Jon Crispin's Notebook

I have been back from England for several days, but had some images from there I wanted to post, so this will be a bit transitional.

Cris and I had a nice walk in the Green Park and in St James’s Park on Saturday before heading back up to Stratford upon Avon.

There was an amazing exhibit at the entrance of St James’s called “Fields of Battle – Lands of Peace“.  Photographer Michael St. Maur Sheil went to major sites of the first world war and documented what remains from 100 years ago.  It is a brilliant idea, and executed really well.  It is wild to see huge photographs mounted outside.

Whenever I drive from London to Stratford upon Avon I stop at the Oxford Services on the M40.  Just above the carpark is a hillock where you get a great view of the countryside.  I think I might have posted a similar photograph from a previous trip.

We basically did the same walk on Sunday that we had done the week before.

This time it was very misty.  I am happy to say that the horse with the red coat had his friend back.

The nice thing about doing walks in different weather conditions is that you see the landscape in an entirely different way.

Although the beer looked pretty much the same.

As did the outdoor gents.  (Gentlemen is such a nice word; it should be used more.)

After the Sunday roast at the pub, we went next door to Snowshill Manor.  The whole place is really bizarre, and very interesting.  The gardens are really nice and I was really pleased to see this Green Man water spigot.  I have become somewhat obsessed with the idea of the Green Man; it is very pagan but you can still find him in some early churches in England.  I think there are 4 in Shakespeare’s church in Stratford upon Avon.  (There is also a great XTC song about him.)

It is nice to be home, although for some reason England is always the place I feel the most comfortable.  But I live here, and it is a beautiful part of the world.  The Olive was really glad to see us, and after the recent rains she has been able to find water (and mud) everywhere.