Morning Glory Give-Away

YES!
The Morning Glory flowers are through! Hurray!
I've been taking lots of photos of the trumpet flowers as they emerge, so will have a lovely selection to put up here.
And as I thought, they began to come out the very day after I last posted. The flowers are white with a delicate blue veining through them; the 'tricolour' species.
We're getting at least one a day flowering now. Brightening up the gloomy grey mornings. It will be sad when they stop, and die back. As annual plants, once they've finished flowering, that's it! Off into the compost bin.

Morning Glory Give-Away

Well the good news is that there are LOTS of flower buds showing through on my Morning Glory plant; and 4 are about to burst forth at any moment!
I've taken some photos of the buds, and hoping that I'll be able to catch the flowers as they emerge. It would be terrible to miss them, after waiting all these months.

Once the flowers are out, the photos will be put up here! I can hardly wait!
Maybe tomorrow?

'Jack Scout'

On Saturday we went to Silverdale, on Morecambe Bay, to see an outdoor performance called 'Jack Scout'.
The performance included, dancers; singing; music; and a one and a half hour walk through the local landscape. This walk travelled over the limestone pavement (passing by glacial erratics) then we wound our way down to Morecambe Bay, and walked on the sands.
Morecambe Bay is a treacherous place, and we had a health and safety warning before we set off. A few years ago, a number of Chinese cockle-pickers drowned in Morecambe Bay. The performance included being handed a cockleshell right at the end, to take home.

A 'memento mori' of those who have lost their lives on the shifting sands of Morecambe Bay.

At the end, Jon and I were silent; both quiet after the journey we had taken. We remained quiet, for some time after, trying to take in what we had experienced.
For the performance wasn't about us sitting passive in a theatre; we had participated in it; the artists looked at us; we looked back at them; it was direct, immediate communication. We had been blown about in the wind, just like the dancers, singers, musicians.
We had all shared our resources; shared a grapefruit together as sustenance.
We had shared a vision of the landscape, opened up to us through the intervention of the performers.

It was remarkable; and we will look out for other environmental performances by the same team.

It is created by Sap Dance and Louise Ann Wilson Company, and runs from 18-26 September 2010

You can find out about 'Jack Scout' by going to bit.ly/JackScout

Duggleby Howe

On our recent visit to the east coast Jon and I visited Duggleby Howe, a large green 'hump' in the landscape. We drove past it at first, then had to retrace our steps.

Julian Cope writes in his book 'The Modern Antiquarian',

'Excavations in 1890 revealed that the mound was built above a rectangular rock-cut shaft ten feet deep. No burial was discivered, but a large double grave of ten bodies was found in a central pit-grave, along with a fine flint knife, stone arrowheads, and bone pins. Later, fifty Beaker cremations were inserted into the mound alongside more bone pins and arrowheads.

Duggleby used to be surrounded by a deep ditch and high bank so large that the local B1253 now cuts right through it.'

Morning Glory Give-Away

Playing some more with the macro setting on my camera, I took this photo of the Morning Glory plants growing in a pot in my garden.

As the weather is getting much colder, (and the weather forecast says to expect frosts soon!) I thought it would be a good idea to bring the pot inside; so it's sitting in my conservatory, with clumps of what I hope will be flowers!

The news on the give-away front is disappointing. A lot of plants have been eaten by....something? My suspicions are blooming slugs. They seem to adore Morning Glory plants. So the book I'm planning to create, is losing pages, fast! I've suggested to people that they could make drawings or collages to include in the book. See how folk run with that idea.

On the plus side; I put in some Passion flower seeds (a whole packet!) and got 3 plants come up....at least I think they're Passion Flowers?

These are now safely in the conservatory with the Morning Glory, so kept nice and safe from the outside elements.

Onward marches Autumn, soon followed by Winter; so I'm going to spend the season completing the projects I started over the course of year. Still on with the knitting. Lots to do.

Flamborough, South Landing

On Bank Holiday Monday we visited Flamborough for the day. It was lovely and sunny; very bright sun, though there was a strong wind coming from the sea.
It was wonderful to be beside the sea again.



A sculpture made form the rocks at South Landing.

The limestone cliff.

A rock pool from Flamborough's South Landing.

Autumnal Day

Today has been a very autumnal day; the morning was misty, and damp. It's warmed up, with snatches of sunshine this afternoon, and become one more indian summer's day.

The poppies from my garden shown in this photo, are long gone.
The summer has ended; the nights are drawing in and getting darker earlier. Soon be time to turn on the fire, and get out the woollies to wear.
The wheel of the year has moved on, and we're approaching the Equinox; the time of equal light and dark. After that, we'll be hurtling towards the dark of winter.
Well, these poppies are a memory of the summer.

Thirty Year Old Patchwork

This is a photograph of the patchwork I hand sewed more than 30 years ago.
It remains a 'working document'! as I have to replace squares when they become threadbare. The sewing never ends!
Earlier in the year I sewed another sheet onto the back of it, using my mum's 70 year old sewing machine. This is the result. A working patchwork for the bed.

The High Peak

This is a sculpture of Brigantia, on show in Castleton Tourist Information Centre, which houses a museum.
The information about it says that it was found near Russett Well, and is thought to be connected to the practices of fertility.
It dates from approximately 1000 years B.C.E., and had been used as part of a garden wall!
I took this photo because I'm fascinated by ancient carvings; by archaeology; and by ancient belief systems.
This particular sculpture also resonated for me, because the Brignatian tribes-people were found in West Yorkshire, where I live, and where I come from.

The High Peak

This is a gravestone found in the churchyard at Castleton. It looks as if it is that of a man who was a mason.
There are many masonic symbols; the set square and compass; the eye and sunrays coming from it; the moon; the key; the stars, including the Star of David.

The High Peak

In the mouth of the cave called 'The Devil's Arse' (or more politely 'Peak Cavern'!) was the remnants of the ropemaking industry in Castleton.
A handmade rope for use as a washing line was given to all new brides, right up until the 1970's when the last ropemaker retired.

The High Peak

Rose Cottage Tea Room in Castleton is part of a cruck barn built around 1450.

When we went for some dinner there, we found some information about its' history in the menu. The waitress very kindly gave me a copy, when she saw me copying it out. It reads;

'Rose Cottage is built on an ancient track that was used by people from the village of Edale. They used it when they walked to Castleton Church for services, or to bring their dead for burial. It was the custom to keep one of the doors at Rose Cottage unlocked as it was the legal right of way, existing from at least the C12th until the 1970's when it was legally closed.

The North Door of the church, or the Devil's Door, was the entrance by which the people from Edale, living and dead, entered the church. Until Edale became a parish separate from Castleton, church goers had to walk the 3 mile track over Hollins Cross, down the hollow way, along Hollowford Lane, round the back of Millbridge Farm, over the river, and then through what is now Rose Cottage.

The coffin party entered the church through the narrow gap, the Devil's Entrance. The coffin party would have paid a toll to enter the churchyard. Only some people from Edale were allowed to enter the North Door, lepers from the leper hospital which was situated somewhere on Hollowford Lane or just over the ridge in Edale, were restricted to the churchyard.'