Rowley Gallery Blog
In France in early August we’d been too late to see the famous Luberon lavender, but back in England it’s not harvested until September. We went down to Banstead in Surrey to visit Mayfield’s lavender farm. The flowers bloomed in the late August sunshine and the fragrant fields buzzed with intoxicated bees and butterflies and other lavender enthusiasts. Continue reading “Banstead Wood & Mayfield”
I’m getting behind. Too many posts and not enough time. This one’s long overdue. We walked this way a month ago or more. It was another suggestion from Christopher Somerville. We printed out the map and the directions only to find when we arrived in Fyfield that I’d left the map at home. The directions were good but occasionally a map would have clarified things. It led to a few differences of opinion and a few trial and error wrong turns and turnarounds. 7½ miles turned out to be more like 10. Continue reading “The Fields Of Fyfield”
The world’s oldest surviving music hall can still – just – be found…No theatrical facade: just a door set into a peeling wall.
It did take some finding but that’s part of the fun. Once found it’s a place for many happy returns. Wilton’s Music Hall is a fragile survivor, in need of restoration but not too much; it’s shabby chic is a big part of it’s charm. Perhaps stabilisation rather than restoration. Continue reading “Grand Union @ Wilton’s”
On May Day, a public holiday given over to celebrations of fertility we went looking for maypoles and morris dancers. We went out to Epping Forest and parked by Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge. Straightaway, even before leaving the car, there were grand old characterful trees springing back into life, bursting with new born leaves. Maypoles and morris dancers proved more elusive. Continue reading “In Epping Forest”
The Pelmeni Poets (named after a favourite Siberian dumpling) are hosting an evening of readings at The Duke of Wellington in Islington on 8th May featuring work by Tim Cumming, Natan Barreto, Anne-Marie Fyfe, Katha Pollitt, Rosie Shepperd and Liane Strauss. More information here – Pelmeni
Suddenly last weekend there was unexpected sunshine. I fancied the coast, Sue wanted to go west, we wasted time weighing pros and cons and set out later than we should have. We finally settled on the Chilterns, Sue’s homeland and we began our walk from Butler’s Cross at the foot of Coombe Hill, site of geography field trips to the trig point at its summit. The surrounding hedgerows suggested snakes & ladders as much as chequers and the soundtrack was the song of the skylark. Continue reading “Chequers”
On this misty morning I’m reminded of a foggy walk last summer to see the Devil’s Frying Pan, though it looked more like the Devil’s Steaming Pan with montbretia (crocosmia x crocosmiiflora) turned up to gas mark 10. Nothing was visible beyond the edge of the cliff path except for a lovely glowing halo, like a white rainbow. Continue reading “The Devil’s Frying Pan”
El Botero is in Toledo, at the northern end of Calle de San Marcos. Marcos I am reliably informed means frames, so an auspicious location. Maybe St Mark is the patron saint of picture framers? It seems unlikely. But El Botero is certainly a fortunate spot. Continue reading “Feliz Año Nuevo”
We walked to Friday Street on Remembrance Sunday. The approach from the north was down Hollow Lane which seemed a promising start. A deep cut road through the sandstone overhung with trees leading us into ancient woodlands. On the way we passed congregations remembering the fallen. All around leaves were falling, like memento mori. Luckily the sun was shining and it seemed we were granted a last fantastic dying burst of colour before the winter. Continue reading “Friday On Sunday”
Three Mills is just off the A12 (aka the East Cross Route or the Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach) an unforgiving stretch of urban motorway that flies over east London with little regard for what lies below. We’ve driven past countless times, most often en route to Brighton, but never noticed. The focus was always straight ahead or checking the mirrors or watching for speed cameras or perhaps just occasionally, Look there’s the Fire Station. There was never any reason to stop, in fact it’s quite difficult to do so and it took a few attempts, but eventually we arrived at the Tesco car park. Continue reading “Bridges & Towpaths”