Glenn Marshall - Yorkshire Artist
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Diamond Days....

31/7/2019

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Picture
'Hockney's Tunnel from t'Other Side'
 
All days are special of course but some are ‘diamonds’. This sentiment was expressed by my friend and inspirational artist Ashley Jackson and how true it is. Without doubt yesterday was a ‘diamond’ day for me.
It started innocuously enough with our usual routine of taking Dilly for a walk and breakfast. But about 11 o’clock things changed.  I received a singular phone call from another artist friend who lives in Driffield which is about five miles away. He informed me that he was with a lady from South Korea who was trying to find me. Now I’m told that each day is a day full of unlimited possibilities but I have to confess that this startling message was pretty low down on any list I might make of how the day would develop.
So I offered to meet up with her to find out exactly what was going on. On arriving at our meeting place I was greeted by a delightful lady who offered me a polite oriental bow. She is called Kyoungjin Park but happy to be known as ‘Jin’. It transpires that she is an avid David Hockney fan. Apparently he is very big in South Korea and has a huge following there. She had come to the UK specifically to explore the Hockney Trail which meanders its way through the Yorkshire Wolds. Somehow she had obtained my name and knew I was an artist living in Kilham who might be able to help her.
I took her to my house and over a cup of coffee with Merice and my good (!) self she told us about herself and her quest. Fortunately she speaks excellent English and in fact teaches English back in South Korea .Part of the reason for her trip was to assimilate more conversational English that she could take back to her students. She is an artist who is fascinated by the differences between the Western and Oriental approach to art. Her intention is to study for a M.A. degree in art. Conversing together, it was heart-warming to experience the universal language of art but also the universal experience of humanity in general. Despite the cultural divisions she was very similar to us in background and her tales of her childhood and present life were a happy reminder that in reality we are all human beings and that any differences between us are minor and inconsequential. She certainly shares our passion for art and we chatted away freely and enjoyably. Jin wanted to stay the night in Kilham before returning to London the next day for her flight home. We got her settled in at the Blacksmiths Cottage B & B and met up later for a little tour round the village and surrounding area including the famous ‘tunnel’ above. This was followed by an excellent meal at the St Quintins Arms in Harpham. The food was excellent as usual and time just flew by in this excellent and interesting company. Her train was at 6.45 next morning so I gladly volunteered to take her to the station. She has now set off on her long journey back home with our very best wishes and promises of keeping in touch.
She is not going home empty handed. She liked my painting so much that she bought it and a part of the Yorkshire Wolds is now winging its way to South Korea. We also taught her a few ’Yorkshire’ expressions so if you are ever in South Korea and hear “Eee by gum lad” you know where it came from!
Explore more from the Hockney Trail
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One of Life's Essentials....?

3/7/2019

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Picture
 Apparently I have developed a slight tremor. I haven't noticed it myself but some people who know me very well have. A quick look on the internet revealed I might be suffering from all sorts of deadly diseases so a trip to a consultant was in order. I duly arrived at Bridlington Hospital for my appointment. Now I just don't 'do' hospitals. Apart from a couple of operations after my accident I have had very little to with doctors let alone consultants. Things are different now they tell me....and they certainly are. First a nurse needed to weigh me and check my blood pressure. You used to just stand on a weighing machine but nowadays it seems you have sit down in a contraption that resembled an old fashioned electric chair we used to see in black and white photos from the USA. Of course they may have took one look at me and decided I was too old and decrepit to stand. Be that as it may I was duly weighed. Asked if would like to know the result in kilos or good old fashioned  lbs and ozs you can guess my reply. I weigh 13st 9lbs. This is the same weight  I was forty years ago when I got married and I still have the same 34" waist so I am classing this as a result.
Next I was whisked off to see the consultant. I asked him if Merice could come in with us to save me the bother of having to try and remember every exact word of our consultation to relay to her later. Mr Jones agreed and off we went into his room. Mr Jones was not Welsh which is neither here or there because he was very open and easy to talk to. He had probably come to the hospital straight after finishing his paper round - well that's how old he looked to me. Anyway he asked me about my bowels and waterworks. Moving on we then came to the technical side of the examination. This consisted of several exercises, the first being clicking my index finger and thumb together as quickly as possible and then touching my nose and his raised finger a good few times. After this he asked me a lot of questions about my general health, medication and memory....but I can't remember them! 
Then I was finally given the diagnosis. I am suffering from a non life threatening condition called "Essential Tremors". Quite why it should be called 'essential' I have no idea. To my mind if something is 'essential' I might actually need it or even want it. Nevertheless it is quite common and one in four of us will get it as we grow old. More important however I suppose is the treatment. Number one option is beta blockers. Although I have no idea what beta blockers are he did kindly read out the possible side effects and they became an immediate no no especially when he told me his second option. It appears that a moderate intake of alcohol is excellent at suppressing the shakes (always thought it was the other way round!) and that many sufferers take a little medicinal drop or two before they are going out or mixing with a group of people.
So to sum up - the only concern I have is that I might end up merrily nodding away to all sorts of unfortunate circumstances. For instance Merice could decide we were going on a raw salad diet for a month and take my unfortunate nods as my assent to her proposal. She wouldn't take advantage of me like that would she? I will finish with a request. When we next meet please, please do not be intensely scrutinising me to see if I have got the shakes - I won't have because I'll be happily half cut....following doctor's orders of course!
The photo shows me finally meeting up with one of my idols - the great Yorkshire artist Ashley Jackson.

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    Professional artist now semi retired and enjoying being eccentric!

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