Hello!

'Allo darlin's! Well you all look like a right bunch of bobby dazzlers today n no mistake!

Before I bore you rigid with my incessant drivvling I want to give a big Mimi Love thank you to the supremely gorgeous Olisa, stitchy Queen behind cocoaeyesthestitcher for featuring my flea as part of her Big Yes series.

Check out Olisa's beautiful embroidery work here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22108593@N06

Thank you Olisa! x:)

Now folks get your speakers on cos you need to listen to this for my latest picture to make any sense as there's a bit of a tale behind this one and not just of the feathery variety!

Many moons ago when I was knee high to a Space Hopper, my mum was suffering from all manner of heavy duty ailments which required specialist treatment and general poking about by consultants, such was the rarity of her condition our local hospitals couldnt deal with it so she was referred to the big guns at St.Thomas' hospital in London.

The hospital is more or less smack bang opposite the Houses of Parliment & Big Ben and
on appointment days mum and dad would drag me off up to old London town and whilst mum was having her tests and so forth, Dad would take me for a mooch along the South Bank and keep me amused with his stories and rhymes.

You may have read some of the rhymes he made up for me in some of my other works

To the tune of the Mickey Mouse Club song:

And his version of Hickory Dickory Dock

This particular one, (without swear words!) he made up for our London visits

When Big Ben was due to chime the hour Dad would sit me down and sing this song to the bells:

Hello Big Ben! How are you today? Bye Bye Big Ben, see you another day!

Well it kept me amused! He thought I'd forgotton all about it until the pair of us were heading up to London on the train together some 20yrs later. As the train neared Waterloo we both caught a glimpse of Big Ben, looked at each other and smiled as we were both singing it to ourselves :)

I shall shut my face now and get to the picture, inspired by all things London and my folks

Remember this fella from the last post...pigeon post if you will...snigger:

　

Well here is again all stitched up, as with most pigeons he's been joined by a chum, ah bless!

There's a stitchy Big Ben in the background and you've hit it just in time to hear Dad's tune

Ding dong! Ding dong! ooo it's set the other birds off with tune too, wee stitchy musical notes drift off into the sky

The pigeon pair are taking a break from the concrete city and have nestled themselves down amongst a leafy, grassy undergrowth stitched in all manner of silks and glittery metallics. French knots a-plenty!

　

I lost Dad to cancer back in 1995, he was 49, Mum followed 4yrs later, she was 55, but I still sing it everytime I see Big Ben and altho there's a wee tear in the eye, there's a also a smile on my boat race too!

So there we go then, with 14 days left til Christmas Day (Dad's birthday incidentally) this will be my last picture of the 2011 but I shall be back in 2012 with a renewed vigour, 2 stone over weight and no doubt another excercise machine to drape my ironing off.

In the meantime I would like to thank you all for your support of my work over the past few years, putting up with my witterings and for all your lovely comments and messages, they really do mean the world to me xx

I wish you all a SUPREMELY PEACEFUL & HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

Big MimiLoves to y'all and thanks for droppin' by! x:)