Unidentified

In an earlier post I mentioned the sought-after "entomological range" made by the firm of Bling & Sons, who used to have workshops and retail outlets in the North Hertfordshire towns of Stevenage, Hitchin, and Baldock.  I came across the remains of this rather battered presentation box in a local junk shop, and it has some characteristic Bling features but, sadly, lacks any identifying label.

One thing you will definitely have noticed however, is the way it makes use of the embroidered wasp motif of the Great Wasp Scroll, now held in the British Hymenopterological Institute.  Of uncertain origin, but most likely from the Far East, it has been argued that the 8-foot Great Scroll is not a coherent work, in itself, but in fact a sort of scrapbook assemblage made by some wasp-obsessed noble or scribe.  To date, the appliquéd gold seal remains unidentified.

(detail)

Listen, you do realise I make this stuff up, don't you?  Or  to be more accurate, that there are now two sorts of post in this blog: truthful words and sincerely-held opinions accompanied by truthful, "straight" photographs, and invented words to go with invented pictures – little games with genre and discourse – for your enjoyment and amusement.  Of course you do.  Just checking.

However.  I am appreciative of the little band of loyal and long-standing visitors to this blog, most of whom are unknown to me, other than as a city name in Google Analytics (Hi there, Seattle, Seabrook, and San Diego! You, too, Auckland, Melbourne, and Sydney!).  It would be a shame if this tack in my direction of travel were to alienate that loyalty.  So, if you truly, madly, deeply hate these bare-faced lies fictions, visual and verbal, do let me know.  Some familiar city-zens have dropped off, or fallen much lower down on my list of visitors.  If you're uncomfortable going public in the comments, an email would be great (see the "Complete Profile" above right).  I have been tempted by the idea of starting a new, parallel blog, and that might be a solution.

And, while we're on the subject of audience, can I make my periodic appeal that, if you like what you see and read here, you might want to share the good news on social media?  Below each post there is a row of buttons for that exact purpose – why not use them once in a while?  Thanks!