Martin's Mag.

We managed to get “the best of the day”, as our parents would have said (i.e. the part of the day when it wasn’t actually raining), and walk from Cooper’s Hill in The Cotswolds, where the annual cheese-rolling competition is held (read HERE), along a wooded ridge to “The Peak” and back via Witcombe reservoir. Much of the path on the Cotswold Way.

On 1 July 1916 19,240 British Empire servicemen were killed on the first day of the battle of The Somme. By the end of the battle on 18 November 1916 – one hundred years ago today – 127,751 were dead in one of the bloodiest battles in human history.

The Shrouds of the Somme display, outside Bristol Cathedral, consists of 19,240 hand-stitched shrouded figures by artist Rob Heard to represent those killed on that first day. http://www.thesomme19240.co.uk.

Walking from Ladye Bay, north of Clevedon.

My chum Sweaty (many of my friends have bizarre and/or unflattering nicknames, although in Sweaty’s case, entirely justified) set a run on Sunday starting/ending in Gloucester Road, Bristol, and incorporating St Andrews, St Werburghs, Fairfield School, Muller Road, Stoke Park and the exotically-named Boiling Wells and City Farm allotments. Although we have run on the Stoke Park estate, Stapleton and Snuff Mills many times (and what conscientious hipster is not familiar with the Gloucester Road and City Farm communities?) there was an area of high ground at the confluence of two railway lines, overlooking the old Muller orphanage, which I couldn’t remember seeing before. So, on the following day, Sall and I went to investigate…

Autumn colours from high ground in St Werburghs. City of Bristol College, formerly Muller Orphanage, in distance.

Railway bridge, St Werburghs.

Fungal growth near Boiling Mills (City Farm).

Black cat in Happy Lane near St Andrews Park.

Graffiti in Happy Lane.

Bristol, near the Create Centre, Cumberland flyover.

…look, it’s what old people do, all right? More about the exhibition HERE.