nsagp 2012

Northlands studio building was built in 1877 ....... in Scotland this is practically modern. 

Angela demonstrating a core. 

She inserts kiln wire into the core to add strength and support for when the mould is fired.

Core cast and ready to be inserted into the wax.

"But Chris ... didn't we already see Angela put that little bird inside a wax bottle?" ... Yes you did .... because I might have been tired and posting ..... and I might have had a drink ..... maybe even two .... which is a whole story unto itself that I will tell you all about later..... I think the moral of the story is you have to be extra carful if you are going to drink-blog..... 

We were told at the beginning of the class: "if the weatha is nice doona wait till lata to goo four a walk ..... cause be then it'll be rainin." So Ebony and I took a walk to a lookout above the harbour. 

Lighthouse at the entrance to Lybster harbour

Jamie with her Sculpture entitled "Don't touch my meatballs" I only found out the title after I ate one of her meatballs ...... 

From left to right: June, Debbie, Katie, Max and Charrone

Trevor the owner of the Bay Owl restaurant recommended the Clynelish special reserve ...... after I had sampled a already sampled a fair selection of other beautiful single malts. 

Night out at the Pub ....... ok pubs..... We started with the commercial pub ..... the four people that were sitting at the bar looked a little shocked when 8 people speaking in a large variety of accents found their way into the small smoke filled room. 

clockwise: Me myself and I, Max, Debbie, Sarah, Charrone, Shaun, June, Ebony

On our way to the next pub.

Scampi Fries and Bacon fries ..... fine Scottish pub snacks! 

.... and what goes great with Scampi fries? Well anything according to Shaun but scotch will do! 

Same crew but in a different order. 

George .... who really ... really, really wanted to be apart of our crew ..... and who was really, really, really, reeeeeeaaaaaaaallllllyyy drunk. And since I was sitting between himself and Charrone, and to his disappointment and frustration wouldn't move, Shaun and myself had to entertain him ..... which did lead to some very interesting and funny situations ...... George got it into his head that my goatee was good luck .... and then proceeded to stroke it ..... repeatedly ..... which some people might think could be an awkward situation ..... but compared to the big wet kiss George planted on the side of my head later it seemed comparably normal.   

Shaun with his whiskey .... and his whiskey chaser .... which after a night with George was required. 

All loaded in the bus and ready for a trip.

Inside the Cairn

A window has been fit into the top of Cairns so you can see when you are inside. 

Me with creepy eyes!

Ebony and Michael walking on the boardwalk constructed between the Cairns. 

View from inside the cairn. They are accessed through a long and very tight tunnel that was constructed when they stacked the stones. 

View of the tunnel with flash. 

Squeeeeeeeeeeezing out of the Cairn. 

Ebony in a stone ring close by the Cairns

Me in the stone ring.

The week is divided between two restaurants the Bay owl and the Wallago steps cafe. The classes all salivating at the Wallago steps cafe.  

Yet another pub! Yes three pubs in town. 

June pouring a gel-flex mould .... and Max watching June pour a gel-flex mould while I took a picture of June pouring a gel-flex mould.

Both Shaun and June have been amazing ambassadors of fine Scottish cuisine .... for instance Irn Bru ..... which apparently outsells Coke in Scotland!! And seeing as it is such a fine Scottish tradition we treated it with the respect it deserved and drank it out of wine glasses ..... although we were then informed that this might have been the very first time Irn Bru has ever been drunk in such a fashion. It tasted like ....... sort of a cross between cream soda and orange crush ...... with a little dash of vanilla .... sort of....