Tuesday 30 December 2008

Christmas 2008





Just back from down south, had a lovely Christmas in Marlow where I stayed with my chum Daisy the springer spaniel, who took me for walks out on the hills. I had time to catch up on my reading (very important, the RAE), and take in the sights of Stratford and the fab new theatre building before those swans made me feel a tad unwelcome. I slept for ages when I got home - then I was sick (must have been the chocolates....)

Tuesday 23 December 2008

Another Razzle!

It has come to my notice that there is another Razzle! Not of course a border terrier, but some black and white spotted affair, who apparently can work a camera and indeed is aspiring to be the next HMV dog. Can't quite see where the fun is in staring down a gramophone (whatever that is) all day - unless they are edible? If so, other Razzle, perhaps you could get in touch? Not that I mind having a canine chum in Razzle World, us Razzles have to stick together, and apparently other Razzle has been on holiday in Northumberland. He - or maybe he's a she - should have dropped in, we could have had a roll on the Moor together, licked a few bones, generally hung out. Personally, HMV aside, my aspirations are more food and cat orientated. I really upset my owners last night by disappearing to chase cats in the dark - well, they are always telling me how dull I am compared with the Amazing Former Patterdale Benson, so serve them right. They found me sat outside Asbo Archie's house (he's a smaller terrier chum of mine ) watching the traffic go by. Anyway, I'm told I'm going on holiday soon, to the lands of the south where marrow bones flow like milk and honey - I'll believe it when I eat it.

Tuesday 9 December 2008

New book and cool dog




Since I last saw you all I've had my winter trim. Well, hand-stripping to be precise, us border terriers are special. But you knew that. Anyway, this is me out on the Moor today, looking very cool, a real calendar boy (though the mud does get between my toes). And here I am trying to extract a treat from someone's pocket - caught in the act. Lynn's been very busy on a new book she wants me to tell you about - apparently you click on this link (how does she expect me to do that with my paws) www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/480847 and you can buy a print-on-demand book. It's called A Field Guide to Postwar Murals and is published by Blue House Books. Come to think of it, I've just walked past the Blue House roundabout - wonder if there's any connection? Time for my carrot.

Thursday 6 November 2008

Cardiff - the mural being demolished

Yesterday I was told about the recent demolition of Thomson House. There had been at least one letter of protest in the local paper and the planning department had been contacted, but the mural was completely unprotected and has now been totally destroyed. What were the JCB drivers thinking as they hacked their way through the mosaic? This photo comes from norman preis on Flickr (many thanks) and as one of the Flickr photographers commented, what were Cadw doing, taking a tea break? This destruction is exactly the same as going into an art gallery and taking a pair of scissors to a canvas. Heartbreaking. We can't keep everything but it seems strange that something so utterly Welsh - and beautiful at that - can bite the dust without any challenge. Perhaps someone from Cadw will tell me that a photographic record was made of the mural before demolition? Flying pigs (hope I'm wrong).

Cardiff again


cardiff2
Originally uploaded by mydograzzle
Another photo I took around 2002 - lovely colours even in this hurried snap.

Cardiff mural as it was


cardiff1
Originally uploaded by mydograzzle
Hi - this is a photo of Thomson House in Cardiff, built 1959 as HQ of the Western Mail newspaper; it was taken around 2002. The 35 foot high mosaic mural is by landscape artist Ray Howard-Jones, and - in abstract form - represented the geographical area covered by the paper. It had survived one rebuilding of Thomson House, and was a very fine example of a postwar mosaic.

Dog in a pub

We've just come back from a really wet walk - not like the last weekend when my owners took me over to the Lakes in the sunshine. I didn't think much of the walking - we went up a hill then came back down, what's the point of that? But I did like the pub in the evening with a big fire and lots of people offering me titbits. I liked it so much that the next evening I barked at another dog who came in, and the landlady gave me an asbo....... But I'd better let Lynn tell you about Cardiff, as she hasn't given me my evening carrot yet. Here she is.

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Welcome

Hi, I'm Razzle the Dog. I'm a border terrier, about six years old (I'm not too sure as my owners found me in the local dog shelter). I go for walks on Newcastle's Town Moor with my mates from Gosforth and one of my owners, Lynn. She's an architectural historian and says she is going to join in the blog - rather than feeding me, no doubt.