Friday 6 October 2017

Dawn of Oftrump? Ghostly Scout. 3D Delight.

Stereopair for cross-eyed viewing
The dismantling of health benefits for women in the US continues today, by returning control to employers over possible the access to free birth control, and being able to refuse it on religious grounds. Is this bringing the likelihood of a 'Handmaid's Tale' Oftrump closer?

Prime Minister May is still in post today, despite the rumours of backbenchers trying to gain support for a coup. The bad news continues as a Germany-led group of EU countries, including France, has repeated the position of needing clarity on Britain's long-term financial commitments. Presumably the Northern Ireland question has not been settled either.

On a cold but gloriously sunny day, things did not start too well for me at the A14 network bowling at the St Ivo centre. Balls regularly in the gutter, I only managed to redeem myself in the latter half and claw back to the position of second lowest scoring person. It was a great social event with welcome bacon butties and tea/coffee afterwards.

Walking back to the Norris, I took the route down to the river path and encountered a man locking up the Scout's Copley Centre. As we fell into step and conversation on the route into town, I heard the unusual story of how the Scout centre came to be there. St Ives resident Bob Copley was a respected businessman and also a clairvoyant. He regularly walked the river path, past a neglected area of land that was at times used as a dumping ground or a meeting point for lover's trysts. One day, the founder of the Scout movement, Baden Powell, who had been dead for more than 50 years at the time, appeared on the path before him. He told Bob that the land should be used for the scouts. When Bob got back to work, he made a point of finding out who owned the land and later buying it. Now the Copley Centre stands on the 3 acre site, by the banks of the river Ouse.

At the Norris, finally had a chance to catch up with curator Sarah Russell and show her the stereo-images that I had made in the Museum after refurbishment, before it was open to the public. I'd brought along the Owl viewer from Brian May's London Stereoscopic Company. Her reaction was one of unalloyed, spontaneous delight as she carefully viewed each stereoimage. It made my day!

Back home, completed the preparations for my display for tomorrow's Quekex in London.

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