Friday, October 12, 2018

Scenes from the last few days

Last Sunday we walked in Consall Nature Park.

It was sunny but quite cool. It was also a day for spotting fungi.




Earlier in the week we had walked around the lake at Trentham Gardens.

The Great Crested Grebes seem to have had a second brood of chicks. I think they are beautiful birds.

The pair of black swans are nesting in the reeds near the jetty owned by the rowing club.  I hope they manage to rear some young ones.  Of course, being native Australian birds, they nest in the Autumn completely opposite to the white swans.

Lots of fungi here too!

Wednesday was such a lovely sunny day and although there is still such a lot of gardening to do after the removal of three Leylandii trees we needed a day away from it so we drove over to Buxton.

 It is an elegant spa town its skyline dotted with beautiful domes and spires.

 People were out in the Pavilion Gardens having picnics, walking dogs, pushing little ones in buggies all delighted to see the ducks and geese by the lake. Many were still sporting tee shirts and shorts obviously loving the return of warm weather just for one more day.

We walked around the town and looked in the shops and at some of the town's landmarks.

Above is the Grade II listed Victorian post box opposite the Opera House.  It is dated 1866 and is of the Penfold design.

St Anne's Well thermal spring.  There has been a well on this site for centuries.  The edifice above is Grade II listed and was built in 1940.

Our main reason for visiting Buxton was to see two exhibitions.  I couldn't resist taking a photo of the mechanical dragonfly which is in the foyer and shop.

We saw two very poignant and thought provoking exhibitions.  'Lullaby of Larks' which is two artists' thoughts on the findings of the massacre of women and children at nearby Fin Cop over two thousand years ago. I hope to report back on this exhibition but I need to think more about it as it was such a dreadful event - hard to understand and even harder to write about.  Here is a link to the Museum's web page for more information.


The second exhibition is also very poignant as it is of watercolours, sketches and drawings by amateur artist Lieutenant Douglas Marshall Rigby (1891 - 1918).  Again here is a link to the Museum's web pages so you can see some of the artist's work and read about his life.

The strong wind and sleeting rain of today is such a contrast to the warm weather a couple of days ago - a day to linger indoors, to read, write, bake bread and make warming soup for lunch.


45 comments:

  1. I've seen a big increase in Fungi over the past week or so, it's so fascinating. It's good to see the Grebes are doing well, the photo of the 'humbug' is lovely. I'd never heard of Finn Cop and what they found before, it's interesting and I can imagine seeing the exhibition was unsettling?

    On a brighter note, I love the Dragonfly!

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    1. Thank you Pam, the exhibition was thought provoking about events at Fin Cop. I'm assuming the humbug is the second fungi photo as I've also noted what RR said about youngsters so more than one in the photo I didn't know that was what it was called so thank you. The dragonfly was great fun:)

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  2. A great selection of Fungi and lovely photos. I do like the photo of the Grebes - lovely to see the humbug youngsters. Buxton looks a great place to visit - love the Victorian post box - I posted a photo of a similar one I found in Shirley near Solihull on Twitter a few days ago by coincidence :) The well is fascinating - I spotted a book on Amazon the other day about Holy Wells - somehow have to resist temptation as I have bought quite a few books recently and really shouldn't buy or upload any more until I have read at least some of them!!

    Thank you for the links to the two exhibitions - both so poignant and I can understand why "Lullaby of the Larks" must have been so upsetting. The facial re-creation was particularly sad to see.

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    1. Thank you, RR - yes the story behind the exhibition is a strange and sad one. The grebes were out in force on the lake and we watched them for a while catching and swallowing small fish. I think you woud like Buxton as there are so many interesting buildings. We often see people topping up their Buxton Water bottles at the well. thanks to you and Pam I now know about humbugs:)

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  3. What lovely places you have, to "escape" to, now and then. :-) Stunning area, and exhibits.

    Ohhhhh that dragonfly! If it is "mechanical," does it move, in some way?????

    Your walking areas are heavenly, as well. And yes, I'm seeing many photos of fungi, on IG especially. Perhaps it is the particular early autumn weather, we have been experiencing. Whatever the cause, they are lovely to see.

    ✨🍁✨🎃✨🍁✨

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    1. Thank you, yes the dragonfly has a crank handle you can turn and it whizzes around on the top of the pole:)

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  4. The architecture in Buxton is quite striking!

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    1. Thank you William, it is a lovely town:)

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  5. Some lovely places :)

    We saw the Fin Cop exhibition a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed it, we're planning to go back to it. There's a few things coming up at the museum that I wanted to visit to see, but I couldn't tell you what they are off the top of my head!

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    1. Places I know you like and visit often. The Museum has some interesting events and exhibitions. I think the Fin Cop exhibition warrents another visit I'd like to see it again after I've learned more about the archaeological digs and what was found:)

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  6. You earned your day out after a leylandi trim, those branches and green bits get everywhere. Super fungi pics in your woodland walk.

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    1. Thank you Julie, we had a couple of men to take the trees down and dig out the stumps but the clearing up after and settling the soil has been quite difficult as the trees were planted on top of and in builder's rubble from when this area of houses was built. It was great to have a day out in such lovely weather:)

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  7. Looks like you’ve had a lovely week. Beautiful pictures of Buxton. I look forward to your post about the exhibition. I can imagine removal of this leylandii trees will make a huge difference to your garden. Have a lovely weekend. B x

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    1. Thank you Barbara, yes there will be more light at the top of the garden and some of the other plants will benefit. Hope you too have a lovely weekend:)

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  8. Your fungi photographs are wonderful - and so is that old postbox. The two exhibitions are rather different, but definitely interesting. I shall watch out for any further posts on Fin Cop, which i hadn't heard about until now. Harrowing story.

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    1. Thank you Elaine. I love the old post box, I wonder what letters have been posted there over the years and what they meant to the recipients? Yes, both very different exhibitions about the tragic and brutal loss of life in different ways:)

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  9. I love Buxton, it's a beautiful place. Great photos Rosie. I enjoyed seeing the postbox, I'm always looking out for unusual ones. I hope the weather perks up. 😊

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    1. Thank you Karen, Buxton is a lovely town and there is so much happening there. I know from your posts that you are interested in old post boxes. This one has its own postcard in the museum shop. I don't think it has stopped raining here for the last 48 hours:)

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  10. The fungi photos were amazing, a joy to see them. I hadn't heard about the massacre at Finn Cop but I can imagine it will not be a easy topic for an exhibition.

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    1. Thank you, it is a bumper year for fungi, I guess the weather has been just right for them. Both exhibitions were quite thought provoking:)

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  11. I've seen very few fungi this autumn though I hear on the radio that it's a bumper year for them so maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places! There was once a pair of Black Swans in Cambridge but I don't think they ever bred. I'm in complete agreement with you about the Grebes, they are both beautiful and very interesting with a wonderful courtship display. Nice letterbox too.

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    1. I often wonder how successful the black swans are at nesting in the Autumn here, I expect it depends on how cold a winter we have if any cygnets survive. The Grebes are fascinating aren't they? I'm also fond of Little Grebes or dabchicks:)

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  12. Stunning set of photos, the fungi finds look good. Have not seen a black swan for a few years now. Buxton
    looks a great place to visit, great buildings.
    Loved seeing your photos.
    Amanda x

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    1. Thank you Amanda, there does seem to be lots of fungi around this year. the black sawns have been on the lake for about three years now we always look out for them:)

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  13. I enjoyed seeing all of your photographs, I thought the fungi pictures were amazing.

    Hope you've had a good weekend, wishing you a good week ahead.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you and thank you for visiting, glad you enjoyed the photos:)

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  14. Great photos & I love your fungi shots. I'd not realised our swans nest in a different season to your white ones, but they mate for life and fret terribly if the other one passes on. We've just visited somewhere which has very sad connections, which I should really blog about, but am so behind on posts at the moment & blogreading. Thanks & take care. BTW, love the dragonfly.

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    1. Thanks, Susan. It is fascinating that the black swans keep their nesting cycle as it was even if they were probably reared over here. I always feel sad when I hear about any vandalism or cruelty which causes the death of a swan as I imagine the other one pining. It is hard to write about sad or controversial events as whatever you say someone will be upset or offended. The dragonfly was great fun. Have a lovely week:)

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  15. That was fascinating about Fin Cop. I wonder how many more places there are in the World where untold atrocities are yet to be discovered? Civilisations don't seem to have evolved much from all those centuries ago and we never seem to learn from what history shows us.

    Great fungi photos. I went on a fungi foray many years ago with a mycologist. It was really educational but despite identifying edible mushrooms I would never eat them without an expert on hand! :)

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    1. Thank you simone, there must be many such awful events unknown to us and it is true we don't learn from history and keep on making the same mistakes and asumptions, I feel that is happening again at the moment. Often when we are out walking Paul will say that's a field or horse etc mushroom and it is edible and I say - I still wouldn't eat it!:)

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  16. That first photo, Rosie! What a fantastic place for a walk.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thank you Amalia, it is one of our favourite walks:)

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  17. Oh my goodness, I read several of your posts, and see that you live in a glorious area for natural beauty and old buildings. I love those red post boxes, I think Anthony Trollope was in some way responsible for their creation (I think I will look that up). Love the black swans. I live near natural beauty too, right near the Pacific Ocean.

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    1. Thank you Terra, we are lucky to be so close to so many lovely areas. Yes, apparently Anthony Trollope was behind the introduction of the pillar box into Britain. They were sage green before they were red:)

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  18. It is interesting to see that Black Swans are breeding in Britain. I must say that the last couple of times I have visited the UK I have seen free flying Black Swans and they seem not to be uncommon. Have they been added to Britain’s list of birds?

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    1. Hello David, thanks for visiting. We have seen the two black swans today keeping themselves well away from all the many white ones. I've just looked at the RSPB site and only three white swans are mentioned, the Mute Swan, Bewick Swan and Hooper Swan. Mute Swans became a protected species in 1998 but it doesn't say anything about the other two as presumably they aren't resident all year round:)

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  19. Beautiful wildlife photographs, Rosie. That postbox is a beautiful example of Victorian design and a welcome reminder of home. Glad to hear that you were able to enjoy the fine weather as it seems to have changed quite suddenly. Stay warm and enjoy your homemade soup and bread. Enjoy your weekend. Marie x

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    1. Thank you Marie, it's cold and sunny today, woke up to a ground frost. The weather has gone colder over the weekend:)

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  20. Hi Rosie! The pictures are wonderful! I love the swans, fungi,the gardens. The Victorian post is beautiful. I thought the metal dragonfly were really at first sight!

    Cheers, Sandra

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    1. Thank you Sandra, glad you enjoyed the photos:)

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  21. I'm catching up with your recent posts, Rosie. The exhibitions in Buxton sound very interesting and it's a lovely spa town to visit, especially when the weather is good. I hope that you're keeping well.

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    1. Thank you Linda, I always enjoy a vist to Buxton as there is so much of interest and the town has some beautiful buildings. Yes, I am well thank you, just feel like hibernating like the dormouse in it's teapot at the moment:)

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  22. A lovely post, Rosie. Seeing Buxton in your photos brought back happy memories - I've not been for a year or two, and it was nice to remember the times I spent there. Love your fungi pics, particularly the one with the multiple fungi growing out of the tree stump - fabulous! I think it's a good year for fungi - I've seen more than usual.

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    1. Thank you, Jacqui. Buxto is a lovely town and I always enjoy visiting. There does seem to be a lot of fungi this year and lots of different ones too:)

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  23. Loved seeing you pics. Very pretty.

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