Snowdogs at Buxton

We chose to visit Buxton on a beautiful day.  At first, as we travelled along the A53 past the Roaches and the Winking Man we were in mist and low cloud but as we descended into the town this cleared and half an hour later the sun was out giving a golden glow to everything.

We parked at the Pavilion and popped inside for a coffee and to pick up a map to tell us where the Snowdogs were.

Here we spotted the first Snowdog.

Elf, artist Amanda Quellin 

The Snowdogs are, of course, from the popular cartoon The Snowman and the Snowdog by Raymond Briggs.

The Snowdogs are a Wild in Art event, sponsored by Markovitz in aid of Blythe House Hospice.  There are twelve to find spread across the town outside various landmarks,  in parks and by the riverside.  The furthest out of town is at Poole's Cavern.

We took all morning to wander around the town.  The dogs were proving very popular.

The Heron below was popular too as it strutted proudly along the river. I think it was used to having an audience.

Below outside the Opera House

 

Classic by the Wild in Art Studio. 

On top of Monument Hill.

Boats on the lake in Pavilion Gardens.

 

All Twelve Snowdogs on display until 15th December.

We did find all of the Snowdogs, the last one up at Poole's Cavern probably my favourite.

 

Rosy Posy by Jessica Perrin.

 

We ate our lunch outside next to Rosy Posy, pieces of homemade pizza and the last two homemade date slices. 

  In my last post I promised a second post about Clumber Park, that will come but I wanted to show you the Snowdogs whilst the day was fresh in my memory.

 

I've added links to the places mentioned on our journey. 

A Morning Visit

Yesterday morning we visited the town of Buxton in Derbyshire.  It's a place we visit quite often and I've written about it quite a few times over the years on here but I never tire of its streets and buildings. 

We just had a wander around popping into one or two charity shops to seek out Christmas cards.  We stopped for a coffee and toasted teacake and then visited the Museum to look at a couple of exhibitions and the local book shop where one present was purchased. 

There are five floors of books in here, three floors a basement and an attic.

 We'd looked in vain around the town for plain brown paper to use for wrapping presents this year but the one shop, close to the bookshop, that stocked it was closed on Wednesdays.

I love quiet mornings like these, a gentle stroll, lovely things to see and best of all no rain.  It was sad to see many of the units in the little shopping centre closed the biggest was where M&S used to be, next door Waitrose is still, for the moment, open.

 The Museum and Art Gallery

 One of the exhibition galleries

Scrivener's Book Shop

The Pavilion

View from the Pavilion Gardens

 Bandstand

 

 Autumnal Colour

 The Old Hall Hotel

A view through the trees on The Slopes of The Crescent which is at the moment being refurbished.

At the top of The Slopes and a view out over the Derbyshire countryside.

Flowers on Wednesday

I always enjoy visiting the lovely Derbyshire town of Buxton where a walk through the Pavilion Gardens, designed by Sir Joseph Paxton,  is a must.  Nearby in the Pavilion itself is a glasshouse containing many exotic plants. 

Let's go inside and take a look

There were some lovely and unusual flowers to delight the eye.  I can identify the Bird of Paradise flower, Cyclamen and a white Poinsettia but I'm not certain about what the other two flowers, bottom left and right above, are. The flower bottom left could be an Abutilon plant but I'm not entirely sure.  I feel I should know and as soon as someone tells me I'll think 'of course they are'.  I hope someone reading this will be able to identify them for me.

My camera couldn't do justice to the deep and vibrant colours of the flowers as the lens kept steaming up in the heat.

We used to have one of these plants in a bay window in the foyer of one of the museums I worked in and it always attracted people's interest.

The glasshouse at the Pavilion Gardens was designed by Edward Milner, pupil and then colleague of Sir Joseph Paxton.  They were responsible for the building of many greenhouses and glasshouses including those at nearby Chatsworth House and also at Tatton Park and of course, the Crystal Palace.

Joining in with riitta at Floral-Passions.  Do visit her and see who else is joining in this Wednesday.

Wild and Windy

Gosh isn't it windy today?  Yesterday whilst we were out and about the car started to flash warnings so we had to abandon picking up cat food and drive straight to the garage and book it in.  It was due for a service and MOT at the end of the month anyway. 

This morning, not being able to use the car, we walked to the nearest supermarket for the cat food, well chicken thighs and prawns, which our elderly cat (twenty one in April) seems to prefer now.  We don't eat meat ourselves and haven't done for about thirty years so it seems strange to have chicken in the fridge but we'll try anything to tempt his appetite.

Max

As we walked the wind was humming though the wires and blowing straight into our faces, trees branches were down and wheelie bins tipped over.  On our way back the wind was pushing us from behind, it did feel invigorating, but it was good to get home again.

The weather on Sunday was completely different when we ventured out and about. It was foggy in patches and very wet too, below are a few photos from our walk.

We called at Brierlow Bar Bookshop first and then drove round to the Buxton Country Park which is near Poole's Cavern.
 

 It was quite cold and damp in the air.

At one point it rained quite heavily. 

It was drier under the shelter of the trees

 Below us the lovely town of Buxton in the mist

There was lots of fungi - this one was filling up with rain water like a little cup.

Out of the woods and through the gate

Solomon's Temple in the distance, we didn't venture up to it on this walk but have been to the top of it on several of our walks here.

 The seat was very wet, no chance of sitting down!

Back over the stile and into the woods again.

 Passing this lovely wood sculpture on the way back to the car park.

Monday Miscellany

I just thought I'd show you the wonderful stained glass in the entrance to Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.

  

Made during the Art Nouveau period by George Wragge and Co of Salford, Manchester they are in the entrance to what used to be a hotel when Buxton was in its heyday as a spa town.  The hotel, built in 1880, was known as the Peak Hydropathic hotel.  The building didn't last too long as a hotel.

It was used by the Red Cross during WW1 to care for wounded Canadian Soldiers.  The Buxton Free Library and Museum, which had been founded in 1893 and housed in the town hall,  moved into the building in 1928. 

I thought the designs were lovely and how wonderful it was they had been preserved. The museum assistant told me there was more stained glass upstairs which had been preserved behind wooden panels.  I wonder if it will ever see the light of day again?