Breaking the Preconceptions

I've been wanting to blog about something for a while, but have never felt that the time was right. However recently I've been experiencing it more and more and so I have decided to come out with it.

Just because I am doing A Level Art, I am not dull.

For some reason society has this ranking order of different subjects in school, and immediately categorise people for the subjects they have taken. 

For example, I know plenty of people (my brother included) that have taken all sciences or maths for their A levels, and because of this, some deem themselves to be a cut above everyone else. I find it irritating when people ask me what subjects I have taken, and then when I answer English, German, History and Art I get the 'that's a nice mix!' response, or 'nice creative subjects then!', but when someone answers 'Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology' the asker is overwhelmed with how intellectual said person must be to take such demanding subjects.

Don't get me wrong, I find those subjects hard. I did triple science last year, and apart from Dr Wellington's amazingly dry wit and the banter that accumulated between our table and my biology teacher (who hates anyone associated with drama in any way) I didn't enjoy those lessons at all. Dr Wellington thought I was a joke, and a clumsy joke at that, as I sliced my hand open somehow in one of the controlled prac assessments. And don't get me started on Mr Lawson, who probably thought I was in need of a trip to the psychiatrist when he, along with the rest of the class, caught me showing Zoe what an awkward whale looks like. Whoops.

But I wasn't bad at science. I just didn't enjoy it, which is why I didn't take any sciences this year. I love writing (hence the blog), playing piano, looking at pretty things like cherry blossom trees, painting, trying to become fluent in German (I know the word for hermaphrodite so I figure I'm almost there) and baking, amongst various other activities that I partake in. Just because I don't enjoy measuring leaves (one of the biology pracs we did last year, complete with safety goggles) or solving simultaneous equations does not mean I'm not the sharpest tool in the box.

Imagine a world without creative people. A world full of 'intellectuals'. What a dull world it would be! Sure, we need our doctors and engineers and astronauts, but what about our poets and actors and artists and musicians? In my mind they are of just as much worth. Deep, I know.

In other news, I've had a lovely easter holiday so far. I have actually been quite productive with my time, and amongst other things, I have restored a vintage bike.

Some of you that follow me on Twitter will already know this. If you don't, you should. I don't tweet incessantly, I promise.

But anyway, two weeks ago my next door neighbours left an old bike outside their house, with a sign saying 'Scrap Metal'. I was immediately drawn to the bike and decided to cart it off and inspect it, and found that it was a vintage Raleigh. When I say vintage, I mean 1970s, but I'm counting that as vintage.

I cleaned it up with some special liquid that was ironically called 'Gunk' and, after a lot of hard work and scrubbing with wire wool and this cream stuff, I derusted most of it. For those of you who aren't in the know about DIY as I am, wire wool is literally wire that has been woven into wool. 

I was amazed when I saw it, but not so amazed when I started using it and found it sheds fibres like real wool, but unlike real wool these fibres can stick into your skin. Ouch. Thankfully, Papa Pickett (has a ring to it, don't you think?) is a bit of a DIY connoisseur, and helped me put together my beautiful bike (thanks Dad!) 

But this is when it gets interesting. When I saw the bike, I named her Clemency Rose straight away. 


(Since I will probably never be allowed to name my child Clemency Rose I figured I might as well use it for a different purpose.)


So when I was cleaning her up, I was amazed to find a postcode and the name 'Rose' printed on the bike. Incredible, I know. It's like fate, Clemency Rose and I are meant to be together. 

I've since bought a wicker basket to complete the vintage look, as you will see in the next few photos. I wanted to do a before and after kind of thing, but the whole rust bucket look doesn't come across as much as I was hoping in the before pictures. 

Happy Easter!

PS I would LOVE if you retweeted or shared my blog on Facebook, you know, if you feel like it.

Before 

After   Isn't she beautiful?

(the imprint of 'Rose')