Mouse & Muse Blog

by Trevor Millum

An occasional series which I hope is of interest to friends and family.  Feedback always welcome.

Perfect Mixture of Science and Aesthetics

Perfect Mixture of Science and Aesthetics

It's always a joy to see the wonderful clocks made by John Harrison of Barrow on Humber. Doubly so this time as I was lucky enough to have a guided tour of the Observatoiry at Greenwich with the Senior Horologist, Jonathan Betts and visit the room where the clocks...

Cragside

Cragside

This is the Butler's Room at Cragside in Northumberland. Cragside is one of the many mansions built in the 19th century by the nouveau very rich who made their money out of trade and manufacturing, be it matches or sugar or guano. In this case it was engineering,...

Wightwick Manor

Wightwick Manor

A Victorian 'Tudor' mansion, complete with Jacobean chimneys. Quite a stunner - and the interior is even better.  The owners collected pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts art-works so you never quite know what to expect each time you enter a new room.  Quite a surprise...

Hotham Hall

Hotham Hall

It's the swathes of daffodils that make this garden so attractive at this time of year. There are some formal aspects but this is a garden to wander in rather than peer at multiple plantings and plant varieties (though we did some of that too).  There's also a...

Kinver Edge

Kinver Edge

The rock houses at Martindale Caves, Kinver Edge, were in use well into the 20th century. Now they have been restored and are managed by the National Trust and can be visited - making a nice contrast to the pomp and glitter of your stately homes!  These dwellings...

Double Talk at Ropery Hall

Double Talk at Ropery Hall

On stage again after how many years? After all those echoey school halls, the Ropery Hall in Barton with mikes and lights was a luxury for us. Our set was part of a Water Aid gig organised by Maria Garner and the Driftnet Poets of Grimsby featuring poetry and music by...

Joan Baez at the Sage

Joan Baez at the Sage

This is the view out over the Tyne from The Sage, Gateshead, which provides a great venue for the legendary Joan Baez. Although her voice has lost some of its stunning clarity, Joan's presence is undiminished. Hard to pin down what it is about her that keeps us...

Scarborough Gem

Scarborough Gem

Sometimes the unexpected reveals a little gem - and we found one in Scarborough: a little museum largely dedicated to local geology and the pioneering work of William Smith who made the first geological maps of this country. Sounds a bit dry, but it isn't. The...

Saxby and Horkstow walk

Saxby and Horkstow walk

Last Wednesday was a lovely day for walking through the woods on the escarpment above Saxby and Horkstow, two of the 'low villages' between the Humber and Brigg.  We met no one along these paths and then struck off towards the Ancholme on much flatter tracks. There...

Grayson Perry at the British Museum

Grayson Perry at the British Museum

Not being a Grayson Perry fan, I visited the exhibition which he is curating at the British Museum not knowing what to expect. In the event, I was impressed and intrigued.  Works by the artist are set in the context of treasures held by the museum, together with short...

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