soaking up the May Bank Holiday Sun!

The May Bank holiday started off with a cold and windy Friday evening, my sister came down that evening, and there seemed little chance of the predicted hot weather. But we were welcomed in to a very sunny Saturday morning, so we flew out of bed and jumped into the car for a road trip to Hengistbury head. I had been there before on an RSPB walk in the dusk, and promised myself that the next weekend I had, I would venture to Mudeford Sandbank and have a good nose at the luxury beach huts (I know what I would buy if I won the lottery) from there we took a boat to Christchurch and had a tasty lunch at Cheese & Alfie's, followed by Quinns Quinney at the Thomas Tripp in Lymington. Sunday was spent on the water paddle boarding (attempting to) followed by an all night secret beach party on Shell Bay nick named Shellbaystonbury. It was amazing, but I think I'm getting to old for 'all nighters' it's taken me a week to recover! The sun rise made it all worth it though, as we peddled onto the 6am Ferry, ready for our beds! The rest of my week has been very restful due to the bad weather and having my tooth pulled out, but I'm looking forward to one more busy sunny weekend before my mind is taken over by work!

I hope you have all been enjoying the sunshine!

Have a great weekend! 

Gem x

....finding out about Vivian Maier and other inspirations

Tonight I have been mostly blowing my nose (summer cold.. or would be if it actually felt like summer)  and watching long episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Whilst this cathartic activity has strayed my mind a little I have still been reflecting very much on how memories are captured and saved. I am not sure if  this relates to the time in which we are in, at the moment at work; taking photographs of our classes and trying to somewhat capture that moment in a digital celluloid, that is making me slightly more obsessive about why I have such an instinctive need to have something solid to save my memories on. Maybe it makes it easier to say goodbye to the past...... sorry about my mindless cold induced ramblings. Anyway I thought I would share with you some of my inspiring finds that have really sparked my imagination these last couple of weeks.


This is  a film clip my friend Jindy sent me of London in 1927. It is just mesmerising and really moving, all those people busy with their lives and the vitality and life that is captured within the beautiful film making, appears effortless and seamless. I just can't believe it was filmed in 1927  - and don't get me started on the buses!





London in 1927 from Tim Sparke on Vimeo.

And tonight I found this. At work I am truly spoilt, surrounded all the time by like minded photography & film enthusiasts. Especially my boss who has more cameras than anyone I know and is forever developing his own film (I really can't see how jessop's went out of business) So I am always on the look out for news on Photography exhibitions and film projects. Tonight I found this amazing glimpse of a life of a secret snapper - Vivian Maier through The Jealous Curator blog.

I can't wait to watch this film! 

more info can be found here

Her photos instantly reminded me of the well known documentary photographer Diane Arbus. But this lady's talents were never really celebrated until this young man John Maloof bought some of her negatives at an auction. Spiralling from this amazing discovery is a documentary feature film and Photography exhibition of her work. Beneath the Americanisation of this story is something really exciting. This nugget of inspiration and the help of my creative friends have inspired me to get my Olympus trip out this holiday and  get snapping!

Have a great Friday! 

Gem x

....the wonder years

Hello! Sorry it  has been a while, life has got busy busy in the last few weeks, school days mostly filling up my waking hours. But this week has been momentous. Nearly five years ago I started my teaching career and were introduced to my tutor group of sweet looking 11 year old's all as scared and nervous as me, but putting on a brave face. And yesterday I shared with them their last day at secondary school. Those five years of chasing, laughing, organising and watching them find their passions and teenage spirit, has been quite something. I really wanted to send them off in style and share with them quite how much they have changed and grown up, so I made them a little film each. (wish I could show you, but can't) I realised this week that I would be no longer greeted by their smiles (sleepy grunts) in the mornings. So this little post is a homage for them, I hope their lives are filled with love, happiness and adventure and they greet every life hurdle they face with resilience and good humour! I also hope that our current government will hopefully wake up and realise that teaching is more than preparing children for  exam success. It's children's minds, hearts and souls that are important, how they see themselves in society; where they will fit in? discovering what their passions are? I won't forget this group, they were my first wave of students to see through their school days. I will look back at these years with a huge amount of fondness and wonder what they are up to in the big wide world beyond room 5.

Here are a few momentos from their prom:

I found it very hard to keep it together when I was given this little nelly in a little 

bag of trinkets  and tear jerking notes!  

 Thank god this only happens every 5years - (emotional to say the least) 

Have a great weekend! 

Gem x

...catching up

Hello. Apologies for radio silence here at ohidoliketobe. Gem and I finally caught up properly this evening over a cuppa at my house. Work has been hectic to say the least, and I suppose the weather this past week has left us feeling a little uninspired...We hope to rectify that and resume our normal blogging schedule from now on!

So, what have I been up to lately?
Before the weather took a turn for the worst we had some blissful days at the beach hut building sandcastles and paddling in the freezing cold water. I really hope the summer comes back!
Reading some pretty amazing teen fiction for the Carnegie Shadowing Prize. My favourite so far is most definitely 'The Weight of Water' by Sarah Crossan-a novel written entirely in poetry. It is beautifully composed and totally original. A must read!
And speaking of reading-I went to this lovely lady's book signing on Saturday, and am hooked on 'The Sea Sisters'. So proud of you Lucy!
We went to the Christchurch Food Festival on Sunday, and got pretty soggy eating venison burgers and home made almond croissants in the rain. It was great fun though.
Booking a holiday in France (just in case the sun keeps hiding away from us). We are so excited!
Playing with my new favourite app from A Beautiful Mess. See our Twitter feed for some of my pics so far!
Getting some ideas for decorating my little fella's bedroom. Below is some inspiration


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What have you been up to lately?

Maria x

.... hanging with the vikings!

OK, I didn't really hang out with any vikings that would probably have gone a bit wrong!  But Saturday night I had the great opportunity to go and listen to a story telling session at the Ancient Technology centre. And it was brilliant, I could easily live there with a few chickens and goats for company (umm not the vikings and Saxon warriors). This place is nestled in the middle of Cranbourne, I can't wait to go back in the daytime and have a good look around the village, I saw a sign for a pottery which I would like to follo. Anyway... back to Saturday night, so we arrived in haste to the story telling neither my friend or myself had been before, we followed a straw path and were greeted by a big timber barn (The long house) And a cute looking hobbit house (round house) where the story telling was held. In the centre of the round house was a roaring fire, the best setting for a night listening to stories. The story tellers were; Jan Blake, Kouame Sereba and Raymond Sereba,  we sat and listened to the tale of the Old Woman, the Buffalo and the lion of Manding. The story was accompanied by music throughout and the tale was brought alive by Jan's charismatic, transportive delivery! I can't recommend this enough! I will definitely be going back for more! I love a good old story around a campfire, me and some friends are going to arrange an evening of just that, very soon.

half time mulled apple juice! 

Sometimes you just need to go back to basics 

Hope you are having a good week! 

Gem x

...wandering around Boscombe Vintage Market

So, did we all have a lovely bank holiday?

We have spent most of it on the beach and it's starting to feel a bit like Summer (but as my Granny would say 'Don't cast clout 'til May is out' so I'm not packing away my sweaters just yet).

In between building sandcastles and daring to dip our toes in the sea, Gem and I squeezed in a little trip to Boscombe Vintage Market. We said hello to our favourite stalls; The Cat in the Shoe, Little Swimmer, Nicholas Frifth and Carlitta Monchitta . Then we browsed through the pretty clothes rails and bric-a-brac that the other sellers had to offer. 

Sadly, it looks like the location of the market may have to change-the flats in the arcade have been bought and the buyers are not sure whether the market will fit in to the lifestyle they are trying to sell. Boo! 

Yet we are quietly confident that these crafty,talented and plucky market sellers will find a new place to sell their wares, and we will certainly carry on supporting this great event.

It sure is! 

Maria x