Mabel Lucie Atwell Postcards

Mabel Lucie Atwell was born in Mile End London, on the 4th June 1879. She went to a private school, and went to Coopers Company School and to the Regent Street School. She studied art at Heatherley's and St Martin's school of Art, but left as she preferred working from her imagination instead of still-life and classical subjects. After she sold work to the Tatler and Bystander, she was taken on by the agents Francis and Mills, and did magazine illustrations. Around 1900 she began receiving commissions for book illustrations.

In 1908, she married painter and illustrator Harold Cecil Earnshaw, with whom she had a daughter Marjorie and two sons. She illustrated children's classic such as Mother Goose (1919), Alice in Wonderland (1911), Hans Anderson Fairy Tales (1914), The Water Babies (1915) and Peter Pan and Wendy. She continued to illustrate magazines, she did advertising, and greeting cards.

In the early days her work was along the same style as other artists ant the time, her friend Hilda Cowham and Jessie Wilcox Smith and others. From 1914 onwards, however, she developed her trademark style of rotund cuddly infants, which became ubiquitous across a wide rang of markets: cards, calenders, nursery equipment and pictures, crockery and dolls.

In 1921 J.M.Barrie personally requested her to illustrate the gift-book edition of Peter Pan. The Lucie Atwell Annual was published from 1922 to 1974, its continuance ten years after her death being possible by extensive re-use of images, a practice established in the 190's picture books of her work.

In 1926 Shelley Potteries commissioned Mabel Lucie Attwell to produce designs for children’s china ware, following the successful sales of china decorated with designs by Hilda Cowham. Atwell’s first six designs portrayed scenes involving children, animals and small green elves in green suits - these were called ‘Boo Boos’ and used on cups, mugs, bowls etc.

She died at her home in Fowey, Cornwall, in 1964, and her business was taken over by Marjorie. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_Lucie_Attwell

                                                 Mabel Lucie Atwell Postcards, a photo by Dunstabelle on Flickr.

Margaret Tempest

His First Suit 


His First Suit, a photo by Dunstabelle on Flickr.

signed by artist Margaret Tempest

One for the ladies.

As you may be aware especially those that follow Kevin and I on Flickr, that Kevin's blog and some of his flickr tend to be vintage advertising and ephemera.  So over the last few month's some of the make up, toys, clothes, plus the hunks, have come my way so I am hoping to do some blogs around these.  So I thought I would start with 'One for the Ladies'

Micheal Craig, was born Micheal Francis Gregson on the 27th February 1928 in Maharashtra India, to Scottish parents.  At the age of 3 his family came back to England, before going to Canada at the age of ten, where he acquired his North American Accent.  Micheal joined the British Merchant Navy at 16. 

In the late 1940's Micheal started working in the theatre as a stage hand but soon started obtaining small roles. It took a few years before he had a major role. When Peter Hall of the Oxford Playhouse cast him in Man about the House in 1954.  When he signed up with Rank he changed his name to Gregson.  He made twenty films with them, but in 1961 changed to Columbia Pictures but only made two films.

Micheal has appeared on stage many times and some of his notable films are the 1960 The Angry Silence, which he co-wrote, a 1961 adaptation of Jules Verne's Mysterious Island where he played the lead role, and 1966's Modesty Blaise. By the mid 70's Micheal lived and worked in Australia, and he played both comedic and dramatic roles. As a screen writer he has written for and created several British TV series. He has always worked and is familiar in both London and New York Theatre.

A face we all know  and love, but I bet, not many people could tell you what films he had been in.  I reckon he would be pointless, in Pointless Hee Hee. 

      

The Smallest Giant 'an actors life'

A town called hell

     Drop dead gorgeous when he was younger and is still a good looking man in his mature years. 

Micheal Craig                             

                  

Here Comes The Snow

I have my lap top back and I am back in business, thank goodness!  Just in time for the snow as well.  As I was fortunate to be off work this weekend, I was able to get out and about to take some pics.  So Kev Nic and I went up Dunstable Downs.  It is always fun up there when it snows as all the children will be out with their sledges.  As you can see by my pics all ages love the snow and enjoy being out and playing in it.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone.  A bit late but my beloved laptop has had to go into repair.  Unfortunately it is not the only one, so there is a back log and a wait, could be 4-6 weeks. Aaggghhhh!!!! Never mind eh, so I am using kev's computer, and as he uses it for work, I can have it only for a short time.

Back in September I was quite poorly, after visiting my favourite coffee shop, and it was decided that I could be lactose intolerance, and should give it a few weeks to see if it helps.  So I did, and it did, I felt so much better for it, so a new regime began.  I lost a few pounds almost straight away, although it wasn't the intention, but black coffee is a lot lighter than a Latte or a Hot Chocolate with Cream and Chocolate sprinkles. Much to my surprise I haven't even missed it.  I have always been able to drink black coffee if I have needed to, if I have milk then I like sugar, and it has to be Hot Hot Hot!!! as you know from my moans.  So, if hot or sugar is not available then I have it black.  So it has been no hardship, to revert to black coffee. 

I always as a child loved to swim, and when my children where at school, being a stay at home mum, I used to swim.  The leisure centre in Dunstable, like every where else, have to do classes to keep open, so it is difficult when you work shifts  to fit it in on a regular basis.  When you do however it is relatively busy and there are children using you to hide, from their mates, which makes  lane swimming for health difficult. So I bit the bullet and joined DW Gym as they have a swimming pool.  Everyone is so friendly, and I soon got talking to people, and gradually over the last few month's I have gone to several fitness classes, along with my swim which I can do at any time seven day's a week, so I can go after work, and on my day's off. Hurrah!!

So this morning I am off to do some Zumba Gold, and Aqua Pilates, and tomorrow is Pilates which is my favourite so far, but the classes fill up very quickly.  I have also been to a spin class but that books out very quickly to and I have only been for a few, hard work but you feel good afterwards. 

I don't make New years Resolutions, on the whole because it is the wrong time of year for me to making changes, I am better making them in April or May, so that I am in a better frame of mind for it, and as you can see from above if a change is needed then no problem, if there is no need then I have no will power what so ever. Strange isn't it?

                            

Merry Christmas

Well it's Christmas time again and I am sitting having a break from the festivities.  I do love Christmas the dark nights of winter, the snuggling down with the fire on,  while the wind is howling and the rain is pouring down, everyone doing their shopping and getting ready for Christmas, buying presents, and putting up the decorations.  I enjoy walking the streets and looking at the house decorations, seeing what goodies the shops have, then once it's all wrapped watching the the room transform itself, from a tired dull living room to a cosy bright and decorated Santa's Grotto.  People around you in Town, although you get some who moan and groan, on the whole they are happier and more likely to  talk to you, and even the 'Bah Humbugs' will stop and talk to you as well.

I work over Christmas normally, and that is always fun, but it also means that when I get home everything is ready for me.  Even though my children are older now they still like to spend Christmas at home, it also means that they have the dinner cooked, mulled wine on the hob, and all I have to do is sit down and but my feet up, eat, drink, and be merry, and open all my pressies of course.

We had a new little tea shop open up in High Street South, called Drift In, if you want proper coffee served in a cafetiere,  and tea in a tea pot, then this is the place for you.  Kev and I have been in several times and I think it will be come a popular haunt for us,  as if you visit me regularly you will know how I feel about coffee machines.  The Round Table float will be around as usual in the evenings, although it may be the last, due to lack of volunteers, this would be a shame if it is.  The big Jolly Chap, is the display in Oxfam's window this year in High Street North. 

Merry Christmas Everyone

Luton Busway

 Well after month's of Dunstable looking like a building site, and drivers having to give themselves an extra hour during peak times, for diversions, one of the area's Kingsway, Court drive and Queensway are beginning to look as if an end is in sight.  Traffic on High Street North, could turn left down Queensway into Court Drive, and into Kingsway, reaching the White Lion Retail Park or could cut of the corner and arrive in Church Street.  When they started digging up the road for the busway, it became one way because of single lane traffic, a sensible option, but one that created problems for a lot of people and of course the shops in that area, Leisure Centre, Library, Asda, Dunstable College, the new Theatre Complex, Ambulance Station and Law Courts, not forgetting the couple of hundred house's in that area, so you can see the scale of the disruption.  Well it is now finally finished, well not finally as they have not finished, but the road has re opened. Unfortunately they have not marked the turning to go left so one poor motorist tried to turn left only to find himself facing on coming traffic, they had not marked the other end either, there are no pedestrian crossings and no lights so at  night pedestrians have to treat carefully, so that they don't fall down the kerbs, which have been raised  at the bus stops for the new guided buses for the busway.   Part of it, although it has what looks like a kerb stone separating the vast sea of tarmac  it is totally flat, on the council website it tells you that this is 'shared space'.  Which simply means a car can come onto the pavement side,when they feel like it.  They also tell us that they will be no Pelican or Zebra crossings they will be 'crossing places' these are stone blocks in bedded into the tarmac   Which simply means you dice with death when you try to cross the roads, because drivers will not slow down let alone stop, as there are no road markings.  There has been several car accidents, on this area of road because of this; fortunately not involving pedestrians; Yet.  The idea is you make eye contact with the driver, Not if you are a child, Not if your blind, Not  if it is night time, Not if it is snowing, Not  if you have just staggered out of the Gary Cooper, and certainly Not  if a driver, put's his foot down and refuses to acknowledge You.   Unfortunately, The Grove House Garden's is where we have our open air concerts, The Grove Theatre, Dunstable Leisure Centre, The Gary Cooper, a large play Ground and not for getting Dunstable College, are all on one side of the Road, and Asda, and the Quadrant on the other.  It will make sending the kid's for snacks impossible, sending them to Asda to use the toilets impossible, as we have only one set of public toilets in the whole of Dunstable Town Centre and that is in Wilkinson's car park.  This my friends we are told is to improve Dunstable Town Centre.  Well I am glad they clarified that, because it looks to me and a lot of other's as if they  want us to loss our identity, as a Historic Market Town, and become a giant car park for Luton. Or should I say Bus Terminal.