"If you get up any morning for the next few weeks, you’ll be treated to the sight of all the planets except Saturn arrayed along the ecliptic, the path of the sun through the sky." Source:  http://www.space.com/11509-skywatching-tips-6-planets-visible-dawn.html

This is just one of the many Celtic crosses found within the peaceful graveyard around St Bridget's Church in West Kirby, Wirral.  This particular stone caught my attention due to the rich symbolism carved into it, which expresses the fusion of both the Viking and Celtic cultural influences of the area's long history. With clouds of pink cherry blossom draping over the ancient, leaning gravestones, and pale yellow primroses growing like jewels scattered in the grass, I thought spring would be the perfect time to photograph this place, which can't really be seen from the road just beyond the perimeter walls.  To view from this photoshoot, visit: http://hubpages.com/hub/St-Bridgets-Church-West-Kirby-Wirral

I could use a new garden shed. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/7928348/The-tumbledown-Italian-shed-that-will-sell-for-1.2-million.html Or... http://www.buyshedsdirect.co.uk/ No need to guess which offer makes the most pragmatic sense, hmm? Seriously, I do not understand the adulation which Aleister Crowley attracts.  He died a drug addict and alcoholic, and his only income came via donations from his supporters, thus demonstrating that he had not mastered the art of looking after himself - physically or financially.  I can see no reason to applaud self-proclaimed occultists who can't even summon the skill to pay their own bills. Crowley was supposed to have been rather good at climbing mountains and playing chess but otherwise left behind a trail of disasters for other people to deal with.  He penned a number of mostly self-published books and wrote flowery, verbose poetry, and certainly he daubed colours on canv...

Saffron Silky Princess 1996 - 27th April 2011

If you assumed contemporary spiritual art was either dull or fluffy - pink dolphins, glittery fairies, etc. - then browse Paul B Rucker's online galleries.  Here you'll find his painting of Melek Taus, Dionysus and other deities, plus collections of imaginative fantasy work, all beautifully drawn and vivid with colour. Discover Paul B Rucker's website: http://www.paulruckerart.com/

Discover this incredibly talented young Italian artist, whose work has the flavour of the Italian Renaissance while being entirely contemporary in subject.  His skin tones are exquisite!  His depiction of the human form combines the fantastical, the Classical and the figurative, with strong narrative qualities. Roberto Ferri's website: http://www.robertoferri.net/home.html

"In Glasgow, which has a population of almost 600,000 not one application for a street party has been made.   In the London boroughs...there will be around one party for every 9,600 residents.  But in Birmingham the figure is just one for every 41,000 residents, in Liverpool one for every 27,630 and in Manchester one for every 20,130.  Bradford...is having just four street parties...while Leeds has 21 and Sheffield 31. " Source:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8468812/Royal-wedding-street-parties-list-suggests-class-divide.html The figures present their own evidence for the dominant national opinion regarding the forthcoming royal wedding.  The greater majority of people simply aren't interested.  Perhaps the street closure licence of £150 per party has contributed to the lack of applications.  It seems an extraordinary sum of money for something which could easily be arranged for free with the mutual consent ...

"The publishing tide is shifting fast: E-book sales in February topped all other formats, including paperbacks and hardcovers...  E-book sales totaled $90.3 million in February, up 202% compared to the same month a year earlier, according to a study from the Association of American Publishers. That put e-books at No. 1 "among all categories of trade publishing" that month -- the first time e-books have beaten out traditional publishing formats. " Source:  http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/15/technology/ebooks_beat_paperbacks/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

With spring now well underway, perhaps it was inevitable that Riverside Writers latest meeting turned into an informal discussion about the passage of time and how much people hoped to achieve, writing-wise, during the coming year.  Several people mentioned frustration over poor responses to submissions.  That's when they even get a response!  Despite the reply-by times offered as part of submission guidelines, in practice many agents and publishers don't reply at all, not even with a pro forma email.  Meanwhile, the writer is left dangling, waiting to receive a response to the MS they spent several hours tweaking in order to fulfill each set of submission guidelines.  Weeks turn into months, and no reply comes.  For my part, in one instance I received a 'thanks but no thanks' letter from an agent one entire year later, though they claimed to reply to queries within six to eight weeks. ...

The annual Egg Run brings Easter eggs to children in Clatterbridge Hospital and raises money for the hospice. The video shows only a tiny fraction of the 10,000 bikes which took part in the huge convoy which roars around the Wirral, starting from New Brighton then moving along the coast road and through West Kirby to reach the hospital.  It was filmed while standing on Black Horse Hill in West Kirby. Hmm, I recognise that bloke with the Jack Russell Terrier...! Learn more about the Egg Run here: http://hubpages.com/hub/Wirral-Egg-Run  

"Death came again to the Grand National yesterday...as two horses died in appalling falls.   There were four deaths at the three-day meeting last year, five in 2009 and since 2000 a staggering 33 horses have died at the Aintree spring festival..." Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/racing/article-1375310/Grand-National-2011-Aintree-day-horror-millions-2-horses-die.html?ITO=1490 What a disgraceful waste of beautiful, feeling animals.  Have a race by all means - horses like to run - but why does this particular race insist on installing these awful fences with pits, sometimes filled with water, hidden behind them?  The pro lobby point out, truthfully it seems, that it brings in big money.  Money to see death?  How pathetic.  And very ugly, even.

We watched a hilarious film last night, which had us laughing not just at the sarcastic humour but at ourselves.  Forget Paris tells the tale of a couple (played by Billy Crystal and Debra Winger) who meet in the French capital and enjoy a fabulous time together, then who go on with their own separate lives only to realise they miss each other.  So begins their relationship and swift marriage.  They quickly discover that romantic holidays are soon over, whereas the necessities of demanding careers and everyday life can seemingly go on without respite.  The film explores the numerous changes people experience when they have to adapt from a single lifestyle to being part of a couple - the tensions, the sacrifices and seemingly endless compromises; but also the simple pleasures of sharing life's fun stuff with someone else.  The dialogue was well written, and seemed to have been the product of cl...

On Saturday, July 9th, Riverside Writers will present Telling Tales, a free afternoon of new fiction and poetry to be hosted by West Kirby Library, Wirral. Press Release for this Event

We've been enjoying viewing Robin of Sherwood   which has Michael Praed in the heroic woodsman-archer-rebel role.  Many people would have viewed it years ago on TV, but it's new to our eyes.  It's interesting to note an element of pagan references woven into the plot, one obvious example being the appearances of Herne the Hunter.  Even these-days, with the ever-growing avalanche of New Age fluff, it isn't often that a TV series or film contains references to Britain's pre-Xtian religions.  And on those occasions when they do, the tendency is to trot out stereotypical superstitions and historical inaccuracies.  The argument for this claims that viewers want entertainment over factual information.  The result is that many people mistake fiction for fact. Viewers don't want to know that people living rough in a forest would have been crawling with lice, ticks and fleas.  They don't want heroes with decaying teeth, rickets and othe...