Decisions, decisions.

Now that's what I call a sign. If you're wondering we plumped for a spot of lunch at the Partridge in Singleton after completing our six mile walk. Have a great weekend folks.

Arilx

 

Stone bothering

We chose to do something a bit different for this holiday and do a spot of island hopping. I've always had a yen to go to Anglesey and David felt the same about the Isle of Man so it made sense to combine the two and go away for a bit longer. I haven't been presented with an opportunity to do some intense stone bothering since we went to Orkney way back in 2015, but this trip more than made up for it🪨🪨

Our usual approach when we're away is to spend the first day doing something which doesn't ask too much of us and gives us a chance to find our feet somewhere new and rest up after travelling. Often it'll be a National Trust place or like this time a local gentle walk which leads out from the front door of where we were staying. The intention is that it's relaxing rather than taxing, but I might have got a tad excited when I came across the Bodowyr burial chamber in a local farmer's field. Like the others coming up it's Neolithic, but all you're seeing here are some of the remaining central stones. This one has never been excavated and I rather like to think that hopefully the person for whom it was intended is still quietly resting in peace.

I wasn't very calm either when we stumbled across this massive standing stone lurking in the hedge. It was much taller than me. David knew it was there, but as usual I hadn't bothered looking at the map or the route. Some things don't change😀

The one below is Bryn Celli Ddu which is the only one on Anglesey which is aligned with the rising sun at Midsummer. The earth mound was reconstructed during the 1920s and it was found to have a patterned stone [no longer there] plus its very own single standing stone inside. I've been in a few of these in my time, but have not encountered that particular variation before.

On our final day here we thought that we might pop into Barclodiad Y Gawres, but disappointingly my info was out of date and they only offer a few guided tours during August these days to stop vandalism. However, the universe was on our side and it was open to the public for a single heritage day. The date was 13th...definitely lucky for us! It meant that I could see the famous patterned stones inside at close quarters. They were done by pecking at the surface with quartz pebbles and hammer stones.

Once on the Isle of Man David put an extra loop onto our planned wander which meant I could take in King Orry's Grave. This is the largest megalithic site on the island, but nowadays it sits divided between two sites split asunder by modern housing and a road. It was still impressive though.

Unlike Orkney neither of these islands seemed to have many stone circles. We did climb up to Mull Circle enroute to another destination, but a closer examination showed it to be nothing like any other stone circle I've ever seen and believe me I've been to a few. Whilst going round I commented to David that they looked more like Bronze Age burials. As it turns out this is precisely what the monument is...six pairs of cists formed into a circle. Every time I visit a new site there's more for me to learn. 

This final stone was an unplanned for extra. We disembarked from the ferry at Heysham and dropped in for a quick wander round the village before travelling again. The local church was open and I met my first ever Viking hogsback grave marker. Seeing one has been on my wish list for ever, but you need to be up north or in Scotland to find them. This particular 10th century one was found buried when the church was being extended in 1812. This fact alone has meant that it's now the best preserved one in the country. There's something rather pleasing about seeing all that Pagan imagery within the context of a Christian setting.

More adventures to come.

Arilx

Weekend vibes

Happy weekend folks. Look forwards to catching up with you all next week when I'm home.

Arilx

 

Sundown

 This was whilst I was out on a bat and moth walk last Friday. Stunning💛🧡

I shall be conspicuous by my absence for the next week or so. David and I are going off to have some mild adventures!

Arilx

A Medieval Lunch Break

When I am out with Mythago there is very little free time to look around the events we're performing at. Over the bank holiday weekend we were back dancing at the Medieval festival over at Michelham Priory. I had 45 minutes for a whistlestop tour and no time to chat to the re-enactors bar the owner of the cat. This is Biscuit who is very happy on her lead. She's a friendly puss, but was keen to be put down and get exploring🐱 I took the decision to snatch some photos whilst passing which will capture the flavour of the day and leave me with some lovely memories. 

These two were just comparing notes on their weapons of choice as you do when you're both dressed in mail and wearing helmets.

This three legged pot is called a pipkin. I only know this because the mudlarks are always finding the legs of them on the Thames foreshore.

This is the only image from the inside of the priory. I have walked through the crypt numerous times, but unusually for me apparently not looked up. It came as quite a surprise to see this fellow looking decidedly out of sorts above me.

It truly is a special event with a very relaxed feel to it. It is definitely on my list of favourites that we do. Here's hoping that we might be invited back again next year. After five years [and a previous two year stint prior to that] I recently stood down as the secretary for the side. I felt that I had given my best and it was the right time to pass the reins on to a new candidate. I can now just turn up and enjoy it without having any responsibility for organising anything😁

Arilx

Second Hand September

I am reliably informed that we're now in Second Hand September....we have no such thing in this household because every month is pre-loved either receiving or giving away stuff. Having never been a very good capitalist I am much more of a circular economy kinda gal and seeing the damage rampant consumerism is doing to the planet I'll stick in my lane thanks. This lovely pair of china wrens were made by a potter on the Isle of Scily so their previous owner told me...note the use of the word 'previous' for now they have come to live with me and join my much loved wren which was the first present David bought me way back in 1990. I now have my very own chime of wrens💙

Arilx

!!!

!!! 

The exclamation mark is a particular favourite punctuation mark of mine. You can use it in a myriad of ways to convey different effects and emotions when writing. It's not new. Indeed it's been kicking around since the 14th century when the Italian poet Iacopo Alpoeio da Urbisaglia put it to good use following his frustration over the issue of people reading emotional passages with all the emotion of a dead fish. It is supposedly derived from the Latin exclamation for joy io which would be put at the end of sentences. Gradually over time the o became denote as a dot with the i becoming the line above it....or so the story goes!

Arilx

Welcome September

 I should like to welcome my favourite month with an appropriate moth. The September Thorn.

Arilx

You've been reframed.

Since he could first read and write TYM has had a love of maps. This has come straight from my Dad and David. Right from the get go he would draw maps to relax and pore over atlases and even to this day his extensive geographical knowledge and love of exploring is very much at the core of who he is. I don'y suppose many six year old boys had their cupboard doors decorated with huge painted maps they'd done themselves. Nowadays he uses these skills to plan walks which he leads for the walking group he's a member of. I stumbled upon this rather lovely map of Middle Earth that he drew as a young teenager tucked away in a folder when I was decluttering. I felt like it should be out where I can enjoy it so picked up a cheap frame from the charity shop which I've redone black and painted on with LOTR runes so that it is in keeping with the theme.

Hope you have a fab weekend

Arilx

 

Tales from the abbey part 3.

 The last of my summer's abbey visits and this time it was Sherborne which is built out of the most fabulous honey coloured sandstone. As ever I have mainly snapped the details which caught my eye as we wandered around with any additional information included where appropriate.

There are hundreds of years between these two stained glass windows, but each are stunning. Am loving those medieval hats....wonder what they'd make of our fascinators or the bucket hat😂

Small inclusions like the rings on this lady's fingers give us an insight into the fashions of the time and how those who could afford it were wearing their jewellery.

The carving of this cranberry glass rederos is next level. It was done by Laurence Whistler in 1968 and it bears a second look because the engraving is incredible. Those angel wings💗

People often quip that nothing is new. Flooding has been around since the time of Noah [allegedly] and this report gives a full account of one such incident in 1709. There's a goodly crop of long ss in there.

Misericords are always fascinating for the spectrum of material they record. I feel blessed to have seen examples showing everyday life, folklore and religious scenes, but the first one has me foxed. There is little doubt about the second one...it looks like one of the young monks has stepped out of line and boy is that cudgel going to hurt!!

Looking at this you might imagine that you are looking at a bone skull. It is actually carved from sycamore by Martin Turner, but the abbey is famous for housing two sets of bones....

These skeletons are believed to be the remains of King Ethelbald and King Ethelbert. They were the older brothers of Alfred the Great. I do feel that Alfred's family have been following me around this year as I have encountered his jewel in Oxford, his son and daughter in Romsey, his grandson in Malmesbury and himself in Winchester. Only this week have I found that we have a local connection to him because his father Ethelwulf died and was buried in the original wooden Saxon church in Steyning in 858AD.His body was later transferred to Winchester. The whereabouts of father and son are no longer known. Funny old world isn't it.

There are no more plans to visit any abbeys, but plans can change....

Arilx

Eggcellant

I have had the recent pleasure of walking up on the South Downs with my friend Siobhan.and her gorgeous staffie Buster. I always say it, but it's true that I always see something new and unexpected. This is this walk's little gem.

Arilx

The Artists' Garden

If you find yourself using the Temple underground station and with a bit of free time do check out the roof. Upon it is the only sculpture garden exclusively featuring work by women artists. It isn't chock-a-block with pieces, but I enjoyed what was on display and it's free.

In my experience London never disappoints. I love stumbling across the unexpected as much as seeing what I have planned on my visits up into town. Hope you have a cracking weekend.

Arilx

 

It's not just an illusion

My love affair with the work of Maurits Cornelis Escher started with this beautiful picture of the hands drawing one another when I saw a copy of it hanging on my parents' friend's wall as a child. It gave me an enduring fascination with the art of optical illusion of which this artist was the maestro. Some of his incredibly detailed pieces are achieved by means of linocut or woodblock... just deciding what needed to be removed to achieve his desired outcome just blows my mind. He was the master of tessellation and had an incredible understanding of how persepective works. Let's be honest...this is the man whose work seems to prove that water could run uphill for goodness sake! The beauty of going to an exhibition showing his work is that you come away with a far greater understanding of the breadth and skill [even though this is someone else's choice of what you see] of a person's work. I am so pleased that my friend, Lovely Grey, suggested that we go and I hope that this selection of photos gives an idea of just how ridiculously talented Escher was.

Arilx