The keys to the kingdom ...

End of weekend 3
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

of allotment heaven ... were handed to us a couple of weekends ago, and we are now paid up members of the West Ham Allotment Society. This is the state of our plot after about 6 days of digging and building ... I rather anticipate the whole endeavour taking a serious toll on my ability to engage with any other 'hobby' projects.

You don't see that every day

The news bells of St Magnus the Martyr
Originally uploaded by Nina Pope

Last Friday we made a special trip down to the city at the end of the day, to see the brand new bells soon to be hung in the tower of St Magnus church (where my friend Nick is the verger). A couple of years ago they kindly let us record their hand bells in the church crypt for the sound track to our film ... Nick remembered my enthusiasm for the whole event and rang with the tip off about the new bells. They were made at the Whitechapel bell foundry - I bet they don't make that many full sets of 12 these days.