Blue Penguin

Life returns to normal ( which we’re glad about) and it’s hospital day today.

I spent the first hour and a half with J, to understand what would be happening today. It’s heavy rain outside, so I decided to have an excursion in the middle of the day to the World of Glass.at nearby St Helens. What a brilliant place. Fascinating industrial structures and modern architecture, the country’s first industrial canal, art galleries, museum spaces, library facilities, conference facilities, a shop and café, and glass making demonstrations.

I watched the glass making demonstration in a very large space, very warm because of the hot furnaces, and with some twenty or so others. The glass maker made a penguin and a large ornate vase, whilst his assistant talked us through each process. It was very well done. Time for questions at the end, and all the children had their hands up. A young girl asked if the glass maker would make an axolotl, another wanted a sea otter. These seemingly obscure animals must be a thing with youngsters, axolotls are having a moment.

The main blip shows the penguin cooling down. Tomorrow it should have a blue sheen as the maker was using blue frick to add colouring in. The extra shows it being sculpted whilst hot. The maker moved fast, glass making uses lots of heat so no time for hanging around.

I’ll have to go again, as I had to curtail my trip to get back to the hospital. With a penguin in my bag.