Blue Moon Rising solved … Suspended Coffee anyone?

 

Originally I could only think of David Niven's memoir 'The Moon's a Balloon' – which on the cover of the French version appears as rising blue and white moon rays …

However 'My Blue Moon' tethered the other day on Eastbourne College's playing fields was a fundraising campaign to provide more school bursaries for children from all backgrounds – they are aiming for 40 fully funded pupil bursaries.

Having friends who used to work at the College, or friends and family who either went there themselves, or sent their children to the school – I hadn't realised that Nigel Lawson's son, once our Chancellor of the Exchequer … and Nigella Lawson's father, is the headmaster: Tom Lawson. Also I'd no idea he lived down here …

Eastbourne College - with 'its balloon'

Tom Lawson appeared with his wife in the 'Blue Moon', which did not rise – as a promotion for this new appeal.

The College was founded 157 years by the town's philanthropic doctor, with support from the local residents.

Bandstand in 2005

The Balloon tethered at the College, and the Bandstand concert in the evening, were the 'headlines' announcing their Blue Sky Bursaries Appeal … including regular giving, one-off gifts, or a financial legacy … however small or large …

The Blue Sky Bursaries Appeal has been based on the Caffè Sospeso film … whereby when a coffee is bought, another is included in the price – so deserving customers can have a free coffee …

Container in Naples where the
'Surprise' receipts can be dropped

Paying it Forward style with an added beneficial twist … and with that long-term commitment added in … I hope they succeed for the kids who could benefit from the Appeal.

I have to say I couldn't quite get to grips with the Caffè Sospeso (coffee suspended) film … but obviously the concept is working around the world.

Volume One bookshop in Duncan, Canada

My mind is scattered … around much going on, much coming up … and the usual – my curiosity … so I need to get to grips with my typing fingers!

Thanks for visiting … and I will be around soon – the fingers promise!

Our logo for five years of 
encouraging posts that we blogged about

You might remember my WATWB post in 2018, about the chap who paid for my groceries – when I quietly nearly died of embarrassment … that post resonated with many of you … after I confirmed I'd paid it forward with a book voucher to a local Early Learning Day Care Centre.

Wikipedia's entry for Caffè Sospeso

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 34: Preservation societies …

Anxious times … so many devastating happenings yet we have wonderful volunteers, helpers, people who go over and beyond … that I was swamped with ideas – yet … which were most relevant in today’s ‘erratic’ world of fires, floods, disputes, horrors …

I was going to write about rural communities reviving their villages – bringing hope to their dwellers … but with the extremes that are happening now … peoples will always pull together – thankfully …

But out of this … a song came to the fore … for someone as unmusical as I am – it always surprises me what the brain manages to remember … which brought a smile – a pertinent smile with relevant thoughts for us in Britain …

… while also translatable / adaptable to places around the world …  each country has communities …  where people help and support others …

Comberton, Cambridgeshire

Very  British lyrics … the Kinks’ Village Green Preservation Society words seem to be worth remembering and thinking about - for all their apparent irrelevance …

The lyrics can be found by looking - mine came up via LyricFind, but no link per se … and the Youtube link … for the song ... 

 

The Kinks - studio album

We need to laugh, to keep our values … yes to think forward, but help others who do not have that capacity …

I read a note from the Migration Museum reminding us that wherever we live and work … we are alongside others and are always forming relationships – every country does the same …

… we integrate, we absorb … we are only one generation: our history must show we care -  we should leave a world ready for generations to come …

We are the World Blogfest

“In Darkness, Be Light”

For further information on The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society 

... and stay safe, think kindly ... 

Where else in the world would you find a line in a song ... "We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium" ... but here in the UK?

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 33: The Poetry Pharmacy …

Heart, Mind and Soul … ‘prescription poems’ for the underside of life … when anyone is feeling down for whatever the reason …

 … poems to be read by oneself … to give a sense of meaning to ‘the underbelly of life’ we maybe feeling at this time; or to read to others …

<<< for us all – to everyone in need >>>

<<< we probably know someone we can help – thoughts / poems / prose to read >>>

I heard William Sieghart talk about this book on the BBC's World Service – remembered enough to make me want to check it out … and once that was done, instantly buy the book, which I did …

… seriously such a good book to own, to peruse … there’s even a note on how to read a poem … one tip is ‘read it almost like a prayer’ …

Photo of the book:
The Poetry Pharmacy

The main headings are: Mental and Emotional Wellbeing; Motivations; Self-Image and Self-Acceptance; The World and Other People; Love and Loss …

Some of the poets (attributions) quoted: Rumi; John Donne; Seamus Heaney; Tolkien …

A few of the sub-headings within the main ones: Anxiety; Glumness; Feelings of Unreality; Loss of Zest for Life; Self-Recrimination; Fear of the Unknown; Unkindness; Infatuation …

# We Are the World
In Darkness, Be Light

I’m going to give you other aspects addressed:  Index of first lines; Index of Conditions;  then also very worthwhile  reading: the Introduction;  The History of the Poetry Pharmacy;  and ‘How to Read a Poem’ …

This little book is for all of us – to use, to give away, to share … please look to buy or ask your library to purchase: so well worth it …

This month … my prescription for …

We are the World Blogfest

“In Darkness, Be Light …”

… is to check out this book to help ourselves, or offer to others – you won’t regret it.

 

We are the World Blogfest

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 30: Invisible Women, Chhanv Foundation and Project Why …

Invisible Women – how often do we (the females of this world) feel that way … rather more often than we should … while here in the west … we can at least speak out, and reasonably often get heard.

#WATWB

 The book about Fifty Percent of human beings of the world shows how imperfect research, algorithms, scientific papers – all are based on the 50% standard man (who is that?!) …

Invisible Women - exposing data bias in
a world designed for men ... 

… much of life has been designed by and for ‘the man’ – so often no comparisons are done for the women of this world … this goes right down to our cells … we are different (so different) to the other half of the world. 

All I can say is – please read this book … order it into your local library … and encourage other readers to read it.  It is extraordinary … AI is coming along – who is it designed by?  who is it designed for … half the world’s population, or are we expected to believe it’s applicable to us all …

A victim showing her bravery ...
c/o Chhanv Foundation

Moving right along – but under the ‘banner’ of invisible … people who have had acid thrown into their faces … yes it can happen to both men and women, though usually females.

Chhanv is a non-profit organisation in India working for the rehabilitation of acid attack survivors. 

A youngster, who's been offered the chance to
learn and help himself and others
via Project Why (image c/o Project Why)

Project Why, also a non-profit organisation, working to educate, support and encourage underprivileged children, who have to scavenge to help each other live … the organisation offers spaces for them to dream, learn and transform their young lives – a place of hope …

Damyanti’s book ‘You Beneath Your Skin’ is supporting both charities … and any small or large donation you could give them (preferably both charities, but either) would be wonderful … these people didn’t ask to live their lives as they do … but as you can see – they have a life … they can smile and they will help others, who suffer similarly …

Please support her

I highly recommend you read her book (it is very well written) … especially if you like thrillers … and like to learn – you’ll be taken to the underbelly of Delhi life … a place for us to know more about – however much you might not want to know … the situations occur here in the UK, as they will do in all countries … and any purchases of the book will support both charities.

Project Why has just lost a major donor – Cook’s Travel - and so could really do with extra support.

All proceeds from Damyanti’s book (via Amazon) will go towards Project Why and Chhanv … so please buy, and/or please order from your library … my request is ‘under review’ … 

Damyanti Biswas had the excellent idea of the #WATWB posting format - on the last Friday of the month ... encouraging us bloggers, authors, writers to promote positive stories ... a necessity in this troubled world of ours … we aim to shine a light on positive projects that draw us in …

Let us flood social media with peace and love, and “In Darkness, Be Light.”

Belinda was one of the founders of this amazing idea – to challenge us all to let the world know about a human news story that lights our world … here’s her guidelines … please join us – we’d love to see more #WATWB articles …

Here's hers .... Art for Recovery ... using it to help heal

Project Why link ... 

Chhanv Foundation link ...

PS - I didn't explain myself too well here ... Invisible Women ... refers to the data collected, the fact that most things are designed by men for men - i.e. the seat belt ... set for the 'standard man' - no differences taken into account for women.  

Or eg only talking to men for research into something new ... presumably we feature as 50% of users as well ... 

or ... all the unpaid work that is done: caring, housework, taking care of house and home - is usually not factored into what constitutes being paid for ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher 

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 29: Fish Scale Bioplastic …

James Dyson Awards … 2019 National Winners announced from over 1,000 young engineers, designers and entrepreneurs …

 … Lucy Hughes wins the British National Award while all 81 finalists from 27 countries and regions competing in their area will progress to the international stages.

… the University of Sussex graduate used fish waste and sustainable algae to create MarinaTex, a compostable alternative to single-use plastic …

She practiced to get the right consistency and result – by using her student accommodation kitchen!  Makes one wonder …

Common Red Algae used
for Agar

But what an amazing idea that was 'spawned' from looking into the fishing industry and its waste … she believed she could find value in the waste, and was able to discover resources that are renewable to use as the organic binder.

See an excellent summaryof her design and project approach:

What it Does

Her Inspiration

How it Works

Design Process

How it is Different

Future Plans

    and the Awards she’s won …

Medieval view of fish processing ...
by Peter Brueghel, the elder 1556

Anything that aims to utilise fish waste, use organic and sustainable products to create this bioplastic deserves to be known about and applauded.

The James Dyson Award list highlights other winners, who will be whittled down to 20 for the international prize due to be announced on 17 October.

Lucy Hughes c/o DeZeen article

Here's to more like Lucy Hughes, her mentors and Sussex University who all deserve a huge applause for thinking out of the box and realising the wealth that can be obtained from a mountain of fish waste, and then mixing it with sustainable algae from the oceans to create MarinaTex.

We are the World – in Darkness Be Light

James Dyson Award details ... 

Details of Lucy Hughes' project from DeZeen article:  

Fish Scale Bioplastic

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 27: Three Littlie Litter Pickers …

Bless their souls – they’re on a mission to guide us oldies (anyone older than six!) … to keep our planet clean …

c/o mobile phone photo in Metro newspaper
Waimi, Yimi and Mbetmi

Triplets: Waimi, Yimi and Mbetmi Fongue – who live in Nottingham, (central) England – heard about saving the planet at school …

… came home bringing their lesson with them … asking questions, and what can they do …

The demands of children … the whys, more whys, can we do something … oh come on Mum, and Dad, we must do something …

Books were bought … action was taken – out into the park … collecting litter every night after school for an hour …

Rubbish left behind ... 

… the school heard, the word got out … the town Council gave them high-vis jackets with ‘clean champion’ on the back, and special litter picker tools …

The kids with 'Clean Champions' on their high-vis jackets

… they spoke to the Council on climate change … while things at home have changed … Yimi … who thinks she’s a diva! … goes to put a cardigan on – 'no Mum not the heating!' …

A clear, clean park ... what bliss!

The boys … Waimi is the outgoing one, who loves reading and writing: bet ... he keeps asking the questions … while his brother, Mbetmi, who loves acting, is friendly … their sister Yima – loves her singing …

Their parents must be so proud of their environmentally aware children - looks like we have some delightfully socially aware youngsters here - who will go on to inspire others ...

Good luck and congratulations Nottingham on helping these litter pickers become special people in this world …

… more importantly it’s wonderful Waimi, Yimi and Mbetmi’s parents are so supportive and encouraging with their off-spring’s wish to learn and to help their neighbourhood and then their planet.

All the very best to them all … here are some links:

We are the World ... in Darkness, Be Light

The Metro Newspaper’s article … where I spotted this wonderful story for our #WATWB monthly post …

BBC – the video story is here … I’ve noticed itelsewhere on the net … probably accessible elsewhere if the Beeb one doesn’twork …

I can’t find their YouTube … but they’ve got their own account to promote environmental awareness … somewhere out there!!

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 26: Artist’s Sculptures being Sunk to Protect the Sea …

A local fisherman’s dream to bring his stretch of Tuscan waters back to life, where commercial trawlers have been ravaging the seabed …

c/o Bowman Sculpture
see link at end - this is
'Stillness Born of History'

Bottom trawling involves dragging a large net (which cannot discriminate its catch),  across the sea floor snatching large amounts of bycatch … destroying the habitat (sea meadows), killing the unwanted fish and other marine creatures - all trapped in this method, used by commercial fishermen …

We’ve seen other structures being used in the seas to give shelter and thus life to species in decline … yet here are amazing works of art being placed along this stretch of coastline to reinvigorate the sea floor – they are already succeeding …

Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1569 - 1859)

Emily Young, the sculptress, has an interesting pedigree and thus links to artists, writers, conservationists, polar explorers … while her sculptures are completely inspiring …

She lives in London and Tuscany … but has travelled and continues to journey widely … her website highlights her work … I’d recommend you pop over and have a look at her sculptures – they are truly beautiful …

… the titles outside Tate Modern, London inspire:

                           Face of Stillness

                                   Stillness Born of History

… there is one exhibited in Siena until 20^th July 2019:

                                            Solar Disk III … just delightful …

Talamone - an important sea port in Etruscan
times, a central Italian Monarchy during the
Medici and Holy Roman Emperor times;
Nelson and Garibaldi both used the little
harbour as a re-victualing stop over.

There’s a very short video of one of her sculptures being lowered onto the sea floor, and then with the regrowth, as well as fish re-population with cuttlefish, sea bream, sea bass, squid, lobsters etc … the restaurants can again offer local seafood, rather than Asian frozen fish …

Paolo Fianciulli, a local fisherman, who started using concrete blocks to thwart the trawlermen, has been targeted by unscrupulous thugs …

Carrara Marble Quarry

… but now a team of sculptors, including Emily, are sinking their works of art to continue protecting this coastline …

Marble from the renowned Carrara (Tuscan) Quarry  has been donated to the sculptors … it is not of the finest white that Michelangelo once worked, yet exhibits the stone’s geological history …

… her other sculptures ask that the viewer broods across deep time, geography and cultures … in other words to think deeply about our world and its life – how it came into being, and how we are a microscopic part in Gaia’s existence …

Maremma Nature Reserve

So here we have artworks that have a higher purpose than being worth thousands of pounds (not dollars!) … 300 donated chunks of Carrara marble ready to be sculpted, lowered overboard, they need barges to take the ten-tonne statues out to their watery resting places …

A blogfest highlighting positive news
where people are helping the world

She maybe dumbfounding her agent, leaving her colleagues aghast, as the artist, who has been called Britain’s greatest living stone sculptor, lets her magnificent works of art disappear into the murky depths to protect a part of the Tuscan seas and coastline against unprincipled humans with no sense of responsibility …

We are the World … In Darkness, Be Light

By-catch ... fish left to die ...

This is my #WATWB – an artist who uses her talents knowing that they will mostly be sight unseen … a rock muse of the 1960s London – possibly ‘See Emily Play’ … to world renown sculptress looking to remind us … that all parts of our planet need our protection …

Her website is so well worth reading, while her sculptures are just staggeringly amazing … please, pretty please look!

About the sculptress Emily Young

Emily Young - see some of her recent sculptures, and about this project ... (as I've described above) please look to see why I was hooked!

Emily Young Wikipedia

Bowman Sculpture - who represent Emily ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher 

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories