The Frumplingtons

‘Passing barges’ by Gary Cartwright shows a pair of brightly painted narrowboats in Lincoln.

When the picture was first painted is something we’re still trying to find out. The artist might have painted it in the 1990s, using old photographs as inspiration; or he could have created it in the 1890s. The funnels indicate that the barges are steam-powered, so presumably the setting is late Victorian at the earliest. Barges do still pass through Lincoln, but these days they usually run on diesel. A few other things have changed since the picture was painted. For a start, the council have mended the fence. Oh and they’ve changed some of the riverside illumination; gone and put that new-fangled electric lighting in, so they have. It’ll never catch on, you mark my words.

A bigger version of above pic now available for viewing at our jigsaw gallery.

Ten minutes ago, we got started with a new puzzle: a historical map of the world. As Shana observed: “Today, Lincoln: tomorrow, the world!” Yes, but what then? Not, I hope, a detailed chart of the stars in the northern hemisphere. You can just imagine that, can’t you? — “I’ve got a piece of sky here,”…”Oh, what a coincidence. So have I.” No, I think I’ll pass on that, if you don’t mind.