Walked down to the park on a sunny blue sky morning yesterday. Everyone was there, dogs being walked, children playing in the playground. Small boy football teams being assembled with freezer boxes of food for afters. The house and estate of the Fieldens went eventually to John Ashton, who left this estate to the mayor of Todmorden in 1910. The ruins of his house are still etched in the grass somewhere at the back. You can walk up through the trees to the moor above, though what goes on in those woods may halt your step ;)
John Ashton sold Centre Vale mansion, the parkland, cricket field, Ewood Hall, Carr Laithe and Platts, for £10,000 to the mayor of Todmorden, Edward Lord. After much argument and an inquiry, the estate became the property of the Borough Council ,to be made into the town’s public park. Bet there is a story there! taken from here.
Bright sun, so dazzling it makes one blind and then the cool dankness of a neglected graveyard. I stepped on graves and thought of the people beneath, long gone, their lives lived. The pattern of the seasons still covered the ground with Autumn leaves, bright yellows, russet red and then the stark bareness of skeleton trees as winter approaches. Strangely I have been reading, in that which calls itself news on my tablet, is that snow is expected in this month. Worst in Scotland I think but now the Earth conference is over we can only wait for the future, decisions have been made but now they should be adhered to.
On this day: Matilda will taste the delights of rice pudding with her friends. The song and dance about this must be recorded.
We watched The Hermit of Treig this week. Gosh, he kept things basic and didn't he like his home-brew?! You can understand why he drew away from the world, having been nearly beaten to death. What a methodical mind, keeping his diaries and writing so steadfastly to friends. I am glad he has people to look out for him now, and do a bit of shopping for him too. We crossed Rannoch Moor back around 2000and what a bleak spot, even in August!
ReplyDeleteYour walk reminded me of the huge cemetery in Sheffield, which is now given over to people to walk through, and beside that is an area of field. Lots of trees throughout the cemetery and some interesting gravestones too.
Do we have a morbid interest in cemeteries I wonder, they do unlock the past though. Just watched the hermit, he is quietly reflective after his stroke on what the future holds for him. Must admit his life does not appeal, it looked bleak but perhaps because he wandered America and Canada he was looking for an empty spot to park his life.
DeleteWow you had a lovely blue sky there. It was cloudy an drizzle here. Looks like some good places to walk
ReplyDeleteI am sure the weather switches around Sue, it was sunny after a few days of dull miserable mizzly rain.
DeleteThe takeaway from COP26 surely must be that we are not facing reality, and words, more blah, blah, blah, are not going to solve the crisis that is already here. Given past history, it is safe to predict that promises made will not be promises kept.
ReplyDeleteYes of course, these countries who use fossil fuels will still go on using them and worse still mining for them but it will be a bit less. What we need though is people on the streets, but I suspect there won't be any comeback from most of us, we are just too lazy.
DeleteWhat does go on in those woods? Perhaps it is Todmorden's favourite dogging site. I also watched "The Hermit of Treig". Fascinating. Interesting that he wrote so much stuff down.
ReplyDeleteNo dogging, though I came to that term late in life! But a young miss showing her boobs to a little knot of boys, happened on by indignant dog walker;) I have just watched him and yes he definitely kept a record of his years in the wilderness, and also of course photographs.
DeleteThose pictures are amazing!
ReplyDeletePhotographs are an instant pleasure for me, they bring back a memory very quickly Debby.
DeleteI love old cemeteries Thelma and your photographs capture the essence of that one very well.
ReplyDeleteThe church itself is in a strange place, could have belonged to a little hamlet on the edge of Todmorden but it is slowly getting smothered by trees Pat.
DeleteWhat rather good - and somewhat gothic - photographs. I do so like the area around Todmorden and the Lancashire moors - it reminds me of both my upbringing in the North and also my life here in Wales. I guess it is the heavy industrial heritage that links them.
ReplyDeleteWell I would not have walked past that cemetery on Halloween night, definitely spooky. The industrial heritage is of course very pronounced round the town. Many weaver windows on the houses and the Weaver's Institute is also on that road. I think the headquarters would have a lot of stories to tell.
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