Right, now the Wonderful World of the Tax Self Assessment is done and dusted with, time to clear some of the backlog of posts to put up.
Back last month, we headed down to Birmingham and to the Hobbycraft and Cake International Show at the NEC. We had a list of a few arty bits we needed to pick up, and the cake show is always worth a gander.
We knew from past experience the place gets rammed, so we were in early doors on a ludicrously busy intercity from Sandwell and Dudley. Once we'd survived the stampede of determined-looking middle aged women charging like the Pamplona bull-run down the corridors, we got in to the hall. No pictures from the art and design section because we were too busy bargain hunting.
But the cakes though, oh the cakes... With the usual mix of fasciantion at the quality, and terror at how easy it would be to knock some of these things over, we browsed the displays.
Steampunk horse- our kind of thing.
Brilliant flowers.
Xenomorph cake.
Not sure what was used for the water, glycerine perhaps.
How is this a cake?! Gorgeous bit of colouring work, apparently done with an airbrush.
Lovely bit of mesh on this one...
Even more intricate here.
Leaving the crowded hall, by contrast the rest of the NEC looked like a set from 28 Days Later.
Back into Birmingham, after the niceness of the art and cake show, by contrast it was time for a reminder of why I (Ben) had moved away from the place... First of all to the Grand Central Shopping Centre which has a rather large train set inconveniently located in the basement. God, anybody would think it was a major transport interchange.
After being wonderfully patronised by the Sales Creature in a branch of a well-known camera shop, who seemed to be amazed that Amy was the Lesser-known Female Who Could Use A Machine and I was an Idiot Who Could Be Sold A Lens Which Was Ten Times More Than The One I Actually Wanted, Amy was equally patronised by a different Sales Creature in a branch of a well-known cosmetics shop. Feeling somewhat depressed, we headed further into town.
Mood perked up a little when we found something for a sculpture build in the excellent Ian Allen Book Shop down by New Street Station.
Quick pic of one of the slightly-unsettlingly pink public transport options, on the tramway extension in the centre. My Little Midland Metro...
Our mood was considerably improved by a trip to the Ikon Gallery for tea and cake, then home to the parents and The Childs, so overall the negatives of central Birmingham were outweighed by the snackage in the afternoon and the show in the morning.
Up next in the clearing of the backlog, a shoot at the City Hall in Bradford...
No comments:
Post a Comment