Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2014

Background to these blogs is at my website :-meblindfolded.wix.com/blindsimming-lady

On Google, go to 'Financial Times blindfolded at the Royal Academy London, Summer Exhibition'. Or the Guardian Newspaper,, 20^th May – possibly better report. I read this eagerly but it then sounded only half interesting. Not real blindfolding to my mind. The visitor enters a gallery wearing a pair of a sort of translucent, white-outed ski googles, so that light, which changes, can be sensed. He/she is then led around or left to feel the exhibits which can't be seen etc.

Anyway, read it for yourself and see what you think. I would like to know what anyone else thinks.

As I say, not my idea of blindfolding. I need to be completely blacked out (with my double folded silk scarf) - certainly not in 'translucent' conditions.

PS I see the time shown when these blogs are posted is hopelessly out – I can't think Chris is in the office sending blogs at 3 o/clock in the morning!

Jane

Continued from last week

So. Continued from last week........

There I was, then. Blindfolded since about half-past seven that morning and now, about eleven o/clock, still blindfolded and trying to find my way back out of the Maze at Hampton Court on a typical coolish March day.

I had already come across a group of Chinese (I guessed) tourists who may, or may not, have noticed me (hooded in my raincoat). I don't think they spoke directly to me but I couldn't have understood them anyway.

However, after I had groped my way around a few corners returning from the centre of the maze, I stumbled into someone who did speak to me! I had heard the signal from Chris that someone else was entering the maze at least a couple of times more recently, so here was one, a lady who actually spoke to me, asking if I was managing alright? Was I on some sort of intiative test, she asked. I had given a little thought, whilst resting in the centre, as to what I would say if such an occasion arose, so I had an answer.

No, I said, I was simply doing a sort of memory test that I had done before, to go in to the middle and then blindfold myself and see if I could remember exactly the way out. How are you doing then, she asked, to which I replied that I didn't really know until I found myself back at the entrance.

She sounded my age and quite friendly, admitting that she was quite lost and she might therefore follow me if I didn't mind and she didn't upset my concentration. I could only say that she was welcome and I would do my best to help her out – laughingly, of course. But, please, I added, not to tell me if she suddenly saw the route more clearly. It was bluff on my part, of course, but it so happened that I did remember some of the junctions coming in and so, more by luck that judgement, we soon emerged. I don't know what Chris thought when he saw me with another person, but he tactfully kept clear for the time being.

I hadn't however thought up an answer to her next question, so when she asked if I would like to join her for a coffee, I had to think hard and quickly!

Sorry, I said as I started unknotting my blindfold – reluctantly!, my brother is here somewhere waiting to take me home If I had been braver, of course, it could have been much more interesting to recount to you. But never mind. I had found my way blindfolded into the maze and then out again, even 'guiding someone else out! That was more than enough for that day.

I really enjoyed that and had got that particular desire out of my system.

Blindfolded alone in a Maze

I glanced at a copy of the Daily Mirror left on the train last week and saw that they are reproducing the comic strip of my childhood hero – Garth. Anyone remember him? Chris and I particularly remember one adventure when Garth was captured by his deadly enemy and had a steel helmet which covered all his head and was welded around his neck in such a manner that he would never get it off, so that he was completely blind and deaf but was able to eat and drink through small holes. He was then thrown into an underground labyrinth full of animals and other dangers but, of course, eventually managed to escape and take revenge. We can't remember any of the detail now and wish we could track down that particular episode, but no luck so far.

We agree that it was the blind(folding!) aspect that appealed and I have dreamed from time to time in the intervening years of being blindfolded and left to find my way around a maze of some sort.

So, some years ago, Chris came up with a plan to satisfy that particular wish of mine. On the morning of my usual day in his office, he called for me at home, as he did in those days, early in the morning after my spouse had left for his office in London. He blindfolded me and smuggled me out into the back seat of his car and we set - for Hampton Court! The blindfold was my favourite doubled silk scarf, securely knotted. It happened in March since we thought tourists would be minimal and we might have the maze to ourselves or at least avoid any crowds. As the weather was forecast to be rainy, I could wear my old raincoat with the large hood, as described in our web-site, to disguise the blindfold from curious eyes. An hour and a half driving. We arrived there just on opening time, parked the car and he led me, still blindfolded and now wearing my hood, into the gardens and to the Maze. With me on his arm, he bought tickets for the Maze only. The ticket office person said nothing about me being blindfolded nor did anyone else and at that time there was hardly anyone around, certainly as far as Chris said he could see, in the maze itself. If challenged, he had a story ready about an office initiative test, but never had to use it. Chris had a plan of the maze which I hadn't seen and we set up a code of whistles – the same code that we had used in our use for our early adventures in blindfolded walks.

As instructed then, I set off between what I could feel were iron waist high railings with hedges on both sides, waiting for the first whistle. Chris had a plan of the maze in his hand. We had agreed that he would give be three signals and then I was on my own and would whistle back to him after that so that he could hopefully follow my route. In fact, I could not whistle very loudly but could do a convincing owl-like hoot on clasped hands.

So -Turn Right, which I did when I had located a gap. Again Turn Right, which I did again and then Turn Left and found myself after a while at a dead end. Had he tricked me or had I misunderstood or simply missed the Left Turn?

I was enjoying myself too much to worry and Chris knew anyway that I wouldn't cheat.

After some time came the pre-arranged whistle that someone else was entering the maze. Nothing I could do about that, of course, so I kept going.

Eventually, I realised I had arrived in a more open space and after feelin my way right around and coming back to the one and only entrance, as far as I could tell, realised I was at the centre. It seemed to be a long space but not very wide and nothing to sit on for a rest that I could find.

Then, suddenly, I was no longer alone! A group of females, Chinese perhaps, from what I could hear. They might have spotted my blindfold but I couldn't understand what they were saying and no-one spoke directly to me and, as I was still wearing my hood up, they may not have noticed and went off before I decided to make my return. I had lost touch with Chris and had tried to remember and to reverse my route in, but that was nearly impossible. So I struggled on – enjoyably.

Then on the way out, a small incident happened which I will tell you about next week.

I am presently in Chris's office and he is hovering with tha same silk scarf for my regular two hours as his blindfolded secretary – main task: to make the tea in about an hours time at which I am very practised.

Just for your entertainment, a true account of a near disaster

So, as threatened, I'll now tell you about an episode I had a few years ago with unsuitable shoes.

(I should perhaps transfer all this to our website journal, do you think?) Meanwhile though:-

Once Chris and I had restarted blindsimming in our mature years, (this would be at the time described in our website journal, see Page 4 Development of Blindsimming Blindfolds (1),) I developed a wish to find out how long in a day I could go blindfolded out-of-doors – with Chris as my guide, of course. Needless to say, he was keen to help and came up with a plan.

He proposed to pick me up at home, early in the morning after my husband had caught his usual train into London for work. He would blindfold me then and there and smuggle me into his car and drive me to a bird reservation some distance away. There we could walk some distance to the far side of the reservation where there was a pub close by, have lunch, walk back, and drive home in time for me to cook my husbands evening on his return from London about seven in the evening. Ten or eleven hours blindfolded – lovely. And he would enjoy it too, I knew.

Firstly then, a few details. He would come to pick me up around 7am, park his car close to our kitchen door, I would be ready then and he would blindfold me with my favourite silk scarf, help me, unseen by any curious neighbours, into the back of the car. I would have suitable shoes to change into when we got there and I would have left my watch in my bedside drawer. Part of the game which appealed to me – I wouldn't be needing it, would I? I would also have taken a Kwell Tablet. I knew I would get car-sick on a longer journey blindfolded, even sitting in the back seat. Spare one in my pocket for the journey home.

Everything started off as planned, I had my spare pair of shoes in a shopping bag, together with a packed lunch to eat when we got to the pub and had bought ourselves a drink. At that time, we were developing a 'blindfold' for me to wear in public, not conspicuous as such. Once we got to the site, Chris helped me with a home-made adhesive patch, which had pieces of lint over each eye and was a single patch that bridged the top of my nose and stuck firmly around all edges. On top of this, I wore a large pair of sunglasses, called Eliminators (!) which was designed to wear over ordinary glasses, were it necessary, and which we had contrived to be big enough to hide the adhesive patch from view. The 'blindfold' then was most efficient and wouldn't slip off.

I preferred the nice double-layer silk scarf which I wore in the car but not now on public view. In those days, I didn't use a white stick just hung on to Chris's arm. Left arm, so that he could have his binoculars ready in his right hand should any particular bird attract his attention. We didn't need to try to look the part – we were both quite interested in bird-life.

One snag arose, unfortunately. When I came to change my shoes to something better suited for cross-country walking, I discovered – even though blindfolded of course, that I had brought the wrong pair! Somehow in my haste early in the morning I had bought an old pair by accident, a pair that I had discarded a year or so ago because they were too tight to wear for any long period. Disaster. The pair I had been wearing in the car were very light shoes and no good for any distance over rough ground.

Putting on a brave face, I decided to suffer with the tight pair. Anything other than abandon my blindfolded day out. So Chris changed the scarf blindfold for the 'blind person-appearance' patch and dark glasses and off we set. I listened for bird calls and song and tried to identify the bird and Chris then found it and told me if I had got it right. I was still learning in those days, although I'm still learning now of course.

After a couple of hours though, my feet were killing me! In reasonable shoes, I can walk quite happily for four or five hours but not today. I had to just sit down eventually but was still determined to keep my blindfolded day going. Chris looked at the map which we had luckily not left in the car and found that if I could struggle on a bit, we could get out to a road and he would run back to the car park and bring the car along to that point, where I could at least change into the other lighter pair of shoes or simply give up walking altogether and we could go onto the pub, have our packed lunch which we had been carrying between us, and find something else to do in the afternoon. Luckily too, it was fine weather that day.

So we decided to do the latter of those two options.

This meant though, that he had to abandon me at that point. Again luckily there was a seat on a village green (he told me!). So there I sat, still determined not to remove the blindfold for, Chris promised, no longer than three-quarters of an hour. Actually he was gone nearly an hour and a half. Two people came and used the seat and spoke to me, so I was able to keep track of the time by asking them the time in return for telling them why I was there waiting for my brother, which they seemed to accept as if a normal event.

Quite an experience for me though.

I kept it up more or less as planned after that and we eventually got back home late in the afternoon and in time for me to recover from my nine or so hours unseeing and then get on with my husband's meal preparation.

Just for your entertainment!! (I hope?)

Video clips from Axel Saenz, thanks

Background to these blogs is at my website :-meblindfolded.wix.com/blindsimming-lady

At last, a comment from someone! Thank you so much –we've found something special.

It must be lovely to have your eyes bandaged in such a careful and thorough manner to fix a nice secure blindfold as that on this video clip. I really envy the lucky lady and her feeling around afterwards was nice to watch – and she found a key-board to play as you suggest I would appreciate. Indeed!

As I explain on my website, (see Blindfolded Secretary, page 5), I can only use a computer for these blindfolding matters once a week when I'm in my brother’s office for the afternoon, and where I write these blogs. I usually leave it on his PC in draft and he will press the 'publish' button at the end of the week – if he remembers!

So this time, Chris looked up the suggested Youtube from Axel Saenz per that comment last week but came up with 'Dogtooth blindmans buff ' at first and which I can now also recommend to you – this was before he found the recommended 'Waner'. It is also from Axel Seanz, whom I thank very much – you must be one of us.

I would like to have been able to show this to Lucy to demonstrate that I am not the only weird outdoors blind-simmer. Far from it !

Three blindfolded girls with one in the swimming pool before she has to feel her way through the trees to a fourth person who is 'weird' enough to organise the whole adventure. Wish I could get invited to games like this.

I tried to see if the blindfolded girl in the swimming pool found some shoes but it looks as if not, so she walked bare-footed through the garden. I wouldn't do that here. Dried up holly leaves hide themselves in the grass and are really painful. For blindsimming in the country-side, suitable footwear is essential.

Next time, I'll tell you about an episode I had a few years ago with unsuitable shoes.

Not much to report this week, no outing to the bird reservation, no piano lesson, Chris had an important meeting elsewhere on my afternoon in the office so I had to look after the office for him, ‘sighted’!



A few weeks ago I told how I had visited my piano pupil at her home for once, for her blindfolded piano tuition. It is time I gave her a name rather than constantly refering to ‘my blindfolded piano pupil’, so I will in future refer to her as Lucy – no real reason except I have just been watching Lucy Worsley on BBC 4, who drives me mad even though her programme is most interesting.



Lucy tells me that on that day at her house, she did try venturing outdoors blindfolded after I had gone and it didn’t appeal to her at all. Pity I wasn’t there – it would have been different!

Lucy admits that her liking for being blindfolded is a 'quirk' to use her own expression, nothing more and her husband just thinks it a ‘girlish’ trait and takes no interest – just like my spouse. She thinks that my love of blind-simming out of doors is ‘weird’ and that I must be ‘bonkers’ to go alone as I do! There you have it – degrees of blindfold-loving, a Quirk: up to being Weird: and then on to Bonkers.

So there you are!
Jane

For background to these blogs, go to my website at :-



meblindfolded.wix.com/blindsimming-lady




Back to bird-watching last week. A lovely morning for the day arranged for the trip with my bird-watching guide, Tony. Chilly at first but bright sunshine, at least until I got off the train and started along the road to the bus stop. Then it began to warm up and eventually became really hot. 20c the news reported that evening.

If you read our web-pages, you will know that when I started these outings, I put on my dark glasses and unfolded my cane in the station concourse so that I appeared as a blind person at that point and then I walked slowly, using my stick towards the bus stop, half a mile away. I did not then go ‘fully blind’ until I was on the bus and just before my final arrival point where Tony would meet me. Last year, I became braver and went ‘blind’ sooner, and I now change from my blind looking glasses, those with the unpainted lenses, into the black-painted fully blinding glasses, before I even reach the bus stop.

Once out of the station, I turn right and walk along, passing a round-about on the same side, after which I cross the rather busy road and carry on walking out of the town. Then, at a secluded spot along there, I do change to my fully blinding glasses and then continue, using my stick and other senses to find my way along to the bus stop. Here I nearly always get an offer of help, it being close to a girls school with either staff or pupils waiting for the same bus. In fact, I have heard that people there and on the bus assume I am connected with the school in some way. I don’t contradict them.

As I get on and pay the driver, I ask that he gives me a shout when I get to my destination, I can sense that the bus is usually fairly empty by then. This week, the driver stopped the bus, came to where I was seated and helped me right off the bus, handing me over (probably with a sigh of relief!) to the waiting Tony. I get a curious sensation on these mornings nowadays that I become a different person, albeit a blind bird enthusiast!

Anyway, all went well. I heard first and Tony then saw, a Cetti’s Warbler. He would have missed it otherwise, he said. When I told him that it was a recent arrival in England and had become a summer breeding visitor, a sign of global warming perhaps, and that it was named after an Italian monk who first identified it as a separate species, he was quite impressed and said he would treat me to lunch. Which he did! – before putting me back onto the bus homewards.