The image above is of a old gate set in one of the high walls of Cally Gardens in Scotland. We always visit the gardens when in Scotland but on this occasion discovered that the man who ran them, Michael Wickenden, had died while hunting for plants in Myanmar, and that the gardens are to be sold.Continue reading
On my walk this week I would like to show some of what we experienced and enjoyed during our time away in the last few weeks. Above is an unusual sight – it’s not often you find an old organ on a beach, but this was part of an art installation called Edge by two artists commissioned as part of the Spring Fling weekend event in South West Scotland. Jo Hodges and Robbie Coleman Continue reading
The first stone (concrete) way marker I reached on my walk this week on the Mawr was marking The Gower Way or Llwybr Gwyr. With my short route marked this clearly (!?), I lost much of my concern for being enveloped by cloud and happily carried on towards the top.
On my walk in the woods this week I took a route I have not followed for a long time. I must have known that this weird old rusty abandoned pipe and the farm equipment was there because it has clearly been there for a long time – I guess I’d just forgotten.
My walk this week has been along a very straight footpath that also doubles as a cycle path. I used to cycle a lot but my preference now is for walking – both are excellent forms of exercise and both give you more time and peace to enjoy the sights and sounds of your surroundings so I heartily recommend them to everyone as a means of maintaining health and wellbeing.
Another small detour I took from the suburban footpath I have been walking along this week took me to the Afon Lliw. This is a river I have studied in detail – to be accurate I should say that I have documented children studying the flow in detail . . . from source to sea. The project I was involved in was Our River and you can see all eight chapters of the videos made here on the StillWalks website.
At about the half way point on the return along the linear route of my walk this week there is a kissing gate which stands alone at the junction of a small footpath leading off through the fields. The photo below suggests a peck on the cheek rather than a kiss but though I went to get a photo of the reflections in the path-side pool, I didn’t actually go through the gate. It was, as I said, standing alone and there was no need to go through it when I could go round – I wondered why it was there at all but was conscious of not using it. Had it been made of wood I am certain I would have used it but while the idea of a gate of this design has practical purposes, the modern materials rather spoil the effect.
