The Gisborne Institute of Broadsword Polishing and Leather Lustering

[SupermassiveLBD]

Motto: Honi soit qui mal y pense

Master Classes available in:

Smouldering
Stompy boot wearing
Pointy weapon waving, and the effective deployment thereof
Exotic equestrianism
Imperatives
and The cause and alleviation of damsels' distress (Godwyves also welcome)

His legs look a bit funny to me, tbh, Twigs. As I think we discussed once before, ages ago

I have ways and means but I'm being a bit tight at the moment in order to get the Yorkshire fund off to a good start!

I'm all for being a bit tight when it suits me.Sometimes it's nice to get your own back, especially ater after being disapproved of for extravagance.
"It's not extravagance, i've just picked up a virus"

Tonight though I splashed out on a take-away for us, being as MrM was off out.

From the National Gallery website:

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Mars, God of War, was one of the lovers of Venus, Goddess of Love. Here Mars is asleep and unarmed, while Venus is awake and alert. The meaning of the picture is that love conquers war, or love conquers all.

This work was probably a piece of bedroom furniture, perhaps a bedhead or piece of wainscoting, most probably the 'spalliera' or backboard from a chest or day bed. The wasps ('vespe' in Italian) at the top right suggest a link with the Vespucci family, though they may be no more than a symbol of the stings of love.

A lost Classical painting of the marriage of Alexander and Roxana was described by the 2nd-century Greek writer, Lucian. It showed cupids playing with Alexander's spear and armour. Botticelli's satyrs may refer to this. Mars is sleeping the 'little death' which comes after making love, and not even a trumpet in his ear will wake him. The little satyrs have stolen his lance - a joke to show that he is now disarmed. Also he's really, like, blish, innit?
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Evening all. My, you have been ver busy today! I havent caught up with yesterday's vids yet so tomorrow is going to be fully booked on MN.

Oooh, Twiggy, Venus and Mars are alright tonight.

::waits for the Radio 2 listeners and alumni to get the reference::

Sorry Maud, am not grown up enough for Radio 2

Right, Twiggy, it's all up to you.

Thumbs aloft, Maud! :)

I was telling Massive earlier that I used to go to the National Gallery in my lunch 'hour' and stare at him. He's so beautiful. Even with the wonky legs.

Stop with your in jokes you two and explain to the Luddites me and Spiro.

, eh Twiggy?

We are watching Francisco's Italy right now, admiring the Botticellis. And Francisco's not too bad, either.

::I do like a man who knows about art emoticon::

Follow the link, Small. Consider it part of your education.

Oooh, ooh Now we have Andrew Graham Dixon in Russia, quoting Dostoevsky.

::Died and gone to heaven::

I'm still in the dark re. the Mars/Venus/Radio 2 references but I did have to watch Maud's link on mute so may have missed a vital clue .

I've spent hours sewing in name labels today. Why oh why did I have 3 children? ::contemplates briused tender forefinger:: Do you think it needs a doctor to kiss it better check it?

Paul McCartney song, Small. I don't actually know the song, I just know the title. My party trick used to be that you could give me a song and I could tell you the record label and sometimes also the catalogue number but those days are long gone :)

Just listening to that Venetia interview that LadyD posted yesterday. Did anybody notice that his voice has been slightly speeded up?!

Yes, Francesco's rather pleasing, isn't he Maud? I haven't watched his Italy programme but we have his Venice DVD (and book and cookery book!).

I can't do links at the mo Maud.

Lady D I buy the iron on / stick on labels for that very reason!

Evening, LadyD! Have you ever used iron-on name labels? I always use those, couldn't possibly do sew-in ones!

Man, this interview has awful editing!

Those must have been great parties, Twiggy. I guess it's much the same skill as recognising which episode of RH or Spooks a particular screen cap came from. It was a dear friend of mine who pointed out Francesco's manly charms great knowledge of art history to me. I just said to Bloke that, actually, I prefer Andrew and he looked incredulous.

LadyDamerel - You are the most sprogged-up person in the Academy. I simply look on in admiration. Another friend told me recently that one should not have more than two children, as one would then lose the tactical advantage of man-to-man marking.

Maybe they did the editing the old way, Twigs, with scissors and sticky tape

That's how I did it too, Massive but I could've done a better job than that! The breaths are all wrong (though sometimes there's nowt you can do about it, of course).

I am with bloke on that one, Maud. You are clearly insane eclectic in your choice of totty.

I am supposed to be asleep, dammit - might not last much longer.

Two kids can sometimes feel like being sadly outnumbered. Just sayin'...

Maud. When I was pg with dc3 my consultant said to me that you go from man-to-man marking to zone defence. He wasn't wrong!

I don't know why I put myself through the sewing in trauma each year. I keep swearing I'll switch to the iron on ones but I have so many sew in labels for each child that I end up using those. Now all 3 are at school I may give in though. I'm estimating I have about 50 to do this year .

Twigs, before you go to bed, don't forget to record Homes from Hell on ITV at 11:35pm.

Thanks for the reminder, LadyD! Only prob is we have a new VCR and I have no idea how to programme it. Iron-in labels cost pennies from eBay - that must be worth your sanity!!