The Golden Hour

“Once in a golden hour,
I cast to earth a seed,
And up there grew a flower,
That others called a weed.”

— Alfred Lord Tennyson

Photographers make much of the golden hour and with good reason. You just need to look out of your window shortly after sunrise or coming up to sunset to see the marked difference in the light. Often it is not convenient to grab your camera and go outside (work getting in the way is often the problem here) and I have to confess I'm really not a morning person!

This week however we are on holiday on our beloved Isle of Wight with the opportunity to breathe, relax, and, of course, get out with the camera.

Monday evening we headed off to Newtown, one of my favourite places on the Island. One of my best friends lived here when I was a child and we spent a lot of time round the quay and the creeks, wallowing in the very stinky mud when the tide was low and swimming off the quay at high tide.

I was really surprised as I got older to discover that herons are grey, and it was only coming back to the island that I realised that what I thought were herons as a child were, in fact, egrets.

and of course there were the ubiquitous black headed gulls looking dapper with their bright red legs and matching bills!

We crossed over the footbridge to access the quay where a pair of swans were catching the light

then walked back passed the disused oyster beds

Where I noticed the sun illuminating these marsh plants

I have taken numerous picture of Newtown over the years but none at the is time of day - the difference the light makes is amazing! Have a good week, and see you soon!

I have taken numerous picture of Newtown over the years but none at the is time of day - the difference the light makes is amazing! Have a good week, and see you soon!

In the Summertime

“Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon”

— Cecil Day Lewis

You may have noticed I have been missing from the blogging world for a couple of weeks, several reasons for this. Firstly we have had lots of visitors, secondly the weather really has been too nice to spend much time sitting indoors at the computer, and thirdly we are in the process of trying to sell out home of thirty plus years and move to the city for our retirement, which, as many you will know, is an extremely stressful and time consuming activity!

this week I did manage to get ten minutes with my camera between meetings at the beautiful Hilliers Gardens in near Romsey - the English Country Garden, what better way to celebrate summer?

There was plenty of variety to choose from, I loved the soft greens and gold here

and I loved the grandeur of this artichoke flower

There were insects aplenty

butterflies and bees

Plants with defined structure

Plants that blended and melded with each other and the 'art in the garden'

and finally my absolute favourite, the burning pink heart of summer ( no idea what it is!)

Hope you are all enjoying your summer wherever you are!

Photo Heart Connection June

This month my Photo Heart Connection comes from our recent trip to New York where one of the highlights of our stay was a Sunday morning walk along the High Line, the old elevated railway in Manhattan that has been turned into a beautiful park and public space. I will get to my photo heart connection photo in a little while as it comes at the end of our walk, but first I would like to give you a feel for the High Line.

I was particularly impressed by the landscaping and planting

and the juxtaposition of nature and industry

There was the odd view of an iconic building in the distance

some sculpture

people having lunch

or having their wedding photos taken

and pleasing views at different points

But the moment that really made my soul sing was when I spotted this beautiful butterfly right in the middle of Manhattan

It was particularly exciting as we don't get butterflies this big in England, the recent pictures I took of butterflies like this were in the zoo!

It felt such a special thing to happen on the last full day of our visit to NYC, and it even hung around for ages so that I could take lots of pictures

Thanks to Kat Sloma for starting the Photo Heart Connection - do pop over and check out this months posts

We're Going to the Zoo - The Animals

My first visit to London Zoo was in the 1950s when the Zoo’s main purpose was to provide a spectacle for the public with a bit of education thrown in. Therefore I was able to take full advantage of all the non PC facilities on offer; camel rides, elephant rides and of course, the chimpanzees tea party. This was eventually discontinued in 1972 when it was realised that the chimps were reluctant to give up their celebrity status and retire out out the limelight, making them rather difficult to handle like many another spoiled celebrity thrown upon hard times.

Today london Zoo is rather an odd place. They are of course in the forefront of modern zoological thinking when it comes to habitat etc but are somewhat disadvantaged by the number of listed buildings on site. Of these the only one still used for its original purpose is the Giraffe house which opened in 1835

A more recent arrival is the pygmy hippo - I don't remember seeing those as a child

The penguins are always a star attraction at any zoo and at Regents Park they had their own specially designed Modernist pool. When they were removed from this recently so it could be refurbished it was discovered that they did much better in a more natural habitat so 'Penguin Beach' was created.

The original pool, which is grade 1 listed, has been turned into a water feature.

Some of the newer areas include walk through aviaries and it's good to be able to get close up without wire or bars in the way.

But the end of the day all the animals are captive, even though their captivity may enable others of their species to roam free in their natural habitat in the future, and they are behind bars.

Till next time x

We're going to the Zoo - Butterfly House

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

— Nathaniel Hawthorne

Last Sunday I visited London Zoo, I hadn't been for a while, around 18 years in fact, when we took our son. The zoo has changed a lot over the years and I shall say more about that in a future post. For now I will just say that the reason I was at the zoo was because the visit was part of a two day travel photography course that was a birthday present from my husband.

The post gives you a quick look into the 'Butterfly Paradise' exhibition.

This photo was taken with my 55-250cm zoom lens but I soon changed to my 50mm prime lens having left my macro at home. Most of the other shots were taken at f1.8 for those who are interested in the technical details.

There were lots of brightly coloured platforms to attract the butterflies,

but I thought they looked best on a more natural background.

and this was one of my favourites, which is yours?

See you back here soon!

Photo Heart Connection April

My Photo Heart Connection for this month is this picture of a Pasque flower from our garden

Early in April I went into the garden and took pictures of the flowers that were out. One of the reasons for doing this is that we are about to put our house on the market and move from the country into the city. This will be a big adventure for us, we have lived here in this beautiful, quiet, spot for over thirty years and have been lucky to have a large garden that has presented many photographic opportunities.

We will almost certainly have a small courtyard garden in the city which I will like, but which will be very different, so I am savouring my garden and its flowers while I still have it.

Oo see the other Photo Heart connections for April or to join in click on the badge below

Mottisfont Mists

One Saturday near the beginning of April we decided to visit Mottisfont Abbey, a National Trust property about 25 miles away from home. This is normally a property to visit in the summer as it is the proud possessor of a beautiful walled garden which is home to a stunning collection of old fashioned roses. There was a special reason for visiting now however, in that the gallery was housing an exhibition of Patrick Litchfield photographs - I will be writing separately about the 3 photo exhibitions I have been to recently, so this post will be concentrating on Mottisfont itself.

it was a misty day with a soft light and on and off drizzle, but the trees were spectular

There were statues and magnolias

and in the distance a shepherds hut almost disappearing into the mist

Hidden away was this fabulous mosaic by Boris Anrep one of the artists who used to stay in the house regularly. It is said to be a likeness of the owner Maud Russsell with whom he had a long standing love affair after the death of her husband.

I have always associated the walled garden with the wonderful display of roses you can find there in June, and to be honest I didn't think it would be very interesting in spring. I couldn't have been more wrong.

There were wonderful vistas

stunning Colours - the lilies at the top are Crown Imperials, one of Shakespeare's flowers

blossom bursting forth

trimmed box, and pergolas waiting for summer and the Roses

In all a veritable visual feast - see you next time with the April Photo Heart Connection, then its back to Berlin!

Spring is Sprung

“De spring is sprung, de grass is riz.

I wonder where dem boidies is?

They say the boid is on the wing.

But that’s absoid. The wing is on the bird.”

— Anon

Spring has definitely sprung in my garden and yesterday I went for a walk round to see what I could capture - these are not the only flowers in the garden, but rather the one's whose pictures I liked best.

Pasque flowers are one of my favourite spring flowers. They represent such good value, looking great at every stage of their life cycle from the first feathery leaves that push through the bare earth, to the spectacular seed heads. They're even self seeding and I now have three plants instead of two.

Further on down the garden the first clematis is out, a macropelia of some kind I think; the label is long gone

Surprise flower of the day was this marigold. Self-seeded from two years ago I wouldn't expect to see it before June or possibly May at a push. It certainly makes a splash of bright colour now the daffs are over.

Next up its the japonica, a huge bush. I love the way it starts flowering on the bare stems before continuing to flower against the dark green leaves. Its in the transitional phase at present.

Finally I'm going to share with you my favourite photo from the shoot although its definitely not my favourite plant!

The humble dandelion, growing as usual somewhere it shouldn't, with those pesky long roots that are so hard to get out. Really worth clicking on this to enlarge the image and see the detail - I really hadn't expected it to look so pretty close up!

Thats all for today, hope your garden ( if you have one) has similar treasures, I'd love to know what they are!

Back to Berlin next time!

Postcards from Berlin 2 - I should (ro) Coco

Day two. The weather forecast was set fair so we seized the opportunity for a fresh air experience and set off for Potsdam and the Palace of Sanssouci. the trip involved a 45 minute journey on the S Bahn and I have to say that the Berlin public transport system is just wonderful - so easy to get around. When we arrived a Potsdam the station was modern light and airy with great florists - I particularly liked these arrangements in jars.

Next it was off on the bus to Sanssouci where we were greeted by a flautist emulating the flute playing of Fredrick the Great who built the palace.

Fredrick commissioned the palace in 1745 because he wanted a place to live outside Berlin that was 'without worries" or 'sans souci'. It was to be a refuge from government and court life where he would spend time with music, literature and friends such as Voltaire. For this reason, although architecturally grand, it is a small palace with a mere dozen or so rooms.

Time to join the guided tour or rather tour with handsets for the different languages. Unfortunately they were the sort of handsets you have to hand hold which made listening to the commentary and taking pictures a bit of a challenge - but hey, I managed after a fashion.

This is a detail from one of my favourite rooms. I'm not usually very keen on too much gold but I really liked the gold and white here especially the spider's web

It worked for me in this room too. As you might imagine from the musical theme, concerts were often held here and the whole palace was bright and light

This room had a bit of a jungle theme going on and was, I think, the room (kept missing bits of the commentary due to taking photos) that Fredrick had redecorated as an insult to Voltaire after they fell out.

The last thing you see as you exit the tour is this portrait Fredrick the Great by Andy Warhol. It is based on one displayed in one of the rooms which unfortunately I didn't especially notice.

Back out in the garden it was time to explore the park and I have to say my absolute favourite things were these little pavilions,

first glimpsed through the trees

then come upon in their full glory. It took us ages to work out what these grey boxes dotted all over the gardens were, but we eventually twigged that they are winter sculpture protectors!

Next it was off for a walk round the gardens - Sanssouci is built on a hill on what was a vineyard. The vines are still there and make an impressive picture from the bottom of the hill. I used my iPhone and the XnSketch app to take this photo

Our walk through the grounds took us past the Chinese Tea Pavillion, unfortunately not open until May but a joy to behold.

It was decorated with gilded figures that carried on the musical theme from the house

Even the ducks were mandarin!

There is much more to see and do in Potsdam than we achieved in a fairly short day ( this break was not designed to include early starts each morning!) more palaces to visit, lakes and of course the town itself - I think it's Auf Weidersehen not goodbye!

If its spring again, birds sing again ..........

I suddenly got this tune from my childhood into my head - it's Tulips from Amsterdam sung, if I recall correctly, by Max Bygraves ( just checked it was Max Bygraves). And it led me to reflect on what spring means to me. I think it's the flowers first and foremost, to begin with the aconites and snowdrops, followed by the daffodils and all the flowering trees that have burst on to the scene in the last week.

Even the wild flowers have got going

The second big thing that heralds spring for us is the opening of our tiny place on the Isle of Wight. The first trip of the season is always exciting, checking if there have been any cliff falls and if our favourite shops (especially the fishmonger) are still there. The cliff falls were fairly minor (given the weather we've had) although they were rebuilding some of the beach huts that had been damaged by the storms.

After doing all the chores we went for a drive round - first stop Freshwater Bay where there was a stiff breeze with spray catching the sun over the sea wall

and there was a family having fun laughing at grandpa who was jumping in and out of the waves in his dhoti

Next it was off to Totland where we noticed that this sky above the land was much bluer than the sky above the sea, which was still a bit misty

and there was a fabulous view of the evening sun on the old lifeboat house with the gulls wheeling around it

It was good to be back and breathe in the spring sea air! And just in case you are way too young to have heard this

Little Ladies and Other Animals

Little ladies, white and green,
With your spears about you,
Will you tell us where you've been
Since we lived without you?

You are sweet, and fresh, and clean,
With your pearly faces;
In the dark earth where you've been
There are wondrous places:

Yet you come again, serene,
When the leaves are hidden;
Bringing joy from where you've been
You return unbidden--

Little ladies, white and green,
Are you glad to cheer us?
Hunger not for where you've been,
Stay till Spring be near us!

Laurence Alma-Tadema

I have a tune in my head that goes with this so I think we must have sung it at school! Moving swiftly on, I did not intend to do another post about the snowdrops at Welford Park having majored on them last year. But we went again as I wanted to see them in the sunshine, rather than in the rain and sleet, and amazingly it was sunny last Sunday.

The scent was amazing, so sweet and woody - if you think snowdrops don't have a scent think again!

Snowdrops are not the only thing to be seen at Welford Park though, there are aconites,

bright reflections and Pussy Willow,

dogs,

big and small!

and wonderful wellies!

These were my favourites!

See you next week to welcome in the spring. Yay!

Welcome February

““The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.””

— Gertrude S Wister

The old rhyme goes 'February fill dykes'. Well in the South of England December and January have done that so we are hoping that February won't make a significant contribution! That said we are beginning to see the first signs of spring. The dogwood though, reminds us that winter is still very much with us

But wait, there are definite signs of spring around, in the shops there are daffodils,

in the garden, snowdrops,

The Christmas Roses - late as usual!

and even a shy very early violet peeping through giving a splash of colour

Last February we went to see the snowdrops at Welford Park, it was a horrible sleety day but somehow magical, so I am reposting the short film I made of that day - enjoy1

Welford Park from Barbara Evans on Vimeo.

Photographic Simplicity - Take 2

“As I have practiced it, photography produces pleasure by simplicity. I see something special and show it to the camera. A picture is produced. The moment is held until someone sees it. Then it is theirs.
”

— Sam Abell

Well I did it! just posted day 31 - athough I have to say I don't think I could carry on for another month. The days just after Christmas were the greatest challenge as I could only upload via my iPhone which I found very frustrating.

The weather has been pretty rubbish here heavy rain and gales so it was a bit tempting to keep photographing the Christmas decorations and lights!

though I did come across this little tableaux in the garden which I think of as 'essence of oak'

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.
”

— Lao Tzu

This stick on the dots calendar seems to embody a combination of simplicity and style

Just as this Michelin Man I spotted on a vintage truck at the Christmas Market embodies a simpler bygone age.

Back to the Christmas tree lights, before going outside again to see the leaves under the rose bush

This Buddha was the only picture where I "arranged a set"

The following day I was struck by the light on this hand blown glass ball hanging up in the window and I took a series of photos during the day with the different light and looking in slightly different directions, I chose the simplest to post in the Flickr group

But thought you might be interested in seeing some of the others

“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity”

— Thor Heyerdahl

This one I prepared earlier and sent to my phone so that I could post it on Christmas Day

And this was our Boxing Day walk in the woods

I thought our Norwegian Christmas Cake met the criteria because of its simple shape and simple ingredients; almonds, egg white and icing sugar.

Almost there now, next up was some brollies in Brighton although I don't seem to be able to access the picture I actually posted so this is a similar one

“I am completely attracted to the idea of simplicity, or at least removing things that seem unnecessary when trying to get an idea out there.
”

— Demetri Martin

An almost abstract steamy window - followed by party dresses on a street stall

And finally this is it! Todays post for 31st December 2013 (with a few added words) huge thanks to Kim Manley Ort for setting this challenge and a very happy 2014 to you all - take care and see you next year.

Photographic Simplicity

“Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius.”

— George Sand

This month I have joined a Flickr group called 'Photographic Simplicity' It is the brainchild of Kim Manley Ort and is a public group so you can all join in!

The aim of the Group is to 'remove unnecessary and distracting elements to get to the essence of your subject'

sometimes this seems quite simple, other times you realised you have posted a picture because you just took it and you really like it but it doesn't really meet the criteria. Which I think is true of this next one.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

— Leonardo Da Vinci

Back on track with this though!

I usually fail fairly early on with an of these post a picture a day challenges so I am really proud to have reached day 14 without missing one.

I have to admit though I have cheated just a little bit! I find it really hard to take photos every day especially when I am at work and its dark most of the time when I'm not - I sometimes manage to get out at lunchtime but not always. Also I much prefer taking pictures with my DSLR that my iPhone or iPad.

though sometimes I just spot something that seems to fit the bill and capture it with what I have to hand!

So somedays I take more that one photo which I then use on subsequent days if I don't manage to take one - all photos are new though and taken within the last few days so I hope I can be forgiven.

“Simplicity is the glory of expression.”

— Walt Whitman

The garden has been a great source of inspiration with a few blossoms braving the December chill

I don't particularly plan what to take things just catch my eye like the girders at Waterloo station that I spotted yesterday when I was trying to photograph the crowds and the Christmas tree (which worked well in the end but definitely didn't pass the simplicity test though it could turn up as next years Christmas card!)

Doing this has really made me really think more about the essence of photography - I am often naturally drawn to complex subjects and bright colours so this has given me the opportunity to rethink, and appreciate the simplicity of the monochrome or muted colour.

It's also got me really thinking about light

“The spirit’s foe in man has not been simplicity, but sophistication”

— Georges Santayana

both natural and artificial

so 14 down 17 to go - my feeling is that the challenge will get more difficult as the run up to Christmas gets more hectic, so fingers crossed I manage to keep going!

Autumn Colours - Town and Country

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower”

— Albert Camus

I have been busy photographing the autumn colours over the last week or so, they are just about at their peak now and really rather wonderful this year. It's not the same every year, some times the leaves just seem to dry up and fall off the trees with out really turning properly, others they get whipped off the trees by a gale before they reach their full potential.

I am going to share some pictures I took in our garden, in the local woods and finally in Winchester. The home and woods photos have had textures added to them; these are from 2 Lil Owls and I downloaded them on a great deal from Design Cuts

These pictures were taken on a dull, drizzly day, but I have to say tha although I really love the beauty of the muted autumn colours, they are much harder to capture successfully . The top photo here has been popped through Lightroom so is not just as shot; the bottom one has had textures added which have really lifted it.

The contrast is much less marked with these next two and I really like both versions very much.

Off for a walk in the woods now and this time its a bright sunny day, with mid afternoon light and the sun blazing through the leaves.

I really like both versions of the sun on these ferns, the bottom one is the original, which do you like best?

The final photo was taken on the way home as the sun twinkled at us through the taller trees.

This next set of pictures were taken in Winchester last Friday when I popped out for a quick lunchtime photo walk (a rare treat). These have just had my usual Lightroom adjustments - no textures this time. I headed down to the cathedral thinking the trees on the approach would look gorgeous - not so, they had't really changed in colour and had lost many of their leaves. I headed round to the back of the cathedral to see what I could find there. What I found was a hive of activity in preparation for the Christmas Market.

Further on though I noticed something I hadn't spotted before, a Barbara Hepworh sculpture apparently done as an homage to Joan Miro, I thought it look rather fine against the backdrop of autumn leaves.

I also loved the bright blue of this door

Heading back to the office I was struck by this memorial to one of the Riffle brigades emblazoned against the blue sky with the poppy wreaths still at its foot

Nearly back at the office, my final photo opportunity of the day was the Elizabeth Frink Horse and Rider which was in the embrace of a waterfall of brightly coloured leaves.

Hope you have a great week - see you next time X

A Cornish Interlude - Thoughts on the Nature of Beauty

“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul”

— Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

This week's post is part of a brave blogging link-up that's part of Liv Lane's How To Build a Blog You Truly Love e-course. As a participant, I was challenged to step outside my comfort zone and share something with you that felt especially brave.

This is a problem for me as I have just returned from a magical weekend in Cornwall where we went for the weekend to celebrate our fortieth wedding anniversary with friends who were celebrating their fortieth on the same day.

Everything about the weekend was fantastic. The weather was fabulous (sitting out on the terrace in a swimsuit in Cornwall in October!), the hotel as near to perfection as I could ever have imagined and I feel full to the brim with joy and love at the wonderful weekend I experienced.

We have not stayed at many expensive hotels over our 40 years of marriage and I fully realise how lucky I am to have spent a weekend in this wonderful place of both natural and man made beauty. This has lead me to ponder on the nature of beauty itself and the different types of beauty that fill me with joy.

Natural beauty is perhaps the easiest place to start. The hotel had direct views over the beach at Mawgan Porth and the view from our bedroom was just stunning, with the light changing at different times of the day.

The net curtains in the bedroom took on the colour of the sunset and turned from a pale gold into a vivid orange

The design brief of the hotel was 'to create a unique and sustainable building that blends with and enhances the local environment, utilising the spectacular cliff-top location and views to construct a feeling of space and light.' This it has surely achieved. I have not taken photos of the outside of the building as it blends in with the environment rather than standing out as an architectural statement. it is rather the interior and the outdoor landscaped areas which stun with their beauty. The fusion of the hotel with its environment is evident throughout but I loved the outdoor natural swimming pool and the path down to the beach.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the hotel was that there was not one jarring note throughout the place (even the rubbish bins were attractive) and that everything was designed to be brilliantly functional. The chairs were comfortable, the balconies slanted to catch the sun (not always easy on the north coast) the lighting design amazing - I could go on - and all of these areas looked absolutely stunning as well! I'm not sure how beautiful I think things are if they look nice but don't perform the function they were intended to effectively. Something that looks beautiful and is well designed is a joy in all ways.

Another feature of the hotel were the works of art, some of which belonged to the owners and some of which were for sale. My favourite was this angel but there were plenty to choose from.

Most spectacular was the beauty of light and space, whether looking out to nature or in to the building

There are of course other types of beauty than the visual. The beauty of celebrating our 37 year friendship with our co-travellers (we are godparents to each other's children) and of the forty years of love and companionship that we have had as a couple.

I 'm not really sure how much this qualifies as a brave post, but it is what is in my heart this week. I hope you have enjoyed sharing our celebration weekend.

““Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” ”

— Franz Kafka

Gentians on the Isle of Wight?

Last weekend we went for a walk up on Tennyson Down which is one of my favourite places in the world. You walk along an ever narrowing chalk escarpment until you reach the end of the world (or rather the Isle of Wight) at the Needles rocks and lighthouse.

The Wikipedia entry on the Needles Lighthouse tell us the following:

The Needles Lighthouse was built by Trinity House in 1859 on the outermost of the chalk rocks near sea level. Designed by James Walker, it cost £20,000. Constructed from granite, it stands 33.25 metres (109.1 ft) high and is a circular tower with straight sides.

It replaced a light tower on top of a cliff overhanging Scratchell's Bay, which was first lit on 29 September 1786. Its height of 144m above sea level meant it was often obscured by fog and sea mists.[1]

In 1987 a helipad was added to the top of the lighthouse, and it became fully automated when the last keepers left on 8 December 1994.[1] One of the last three remaining manned rock lighthouses in England and Wales, before automation it was staffed by a three man crew operating a 24 hour watch, serving one month on / one month off, living in rudimentary conditions in three levels below the light.[2]

When I was a child this was a manned lighthouse without the helicopter landing pad on the top. Early each December there would be a picture in the local paper of the Christmas food going out by boat with the men on the Christmas shift. It must have been a very tough life!

In the middle of the down, on the highest point, lies Tennyson Cross, a memorial to the great Victorian poet who lived in the lee of the downs towards Freshwater Bay. He was apparently often to be seen striding across the downs in his trademark cloak and hat and is rumoured to have composed some of his greatest work up here

At the bottom of the track that leads from Highdown pit up on to the down there is a visitor information board detailing some of the plants and wildlife one might expect to see. I was astonished to see that one of the plants listed was the gentian which I previously associated solely with alpine regions.

Up on the downs the flora mostly consisted of some small harebells and some kind of thistles, then I spotted them, the English gentians, perhaps not such a brilliant blue as their alpine counterparts but gentian shaped all the same, and just like the picture on the information board !

Continuing our walk towards the Needles we had a wonderful view of my other favourite walk on West Wight, Headon Warren, where the heather was just beginning to turn purple across the cornfields

The shadows on the top picture are of the clouds scudding quickly above the sky and I admit to using a bit of artistic licence (AKA photoshop) on the bottom picture.

The habitat over on the warren is very different, perhaps because the land is slightly less exposed. Instead of the large swathes of springy turf there are tangles of gorse, heather and brambles interlaced with honeysuckle.

The view of the needles is different too, classic but less iconic than when viewed from above.

This walk was one of my sparkling moments last week - I'd love to hear about yours

The Last Party

This week has been all about preparing for our son's 21st party. We are very lucky in that we have a garden that is well suited to summer parties, of which we have had many over the years. When we moved to this house over thirty years ago we used to have a big party every summer and invite everyone we knew. Although we always provided food, in those days we used to rely on our guests to bring their favourite tipple with them, and often close friends would bring a salad or a pudding. In addition to that a gang of close friends used to turn up early to help set up.

We had different themes for the food every year including curries and a number of different types of BBQ. One year for example, we went with a Mediterranean theme - there always seemed to be plenty of people to do the cooking - though I do remember that one year Brian's then boss got stuck with it for ages!

As time went on and we had our son, parties grew less frequent and more formal, focussing on major events. Our 25th wedding anniversary in 1998 was the first time we went the whole hog and hired a marquee for our celebration barn dance ( you really can't rely on the english weather in october!) we choose a harvest festival theme as the church was decorated for harvest when we married and spent hours decorating the tent.

The food had a harvest theme too - I got our local catering college to make this harvest loaf

I don't think this photos have come out badly considering they were pre-digital and had to be scanned in!

After our 25th we had big parties for our 50th & 60th birthdays ( mine was a surprise party organised by my wonderful cousin as I had decided I didn't want to do one for myself) and our son had a birthday party every year until he was 13 (we got very good at making themed cakes - the pirate treasure chest was my favourite) but this week it was time for the last party, our son's 21st.

Looking for a marquee ( people were going to need to sleep somewhere!) I found this wonderful local company who supplied beautiful indian tents including furniture - I just couldn't resist!

From then on the party developed an eastern theme with curries for the food (the only time I've ever repeated myself) and lots of lamps and lanterns adorning the garden - we've collected quite a supply over the years and we bought these Chinese lanterns back from our trip to Vietnam in the spring.

The tent came with its own lantern too

i think we bought these lanterns for the barn dance, or maybe it was my husbands 50th?

So why is this the 'last party'? . A number of reasons I think. For one thing we plan to move in a couple of years after we retire, and we are unlikely to ever again have such a perfect party house. Another reason is that I have been there, done that, and got the T-shirt - several T-shirts in fact! time to do something different. I have also realised that party planning has been a major outlet for my creative energy over the years, but possibly one I don't need any more since I discovered art and photography. Also it's really tiring and we haven't got quite as much energy as we once had. So how are we celebrating our Ruby Wedding which (DV) will happen in October? We are going to a Hotel in Cornwall for the weekend, with friends who are also celebrating their Ruby Wedding - Yay!

In the meantime I will leave you with this image of the clearing up after this week's party - see you soon

Vive La France!

Last weekend we popped over to France. It was actually a 'booze cruise' in that the primary objective (excuse) for going was to buy wine and beer for our son's 21st birthday party next month. Although, as my husband pointed out, it would have been a lot cheaper to save the money we spent on the hotels and meals and buy the booze in our local Tesco.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we can get to France via the tunnel. We left home at 7.15 and we were in the supermarket in Calais buying wine at 12.15 (French time + 1 hour)

Wine bought, we headed along the coast to Boulogne where we were spending our first night. As we headed off to walk along the beach the first thing that struck me was the amount of blue everywhere.

These balls were lining the road in front of our hotel down to the aquarium and the beach. Once on the beach I loved the colourful lines of sand yachts bearing testament to the exposure of the coast line!

After a very windy stroll along the prom, we headed into town to have a look at the shops, passing the fish market which still had a few stalls open.

Reaching the town centre my eye was caught by this antique shop which proved to be a veritable treasure trove of photographic opportunities.

I even ended up buying one of these gorgeous art deco soda syphons

The next morning we visited the Maison de Beuriere a 19th Century fisherman's house which has been furnished in the period and came with a very helpful guide who recommended that we visited the fishermen's memorial on the cliffs above the town. We were unable to enter the chapel but were very moved by the memorial stones which describe the sailors as lost often giving the name of the boat and year rather than the date.

The museum guide had also told us that the fishermen in a neighbouring village were so poor they couldn't afford any kind of home so they built houses using boat hulls for roofs. There is apparently one of the original houses left, but we couldn't find it and had to settle for a picture of the ones they had built in the holiday park!

After a quick lunch it was off to our next destination the Parc du Marquenterre in the Somme estuary. This is a bird sanctuary that we have visited on several occasions but only in the autumn so it was interesting to see what birds were there in the summer. As it turned out the highlights were probably the storks,

some of whom were nesting, and the avocets a beautiful bird I hadn't seen before.

Then off to our hotel in St Valerie sur Somme - I have been trying to book a room in this wonderful gothic pile for years but it's always been full - this year success at last!

Great details and stunning views too! Although sadly our room overlooked the car park.

The next morning it was off to the market to buy some goodies to take home.

If you haven't tried one of these little flat peaches you haven't (if you are a peach lover) lived! Sadly the only place I've seen them in the UK so far is Borough Market which is not very local to us. I also loved the green of the samphire and the attractively displayed waffles

After a traditional lunch in the market brasserie it was time to head back across the channel. But first there was just time to pay a flying visit to the medieval city.

Where we discovered this charming square, full of ancient houses and flowers.

Au revoir till next time!

I Don't Like Pretty!

Well I do really, it's more that it doesn't inspire me, it doesn't make my soul sing. Perhaps to some extent it's a case of familiarity breeding contempt. I am lucky enough to live somewhere where there's lots of pretty, thatched cottages, quaint streets etc. I find I have very little interest in taking photos of them.

Last week I visited Hilliers gardens near Romsey. Sir Harold Hillier was one of those adventurous types who headed for foreign climes to collect new plants and bring them back to the UK. The gardens were looking splendid, absolutely at their spring best, very pretty in fact. The star attraction was the magnolia avenue in glorious full bloom, very pretty indeed, so pretty I took a photo, but I don't like it. The magnolias became a blur of pink and white prettiness and from a distance you can't see the individual blooms (this may just say something about my lack of skill as a photographer of course).

What drew my attention instead was the interaction between the magnolias and the sculptures in the garden, or the white of the magnolia and the intense blue of the sky, the colours, textures and contrasts that capture the essence of the blossom for me. This is what makes my soul sing.

After the gardens I went into Romsey to have a look round. Plenty of pretty to be seen here, houses gardens etc. My eye was drawn to the abbey. Difficult to take a good photo of the outside, couldn't get the perspective, but inside was lovely. So many little details, shafts of sunlight coming through the windows and landing on different objects or parts of the building, but you couldn't call it pretty, glorious is more the word that springs to mind.