London’s skyline is constantly changing, though perhaps evolving is a better word, as the basics stay much the same. For example, the River Thames – cleaner now than for centuries past – still winds through the middle, for a country-dweller like me providing a breather from the claustrophobic sprawl of the ‘Great Wen’ (pustule), as [...]
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RIVER THAMES OVERFLOWS AT LECHLADE
New Year’s Day was dry and bright for most of the country, making it easy to see the effects of the drenching rain we’ve had over the last month or more. At Lechlade, the River Thames had overflowed into fields south of the town, turning green pastures into an inland ocean. I stopped on the [...]
A BEAUTIFUL BLACK SWAN AT BIBURY
The River Coln attracts much wildlife to Bibury, including the rare black swan in this mini-vid. However, the birds must reckon that tourist offerings make easy pickings, and this creature is no exception. I’ve always taken great care to recall my late Mum’s warning, “Never feed the swans David – they’re bad tempered, and a [...]
WAS WILLIAM MORRIS RIGHT TO CALL BIBURY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE IN ENGLAND?
Well, according to the craftsman-artist William Morris (above) it is – or was, when he was around in the last half of the 19th century. At that time, of course, the village of Bibury was deep in rural England, and the road through it would have been just a muddy trail. Today, Bibury is best [...]
POOHSTICKS: A GAME BORN AT THE HOUSE OF POOH CORNER
I wondered where Poohsticks came from, so I tracked down a copy of The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne, and there on page 91 we find Pooh inventing the game, by accidentally dropping a fir cone off a bridge. The story develops when Pooh, Rabbit, Roo and Piglet are throwing sticks (easier to [...]
INTERNATIONAL POOHSTICKS COMPETITION ON THE RIVER THAMES, NEAR DORCHESTER
The World Poohsticks Championships are held on the Thames at Long Wittenham near Dorchester, just a few miles downstream from Oxford. Winnie the Pooh, a favourite of character of mine since childhood, was written by A.A. Milne and was set loosely in Ashdown Forest in Kent, many miles from here. But no matter, it’s all [...]
A few sketches!
Nothing like using a really soft pencil (4B) on a Spring day! The artistic merits are hardly at Turner Prize levels, though some may not think that’s a bad thing. Still, perhaps by the time this blog trucks through the Thames Valley and on to the North Sea, rusty skills will be honed!
Source of the Thames
A fantastic day’s exploration, and some speed-sketches into the bargain. Watch this space for pix and vids.
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A GYPSY CARAVAN FOR SALE IN THE ENGLISH COTSWOLDS
- A few sketches!
- POOHSTICKS: A GAME BORN AT THE HOUSE OF POOH CORNER
- INTERNATIONAL POOHSTICKS COMPETITION ON THE RIVER THAMES, NEAR DORCHESTER
- Source of the Thames
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