The Artisans of Fez and Solitaire.

On a recent trip to Morocco we were fascinated by just how many goods are still made by local artisans. Apparently the ancient city of Fez has 700 artisans still crafting goods by hand and selling them on to tourists as well as markets abroad. One product we picked up was a game dating back to the French Revolution. The story goes that the game known as peg solitaire was designed by a French aristocrat who was imprisoned in the Bastille. Later it was designed with indentations rather than holes and marbles were used and this is the version we bought.  I just hope that one day we can see more locally hand made products in our local markets. 

Here are the rules clearly explained for this wonderful little game.

Late Night Radio

Late night radio is so refreshing to listen too; intelligent conversation, well chosen songs and an all round warming experience. I heard this song on BBC Radio 6 on Guy Garvey's programme so I thought I would share it. Bruce Cockburn is a new discovery for me so I hope you enjoy the music as much as I did. More can be found out about this Canadian singer on his website: 

 http://brucecockburn.com/about

Foundations of the London Underground

It's fascinating to think that Harry Beck in 1931 sat down at his desk at home and mapped all the stations on the London Underground. Apparently he felt that as the stations were underground the physical locations did not matter as passengers simply wished to know how to get from one place to another. He based his map on an electrical circuit with coloured lines drawn only horizontally, vertically or at 45 degrees. All this was something he did for others to make their lives easier and what a simple yet great idea it was; serving perhaps as a template for other underground,metro or subway maps. 

                              http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/2443.aspx