What are your interest/hobbies - besides cooking

morning glory said:
I haven't dared ride a bike for the last 15 or so years (I'm old and afraid to fall and break bones). I miss it.
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I also used to bike ride. No racing. After a near fatal accident in '04 I have too much nerve damage in my arms and legs to even consider rider anything other than a stationary bike. I would be terrified of a face plant on the pavement.
 
ElizabethB said:
I also used to bike ride. No racing. After a near fatal accident in '04 I have too much nerve damage in my arms and legs to even consider rider anything other than a stationary bike. I would be terrified of a face plant on the pavement.
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I didn't race. I just used to ride a racing bike which was light as a feather. I could pick it up with one finger under the crossbar. I am going to look into horse-riding again as this thread has got me motivated!
 
ElizabethB said:
I did attempt Calligraphy at one time. At best I was fair. Due to nerve damage in my right arm/hand I no longer have the fine motor skills necessary to even practice.
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I suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. I had the left hand operated on in the mid 1980s but, as it didn't seem to make a lot of difference in my opinion, I never had the right hand done.

I did find some photos taken in the 1990s with an ordinary camera and then scanned many years later into one of my computers. The quality is not brilliant - I remember the photos were taken in my front room in artificial light with the paintings propped up against a door, so there is also some distortion where some of them did not stand exactly straight! I've got the originals stored somewhere in my spare room :whistling:

This one was a quote from the evidence given during the enquiry into the disappeared of the s.s. Waratah off the coast of South Africa. The passenger giving evidence left the ship because of these dreams, and it sank shortly thereafter.

Calligraphy 3.JPG


This next one is the first few lines of a poem called The Kingfisher by William Henry Davis

Calligraphy 7.JPG
 
morning glory said:
I used to love cycling - I had a racing bike back in the day. I haven't dared ride a bike for the last 15 or so years (I'm old and afraid to fall and break bones). I miss it. This has reminded me of another passion when I was younger: horse riding. I was addicted. Another thing I haven't done for decades. I suppose I could do that again at a gentle pace! I will look into it...
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My brother used to race, as well as travelling all over Europe and Scandinavia by bike. He even had his two racing bikes shipped out to Australia when he emigrated. He had to stop due to heart problems.

I was told by my physiotherapist to take up cycling to get my left leg back to normal after my accident a few years ago. I can't imagine me ever cycling again (I can't even get on a motorbike any more let alone a push bike). Besides the cycle paths round here are dangerous enough, without going on the roads. And I can't afford an exercise bike.
 
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When I lived in Oxford, I used to have a bike. Mind you, around 98.47% of the population of Oxford had a bike.

I say "used to" advisedly. One night, I went out with some fellow reprobates on a pub crawl in east Oxford. You can crawl to an awful lot of pubs in that part of the city and, indeed, crawl to some awful pubs, although I think we stuck to the better ones. I had left my bike somewhere near one of these pubs and being in no fit state to cycle home, left it there. Could I find it again? What do you think?
 
@ElizabethB

Elawin´s art Works are truly wonderful ..

I am a grand buff of architecture .. Of course, I am in the travel biz so it is necessary to know all about the the circa buildings, and in Spain, most of the buildings dating back to the Renaissance have heraldic crests or coats of arms ..

One of my other fave architects besides Gaudi is Frank Lloyd Wright .. I had stayed at a brownstone Hotel close to centre when we were in Chicago for our annual travel convention ..

Due to our need to pay for Visas ( 60 Euros per person to the Usa ), we have decided to hold the Conventions in Madrid at the Convention Centre .. It is a half hour flight and a fab city to dine out in and it is filled with amazing galleries, museums, restaurants, shops and markets too !!

Must get to bed as it is 2am ..
 
@Francesca
Many years ago I visited Chicago. There are many Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the area. My plan was to tour Wright's homes. Unfortunately a winter storm blew in and I was not able to make my planned tour. Extremely disappointed.

We are such a young nation that our architecture is a pale comparison the marvelous architecture of Europe. In the grand scope of things we are neophytes. I know very few people who have traveled out side of the continental U.S. My siblings have more travel experience than most Yanks. With 2 trips to Europe I include myself.
My university study of applied arts included studies of European Architecture. My 2 trips to Europe - Southern Spain and London opened my eyes. I was humbled.

Love your history and architecture.
 
@Francesca Thank you! I used to enjoy calligraphy so much. The last work I did was just before I retired. A friend asked me to so some place cards for her wedding. She was re-marrying her ex-husband! My hands were a bit shaky by then, but I managed it, although I decided not to do any more lettering after that.

I may start painting again, but I'm no good at landscapes or portraits or still life. Like my old friend said, my civil engineering background shows through in a lot of my stuff. I always wanted to study architecture and eventually become an architect, but my Mum disapproved. In those days, you tended to do what your parents wanted you to do no matter what you wished for. The only other woman I had heard of who studied architecture at the time was Janet Street-Porter, and I think she suffered the same comments and opinions as me. Nearly all the jobs I have done over the years have been more male-orientated.

I have never been able to make my mind up what type of architecture I like. Obviously, when I worked in civil engineering, my hands were tied to the styles that other people wanted. I only drew up the plans from their ideas and sketches. I think if anything I would go for the clean lines and styles like Bauhaus and 1930s British art deco with a bit of Frank Lloyd Wright thrown in, but I do like traditional older British styles too and one can't but help admire Gaudí.
 
@Elawin I admire Bauhaus , Art Deco and Frank Lloyd Wright. Brilliant design. Not design styles that I would choose for myself - just admired styles. I often sigh and wish I had pursued my applied arts education. If wishes were horses no one would walk. Or something like that. I am feeling melancholy. There is something inside of me that would like to be different.
 
ElizabethB said:
@Elawin I admire Bauhaus , Art Deco and Frank Lloyd Wright. Brilliant design. Not design styles that I would choose for myself - just admired styles. I often sigh and wish I had pursued my applied arts education. If wishes were horses no one would walk. Or something like that. I am feeling melancholy. There is something inside of me that would like to be different.
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Me too! I often wish I had been born into a family that encouraged their children's ambitions rather than disapproved of them. Things could have been so different, but then we wouldn't be where we are now.
 
One of my passions/hobby is dubbing. When I was 18 ( after diploma) I've started to study Drama in a Milano Drama school and then I turned for the dubbing: little commercial, radio, movies sometimes (but very little things). I'm not a professional dubber. It's very funny to give voice to a reception " buongiorno, risponde XYZ..per parlare con l'ufficio del personale premere 2"..
" good morning, this is XYZ..please press 2 to speak with Human Resources Office"
Or during Xmas Time for some Store : "dling dlong (sound of starting announcement) "Hello..today we have a great offer for you..." and so on.:D

I also love to read books, make jogging, swim, pilates.
 
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