There’s something rather depressing about a Travelodge.  Plain and simple and ‘no frills’ is fine, but what was most perplexing was the heated towel rail in the bathroom.  It was disconnected, with a neat tag attached to the end of the lead which said ‘This towel rail has been disconnected for your own safety’. 

It rather reinforces the feeling that you’re in a padded cell for the mentally deranged, because of course you can’t open the windows either, which have been locked for your safety.  You spend the night too hot even under the very flimsy duvet, wondering when all the air in the room will have been used up.

We were enjoying this rather dubious hospitality to exhibit at Beaulieu Boat Jumble last weekend and had an early start on the Sunday morning.  To add to our delight, it was raining first thing – the first rain in weeks on the one day we’re doing an outdoor show.   Perry asked the girl on reception if she had a weather forecast.  She frowned and said ‘no, sorry’…. then inspiration struck.  ‘I think it’s raining at the moment’, she said helpfully.  As Perry had just come in from the car park and his coat was dripping all over the reception desk, the information was not strictly necessary.  Ah well, it was very early in the morning, I suppose.

The day did improve – the sun shone, our new marquee didn’t blow away and the crowds were out in force.  Beaulieu is the largest boat jumble, a wonderful event that flies in the face of all the popular misconceptions that yachting is a posh sport.  Boat jumbles are living proof that most sailors like nothing more than rummaging around in a box of odd rusty shackles and heading home with a cut price length of rope, a pair of mismatched oars and some dubious but cheap antifouling.  In the spirit of the occasion we were doing plenty of discounts, especially on the new log books, and it was a good day.  I was very restrained, I thought, restricting my spending to a pair of dinghy oars (matching) and a dinghy rudder which will be the basis for a piece of artwork.  Eventually.    Here’s the outcome of last year’s Beaulieu ‘bargain’.  Why paint a rudder anyway?  Who knows, I just love the shape.    I could probably find something deep and meaningful along the lines of a rudder giving you direction in life, but perhaps not.  I’ll have another glass of wine and think about that one…..

February on Planet Claudia has good and bad qualities.  On the one hand it’s still cold enough to wear three layers plus mittens, along with the cloud of guilt permanently hovering at not having started any work on the boat yet, let alone tidying up the garden.  On the plus side, this is the month for my two day singing workshop with Maddy Prior and Abbie Lathe at the fabulous Rhosygilwen concert hall near Cardigan.  At the risk of repeating the content of last year’s blog, there’s something truly inspirational about harmony singing.  Knowing little (well, nothing) about music theory, it’s a mystery to me how three or four parts of a song can come together and produce something that’s bigger and better than all the individual pieces.   

Now I’m as guilty as anyone of watching  tv talent shows occasionally, but they do reinforce the myth that people are either extremely talented or completely hopeless.  In other words, if you’re not Somebody, you’re Nobody.  No wonder the cult of celebrity has young people mesmerised; nobody wants to be themselves anymore, they want to be somebody else.  Somebody prettier, thinner, richer, famous.   Most of us are hungry for song, but few will sing for pleasure; we’d rather stay silent and plug in the ipod.   Whilst nothing beats the joy of listening to professional musicians singing live or on cd, that’s only the part of what music is for.  It’s a revelation to find that everyone’s voice can be coaxed out and improved, with technique and a bit of work.  Even mine.   According to Abbie, it’s about supporting your own voice, silencing the inner critic, and trying to be the best you can be, rather than giving up because you can’t sing like somebody else.  In singing as in life, nobody else can make a success of being you except you.

Oops, that wasn’t meant to be a lecture. 

Learning and teaching are both satisfying experiences.  As well as the regular Wednesday watercolour classes this week, I also helped Chris Stephens deliver a one day workshop to schoolteachers.  It’s not often my skills as artist and maritime historian are both required at the same time, but the content of the workshop was about weaving Welsh culture and heritage into the school curriculum in as many learning styles as possible.  It was a hugely enjoyable day; my main input was a session teaching the teachers about the Tenby lugger by learning how to paint one in watercolour.  Much hilarity followed, but everyone acquitted themselves well, even those unfamiliar with watercolour techniques. 

Why a Tenby lugger?  For one thing, they’re easier to draw than a larger ship such as a schooner or brig, and it’s topical in that the ever valiant and resourceful West Wales Maritime Heritage Society is about to begin restoring the last remaining example of a Tenby lugger in Pembroke Dock.  Have a look at their website www.wwmhs.org.uk to find out more, especially if you have any ideas for fundraising. 

Finally, we’re off to the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show next weekend, so the house is filling up with boxes of  ’stuff’ to take.  It’s an enjoyable show, with a great atmosphere, and we’re looking forward to catching up with everyone.   New for this year will be more jewellery, the new log books and sketch books and of course a new fridge magnet or two!

The spiders in my studio dread the end of November.  My annual exhibition is a good opportunity to have a clear out, dislodge the cobwebs and take a fresh look at all the paintings hanging on the wall.  It’s also a good excuse for a party and if visitors buy something that’s a bonus!  It was the physical rather than financial climate that kept numbers lower than usual this time – torrential rain and a force ten for most of the weekend was unhelpful to say the least.

It did get busy on Sunday lunchtime, which took on a slightly surreal quality.  Plenty of friends had arrived and Perry, still spaced out from a recent virus, was ladling the mulled wine in the kitchen.  An American knitter wanted to interview me for her website podcast (more about that another time) at the same time as a family of seven arrived to view the house.  Now we’ve been on the market for 18 months with no viewings, so we weren’t going to turn this one away and they took all the chaos in their stride.   I wondered if I should put extra noughts on the price of my best painting and then throw in the house for free….

annual tidy up complete!

I went to an inspirational lecture today by maritime art expert and historian James Taylor on the voyage of the Beagle, full of the small detail and human story that bring history to life.  It’s a fascinating tale of unsung seamanship – imagine manoeuvring square rigged engineless ships for months on end in the Patagonian channels with inaccurate charts – and history in the making (some guy called Charles Darwin happened to tag along….).  In those days all sailors were taught to draw and paint, not for fun but because there were no cameras, and they needed an accurate record of landfalls and pilotage information.  For much of the trip Beagle had not one but two artists, which shows how important the job was in a boat only 90′ long….  enough for now, but thanks, James – the best stories are true ones!

Meanwhile, back in the real world we 21st century wimps found a weekend camping in the rain at Beale Park Boat Show a bit of a trial.  Losing money and getting wet – two of my least favourite things all at once!  The rain kept visitors away until sunday when the sun finally shone and I got to play with my coracle on the lake.  Ah well, it could have been worse.  I could have been a 19th century sailor on a surveying trip on the Beagle in Tierra del Fuego.

minimalist boating

Busy in the studio this week getting everything together for the delightful Beale Park Boat Show.  Set by a lake near Pangbourne, the show is the best way to mix business and pleasure, meeting up with other exhibitors and friends, sharing a glass or two over a barbecue in the evening, and sailing an assortment of lovely small boats on the lake.  My coracle is taken down from its home on top of the chest of drawers in the bedroom and will have its first outing of the year on the lake.  Oh, and I’ll be selling all my bits and pieces as well…… come and say hello if you’re there.  Fellow marine artist Nicola Dixon will be coming over from the Isle of Man for the first time in several years, so I’ll be making space on my stand for some of her cards and paintings.  All we need now is good weather, though the forecast is looking a little damp……

Easter weekend and the sun has been shining on West Wales.  This means only one thing for traditional boat owners and that’s sanding and varnishing, cursing the bits I didn’t get to last year which now need stripping off completely.    We try very hard not to give envious glances at the shiny modern yachts which only need a quick rub down with a j-cloth each spring.

Avast Behind!

The Dinghy Show in Ally Pally last month was great fun – we’ve never exhibited there before and  sold loads of stuff – the new jewellery range went down well and so did the new range of cartoon cards.  Hearing people chuckle when they read the captions makes up for all the days when I sit moodily at the drawing board stuck for ideas and wondering if I should go out and get a proper job.

It was good to meet so many sailing families at the show-  all the children who entered the treasure hunt were gathered on stage at the end of the day and given a copy of  ‘Go Sailing’ – whether they wanted one or not!  Anyone who thinks sailing is an exclusive sport should come along and see all the clubs and societies doing a great job at getting people, especially youngsters, trained and afloat.  All supported by the excellent RYA, of course (and I’m not just saying that because they’re my publisher….).  A big hello to all the Dinghy Cruisers out there too, a useful reminder that sailing is all things to all people and not just about whizzing round in circles as fast as possible.  Swallows and Amazons for ever….!

Sorry, getting carried away there…..  it’s true that sailing can be one of the cheapest sports around, especially if you learn the skills and then crew on other people’s boats rather than having one of your own.  Which reminds me, it looks like rain; time to bring the bowsprit in out of the garden and get some varnish on it, if I can find somewhere in the house with space for a 10′ spar – do you think our b&b guests will mind stepping over trestles to get to the breakfast table?

Must get back to the drawing board soon before I forget how to use a pencil.

I used to think that being an author was very glamorous, involving signing books for a queue of adoring fans.  For most of us, of course, it’s not quite like that.  You can forget the queues of adoring fans, for a start.  If you’re very lucky,  you look up from reading this month’s Practical Boat Owner to find a nine your old gazing intently at you from in front of your table.  “Read these already”, she announces and moves on.  No, the delight of book signing at the London Boat Show is the chance to chat to the other authors (proper ones like Sam Llewellyn and Tom Cunliffe) and enjoy a first class gin and tonic just at the time of day when spirits are beginning to flag.  Then there’s time to stroll around the show catching up with old friends and filling up on lukewarm fizzy wine drunk out of plastic cups.  Nothing like it….. anyway,  I’ll be on the Kelvin Hughes stand at Excel during the first weekend of the boat show if you’re passing that way, so come and say hello.

In the meantime, I’ve been working on my regular PBO cartoon for the  Dave Selby column which is always hilarious.  This time I’m trying to think of a funny connection between tea drinking and small boat rallies…… storm in a teacup perhaps?  Or more typhoo that typhoon……. you’ll have to buy the next issue (or is the one after next?) to find out.

My son tells me I should be including images in this blog not just words, so I’ll try and do better next time.