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| Go on throw it! |
Barrows or roses? One of the things I have experienced up here in North Yorkshire, is the phrase 'God's Own Country'. Which I have always thought to mean its the best place in England. Well for a start, your wild flower yield is low, I have never seen any wild orchids as I saw on the hills round Bath, or as many wild flowers and I am beginning to miss them as spring beckons invitingly round the corner.
My companion on walks was Moss, sadly Lucy dislikes walks, she hangs behind me going and only when we get to the spot where we turn, she does her twirl of joy and hauls me back home. To get back to Moss, a sensible dog to take on walks, he always knew the way back as I wandered haphazardly round prehistoric sites, or trying to find a way past a herd of bullocks. Moss is long gone but the photos are still there.
One of my early walks was from the house up the Lansdown Hill behind Weston village was to Beckford's Tower. William Beckford (1760-1844) a strange character, rich of course, but given to grandiose ideas such as building Fonthill Abbey, unfortunately the tower there fell down several times. He bought several farms round the Lansdown and then made a lane through the fields to the gold topped Beckford's tower. When he died his daughter sold the place to a publican, but eventually it became a cemetery. In spring violets and primroses are to be found, its Victorian atmosphere has to be seen to be appreciated. Beckford's grave was a barrow mound surrounded by a ditch.
The walk up the Lansdown early morning would find deer browsing along the hedgerows, and slightly later a couple of MOD workers off to work at the top.
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| I think this was a memorial to a young daughter born in a different country. |
Love your orchid photos, I wonder if I will ever have other than pyramid and bee orchids here - although I should be grateful for those I guess if there are none in Yorkshire.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing graveyard
Well I am sure there are wild orchids in Yorkshire, just have not found the places where they are. The grave yard is quite dangerous with sunken/drunken graves an ankle breaker if you are not careful.
DeleteNot sure about Yorkshire,but saw plenty of wild orchids on walks in Teesdale.
ReplyDeleteSouth of the Tees IS Yorkshire - no matter what the Tory boundary changers might make you think.
DeleteI suppose you find them in the right soil conditions. But where I live it is an industrialised farm land, hardly any margins of wild flowers.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with the phrase "God's own county/country" is that there is no such thing as God. Human beings spawned him in their imaginings. As for orchids, I have seen many in both Yorkshire and Derbyshire but as you suggest you are hardly likely to find them in productive farming country where wild nature has been suppressed.
ReplyDeleteYes but it is used as a saying. I gave up God at a very early age in Sunday school by the way but he does figure in the language we use.
DeleteGood god woman! Surely not.
DeleteOur little farm had orchids in the hedgerows and violets and yellow rattle and buttercups galore and joy of joys for me - marsh marigolds in the beck. Hawthorn hedges and blackthorn bushes meant plenty of blossom. But those photographs of yours are so beautiful Thelma and, as you say, the right soil conditions are necessary. You must look at your photographs and long tobe back there.
ReplyDeleteYes Pat wandering through photos on the hard drive is a good pastime. I was probably just being a little wicked about Yorkshire and your farm sounds lovely.
DeleteI like old photographs. I don't feel tearful about them or any sense of loss, even of people and things gone. Life has to go on and I just like re-enjoying those times. You must smile at these and especially ones of Moss.
ReplyDeleteI go to find them for the flowers and sun with no unhappiness in mind. They reassure me that I have done plenty in life, Wales and Avebury next time round.
ReplyDeleteThose old photos must bring such happy (and comforting I hope) memories. I hope you will discover where your favourite wild flowers are to be found this spring and summer.
ReplyDeleteI have a photo of a teenage Tam sat on the bank round Avebury, surrounded with stunning wild flowers.
There is always such controversies at Avebury, sometimes its the sheep that are kept for cropping the grass, other times it is crossing the road to get from one side to the other. I was looking through my photos yesterday, one popped up, it was of Paul, first time I saw him, it was what we called at the time a megalithic event.
ReplyDeleteOh, what a bittersweet memory for you. I hope he still feels by you at all times . . .
ReplyDeletePaul is a constant companion in my thoughts Jennie, I still have his things around as well.
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