Longnor Well Dressing 2022...the Professionals

Longnor's 2022 design is for the 150th anniversary of the village school...

                    Helen and Anne putting in the black grass for the blackboard...very fiddly!

My favourite bits were the school roof and the children's hairstyles...lovely texture from grass, seeds and weed heads! The tiny contribution I made took 4 hours-  at the bottom of the blackboard!!

Longnor church, where the well dressing preparation takes place

 

South Crosland Wall Dressing

My next door neighbour Jan's design for our 2022 Wall Dressing (well unavailable)

                                                    

                                                    Marking out the design in black string

                                    Starting on the design with gorse and hydrangea petals...... 

Sledge came on useful for gathered foliage...

                                                                        Finished design...
 

Whitby Way Characters

 

What a great walk- the best yet and I met some great folks!

Man's Best Friend

Journey's end, Whitby Abbey (66 miles plus detours)

                                                             

Whitby Road

Glaisdale to Whitby: Stone Guide stoops  on Glaisdale Rigg

 

Lastingham Crypt

Crypt at Lastingham and the stone cross which once stood on the moor to mark the way- replaced in the 19th century

Loved the snake-headed stone - looks more Viking than Saxon

 

John's Sticks

Stick creations at Keld Farm, Newton-on-Rawcliffe

 

Saxon Sundial at Kirkdale

St Gregory's church sundial had 8 hours and was made before the Norman conquest....it's in a tranquil setting in the valley bottom. Above it, up a 1 in 5 hill is the Kirkdale cave, where remains of hyenas were found. This place has history!

 

Hutton-le-Hole to Rosedale Abbey

Zigzag barn stonework and boundary markers on the North York moors at Rosedale

 

The Sausage Lady

The self-acclaimed Sausage Lady at Hutton-le-Hole and a random spitfire

 

Coxwold to Helmsley

Best day of the Whitby Way Walk- a glimpse of the White Horse cut into the hillside at Kilburn, descent to lush valleys and abbeys at Byland and Rievaulx; wild raspberries, bilberries, blackberries, cherries, sloes, apples and damsons in the hedgerows....and to the castle at Helmsley

 

Indiana Stewart

The Whitby Way was  a way less trodden, maybe that's why I hardly saw a soul!

 

Millstones and Milestones

I loved the millstones used as village signposts

 

North York Weather Vanes

A selection of some I saw......

 

York to Crayke

  Walking through golden fields of wheat...and nettles, with a short detour to York City training ground...then to Crayke. I could see York minster 14 miles or so away on the skyline...

Bile Beans

Loved this Bile Beans advert painted onto the gable end of a house on Bishop's Walk in York (Start of my walk from York Minster to Whitby Abbey)

 

The Glow of Aunty Eileen's Cigar

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We bade farewell to a complete One Off, Aunty Eileen "The Dreaded" Shaw. Here's a few old News of the Stews featuring Eileen. Remembering the glow of her cigar......first from 2005, Robin's 40th at "The Green" in Hope, Derbyshire......

 

A close-up here of our 2007 trip to Pine Lodge, Lincolnshire..

.............and the full back page on which Peter Stewart makes his appearance.........

News of the Stews 2008, the magnificent Colloquy in Herefordshire for Kate's 40th, with a fleeting glimse of Eileen heading off to a National Trust garden with Pat, probably returning with stuffed vine leaves for tea.....

Cantre'r Gwaelod

The eery sight of the prehistoric forest emerges from the sea at low tide.....and is liked to the legend of  Cantre'r Gwaelod, a land flooded when Seithennyn the Watchman forgot to shut the sea gates.....

 

Jellyfish

Handy jellyfish spotting guide

 

One Night in Borth and the World's Your Oyster

Extended stay at Borth YHA....

 

Men in Sheds

This is for you, Phil of Wheatcroft Trading. (I think your membership subs are due)

 

Old Parcel Office Blues

Great night at the Old Parcel office in Scarborough with The Jake Leg Jug Band. Great harmonicas!

 

Crab Sandwich

Highly recommended: Angela's Tearooms in Filey

 

Salty Seadogs

Smashing chat with a couple of salty seadogs by the harbour in Brid. The most convincing sea dog, Captain Bird's Eye's stunt double, turned out to be a retired Geography teacher, whilst the second had sailed from Newcastle in his boat "The Granby", named after his favourite pub. Thanks for the guided tour of Bridlington Sailing Coble Preservation Society. (NB Coble = wooden sailing boat) 

 

Last Stagecoach from Lichfield to London, 1838

With thanks to Les Young, Lichfield historian of Whitehall for telling me of the coaching inn's history whilst I was standing gawping at the archway!

 

Milley's Hospital for Fifteen Women, 1504

Milley's Hospital in Lichfield, founded in 1504. There must be a story behind this!

 

Any Old Iron

Cast iron bench end at Chasewater Railway. Built to serve Littleton colliery (long gone), the  now "heritage railway" goes across Chasewater, a canal reservoir from the 1770s......plus some Lichfield grids, both made in London, probaly 1900s.....and a terracotta gas ventilation brick from  1950s, trademarked "The Dean"....

21 Bugs Saved

Introducing new teenage artist and conservationist on Artyblog, my niece Ella (13)