Days Out in Brighton - Free Women's Events Sat 4 March

Only 24% of people interviewed, heard, seen or read about in mainstream broadcast and print news are female - Brighton International Women's Day website informs us.

So, feel inspired to join in talks that are for and about women. There's a huge list of events taking place that includes singing, reiki, real junk food lunch, tours on female artists, photography, poetry, blogging and a drop-in space provided by Brighton's Women Centre.

Check out the details below or click on the links to find out more:

Days Out in London - The New Georgian Craftsmanship

As I peered round the office door I could see leaning against the wall a full-length oil painting of the Scandalous Lady W by Joshua Reynolds.

Days Away - Eat Surinamese in Amsterdam

One lesson I learned in Florence, when it comes to eating as a tourist, don't assume you'll just happen upon a great place to eat.

You might do, but chances are, like us, you'll end up paying standard prices for very unexceptional dining.

So with our trip to Amsterdam looming, I spent time researching food blogger recommendations to pick up a few ideas. In particular, we were on a quest to find the best place to eat Surinamese food. My Welsh One had previously lived in Holland and had fond memories of the Surinamese roti he had enjoyed years ago when he had visited Amsterdam.

Staying centrally at the very friendly Die Port van Cleve hotel we found that there was nowhere close by selling Surinamese food. Lots of steak and pizza restaurants.

Following a review from Amsterdam Foodie we headed out on a tram towards the Heineken Experience. Just to the right of this building there's a street called Ferdinand Bolstraat, which is absolutely packed with interesting looking restaurants. However we kept walking and at the corner of Gerard Doustraat we turned right and found what we had been looking for, Warung Spang Makandra.

It was 6:30 pm on a very ordinary Tuesday evening and the street was virtually deserted. The restaurants along Ferdinand Bolstraat had been empty or occupied with only a couple of customers. It was all very quiet. We opened the door to Warung Spang Makandra and found a small, cramped restaurant full of diners. The place was buzzing and a smiley face came towards us and asked if it would be ok to come back in ten minutes. Yes, of course, we said as walked backwards to the door. We're not going to miss out now, I thought.

Once seated, more people came into the restaurant. Everyone was greeted with friendliness and the menu listed the roti we had come to try. A dish of curried meat, potatos and beans, with a boiled egg and flat bread.

Always interested in trying new drinks, I ordered the dawet and an almost-fluorescent pink coconut drink arrived. Unbelievably pink and sweet it worked perfectly with the rich and hearty flavours of the roti. Our food tasted fresh and hot with the chicken tasting of a light curry flavour. It was really enjoyable comfort food and perfect for a winter's night.

We also tried two starters, the satay that came with the plantain was delicious as was a chicken spring roll. Possibly the best spring roll I've ever eaten, although my picture doesn't do it justice.

The roti cost 8 euros each. Warung Spang Makandra has been established since 1978 and according to their menu, is the only original Javanese Surinamese restaurant in Amsterdam.

We were made to feel incredibly welcome and it was a joy to find somewhere so evidently well-loved as this Surinamese restaurant seems to be.

Warung Spang Makandra, Gerard Doustraat 39, (De Pijp) 1072 Amsterdam

If you've had any great eating experiences in Amsterdam, please leave a comment and share your recommendation too.



Happy Eating

Sarah xx

Sarah Agnew Blogger, Modern Bric a Brac | www.modernbricabrac.com

To find out about the best places to eat in Brighton and London plus beautiful places to visit, click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Days Out in London - Sir Elton John's Photography exhibition

The Radical Eye at Tate Modern is an exhibition of photographs from Sir Elton John's private collection and includes some incredible early photography.

Inside the exhibition is a short film where Sir Elton John shares his passion for the photos in the exhibition. It's clear how much they mean to him and why this has motivated him to bring this collection to a wider audience. What was also interesting was checking out where he normally hangs the photos, an apartment he moved to, specifically to house them.

~ Edward Weston 1886-1958, Igor Stravinsky, 1935, Photograph, gelatin silver print on paper,117 x 92 mm, The Sir Elton John Photography Collection, © 1981 Center for Creative Photography, Arizona Board of Regents ~

For me, this exhibition was an absolute must-attend as it includes photographs by Dorothea Lange that have absolutely fascinated me since I first saw them. In particular, Dorothea Lange's photo of the Migrant Mother has had me transfixed since my teens.

~ Dorothea Lange 1895-1965, Migrant Mother, 1936, Photograph, gelatin silver print on paper, 318 x 241 mm, The Sir Elton John Photography Collection ~

Surrounded by her children, her face gaunt, clothes ragged and dirty, she looks past her children into the distance with resignation. The picture shows us the face of hardship, unfiltered. It is at once intimate and yet we, the onlooker, are removed from her struggle. There is no ambiguity in her expression, her predicament cannot be misread and it had an immediate impact. Published within days of being taken, the photo appeared in the San Francisco News and caused an outpouring of aid.

At the time Dorothea had not asked the migrant mother her name and although the photo's release resulted in aid to the temporary camp the family had been staying in, the migrant mother had already moved on.

Sir Elton John it seems was equally fascinated by Dorothea Lange and bought a copy of this photo plus some others that she took around the same time. There's the picture of the bread line, the queue of motionless, mostly men, packed together that fill the frame. Only one man faces the direction of the lens. His face is closed as he waits, he holds an empty cup in two hands, his eyes hidden by the rim of his hat. They are waiting for a hand-out at the White Angel soup kitchen.

Motivated to capture the struggle that affected so many during the Great Depression, Dorothea joined the Farm Security Administration and travelled the country documenting the plight of those suffering economic hardship.

Another photograph I was keen to study close up was the photo of Gloria Swanson's face covered in black lace. Looking back at the lens through a veil of black lace it is a stunningly beautiful photograph. Her thin eyebrows identify the decade as the 1920s. Framed by Sir Elton John in an art deco gold frame, the photograph is a jewel shining out its gold frame.

~ Man Ray 1890-1976, Glass Tears, 1932, Photograph, gelatin silver print on paper, 229 x 298, The Sir Elton John Photography Collection, © Man Ray Trust/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2016 ~

While I was there I discovered something new about Tate Modern. An incredible view. Previous to this visit I'd enter via the enormous ramp, head to the bottom and turn left into the galleries on the side closest to the Southbank. The Radical Eye took me right and I found not only the exhibition but a lift that took me to a rooftop where I found fabulous views across London.

The exhibition runs until 21 MAY 2017

Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG, price £16.50, click on the link for a full list of prices.

With thanks to Tate Modern for my complimentary ticket.

I hope you enjoy your visit,

Best wishes

Sarah xx

Sarah Agnew Blogger, Modern Bric a Brac | www.modernbricabrac.com

To find out about the best places to eat in Brighton and London plus beautiful places to visit, click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Days Away - Remarkable Women of Amsterdam

A golden beam of light shines once a year on the spot where the wife and muse of Rembrandt was buried; an arched doorway, one woman's private entrance to the old church has her name inscribed above it; a portrait of three regentesses hangs over a grand mantelpiece and an exclusive women-only square from the middle ages that offers a tranquil sanctuary for single women to this day.

As I explored the city of Amsterdam these stories and a few more revised my impression of the city's history.

Before my visit, all I'd known were the stories of the busy, bustling burgomasters. The ones that had built the big houses on the Herengracht and were painted by the Dutch Masters in large groups. Even today they still seem ready to jostle and talk, as they stand in their group portraits at the Rijksmuseum and Hermitage. The portraits are so alive they look like photos, individual likenesses captured, full of vitality and energy, but women they are not.

Women have a habit of getting pushed out of history. Recently I heard it said that women of the Obama administration noticed that their ideas were being taken over by men, so they came up with a plan to support each other in order to be heard, known as the amplification strategy. It makes me wonder how much more difficult it must have been in the past.

For this reason I'd like to dedicate this blog post to women of Amsterdam who have managed to leave their mark.

A little arched doorway still exists in the main part of Oude Kerk (the Old Church) that leads directly into a private home. This is where Barendina Maria Bijtelaar lived until she died in 1978. She had dedicated her life to researching the lives of the people who had been buried in Amsterdam's oldest church. The church floor is covered with 2,000 gravestones, marking the spot where 12,000 people were buried from the middle ages until 1866 when the practice was stopped. Although privileged to access the church by her own private entrance and have her name inscribed above the door she was not given permission to be buried in her beloved church.

Saskia - Wife and Muse of Rembrandt

Discovered by Barendina, mentioned above, Saskia van Uylenburgh was the first wife and muse of Rembrandt van Rijn. She died at the young age of 29 years and Rembrandt had her buried in the Old Church. The whereabouts of her grave was lost to history for hundreds of years until Barendina Maria Bijtelaar discovered where she had been buried. Every year at exactly 8:38 am on March 9 a golden beam of morning light falls on this spot and touches her grave. In commemoration of the lives of Saskia and Rembrandt a celebration of music and talks are held annually on this day. In 2016 Art Dealer and Historian Jan Six discussed the relationship between Rembrandt's family and his works, specifically the portrait of Saskia which now hangs in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Kassel.

The Begijnhof and the Medieval Sanctuary

Oh! Would I love to show you pictures of this peaceful place. I took quite a few. In the centre of Amsterdam you can access this courtyard through an archway from a pedestrianised square. Once in the square the houses mirror the ones along the main canals. A hotchpotch of heights, with ornamental gables, white window frames and brick houses. In the centre is a small lawned area with a path all the way around. On two sides there is a barrier that restricts access to only those that live there. As I stood looking at the scene I noticed a couple of times a solitary lady would enter the square before quietly disappearing into one of the houses. I was so intrigued. Then as we were leaving we came across a notice that explained a bit about its history. Originally set up by a group of pious Catholic single women who performed good works without taking monastic orders, the square was lived in by Beguines until the last died in 1971. Since then the Begijnhof Foundation has ensured it remains exclusive to 93 women. Underneath this notice was a request to refrain from taking photos.

Clara, Agatha and Elisabeth - The Three Regentesses

Follow me next to the Rijksmuseum where I found a portrait of three ladies that stood out to me because of the unusual nature of the painting. Given a prominent position above a marble mantlepiece this portrait of three women from the seventeenth century sit in positions of authority just like their male counterparts. Normally portraits of women from this period are companion pieces to portraits of husbands or they are depicted in morality pictures as drunk with their boobs hanging out or looking meek as industrious house maids and mothers. None of these are positions of authority in their own right. The three regentesses, however, did hold positions of authority, as governors to an asylum that cared for lepers and other poorly afflicted. Painted by Ferdinand Bol in 1668, they confidently look out to meet our gaze.

She Story at De Bijenkorf

In the windows of the very posh department store De Bijenkorf that sells Hermes, Cartier and Tiffany, a short video on a loop shows women of different ages in the act of self-expression. Stuck to the glass were the words She Story and in the other windows mannequins and photos showed stylishly dressed women. I looked at this and wondered what was its point. Were they showing how women are portrayed today? So I looked it up online and discovered it's part of a campaign to support women entrepreneurs. They want to provide a platform for women and their talents. Women who make products that deserve more attention and to offer ambitious local women entrepreneurs in Holland a chance to make their dreams come true. The winners will have their products temporarily sold in a De Bijenkorf store with publicity through their website, social media and in store.

The final female story I saw was less than heart warming. Outside the Oude Kerk, situated on the edge of the red light district were the windows where women stand to make a living. Looking in I noticed the fresh face of a young girl, maybe in her late teens. She looked out at the street, framed by her soft black hair, she looked expectant, apprehensive, vulnerable. How could she not? This was the second time I saw a notice asking visitors not to take photos. This time I hadn't even tried.

Places Visited

Oude Kerk, Oudekerksplein (de wallen), Amsterdam

Marinus Boezem art exhibition runs to 26 March 2017, Price  €10 

Begijnhof 29, 1012 WT Amsterdam

Rijksmueum, Museumstraat 1 Amsterdam, Price  € 17.50

De Bijenkorf, Dam 1, 1012JS Amsterdam
She Story registration has ended. From Friday, March 31 films of all winners will go live.

Come back next week to find out about another remarkable woman, Dorothea Lange at Tate Modern plus a blog post with some great eats in Amsterdam.

Best wishes

Sarah xx

Sarah Agnew Blogger, Modern Bric a Brac | www.modernbricabrac.com

To find out about the best places to eat in Brighton and London plus beautiful places to visit, click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin