Jo here – a Solero was my reward for walking the 32 miles from Ditchling Museum (just north of Brighton, West Sussex) to Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne. It was part of an Artist Collaboration project that I am doing with Ditchling Museum called ‘In Search of Gill Sans’. Whilst DM is closed for major Heritage Lottery Funded rebuild, the collection, including the wooden, Gill Sans, Letterpress is housed at Towner. I’ll now be working with different groups, inspiring them on the contemporary uses of Letterpress.

A few weeks ago I was privileged to be commissioned by Fermynwoods Contemporary Art in Northamptonshire to work with artists, David Littler and Simon Woolham for two weeks  - on a narrow boat! We went from south of Milton Keynes to Waddenhoe and back. I became completely obsessed with crochetting……

My wonderful project ‘Field Studies’ for the Timespan organization in Sutherland, has finally finished. It had many aspects and took 2 years to complete – if you ever get the chance to go to this amazing part of the world and meet the great people – do –  they are really in to their contemporary art.

So having finished my Solero, I’m now off to Midland Road, Bedford to do a project called ‘The Excursionist’ for Bedford Contemporary Arts – i’ll let you know how it goes.

Since last August Ness has been busy on a wide variety of theatre projects. Apart from running workshops and reading scripts for people, she wrote a new play ‘The Watched Sea’ for CAPITAL at the Old Joint Stock in Birmingham as a response to Cameron’s call for “people power”. She attended the first read through of her new play ‘His Naked Eye’  at the Citz in Glasgow. She also took part in Pentabus Theatre’s Writers Week and wrote ‘The Game Anew’ for their show MAY FAIR at Latitude Festival. And, the postmistress observes has become completely obsessed with George Eliot.

Quote of the day, “This is women’s art, it takes as long as it takes.”

Vanessa was commissioned to write ‘I Am Active’ (Act 2) for Bitesize at Warwick Arts Centre  and also to write/read ‘The Permitted Number’ (Come To Where I’m From – Coventry) by Paines Plough/The Belgrade. She is currently lead artist on Building Sights  and busy writing ‘His Naked Eye’ for Theatre in Action.

Jo and Vanessa were involved with the launch of  ‘The Red Teapot Day’ book.

Jo  produced a new body of work for Warwickshire Artsweek - ‘Travel Sketches’ and ‘Map of the Day’  and has been commissioned to do a project for Timespan developing their organisation. She will also be doing a residency at Much Ado Bookshop.

The Postmistress thanks all her loyal lurkers out there (4,856) and will continue to keep you informed of the Ladies progress.

The ladies would like to thank you for contacting us by email, text and telephone.  The postman has been rather busy of  late  which has meant that the ladies have not been able to respond to all of the mail arriving at their private residencies.

Thanks are due to Philip who said he has  enjoyed the quirkiness of the ladies’ various endeavours.

Thanks  also go to Elizabeth for her one worded  correspondence  ‘ What?!’  and  her coded illustration (which transformed into a bright smiling face) 

Thanks to all who said ‘Great’ , ‘ like it, ‘keep up the good work’ and ‘good stuff’.

Some readers have expressed a concern about Julie working in an office:

‘That’s not you!’

‘How are you going to manage?’

‘I’ll believe it when I see it!’

The Postmistress is happy to inform you that your concerns  that she may  soon be singing Dolly Parton’s, ‘Working nine to five’ are unfounded and that, as usual, Julie is often seen burning the midnight oil, wandering from room to room and over fields in order to find the most conducive place for each particular piece of writing.

Julie has also been kindly afforded the opportunity to use her office at any time of the day or night and so, it appears, that for those of you who thought it may inhibit her writing – your fears were unfounded. The postmistress can also report that her office is looking more homely by the day.  For those of you who feel the need to feast your eyes upon  evidence we have provided some thumbnail photographs and illustrations to show a few of the places Julie has been working this week.

Ness has been seen taking her constitutional walks with a certain canine friend and has continued to work diligently in her office in between  pressing engagements.  The postmistress is happy to report that her spies have just returned from observing Jo at work and you will soon, dear reader,  see evidence of her recent activities on this site.

Once again, thank you so much for your kind letters. Please do continue to contact us but please do  spare a thought for the poor postie as s/he sets off to each lady’s independent address.  The postmistress would like to urge you on the Ladies’ behalf  to address all future public correspondence to the comment boxes provided for this purpose on the postmistress site.

Kindest Felicitations

The Postmistress

That is except for those times when Ness is visiting one of her favourite web sites e.g. West End Whingers http://westendwhingers.wordpress.com/

But then everyone needs some procrastination time don’t they? The Postmistress hopes that you all (3,605 of you as of today) remember to make space to procrastinate – why not procrastinate by posting a comment? Or indeed as Scarlet O’Hara said ‘After all, tomorrow is another day’.

It often requires the odd trip (recent research trips have taken her to Glasgow and Prague) to see places and meet people. She has been known to hide this fact from her nearest and dearest who is sometimes under the illusion that he is ‘going on holiday’.

Ness: ‘Oh, look that’s where he lived…’

Mark: ‘Is that why we’ve just walked right across town?!’.

Ness: ‘I’ll just take a photo for Davey and Suzanne’.

Before Ness sits down at her desk each day she heads off with her dog for a breath of fresh air. She can usually be spotted tredding her desire lines out on Coundon Wedge – a spot close to her home/heart. If you would like to find out more about the Wedge visit http://www.acwcs.org.uk/ . Ness finds this ‘mulling’ time invaluable as it lets ideas settle and distill.  

Come rain or shine one particular mutt always makes sure that she gets her quota of regular thinking time.