. Then also John Walker who had some fantastic personal documentation abut his family history. It was great to have them all sat together in the Maggie Law museum talking about their experiences of the town














Alan Ritchie popped by and invited Dave Ramsey to come back to his house and view an old line boat model his father had made. The boat had quite a prominent history to it and Dave was excited and felt quite privileged to come and see it.

We felt it had been a very positive day. The combined effect of having the caravan positioned so visibly in the village as well as having the museum open for the day meant that we got passing trade and that peolpe and mad an effort to come down to the museum for the day.

May 6th


My 6th the Mystery Tour   (people 4)


We moved the van back out into the street to allow it prominence and for people to see us in the village.

The weather however was very bad today. I had arranged a talk with Bridget from the committee and she took me around the village to place that she felt where important too village from her perspective.












Some of the suggestion for Gourdon are. More shops, Cinema, Youth club and Play equipment ( for the teenagers too, a notice board!

Popped in to John Goves to look at the Beautiful leading light photograph ( will go back to photograph it)




It was a quiet day and I had a great to walk around the village  even if i did end up with a layer of  ice on the camera bag!
We do have another Mystery Tour Date. And I wonder if  I should change the activitiy. As I am not sure It is a good use of time. I think a more targeted approach might be better!

May 5th

 
May 5th   Harbour Day  (30)


We moved the caravan out onto the harbour and dressed it with the bunting made at the tadpoles group.

Then hung the notice board to the out side of the van along with notices about the project.

We  invited people in to meet chat and drink tea. Make cyanotype bunting and talk about what was important to  Gourdon and to the memories they have of the place. And what they might like to see in the future.










We started writing key things onto post ts and adding them into the nocitces on the  van.





We started writing key things onto post-its and adding them into the nocitces on the  van.












Alex does his cooking thing!
 Marek spent time at the bar talking with people and recording. Which we also did in the caravan earlier on.






Then we had the bonus of food, Alex came over from the Hornblowers and got the food going as well.  Cooking sausages, burgers, and kippers from Dougie Welshes smoke house. at the Harbour Bar.




This created a nice atmosphere, families sat and talked and enjoyed the bar, it was a little artic in the wind. But the rain moslty held off.

We took photographs, ate and talked
Accidental Harbour Humor