A bit of a ragbag ...

...  quite literally:

I've been trying to declutter some more but only succeed in shifting one pile of papers and scraps to a different drawer. Or even onto another pile. 

Anyway, one of my finds was an old scrapbook from my misspent youth. In fact I think it dates from when I was still at school. And in pride of place was a somewhat worse for wear page from the Sunday Times magazine, evidence of my early interest in all things primitive and naive as far as art goes. I feel it deserves an airing on the world wide web rather than languishing in my desk drawer.

So let me introduce you to the Royal Family, as never seen before and as depicted in life-size figures by an old man in Northumberland.

The caption reads:

"When Joe Bulmer was 80 he started a new hobby. Inspired by memories of a childhood visit to Madame Tussaud's, he began to build life-size figures of famous people from wood and clay - dressing them with a selection of clothes that he bought from local jumble sales. Thirteen years later he is still adding new personalities to his gallery of scarecrow art ..."

From left to right in the photo: Lord Snowdon, Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, the Queen Mother, the Queen, Prince Philip, the Duchess and Duke of Kent.

I love them and hope they still survive somewhere.