Blackburn's Cabinet of Curiosities

I am not prepared to talk about last night. Suffice to say, the fears in my Blips of last week and yesterday came true ...and to quote Forrest Gump ".....and that's all I have to say about that".

Moving swiftly on, today saw me in Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery for a meeting to discuss the next phase of a arts education project I am working on linked to Blackburn's Building Schools for the Future capital programme (possibly one of the last to get through the system before the initiative was axed). Anyway, whilst sitting in an old bookshelved office cum meeting room, and waiting for a nice cup of fresh coffee to be prepared, I spotted this Grandfather clock amongst an ecclectic 'cabinet of curiosities'. I must say it makes a refreshing change from the many anonymous internal meeting rooms with no windows that I seem to frequent (and this from an architect).

I did take quite a few more pictures afterwards, including a shot of the 'Tango Orange' exterior of the brand new Blackburn Youth Zone; and the interior artworks of Blackburn's wonderful part-moderist Cathedral , but they were all either out of focus or under/over exposed. Sack the photographer I say.

I met a lovely man called Mr Duckworth sitting at a desk just inside the Cathedral who I presume was one of the Friends there. Shamefully I have forgotten his Christian name (though it may possibly be Jack!) Anyway, Mr Duckworth dutifully gave me a leaflet, but I had to admit I was only inside to Blip and take a photo of the work of ecclesiastical artist John Hayward - and in particular The Corona crown of thorns hanging over the alter. Though my photos were no good, there are some on the weblink above. Also worth a look if you are ever passing by.

We concluded my visit to the Cathedral with a brief discussion about the merits of public art, and in particular the Mark Jalland contemporary piece that sits on it's gable outside, and is called The Healing of the Nations. 'Our Jack' didn't seem to like it, but I had to declare a conflict of interest, as well as a great fondness for it.

Am not 100% sure that it's LED lighting is still working, or if the new Blackburn Cathedral Masterplan hasn't got alternative plans for it.

Anyone know out there?