Dingo found this delightful photograph which I feel should be more widely seen:



Bizarre.
(Click on photo to go to original source.)

It will be no surprise to anyone that I am completely opposed to the pope's visit to the UK. Additionally, I object very strongly to the government squandering my taxes on this event. To this end, I signed the following petition:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to disassociate the British government from the Pope's intolerant views ahead of the Papal visit to Britain in September 2010. We urge the Prime Minister to make it clear that his government disagrees with the Pope's opposition to women's reproductive rights, gay equality, embryonic stem cell research and the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. We ask the Prime Minister to express his disagreement with the Pope’s role in the cover-up of child sex abuse by Catholic clergy, his rehabilitation of the Holocaust-denying bishop Richard Williamson, and his decree paving the way for the beatification and sainthood of the war-time Pope, Pius XII, who stands accused of failing to speak out against the Holocaust. We also request the Prime Minister to assure us that the Pope’s visit will not be financed by the British taxpayer.

The meat of the pathetic, drippy, lame-ass, cop-out reply from out spineless lily-livered Prime Minister  is as follows:

The Holy See has a global reach and so is a valuable international partner for the UK Government.  Our relationship with the Holy See enables us to address jointly a range of foreign policy and development issues.  These include working towards delivery of the Millennium Development Goals, addressing the impacts of climate change, preventing and resolving conflict, and finding ways to encourage disarmament.

Completely failing to address any of the issues of the original petition whilst ticking all the "popular choice" buttons of climate change, conflict and disarmament. Nice to know that the government thinks that these populist ends are more important than basic human decency, the spread of disease or the welfare of the hundreds of thousands of children abused by the catholic church.

I am disgusted that the government which is supposed to represent me considers this  anti-humanitarian nazi-apologising homophobic pedlar of mediaeval mythology considers that "The Holy See has a global reach and so is a valuable international partner for the UK Government." Considering the shift to the right in recent UK politics, I am also a bit frightened by it.

Some sketches as a test of Blogger on my new phone.

Sorry about the teenage title for this post, but I was so excited!

End-of-term yesterday and my first year group (I'm the first-year tutor, so they see me most over the year) gave me this amazing shirt which they had made for me. I am SO pleased with it and it's by far the best present I've ever received from students.

The only reason I'm not wearing it is that it has to go back to the maker as it's a bit tight across the shoulders.

It really goes well with the Vince Ray poster in the background.

I was recently contacted by the lovely Leo and asked if I would like to have some of my work featured in her online magazine about happening things in glasgow: how could I refuse? Well, it has been published today and you can read all about the happening things and see some beautiful photographs of my work if you click the photograph:

At London Jewellery week:


And look who's showing...!
If you are in London, go and see this. It will be a fascinating collection of works and the rest of the show should be excellent too.

What a lovely surprise! I was invited to show some of my work on the ACJ stand at Treasure, a show in London which is part of London Jewellery Week. I am SO pleased about this.

I've been really busy of late and have a huge engraving job on over the weekend. Additionally, Bob Ebendorf has challenged me to a swap at West Dean this year, which will be fun.