ARTISANS ALL?

I have noticed of late that the word artisan is much abused. This word meant to describe a person of great skill in their chosen craft is used by all and sundry weather they be artisans or not.

Let us take for an example the “Artisan Baker”. This title might lead you to suppose that you would be able to purchase a superior product from any establishment employing such a paragon,not so.

Although there are some excellent bakers out there who clearly are artisans there are many others who are not. I have recently been on the receiving end of several of these so called artisan loaves any of which could have been used in a robbery to break a window. One of these horrors, a date and walnut loaf did smell very tempting,unfortunately I had not the strength to cut it . My strong son ventured to slice a couple of pieces and I have to inform you that neither of us could bite a piece off the slice,let alone chew it. Once toasted it became brittle and broke in to shards when hit with a mallet...hum!

Another ,even harder specimen I used to knock in a small nail to hang a picture having attempted to eat a slice of this rock hard menace  to the permanent detriment of my teeth! A third loaf has been out in the orchard for a fortnight,it is still rock hard and has been untouched by either bird nor beast.

This word , artisan,much fondled is being used as a disguise by many a second rate baker, dressmaker,in fact I have found that most people so described are any thing but!

The real trick is of course that by prefixing whatever old tat you are peddling with this word you are at liberty to hike up the price,so that a rock hard inedible loaf can cost as much as three pounds odd, it's ludicrous.

Some years ago the buzz word “Designer” had it's time in the lime light, designer clothes,designer furniture, designer just about every thing else;a totally meaningless use of the word since all these things would,in any case have been designed by some one or another.

We were,of course meant to believe that the clothes,furniture etc. were extra fashionable and that there was a certain éclat in wearing them. What rubbish,and yet millions believed it and bought in to the dream. They even wore their clothes with the labels on the outside so that folks might know that they were wearing a superior garment,that is in my opinion and to coin another buzz word extremely naff!

One night, a few years ago I was at a party, standing next to me was a girl in a black top identical to the one I was wearing. She turned to me and commented on the fact and I announced that I had eight of them all in different colours. She expressed surprise and said that she also would have bought the other colours if they had not been so expensive. She had paid twenty five pounds for a simple black camisole in cotton jersey, where as I had paid eight pounds for eight of the exact same top.

The difference,hers sported a “designer label, mine was purchased at Primark! How foolish.

And now a short poem.

His Lordship, while fixing the electric light

Blew himself up,and serve him right.

For it is the duty of the wealthy man,

To give employment to the Artisan.

Although these day the man who turns up to do the job will more than likely done a two week course some where and is qualified only on paper. End of rant!!