View allAll Photos Tagged PYTHON'S
...and now for something completely different!
have fun with this. it's in celebration of Monty Python's 40th Anniversary. here's my tribute; "step by step analysis of a dirty mind. look closely, what do you see".
I was tagged twice last week so here are more facts.
1. I like to listen to opera. In my opinion, Luciano Pavarotti had the most gorgeous voice ever.
2. My feet never grew past the 6th grade. I wear a size 3 in a half in kids shoes.
3. I HATE mushrooms. It there is a mushroom of any kind, shape or form, I won't eat it!
4. I can stand on my head.
5. I love to jog.
6. My favorite color is green.
7. Mozart is one of my favorite composers.
8. I'm an awful nail biter.
9. I'm not British, but I love British TV shows such as: Monty Python's Flying Circus, Are You Being Served?, and Fawlty Towers.
10. I'm learning to juggle a 5 ball cascade.
Here are 10 random people that are tagged: tinka's fairytale, icaughtmyself,
Mr. Whims, Erika K Photography, mallory, kelly.marie, Gemma Louise Plumpton, ignorance is new best friend, Loes, A soft surrender, and Mr. Bua!
Female House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) soaking up the sun in my garden.
Sorry, couldn’t help it. Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’ just came to mind 😂
Copyright embedded in EXIF Data
Scotrail Class 37 No. 37035 has just completed a reballasting job on the West Highland Line on 10th July 1987, and is about to reverse the rake of wagons into the civil engineers siding at Tulloch to allow two passenger trains to cross. It later propelled the wagons back to Fort William. Copyright Photographs John Whitehouse - all rights reserved
*For those of a certain age and sense of humour, this photograph always reminds me of Monty Python's 'Dennis Moore' sketch. If curious or in doubt, ask Mr. Google.
Jawohl Herr General: "Zuerst ziehe die heilige Zündnadel aus dem Gehäuse. Sodann sollst du zählen bis drei, nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Drei allein soll die Nummer sein, die du zählest, und die Nummer, die du zählest, soll Drei und nur Drei sein. Weder sollst du bis Vier zählen, noch sollst du nur bis zur Zwei zählen, es sei denn, dass du fortfährst zu zählen bis zur Drei. Die Fünf scheidet völlig aus. Wenn dann die Nummer Drei, welches ist die dritte Nummer von vorne, erreicht ist, dann schleudere mit Kraft deine Heilige Handgranate von Antiochia gegen deinen Feind.”
Yes Sir:"First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."
This is a stealth banana. It was the very one used for training in one of Monty Python's Flying Circus sketches: Bananas. How to defend yourself against a man armed with a banana. Now you, come at me with this banana. Catch! Now, it's quite simple to defend yourself against a man armed with a banana. First of all you force him to drop the banana; then, second, you eat the banana, thus disarming him. You have now rendered him 'elpless. Photographed in ambient ultraviolet light.
I felt so much better after reading this message :)
seen ten years ago while wandering the streets of Vancouver.
song : Monty Python's "I'm ( Still ) So Worried "
is there a single scene from Monty Python's Holy Grail that isnt immensely quoteworthy??
whats your favorite line?
picture I took added with the caption inspired by the drawbridge scene in "Monty Python's Holy grail movie.
Wall art depicting John Cleese from Monty Python's, Ministry of Silly Walks. This is to be found at the Silly Walks Tunnel in Eindhoven.
Well worth a visit of you want to spend five minutes of sillyness!
“and now for something completely different ...”
- Monty Python's Flying Circus
Soundtrack : www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQn8pab8Vc
I BELIEVE I CAN FLY – R. KELLY
or a more light-hearted song : -
Soundtrack : www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx0Z4USGhIA
IF I COULD FLY – SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
I AM A CAT
I am a cat named Bubbles
a Maine Coon to be precise
I am hiding in the grass
can you see my eyes
when I think it's time
I will leap out and surprise
you will jump and laugh
as I chase the butterflies
why they always see me
is a constant mystery
am I not well camouflaged
in this lush green “sea”?
I quietly wait to seize my chance
oh, how they lead a merry dance
I only want to play with them
you understand; it's just a game
I'm tired now and need to sleep
they've worn me out so they can keep
their flying games all to themselves
I'll wait 'til nightfall for the elves
oh, yes, you laugh, but I have seen
those little ones all dressed in green
they hop about from stem to stem
not thinking that I may catch them
what's that you say Mum? Dinner gong?
“Leave those grass-hop-pers alone …!”
- AP – Copyright remains with the author
'copyright image please do not reproduce without permission'
Another image of the Carpet Python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli) which is spending a second day in our backyard pond. This image is a macro shot of the python's eye, which was close enough to the waterline to also appear as a reflection.
Those of you familiar with British humour/humor might know Monty Python's Flying Circus. One of its skits involved a misguided "Robin Hood" -type person who stole lupines from the rich and gave them to the poor. The poor thought his efforts were useless because you can neither eat nor pay taxes with lupines. I love to see these plants come up in early summer because, not only are they beautiful, they also remind me of watching Monty Python with my kids.
Ever have those days where you just think "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee".
No, neither do I...hehe
OK, I do actually. Ive had a fun day today. My wife, myself and the ankle biters went bowling with some friends of ours. One game was the kids, the other, me against my wife. I won of course (I think), but it was a rather jolly day out.
I think I'm in one of those 'funny and happy but a bit buzzy' moods tonight. I have Monty Python's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" blaring from my MP3 player, and I'm gleefully singing along and whistling...
Isn't life just jolly sometimes?
These tablets must be working eh? :D
080213_9399
Ketchikan, Alaska has a lumberjack show with fierce competition between "Canadian" "loggers" and "loggers" from the United States.The pole climbing competition is one of them, and I thought I might add a few more obstacles to increase the challenge.
Here's a YouTube link to Monty Python's "Lumberjack" song if you're n the need for a bit of humor.
Looking forward to get back to Indonesia! Hopefully this global crisis will soon end, so we can get on with normal life again.
We encountered those Harlequin Sweetlips in Raja Ampat.
Somehow they reminded me of a scene in Monty Python's "meaning of life" LOL.
Thanks for looking.
Press z for better viewing.
...or Now, it's quite simple to defend yourself against a man armed with a banana. First of all you force him to drop the banana; then, second, you eat the banana, thus disarming him. You have now rendered him 'elpless. Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Monty Python's Life of Brian is a 1979 British comedy film and written by the comedy group Monty Python.
My favourite movie.
Another popular filming location. From Wikipedia: "Heydon is often used in television and film productions. The village was used as the setting for the Anglia Television soap opera Weaver's Green. Films partly shot in the village include The Go Between (1970), Riders (1993), Hitler's Britain (2002), Vanity Fair, The Woman in White, The Moonstone, The Peppermint Pig, and A Cock and Bull Story (2005). A Monty Python's Flying Circus Sketch about village idiots was filmed here."
This series is starting to remind me more and more of that old guy, in Monty Python's Holy Grail, who, in a sense of energetic bewilderment, insisted that he wasn't dead yet. I feel an awful lot like the guy standing there saying yeah, but look at him, he will be soon.
Terrific Thursday to you my friend. Enjoy a drink, a moment, a friend. And be safe.
What could be sillier that the concept of "peeps"? Monty Python's Silly Walk just might qualify for that honor. Photoleap was used to create this image.
Python is an interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language. Created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991, Python's design philosophy emphasizes code readability with its notable use of significant whitespace. Its language constructs and object-oriented approach aim to help programmers write clear, logical code for small and large-scale projects.
Python pickle module is used for serializing and de-serializing a Python object structure. Any object in Python can be pickled so that it can be saved on disk. What pickle does is that it “serializes” the object first before writing it to file. Pickling is a way to convert a python object (list, dict, etc.) into a character stream. The idea is that this character stream contains all the information necessary to reconstruct the object in another python script.
We're here visiting Pickle Art
Here's a bunch of signed things. Most of them I remember getting the signatures for, but there are a couple that I'm confused by.
At the top left, it's an old Textones single signed by Textones/GoGos Kathy Valentine. Juliana Hatfield. The Hole "Dicknail" 7" is signed Courtney Love Cobain, because it was fairly soon after Kurt had died, and she was still signing it that way. Guided By Voices with a LOT of writing by Robert Pollard, A Dave Grohl signed Scream 45, and Cornershop.
2nd row from the top starts with the Fastbacks, then it's my favorite Lou Barlow single EVER, a Rocket From the Crypt 7" signed by all, Henry Rollins wrote his name on his version of the Cheech & Chong song with the Hard-Ons, PJ Harvey, Tesco Vee/Meatmen (with cover art by one of my best friends on the planet, The Evil Twin).
3rd sloppy row: Crispin Glover "What It Is...", Michael Palin of Monty Python's Flying Circus signed my copy of Hemingway's Chair, Isaac Hayes wrote his name on Black Moses before he passed away, then there's a Fudge EP, a Smashing Pumpkins 7" signed by Billy Corgan and Jimmy, and a cassette by disappear fear.
The bottom row, very out of order: Another Crispin Hellion Glover signed collectible with a Screaming Trees CD sitting on it signed by the whole band, a biography about the band Wire signed by the original 4, a book by Patti Smith that was a present from my friend Dave Marsh, a Liz Phair 7", an early Urge Overkill single, and above those things there's another Hole single signed by Courtney, an Evan Dando signed Lemonheads 7", an SR71 CD signed by the band, and a book by Mr. Rogers!!!!!
Commission and quite possibly my most detailed regular fig yet. Based of the classic British comedy 'Life of Brian', 'Bwian' is my first full 360 painted figure (excluding sides of torso. Wanted to sculpt his hair, but the heat at the moment made the clay too dry to work with, so painted instead. Seems I'm slowely incorperating my 'artwork series' style of painting into regular figs (many different shades making up one part). Hair is prime example of this, but so is the torso basis, which uses very light tan and lots of little white strokes to create a fabric look. All in all pretty cool figure and sad to see it go, but hey, thats why I made it lol.
Also I have 10 legolas heads to work with, so the face styles in upcoming figs, may look fairly similar.
Might do some more 'Python', i.e King Arthur, but I know some others are currently working on those, so he'l be at the bottom of my list.
What do you think?/ Have you seen the film?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K8_jgiNqUc - Biggus Dickus
Wall art depicting John Cleese from Monty Python's, Ministry of Silly Walks. This is to be found at the Silly Walks Tunnel in Eindhoven.
Well worth a visit of you want to spend five minutes of sillyness!
When I saw these people smiling like that immediately reminded me of Monty Python's sketch "The funniest joke in the world." Apparently, no one died this time.
***
Quando vi essas pessoas sorrindo desse jeito, imediatamente me lembrei daquela esquete do Monty Python "A piada mais engraçada do mundo". Aparentemente, ninguém morreu dessa vez.
Couldn't help but think of the swamp castle scene in Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail. These are actually two different species of egret, a great egret on the right, and what I assume is a snowy egret on the left.
Day 123 of 365: Yeah, well, after using up the obvious x-ray on my letter O, it was either this or Xenophobia. Having been a foreigner away from home for the past 13 years or so, that would just have been another angry picture.
Partly inspired by Monty Python's Mouse Organ sketch. Go watch it.
XP123
“What did the Romans ever do for us?”
I love that line from Monty Python’s Life of Brian and have thought it appropriate in many circumstances. Naturally, it came to mind when I was wandering through the magnificent Roman ruins of Jerash – Ancient Gerasa or Garshu – in northern Jordan. These extensive ruins, so far away from the epicentre of the Roman City-State, are an imposing illustration of one of the greatest empires the world has seen.
Although not as big as the one in Rome, the Hippodrome in Jerash is the best preserved example in the world.
For the story, visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/ancient-jerash-jordan...
Sunset at Castle Stalker.
Castle Stalker is a inland keep located on the tidal islet of Loch Laich Scotland. This was the castle seen in the the final scene of Monty Python's the Holy Grail.
Scanned lith print.
Mamiya 645 ProTL w/ M-S 300 mm/f5.6.
Aug 6, 2022.
Fomapan 100 in Rodinal 1+100, semistand 1 h.
Lith printed on Fomatone MG 131 and developed in Wolfgang's new Easy Lith FT Special (homemade variant (25A+25B+15D+450H2O)).
Toned in Se 1+9, 30-45 sec.
This is what the Norwegian Blue was longing (pining) for
(Monty Python's Flying Circus).
Well, it's a Pine anyways, but admittedly not Norwegian ;-)
“What did the Romans ever do for us?”
I love that line from Monty Python’s Life of Brian and have thought it appropriate in many circumstances. Naturally, it came to mind when I was wandering through the magnificent Roman ruins of Jerash – Ancient Gerasa or Garshu – in northern Jordan. These extensive ruins, so far away from the epicentre of the Roman City-State, are an imposing illustration of one of the greatest empires the world has seen.
Although not as big as the one in Rome, the Hippodrome in Jerash is the best preserved example in the world.
For the story, visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/ancient-jerash-jordan...
"And now for something completely different" as John Cleese used to say however this is not the Monty Python`s Flying Circus but ICM on the highway.
Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.
Today however we are not at Cavendish Mews. Instead, we are just a short distance away in London’s busy shopping precinct on Regent Street, where amidst the throng of London’s middle-class housewives and upper-class ladies shopping for amusement, two maids – Edith who is Lettice’s maid and her best friend Hilda who is the maid for Lettice’s friends Margot and Dickie Channon - are enjoying the pleasures of window shopping under the wide canvas awnings of Selfridges on their day off. The usually busy footpath outside the enormous department store with London’s biggest plate glass windows seems even busier today as the crowds are swelled by visitors who have come in from the outer suburbs of London and elsewhere around England to do a little bit of early Christmas shopping. Already Edith is noticing that the shops are busier than usual, and even though Christmas is still a good two months away, there are signs of Christmas cheer with bright and gaudy tinsel garlands and stars cut from metallic paper hanging in shop windows and gracing shop counters. Around them, the vociferous collective chatter of shoppers mixes with the sound of noisy automobiles and chugging double decker busses as they trundle along Regent Street.
“So how are things at Hill Street, Hilda?” Edith asks her best friend as the pair stand before a window display of brightly coloured umbrellas just perfect to brighten the upcoming winter days. “Have you settled in alright?”
“Oh yes, I’ve settled in just fine,” Hilda begins, but her voice belies concerns.
“I sense there is a but. Don’t tell me it’s worse than awful old Mrs, Plaistow’s?”
“Oh no!” Hilda assures her friend, raising her glove clad hands in defence. “Far from it. It’s just that, well…” She pauses. “I don’t know where Mrs. Channon learned her housekeeping skills.”
Edith laughs. “Don’t be silly, Hilda. Mrs. Channon is a lady, and a future marchioness. She isn’t meant to know how to cook and clean! That’s what you are there for.”
“No Edith. I didn’t mean that.” Hilda deflects.
Edith tuns to her friend, but is momentarily distracted by the passing parade of shoppers behind them on the pavement and passenger faces in the fogged up windows of a red and cream double decker bus as it chugs noisily past them, belching out fumes. “What do you mean then, Hilda?”
“I meant that she doesn’t have the first idea about housekeeping. She’s the one who comes to me, asking me how much the housekeeping budget for the week should be.”
“Oh dear! Doesn’t Mrs. Channon give you a set amount each week then?”
“Well, I tried that, but it fluctuates from week to week.” Hilda replies exasperatedly. “Some weeks she gives me more than I’ve asked for. Sometimes she asks me if what I’ve quoted is enough, and some weeks she just adds extra in anyway, telling me to splurge on something extravagant to cook, or worse yet to buy something special and frivolous for myself!”
“No!” Edith gasps in incredulity.
“And yet on other weeks I tell Mrs. Channon how much I need, and she tells me that she can’t quite meet that budget.”
“Well maybe that’s why Mrs. Channon gives you a bit extra sometimes, to put aside for a rainy day.”
“To be honest, I don’t think Mrs, Channon would know a rainy day if it slapped her in the face with a wet fish*.” The pair of maids titter girlishly for a moment with their hands to their mouths as they imagine Margot Channon being slapped in the face with a salmon or a kipper. “She seems to have no real concept about money, other than she either has it or she hasn’t.”
The pair move across to the next window featuring an array of pretty autumnal hats with wide and narrow brims made of straw and brightly patterned fabric decorated with a mixture of feather, fur and floral trims.
“I don’t think either Mr. or Mrs. Channon even know the meaning of the word budget.” Hilda carries on. “Take these for example,” She points to the hats. “Mrs Channon’s father, Lord de Virre gave Mr. and Mrs. Channon a motor car as a wedding gift, but it sits gathering dust in the garage at Hill Street and they seldom use it because they don’t have the money for petrol to fill it. Yet they take taxis everywhere. I’m forever having to go down to the corner to the taxi stand to fetch one for them. And then Mrs. Channon comes home from a day of shopping with three, mind you three, new hats she really doesn’t need, and she asks me if I have sixpence left over from the housekeeping for the driver waiting downstairs to be paid!”
“Oh, that does sound rather chaotic, Hilda.”
“Chaotic is right!” Hilda agrees. “Mrs. Channon is just lucky that I do know how to work on a budget, and I don’t go spending the extra money she gives me some weeks on frippery and do have enough to cover the shortfalls when they happen. And goodness knows what that Pegeen did when she was working as maid at Hill Street!”
“Oh dear! Did you find another Pegeen present the other day?”
“Did I ever! Mr. and Mrs. Channon had Lord and Lady de Virre for supper the other night, so they had Harrods cater it.”
“You had the money for that then?”
“Yes, luckily, from Mr. Channon. Anyway, they asked for lobster, so when I went to the drawer for the lobster piks** I found it stuffed not only with a jangle of odds and ends of silverware, but half a dozen empty oyster shells, no doubt left over from another dinner party!”
“You’re lucky they didn’t smell!”
“I think they’d been there for a few months.” Hilda remarks dubiously. “I mean, I know Pegeen is Irish, but surely even they have dustbins in Ireland!”
Edith giggles again. “At least you have jolly good stories to regale me with on our days off, Hilda.”
The pair meander to the next window which is crowded with clusters of small children with their noses pressed to the glass, their harried mothers or frustrated nannies trying desperately to get them to come away. Peering over the top of the children’s heads, they see it is a window full of wonderful toys: teddy bears***, tin soldiers, brightly painted wooden castles and forts, games, blocks and books.
As they look, Edith’s eyes fall upon something and she gasps, clapping her hands in delight.
“What is it, Edith?” asks Hilda.
“Come on!” Edith says, grasping Hilda’s right hand in her left. “We have to go inside! I just found the perfect Christmas present!”
The pair enter Selfridge’s grand department store by one of the three revolving doors and are immediately enveloped by the wonderful scent of dozens of perfumes from the nearby perfumery counters. Despite Hilda’s protestations at being drawn away from the perfume and beauty counters, the pair make their way upstairs to the toy department.
The pair meander between tables laden with mountains of boxed dolls, teddy bears, toy tea sets and dolls’ house furnishings, jostling for space with excited children in toy heaven escorted by their frazzled parents. The air is punctuated with laughter, squeals of delight and the occasional sharp slap and harsh words of admonishment when a child does more than just look at what is on display.
“What are we looking for?” Hilda asks in a desultory fashion as she tags along behind Edith who charges about like a woman with a purpose.
“I’ll know when I see them.” Edith says excitedly. Then she spies what she is seeking. “Ahh, how perfect! Right next to the register!”
The pair brusquely walk over to a glass topped counter on which sits a brightly polished brass cash register. In front of it is a display of wooden and plush rabbits, and there, nestled amongst them, a selection of books written by Beatrix Potter. Excitedly, Edith deposits her newly acquired from the Petticoat Lane Market**** second-hand snakeskin purse – almost an exact replica of Lettice’s – onto the glass counter. She snatches up a copy of ‘The Tale of Samuel Whiskers’ and ‘The Tale of Two Bad Mice’.
“I wonder which one he’d like?” Edith ponders as she holds the two brightly coloured books in her hands. “Then again, he does like rabbits.” she mutters aloud as she puts them back and takes up a copy of ‘The Tale of Benjamin Bunny’.
“Beatrix Potter Books?” Hilda queries, screwing up her nose as she sidles up alongside her friend, hooking her black handled brolly on the raised edge of the counter. “What do you want them for?” Then she pauses, her eyes growing wide. “Bert hasn’t got some poor stewardess in the family way has he, Edith?”
Edith’s eyes roll as she turns to her friend. “No, my brother hasn’t done any such thing, I’ll thank you very much, Hilda. No, these are for Mrs, Boothby.”
“Mrs. Boothby?” Hilda queries, thinking of the mature Cockney charwoman***** employed by both her mistress, Margot, and Edith’s mistress, Lettice, who does all the hard graft that neither she nor Edith have to do. “What on earth would Mrs. Boothby want with Beatrix Potter Books?”
Edith sighs in exasperation. “You can be so literal sometimes, Hilda! They aren’t for Mrs. Boothby. They are for…” Edith pauses mid-sentence and thinks before she speaks. Several weeks ago, Edith met Mrs. Boothby’s son, a forty-two year old man who is a simple and gentle giant with the aptitude of a six year old. The old Cockney charwoman’s words ring in her ears about how it is easier for her not to mention that she has a son, not because she is ashamed of him, but because not everyone would understand her wanting to keep and raise a child with such difficulties. She knows that Mrs. Boothby has taken her into her confidence by introducing her to her son, Ken. “For one of her grandchildren.” Edith fabricates.
“Grandchildren? I didn’t even know Mrs. Boothby had children, never mind grandchildren!”
“Well, there’s a lot about Mrs. Boothby you don’t know, Hilda.”
“And how do you know about her grandchildren, Edith?”
“Don’t you remember, Hilda? I went over to Mrs. Boothby’s in Poplar a few weeks ago and she sold me a second-hand sewing machine that she had found for me.” Altering the truth a little, Edith goes on, “Her grandson was playing next door. Mrs. Boothby’s neighbour looks after all the little local children whilst their parents work. He is quite partial to Peter Rabbit, so I thought I might buy him a new Beatrix Potter book for Christmas.”
“That’s very good of you, Edith.” Hilda acknowledges.
“Oh, it’s the least I can do Hilda, after Mrs. Boothby having sold me that sewing machine so cheaply. I’d never have been able to afford a new one. It’s made such a difference for me already.”
“May I help you, Miss?” asks a young shopgirl who has slipped up silently to the register as Edith and Hilda have been chatting.
“How much are these each?” Edith asks.
“They are three and six, Miss.” the shopgirl replies with a smile. “A lovely gift for birthday or Christmas if I may, Miss.”
“I’ll take this one, thank you.” Edith smiles, handing over ‘The Tale of Benjamin Bunny’ to the girl behind the counter and delving into her new snakeskin purse purchase to find the correct money, pleased to have found what she hopes will be a welcome Christmas present for Ken Boothby, the gentle giant of Poplar.
*These days we usually associate slapping people with a wet fish to Monty Python’s Fish Slapping Dance, but the term “to be slapped with a wet fish” goes back as far as the early Twentieth Century, if not earlier. In Marcel Proust’s novel, ‘Swann’s Way’ (1913, Dr Cottard compliments Odette by saying “I’d rather have it in my bed than a slap with a wet fish”. Two lines further on, the narrator refers to the statement as “that old joke”. The term however really came into the popular vernacular between the wars in the 1920s and 1930s.
**A lobster pick or lobster fork is a long, narrow food utensil used to extract meat from joints, legs, claws, and other small parts of a lobster.
***Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in America and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early Twentieth Century, the teddy bear, purportedly named after American President Theodore Roosevelt, became a popular children's toy very quickly, and by 1922 when this story is set, a staple of many children’s nursery toys.
****Petticoat Lane Market is a fashion and clothing market in Spitalfields, London. It consists of two adjacent street markets. Wentworth Street Market and Middlesex Street Market. Originally populated by Huguenots fleeing persecution in France, Spitalfields became a center for weaving, embroidery and dying. From 1882, a wave of Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution in eastern Europe settled in the area and Spitalfields then became the true heart of the clothing manufacturing district of London. 'The Lane' was always renowned for the 'patter' and showmanship of the market traders. It was also known for being a haven for the unsavoury characters of London’s underworld and was rife with prostitutes during the late Victorian era. Unpopular with the authorities, as it was largely unregulated and in some sense illegal, as recently as the 1930s, police cars and fire engines were driven down ‘The Lane’, with alarm bells ringing, to disrupt the market.
*****A charwoman, chargirl, or char, jokingly charlady, is an old-fashioned occupational term, referring to a paid part-time worker who comes into a house or other building to clean it for a few hours of a day or week, as opposed to a maid, who usually lives as part of the household within the structure of domestic service. In the 1920s, chars usually did all the hard graft work that paid live-in domestics would no longer do as they looked for excuses to leave domestic service for better paying work in offices and factories.
This joyful shop counter display of children’s treasures may not appear to be what they really are, for however lifelike they are, they are in fact part of my 1:12 miniatures collection, including pieces from my own childhood.
Fun things to look for in this tableau include:
Central to this story, the copies of Beatrix Potter’s books are 1:12 size miniatures made by the British miniature artisan Ken Blythe. Most of the books I own that he has made may be opened to reveal authentic printed interiors. In some cases, you can even read the words, depending upon the size of the print! These are amongst the smaller number that do not open. I have quite a large representation of Ken Blythe’s work in my collection, but so little of his real artistry is seen because the books that he specialised in making are usually closed, sitting on shelves or closed on desks and table surfaces. In this case, the magazines are non-opening, however what might amaze you is that all Ken Blythe’s books and magazines are authentically replicated 1:12 scale miniatures of real volumes. To create something so authentic to the original in such detail and so clearly, really does make this a miniature artisan piece. Ken Blythe’s work is highly sought after by miniaturists around the world today and command high prices at auction for such tiny pieces, particularly now that he is no longer alive. I was fortunate enough to acquire pieces from Ken Blythe prior to his death about four years ago, as well as through his estate via his daughter and son-in-law. His legacy will live on with me and in my photography which I hope will please his daughter.
The two wooden rabbits are in fact wooden Christmas ornaments from Germany which I was given when I was about six. The plush white rabbit I acquired from an online stockist of miniatures on E-Bay. The Benjamin Bunny box and also the Noah’s Ark you can see on the shelves in the background, come from Kathleen Knight’s Doll House Shop in the United Kingdom.
The brightly shining cash register was supplied by Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering in the United Kingdom.
Edith’s snakeskin handbag with its gold clasp and chain comes from Doreen Jeffries’ Small Wonders Miniature Shop in the United Kingdom. Hilda's umbrella comes from Smallskale Miniatures in the United Kingdom.
Monastir also called Mīstīr, is a city on the central coast of Tunisia, in the Sahel area, (20 km south of Sousse and 162 km south of Tunis). Traditionally a fishing port, Monastir is now a major tourist resort. Its population is about 104,535. It is the capital of Monastir Governorate.
Monastir was founded on the ruins of the Punic–Roman city of Ruspina. The city features a well preserved Ribat that was used to scan the sea for hostile ships as a defence against the attacks of the Byzantine fleet. Several ulema came to stay in the Ribat of this peaceful city for contemplation. The Ribat was also one of the filming locations for both the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth and Monty Python's Life Of Brian.
Tunisian ex-president Habib Bourguiba was born in Monastir, and his mausoleum is located in the city. Many other famous politicians are also from Monastir.