Wintertide and Waxwings

 We are back home from a couple of days away visting relatives, old haunts, churchyards and cemeteries.

I managed to find suitable holly wreaths on a stall at Bolsover market.  So many memories of living close to the little town as a child and teenager came back to me.  It is much changed (lots of new housing and big new supermarkets) but somehow exactly the same too.  Bolsover Castle was closed so before we started for home we visited nearby Hardwick Hall.  I grew up in a small village close to both these wonderful buildings so they are part of my childhood memories.

A saying I remember from childhood is 'Hardwick Hall more glass than wall.' Hardwick Hall is run by the National Trust whilst nearby Hardwick Old Hall is cared for by English Heritage, it was closed the day we visited.

The old hall is just over the garden wall from the newer hall.  Hardwick Old Hall was built between 1587 and 1596 by Bess of Hardwick but in 1590 before the old hall was completed Bess began to have built the new hall using noted architect of the time Robert Smythson.  Apparently the two halls were used together for quite a time to complement each other.  The old hall was partially dismantled in the 1750s as by then the Cavendish family preferred living at the family seat at Chatsworth.

Inside Wintertide was being celebrated lead by the Lord of Misrule.  We collected our lanterns and proceeded up the stairs.  I'd forgotten those wide stone stairs leading up to the grand appartments above.  It's a place of many stone staircases and walls hung with beautiful tapestries.

In the long gallery the Lord of Misrule bade us to linger and explore in the shadows.  There were areas where you could write down your thoughts as you were asked to remember happy festive times, the people who had been part of those times, to be grateful for joys and happiness experienced and hope for kindness in the future.  There was a shadow puppet theatre at the end of the gallery.

One of the areas used to sit and reflect, to write down thoughts.  The whole display was about shadows, light and reflections. 

 Back outside in the South Gazebo we found traditional Tudor decoratations.

The Kissing Bough, the precursor of mistletoe, was made with twigs and evergreen foliage and sometimes fruit and cones.  The bough was hung over doorways to welcome visitors to the house.

 

Orange and clove pomanders decorated the window sill below garlands of leaves.

An unexpected 'decoration' were hundreds of dormant Ladybirds high on the ceiling above the door.

Before I go in my last post I promised photos of Waxwings.  These wonderful birds have spent over two weeks feasting on the many berry trees in our little part of the city.  They've been there through wind, rain and snow.  We've wandered down to the local park two or three times in the hope of seeing them.  It was a case of third time lucky last Sunday.  We saw them straight away.  

Waxwings are winter visitors to the UK coming from Scandinavia to feast on seasonal berry trees.  They are such beautiful birds.  I've seen some wonderful photos of them across the various local bird forums and websites and it seems that it is a particularly good winter for them.

  Photos of the Waxwings and internal shots in Hardwick Hall were taken by Paul as my little camera wasn't up to the job.  

 

Right it's time to go and think about decorating the Christmas tree.

All for now. Take care.