The Avon (the Stratford-on-Avon one not the Bath one) in flood at Evesham.
“The Penny Whistle” wood carving by Tom Harvey, at Evesham.
Detail from “The Penny Whistle” wood carving by Tom Harvey, at Evesham [click to enlarge].
Second-hand book/junk/model shop in Evesham.
Building in Evesham with weather-recording equipment.
Flooded path by “The Rec” (Bath Rugby Football Club ground).
It’s all over! The festive season, that is. It just happened that our big family party this year fell on the Winter Solstice (21st) which seemed to give the event more relevance, I thought. For an evangelical atheist, like me, Christmas is just a bundle of various historic traditions (many originally stemming from the solstice, I suppose) and commercialism. But mostly commercialism.
Sal’s fish pie.
The Mid-Winter Lido.
Kitting out the van! Christmas Eve fun.
Christmas Day at Abbot’s Pool.
High tide at Portishead.
Sunrise from home.
The Stroudwater canal, near Stroud in Gloucestershire, is being restored. Sal, my Inland Waterways advisor, tells me that, eventually, this will link the Thames with the Gloucester-Sharpness, which can only be a good thing, surely? A possible problem is that the canal will have to, somehow, somewhere, cross the M5 motorway. Could cause long delays, particularly in the holiday season.
We walked from just east of Stonehouse, along the canal, to Stroud and back. Stroud is thriving, with a really good Saturday market, mostly food and drink, which can rival the best of the French markets. Certainly makes the Portishead once-a-month “Farmers'” market look a bit half-hearted (and expensive).
Ryeford double lock.
The Stroudwater Canal, Gloucestershire.
The Stroudwater Canal, Gloucestershire.
Underneath the A419, near Dudbridge, east of Stroud on the Strouswater Canal, Gloucestershire.
Restoration work at Dudworth Lock, on the Stroudwater Canal, Gloucestershire.
Information panel at Wallbridge on the Stroudwater Canal, Gloucestershire. [CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE]
The Co-operative Building, Nelson Street, Stroud. Art deco building dated 1931.
Where ARE they?
Stroud cycle route marker.
Stroud Saturday market.
Stroud Saturday market.
It feels like only yesterday that I was at Oxford. Actually, it was! Great day. Went to the Ashmolean for the Francis Bacon/Henry Moore exhibition. Well. I dunno, really. Bit mad and/or pretentious were they? Which is worse? We did like an exhibition by Malcolm Morley, despite the fact that he was the first-ever Turner prize winner. Terrific museum, oldest in the world, I think I’ve read; almost certainly not true. Fantastic markets where we had lunch and bought loads of cheap fruit and veg. And very expensive pasta.
Ashmolean museum, Oxford.
Malcolm Morley at The Ashmolean museum, Oxford
Malcolm Morley notes at the Ashmolean.
Francis Bacon’s studio. His mum was furious!
Oxford fruit and veg market.
Oxford covered market.
Oxford covered market.
There is a huge tidal range in the Severn estuary. At spring high tides the pier near us is covered, meaning that the fisherman usually on it have to cast from the sea wall. Later in the day we walked past the “Second Severn Crossing”, carrying the M4 motorway to Wales.
Portishead pier about an hour after high tide. The Second Severn Crossing (see below) is in the far distance.
The M4 crossing the Severn estuary, looking towards Wales.
Walking back from the nature reserve yesterday afternoon we crossed the lock gates when three lifeboats were leaving. Not an emergency at sea, just retired boats, now lovingly cared for by their new owners. First out was the Pentland, a restored ex-RNLI Watson lifeboat which originally served in Scotland. Then the Douglas Currie, a Mark 2 Solent class lifeboat built in 1973, also from Scotland, and last the lovely little Always Ready, a Liverpool class lifeboat built in 1933. These pictures were taken with my phone. (You can guarantee a picture opportunity if you don’t have a camera on you.) NB: Click on any photo to enlarge.
The Pentland, on the left, and The Douglas Currie.
The Douglas Currie, in front of The Pentland.
The Always Ready.
We have a famous lady visiting Portishead Marina; the Massey Shaw was a fire boat, built in 1935, which served the London Fire Brigade for many years and took part in “Operation Dynamo”, the 1940 Dunkirk rescues. She’s been restored in Gloucester, and has recently travelled down the Sharpness Canal and is spending a few nights here. Rather than going back to the Thames by sea (which was originally planned for last June), delays have meant that this is not possible at this time of year, so she is undertaking the return journey by road next Saturday night. Bon voyage to the old girl.
More details HERE.
The Massey Shaw fire boat.
The Massey Shaw fire boat.
The Massey Shaw fire boat.
I have some very well-scattered cousins. Australia, Germany, Switzerland and many parts of England. All originating from a small area of east London, with valuable additional genetic input from north Essex in the form of Ivor. As far as I know, this diasporation (surely not a word?) was for entirely non-criminal reasons. They slip back in from time to time though (the Border Control Agency is very overworked, apparently) and Simon and Jan were here from Australia recently. Simon and I popped over to Ivor’s for a chat and some very nice biscuits.
Ivor and Simon.
We had a walk around Chew Valley Lake. A reservoir created in 1956. A bit cold, so had lunch in a bird hide.
Chew Valley lake.
Bird hide on Chew Valley lake.
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