S.W.Mobbs - 'Mouth of the River Oulton Broad'

'Mouth of the River - Oulton Broad' - S.W. Mobbs pencil and colour stick on paper - undated but before 1961

Toot and I had our eyes taken by this rather nice painting of the Broad near our home. It was residing in a very tatty frame in the Lowestoft Barnardos Charity Shop. Clearly the artist Mr S. W. Mobbs had received some formal training in graphic art and composition. Whilst I got on with reframing it - Toot did a bit of research on the Internet as to who S. W. Mobbs might be.  Mobbs is a fairly common local name and after Toot's detective work, our best guess is that this tinted drawing is the work of the late Lowestoft Borough Engineer and Architect - Mr. S.W, Mobbs.

Mr Mobbs was quite a polymath being attributed as architect for the old Notley Road Senior School -1934 and the now demolished Sparrows Nest Theatre - 1913.  I believe he also made significant contributions to water resource management and sea defence installations on the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts.

Link:S.W Mobbs

We have one very nice memory of the Sparrow's Nest Theatre. Our youngest son Chrissy performed his first and last 'song' and 'tap' dance routine when 3 years old at this then crumbling venue. The late Mrs. Tindle's Dance Troup - 'Pit-Pat' routine literally brought the house down. Quite humbling to remember that the great Paul Robeson once performed at the Sparrow's Nest Theatre.

As a 'once upon a time' architect myself, I am pleased to give the excellent work of this old time civic engineer and architect a place on a wall in our home and a marker on a blog page.  Keeping names alive is one of the many gifts of the 'Internet' .  Mr. Mobbs was presumably dead before the NET became the library of our lives, hopefully I've done a kind deed of resurrection for his memory.

If anyone knows more about S. W . Mobbs or believes the author of the art work to be someone else please let us know via the comments button.

Flying Fish

'Flying fish don't grow on trees' - mixed media - George Roberts July 2017

I dreamt a dream in hues of blue and red

In which a skeletal fish took the sun to see

An ocean becalmed rhytidome dead

And wondered just what a pescatarian might be

George Roberts

Science Rocks

Magnetic Igneous rocks found on Lowestoft Beach

Now Suffolk isn't reknowned for its volcanic rock deposits but occasionally you can find the odd rock from Scotland brought to Lowestoft by glaciation in the Ice Ages and/or by longshore drift.

This rock however came to Lowestoft from Scandanavia much more recently. When the sea defences were reinforced, rock was imported from Scandinavia (probably Sweden) to stand guard against the worst winter storms and the North Sea.  I picked this handsized piece up after a storm had detached it from a huge boulder weighing several tons.

I was interested enough to discover that the black crystals in the rock were composed of 'Magnetite'. My circular magnet  'M' did not fall off when I held the the rock vertically upright.  -

 "Science Rocks"

For more information click on the link :Magnetite

Winding down near Dunwich - Suffolk

Papa and Toot winding their way down life's path - George Roberts - Oil on board Circa 1990 - 2017

Finally got around to painting figures into my rather brooding landscape thats been in and around our house for many a year.  I thought Toot and I would be an appropriate subject matter. In the words of the Southend's famous Ian -" We're getting there".

The Gatekeeper Butterfly - Pyronia tithonus

The Gatekeeper, also known as the Hedge Brown, is a golden brown insect which we have not noticed in our garden before. Today, in the sunshine, several were fluttering around the white clematis in our back garden. We love to see butterflies visiting our home. Whilst I was taking these photographs a huge red dragonfly flew past my head.

Its all Greek to me!

"Some people wonder why vegetarians do not get bored with vegetables.  Me, I often wonder why carnivores believe meat provides so many more options than are presented by vegetables alone. Tonight, thanks to the skills of my partner, I have enjoyed a puy lentil moussaka.  A dish both mouthwateringly tasty and quite beautiful to encounter on one's plate".

Head to Head

'Head to Head' - Bloke on a Bike - Mark Shagall oil on board 2007. Anemones - Marc Chagall Lithograph 1974

“What is the difference between a goat?

Is discrimination easier when one goat wears a coat?

Why is one so very pricey and one so very cheap

Would you or I get a discount if the goat was deemed a sheep?

Is the bloke biking Russian

Or just pedalling rather quickly?

Is the blue paint Prussian

Or french ultramarine applied thickly?

Why does art get measured?

Using money as a measure

Why do goats grow beards?

And give pleasure at their leisure.”

George Roberts revised July 26 - 2017

L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele - Naples Italy

Pizza Marinara or Pizza Margherita from  L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele - Naples Italy

Founded in 1870 by Salvatore Condurro and still run by the Condurro family this Pizzeria is one of the oldest in Italy and the World.  The Pizzas are excellent, filling and inexpensive. I recommend a visit to this wonderful and theatric establishment before you die and lose your appetite.

 L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele - Simply the Best

"I call you when I need it, when my stomachs on fire
You come to me, come to me wild and fired
Oh, you come to me, give me everything I need

Give me a life time of mozzarella and a world of dreams
Speak the language of food like you know what it means
Mm, and it can't be wrong, take your pie and make it strong, babe
Margherita simply the best, better than all the rest
Better than any-pie, any-pie I ever ate
It's stuck on my tongue, I chew on every crust you bake
Tear it apart, baby, cheese and tomato on  bread

In your oven I see the start of every night and every day
In your dough I get lost, I get washed away
Just in Pizzeria Michele I could be in no better place
It's simply the best, better than all the rest
Better than pizza, any pizza I ever ate
It's stuck on my tongue, It's better than doner kebab
Tear it apart, baby, cheese and tomato on bread

Each time I've ate one I start losing control

Your wood fired oven burns my heart and my soul
I can taste it even when I'm alone
Oh, baby, don't let go
Pizzeria Michele, better than all the rest
Better than any-pie, any-pie I ever ate
It's stuck on my tongue
I chew on every crust you bake
Tear it apart
Baby cheese and tomato on bread
Oh its the best"