Thwarted!

Had planned to go for a late breakfast/brunch/early lunch in Bradford on Avon. But I had not reckoned on the bottleneck on the road in there being quite so jammed with Christmas shoppers, so we abandoned that plan... Earlier Bella had admired this newly laid bit of path.

I see we have a new tagger operating in the area - this BT Infinity cabinet is freshly adorned.

 Su went off shopping and I hoped that the skies would be this clear at Westonbirt, and clear my lurking headache.

They weren't, but Bella and I had a jolly time - festive holly for the Solstice.

Bella was most taken with her trophy of an old trainer.  I couldn't tempt her with sticks, so this was what she proudly carried around and chewed - and even persuaded me to throw on a few occasions.

 Lichen blown off a tree by the wind

Charcoal ovens waiting to be fired up again - after Christmas maybe?

A bit Escher-like, these hands carving themselves out of a hunk of wood.

 Spindle berries...

"The Woodland Origins Within Our Surnames" adorn the back of this bench.

As we got back to the van, a hint of pink appeared in the skies.

This bright stand of dogwood pierced the greyness,

 A van lurking...

We saw "Hugo" last night.  I was most taken with the parts about the French early film-maker, Georges Melies who did astonishing things on film in the early 20th Century - took me back to my teaching of Moving Image Technology.  Some spectacular sequences (probably breathtaking in 3D) but not impressed by the child actors' performances, although Sacha Baron Cohen was highly amusing.


The days get longer for the next six months, so here's to more light!