Turn to stone

Down to the Castlegate House Gallery in Cockermouth today to deliver eight of Ali's paintings. A lovely house at one end of a very nice market town that you probably wouldn't go to unless you were going there, if you follow me.

Of course, Cockermouth was made famous not long ago because of the terrible flooding there and many of the shops on the high street are still closed and undergoing refurbishment. One unhappy burgher had a sign on his shop saying "17 weeks since we applied for planning permission".

Interestingly, one of the people at the gallery suggested that the publicity surrounding the flooding meant visitors to the Lake District were now making the effort to visit the town, which previously had been overlooked. They say there's no such thing as bad publicity.

These intriguing ladies are by sculptor Peter Colquitt and are in the gallery garden.

More pics of these lovely lassies here, here and here.