Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE
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Simple pleasures
Abbotsbury Sub-tropical Gardens
It's 6.00am and I'm on vacation, having uploaded some colour snaps from the last few days' sojourns here in deepest Dorset. (I use a small digital camera for quick snaps, while my main photographic equipment is all manual and uses film. You may see some examples of my 'work' at a later date.) But Dorset is a place where the local people are as friendly and warm as the early summer sun that has graced us with its presence every day since we arrived 4 days ago. And today, despite the pull of a brightening sky outside, the gentle, warm glow from the rising sun on the church tower across the gardens, I delay my pre-breakfast outing with my cameras to quickly write a post.
So, how have you been? For myself, I've been as happy as a dog with two tails; several hill and coastal walks along and above the Jurassic Coast; visits to stately homes and stunning gardens, I have had a wale of a time making black and white tree and church pictures with my Hasselblad medium format camera. However, a dilemma has been looming in the form of how to accurately note locations of pictures; a problem that barely exists with digital as each has a number; the solution also needs to be different from my method in 35mm, for technical reasons I won't bore you with. But when one is using film, and as the exposed films accumulate in quite large numbers, they get mixed up and a numbering or labelling system becomes necessary to identify each film with their accompanying notes. Yawn....
Well I'm not going to bore you with the details of my newly evolved system, nor do I intend to fall into pedantic ways akin to an aging geriatric. But the solution presented itself in a little eureka moment; you know those moments when after considerable consideration and mulling over of ideas, the answer comes out of the blue; your heart lifts, the puzzled frown gives way to raised eyebrows, the sparkle returns to your eyes and a smile graces the corners of your mouth... "Yabadabadoo!!"
The solution came yesterday in one such moment and the lift in my spirits was double fold; not only did I now have a simple but effective method for my photo film/notes requirements, it involved a visit to a good stationer's shop to get the specialist items to fulfil my needs. And a visit to the stationers is as good as a chunk of quality chocolate as far as I am concerned. It is almost as good if not better than a visit to a housewares store!
Mapperton Gardens, Dorset
What is it that stationery shops, DIY and housewares stores have in common? They have incredible sex appeal. Now you think I've 'lost it', but do you know what I mean? OK, maybe it's different for you and it's a knickers shop or a motor accessories store, an artist supplies store or the French patisserie. But I feel confident in my belief that there are a great many people other than myself who get something out of visiting a good stationery shop; it's the pens, pencils, erasers of different styles, the quality writing paper and envelopes, folders, clips and glues, tempting and tantalising in their promise of usefulness and for literary creation. There is nothing so beautiful as a blank piece of paper, full of promise, elegantly pristine and bristling with crisp newness. An antique pen boutique would be equally mesmerizing; not only do we have beautiful writing instruments but also their own individual age, style and history....who owned them before? What were their lives like? But we won't go down that route today.....
Housewares stores and DIY centres have just about the same appeal and I've even been known to make a visit to such a store just for fun while on vacation; one that is small enough to be jammed with thousands of things that are just so very, very useful. What more can one ask for? Sun, sea, beautiful views, great walks, super photo opportunities and a great housewares or DIY store?
So we managed to find the only decent stationers in Dorchester which is the local main town near to where we are staying. I found exactly what I was looking for in terms of the special size of envelopes, clips etc to satisfy my little need in making sure that the titles of my pictures actually match up to reality and do not become ridiculously confused. I departed Mecca with a little paper carrier full of my essential bits. Oooh, life is soooo good!
Today we visit Lyme Regis on the coast, location of Jane Austen's 'Persuasion' where Louisa Musgrove fell from the steps on the Cobb, the huge stone arm of the harbour that juts out into the sea.... Now, do I take my Hasselblad with my new notation system, or the Leica...? Such dilemmas...
