Little gems

Outside the studio of 'Glory Art Glass' in Sandown I spotted this. The chalk board has a different saying each day - almost always a little gem. This was today's.

Inside a beautiful array of coloured glass objects, new additions include snails, and delicately balanced mobiles. Definitely worth stepping inside for. Glass artist sporting very natty safety glasses in purple also worth a peek.

International peace day preparations

International Peace day isn't far away. Friday 21st September

Peace routes is already preparing to mark the day with an event similar to last year, any help for this event is appreciated, no matter how small. Suggestions are also very welcome.

Other dates for your diary

PEACE MEETING

Thursday August 30th   2p.m. - 4p.m. Co-op Funeral Care Centre, The Fairway, Sandown All welcome
Planning for International peace day and discussing other events
Making peace doves

Film event 'The Separation'
Friday 7th September at the Commodore Cinema Ryde
Iranian film (subtitles)
Excellent reviews
Showing at 3p.m. and 7p.m. Current price £3.50

Childrens craft activities
Free events - book with librarian Ryde library
Crafts around the theme of trees
Friday 24th August, Friday 31st August, Saturday 8th September, Saturday 15th September all from 10a.m. - 12p.m.

New Art group starting at the Unitarian meeting house
Free starter session Friday 7th September 11a.m. - 12p.m.
Beginners welcome

MORE DETAILS ON THESE TO FOLLOW

Peace cranes for Hiroshima memorial day

Monday Hiroshima memorial day on Ryde sands

To mark the day 6,000 peace cranes, a cherry stone from the peace tree at Coppins bridge, Newport (where a memorial was held by CND for Hiroshima on Saturday), were taken along to Ryde sands where the thoughts of healing and peace imbued in the cranes could be carried out to sea. Rain clouds held off and the morning warmed, a quiet spot in front of Harcourt Sands was chosen. The tractor driver working along the beach took a break, and dogs and their owners drifted along. An inquisitive pug trotted across one of the large mandalas made up of 1,000 cranes spreading sand into all the tiny folds of paper. Some of the more flimsy cards holding the cranes were caught by the wind and carried tumbling across the beach.

Two  South African ladies stopped to take a closer look and find out more, taking photos and kindly offering to share their picnic before moving along the beach. Another lady walking her two daschunds told us about her life and peace work:- helping at a leper colony and supporting the women protesters camped at Greenham common nuclear site. Now a pensioner her peace activism has had to take on a more local form.  We held a  minutes silence, and a short reading was given. Although the time didn't correspond with when the Atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima (8.15a.m.) when many families in Japan would have been eating breakfast, it did have its own poignancy as it was the same time as the second Atomic bomb fell on the 9th August on Nagasaki just after 11a.m. We left to walk back along the path through Appley park and saw someone had been out drawing their own commemoration of Hiroshima in chalk on the walkway.

Younger generations may not be aware of what happened in Japan on those fateful days in 1945, it's often excluded from our media's coverage of world war two. However they will probably be aware of the Fukushima disaster, and the deadly legacy nuclear accidents and nuclear bombs leave, and the importance of promoting peace, not harm.

For more information on the events of 6th and 9th of August 1945, and of peace efforts please use this link www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp


  

Peace cranes and article in paper



6,000 peace cranes looking out to sea
blessed that morning by Christine, a passing hermit nun

chalked figure along path through
Appley Park by unknown artist