Wednesday 26 June 2019

Towner Gallery Mural – more and some fun facts …




The tennis is in an enclave … a few years ago – we could wander in, particularly early in the week – now security is tight (understandable) and the place is full, full of pre-Wimbledon tennis players … singles and doubles …

Layout of Courts etc - the Towner Gallery is bottom left (south-west)


… I can’t work out the tv bits either – not to say I’ve really tried – but the Beeb is only able to broadcast some matches – maybe the British ones …


The cafe is under the mulberry colour that swirls around
at the top ... opposite here is the new part of Eastbourne
College (school) ... perhaps they'll paint their white walls!
… but when the tennis is only quarter of a mile away – it’d be good to have the choices … but in general the ‘earth stations/ terrestrial', I guess! that I watch via the licence fee are sufficient … so I’ll whinge but put up with things!


Here you can see the mulberry colour which is now above the
cafe area; the white triangle below - with pink, blue and orange
 - around it is where the #13 was written



Here’s a few more views … with some odd notations that happened …






Can you see the sludgy khaki ... it does look as though it's not
quite finished ... but the architectural lines of the building ...
make things a little challenging to tie images up - especially
when it is unfinished.

Painting by numbers – yes it happened … my lucky number (13) shows here … though turns out to be sludgy khaki colour – definitely not my favourite …






Though we could have had painting by socks …?  



Not the best - but you get the picture!
This VIP made a mistake of going into the Towner as I was walking down for a few more photos (I don’t usually carry my phone/camera around with me – so quite often need to go back to places to take a photo … not sure of the name for that sort of person?!) …




Man and pink socks - sight unseen
going in the front entrance
… anyway back to ‘my man’ with the pink socks! – he had an appointment with the Chair of the Gallery … and though he disappeared inside – a troupe came out to see the painting’s WIP … so I asked, to everyone’s bemusement, if I could take a photo of said feet – socks are good!




c/o Towner Website
(clever I see he has a pink shirt on!)


David Dimbleby has been the chairman, since the Towner became a Trust in 2013, and is one of our finest television broadcasters, writers and presenters … who has hosted, written and presented various cultural programmes for the BBC … and my pink-socked man re-appeared with the great and the good of the Gallery.  Poor chaps I hope they don’t read this!






They've revamped the tennis area for the
prestigious pre-Wimbledone tournament, so lots
of workmen, cherrypickers etc around ...
how unfortunate that the beautiful mural was damaged;
do you see the khaki parallelogram?  I'll be interested
to find out how they connect the various colours
in this magnificent mural ... 


On another visit I noticed that a workman had probably accidentally bashed the beautiful work … as there was a white patch … not small, but not large … so I kept returning – thinking I’d see one of the artists making reparations.





I did – it was the director of the London Mural Company … patching it up – he’d finished by the time I arrived – so was able to briefly chat.  His dungarees were well spattered …





Brewer's Paint
I emailed the marketing department of the paint company, who supplied the paint – they are an Eastbourne company, established 1904 – for some information about their sponsorship ... I got no reply:  I’ll be visiting them – I don’t give up!






Merchandise 'walk' at the back of the courts ... when
I went again - it was a lot full ... talk about clutter
- I hope the visitors can move around - it is certainly
choc-a-bloc with paraphernalia
That’s it for now … pink socks posted, dungarees with the paint spats, while the mural was once again intact … the only challenge now are the many seagulls that live with us.  How they’ll keep it clean in the year ahead – is perhaps another question I’ll ask.





Well our Mural has set my brain off listing other posts I could write up – so there’ll be more … and other things as I’ve been out and about locally …


Practicing last week

The next is about art … but under the #WAWTB banner – We are the World Blogfest … coming up at the weekend …


Side view looking towards
the sea ... 




It is now spattering rain again – but the tannoy system is working … I shall just hope the weather gods will be kind to the tournament … but if it’s this hot – we could get another storm … still some years it’s blowing a hoolie and is very cold …






Happy Summer days …

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

36 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I think if I were to wear those socks Miriam would send me right upstairs to change!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sorry, this dude does not wear pink.
I lived briefly in London and was able to see several matches at Wimbledon.

Joanne said...

a colorful post, or I should write colourful....
Fun. I'm very psyched to watch some Wimbledon tennis and I'll keep my eye out for the pink socked man. Fun!

Joseph said...

When we lived in the UK decades ago, our luxury moments were visiting the Tennis Open, wearing sun hats and eating strawberries. It cost a fortune, but the memories are blissful.

Hels and Joseph
Melbourne

Rhodesia said...

Glad Nigel does not buy socks in pink!! Enjoy the rest of the week. Diane

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ David - I think men in colour take some adjusting to ... but many seem to be coming round and away from grey suits, or blue jeans - but I'm glad Miriam is making sure you adhere to her dress code!

@ Alex - another 'dude' not in the pink - ah well! I'm glad you got down to Wimbledon when you had the chance ... I've been lucky over the years - and love it ...

@ Joanne - oh good you're learning zee 'engleesh'! That's great you'll be watching some Wimbledon ... I suspect there'll be other pink-socked men there ... but not this one - not to say I've a clue who he is!

@ Hels - well glad I know who Joseph is .. thank you! It became not a cheap day out - but in the early days it was reasonable and one could wander around - now there's much more seating (costly at that) ... but so much fun - love it ... my sport ...

@ Diane - another who can't stand men in pink socks ... ah ha - well 'my guy' caught my eye and now adds to the post mix and people's comments ...

Thanks everyone - I wonder if I'll ever find him?! You'll be glad to hear the weather has improved enormously - clear blue skies with a delightful breeze ... cheers - Hilary

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I've never owned any pink socks though I've got several pink T-shirts. I don't see why you ladies should have all the bright colours!

Elephant's Child said...

Love those splashes of colour. The pink socks brought back a memory of my father. He was very, very rude about men in pink. Shamefully rude. I bought him a burgundy silk shirt. He loved it. And wore it often. Each time it was washed it lost colour. Until it was very, very pink. And he continued to wear that shirt. One of the most successful gifts I ever gave him (though I doubt he would have worn it if it started off the colour it became).

Anabel Marsh said...

I have a pair of socks that colour myself! Though I haven’t worn them for a while. Maybe i’ll dig them out.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
The Beeb only has rights to the women's singles matches, Hilary. The men and both the doubles are on Amazon Prime (for crying out loud...sigh...) I too enjoyed all the colour; am prone to wearing all these and more myself! YAM xx

Janie Junebug said...

I used to watch tennis on TV quite a bit but seldom do now. I've never seen a serious tennis match in person. When my son was in middle school I sent him to tennis camp for a week. They took the kids into D.C. for a match one day. My son saw Michael Chang play. He was very talented. One of my sisters used to go to the U.S. Open. She said that one day she walked past Martina Navratilova but didn't say hello or anything else as Martina had just lost. I'd love to go to Wimbledon.

Love,
Janie

Liz A. said...

How sad that you can no longer wander in. But it makes sense that there would be more security.

Chatty Crone said...

Very colorful - and I love pink - but not my hubs or grandson!

Gattina said...

Pink socks would be something for my husband !

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ John - I quite agree ... it's fun seeing men making their dress statement ... pink t-shirts are fine ...

@ EC - I suspect my father might have been quietly like that - yet in the end we all tend to come around. I'm so pleased though he loved your burgundy silk shirt - and that we wore it often ... great memories ... still burgundy is pink isn't it?! Washing does somewhat change the colour - better than no washing. Fun thoughts though ...

@ Anabel - yes I've a few coloured socks and do wear them!

@ Yam - oh right thanks for the update - guessed something funny was going on - there's more equipment vans around than usual and lots of light panels etc - at least when I could get in and check things out. Yes - I just want to watch ... not have to think! Colours are fun ... and I note you wear quite a lot of colours ...

@ Janie - I just love Wimbledon ... I guess playing a lot at school it became my sport, before I switched over to squash - but still enjoy 'the tennis season'. Michael Chang was a very good player and I see is still around in the seniors. Your sister must have enjoyed her time at the US Open - and that must have been one of the rare times Martina lost ... I hope you can get over sometime to see Wimbledon.

@ Liz - well these things change ... I got in on the Friday before with a guest ticket ... when they were practising ...

@ Sandie - yes it's fun to see - but some men = it's a no no ... as you mention ...

@ Gattina - pink is good isn't it ...

Thanks everyone - the weather gods are playing hide and seek with us ... cloud cover overnight ... but the breeze is up, blowing the clouds away - perhaps some sunshine ... let's hope! Cheers to you all ... Hilary

Marja said...

oh how colourful Quite like the mural. I had to laugh about the socks and the "sock man" lol
You have the spirit of a journalist trying to find out about the sponsorship :)

Jz said...

Oh, man! I want those jeans!
If you see him again, Hilary, ask if he'll part with them?
:-D

Dan said...

I think I can live with argyles when I want to add a little flair to my step. I do hope the mural can weather the storm.

Jo said...

Don't the matches take place in Wimbledon any more?

Actually, I rather like the pink socks, very colourful.

I love that mural and would like to be able to see it other than in photos.

Computer Tutor said...

I love that men are into colorful socks. My husband hates it!

Sherry Ellis said...

That is one colorful building!

bazza said...

Some friends of mine went to the tennis at Eastbourne this week. They thought it was an expensive day out. Wait til they go to Wimbledon next Tuesday!
Incidentally, I have a friend who wears brightly coloured socks - he swears that they are therapeutic and something to do with blood pressure. Not sure if he's kidding me...
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s almost abhorrent Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

Anonymous said...

I love all the bright colors of the building and to be honest, I would totally rock those pink socks...um, okay fine, I have those pink socks haha Those jeans could be sold in stores for big money I bet. He needs to get to a designer ASAP!!

Elsie

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Marja - the mural is stunning - it's a wrap around. Glad you enjoyed my pick sock man! Well it really irritates me when you ask the marketing department of Brewer's a question and actually, as I've just seen, pointing out a typing error ... you think they'd be polite enough to reply to both parts of the email ...

@ Jz - oh boy .. I'd better ask him! I'm emailing him as I hope he'll be down for the talk ... perhaps so, perhaps not - we'll see ... but then Elsie wants him to get a designer and sell them ... who knows - perhaps he has dozens of pairs at home! I'll report back ...

@ Dan - argyles are wonderful aren't they ... but pink socks with a suit: I was happy - I had socks to take a picture of ... The paint must be exterior weather-proof type ... it hasn't run yet!

@ Jo - Wimbledon is next week ... this is the Eastbourne tournament pre-Wimbledon as I mention. The socks were a fun thought ... while the Mural is excellent - sorry you can't see it here ...

@ Jacqui - I understand your husband's POV - but, like you, do enjoy seeing men with some colour ...

@ Sherry - you're right, it has become very colourful ...

@ Bazza - It's a very crowded event now ... and I imagine it wasn't cheap once inside ... let alone tickets - I haven't been for a few years, other than getting in to meet a cousin for a chat ... she hasn't even contacted me yet ... so it's busy.

I wonder what your friends will say about Wimbledon and its expense ...

Your friend might be right - just seeing the colour would give us all a therapeutic boost - so he's probably not kidding you ... with tongue in cheek!

@ Elsie - the cafe has coloured chairs to match the abstract colours of the installation ... and I agree - love all the brightness.

I note your thought re selling the jeans ... I'll check in with him re finding a designer?! Fun ...

Cheers to you all and thanks for being here - enjoy the weekend - Hilary

Keith's Ramblings said...

Another colourful post celebrating my favourite week in Eastbourne! Loving the tennis, loving the weather...fantastic!

Janie Junebug said...

I'm commenting again because you said you played squash. My daughter learned to play in high school. The first year she didn't make the squash team but she practiced with them so she could learn. The next year she made the team and was ranked last. The next year she was ranked #10. The final year she was ranked #2. It was lovely to see her improve each year and grow in confidence. What drew you to squash?

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Keith - your favourite week's nearly over ... and I very luckily ended up with a ticket for yesterday, and today on centre - so actually seeing some amazing games. Weather has improved hasn't it ...

@ Janie - good to see you again ... I was out of the blue offered tickets for Centre court yesterday, and today ... so am literally down the road watching! Well will be ...

I am (was) a good ball/racquet player ... so hockey, netball, tennis and then squash. I played when I lived in London, and then really enjoyed it when out in South Africa. Mainly I went in that direction as I could play any day of the week indoors ... and so still played tennis occasionally, but it faded away - especially once in SA. Your daughter obviously has good hand-eye co-ordination ... clever her to get to #2.

Cheers to you both ... and thanks for your interest - Hilary

DMS said...

I would love to see a match live at Wimbledon. How exciting that would be! It was fun looking at all the pictures and interesting that years ago the area was more open to people. So much security now for sure. The mural is very eye-catching. I hope you find and answer to how they plan to keep it clean over the next year. :)

Have a lovely weekend!
~Jess

Sandra said...

Enjoy the games.

Susan Kane said...

I love the paint splattered pants. I would buy them.

We love Wimbledon and watch the new players, wondering where they will be in 10 years.

D.G. Kaye said...

Times have sure changed everywhere Hilary. More security everywhere it seems. Loved the socks and good match for the pink shirt, lol. Fun post. ;) x

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Jess - Wimbledon is wonderful ... so different - I always loved my visits ... but haven't been for at least 15 years, possibly 20+ . It's good there's security ... and obviously it's much more secure in places like Wimbledon and in London. We have had concrete blocks put around the place ... whether they will stay in situ ... time will tell. The cleaning of the mural is interesting ... the front is grey cladding, to which the mural wasn't added to ... and that's kept clean by 'window cleaners' (as I'd already found out via the Gallery) - maybe 'window - wall' cleaners will be used. I will ask though ...

@ Sandra - thank you ... we are having a very hot weekend.

@ Susan - another buyer for the dungarees ... I'll be interested to read what he says about possible purchasers...

The new players: some fulfil ... some seem to struggle with the attention ... it must be a difficult niche to fill - the sudden expectation ... but now we can look back too ...

@ Debby - I know everywhere one goes we need to open our bags - makes sense. Yes it was good to find David Dimbleby in a pink shirt matching his VIP's socks ... lucky break for me!

Thanks everyone - had a wonderful time yesterday in hot, hot sun for me ... but great tennis - an American mens' winner - Taylor Fritz ... he is moving on up the rankings and could be a danger at Wimbledon. Appreciate your comments - cheers Hilary

J Lenni Dorner said...

Wow! What an interesting project. I like the fun fashion, too.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi J Lenni - thanks ... it's interesting to find out more and enjoy its presence in the midst of Eastbourne ... glad you enjoyed the post - cheers Hilary

M. Denise C. said...

I watch a lot of tennis, Hilary. I did think of you this week when I saw the location of the pre-Wimbledon tournament! Cheers, D
PS. A fun post!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Denise - I wasn't going to go ... as now one can't just wander in - but my cousin rang (she line judges) and had a ticket for Friday and Saturday going begging (via another colleague) - I snapped them up! It was HOT!! especially Saturday - but I saw some excellent tennis ...

I'm glad you enjoyed my pink sock post! Cheers to you - here's to Wimbledon today with sunny skies: wonders will never cease ... Hilary