Category: genius loci

18 May 2021

If the last ghastly year has taught me anything, it’s that life is not an endless procession of opportunities, and I need to get on and do as many wished-for things as I can manage. (Actually, it’s taught me a lot more, but I’m not going to rant…

5 May 2021

I last visited this Iron Age hillfort at the end of March (see here), and have just returned to see the bluebells at their peak of perfection, on a very chilly but bright morning. In past years I was saddened to see those on the lawns much crushed…

21 April 2021

I thought twice about the title of this page, having found Ian McEwan’s novel of the same name quite dire! But what the hell, that’s where I was on a cold, windy but very sunny spring day. We started off at the beach car park and walked along…

3 February 2021

To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. – William Blake, Auguries of Innocence In my rather small lockdown world, a walk on the beach at low tide…

7 December 2020

I spent the afternoon on Eggardon Hill – the changing light and mist looked very enticing as we drove there, but shortly after arrival, it thickened and darkened and it felt very definitely wintry. We were hoping for a glorious sunset at this eastern end of the Marshwood…

1 December 2020

It’s almost the end of a very strange and confining year. I usually get about the Southwest a bit, but have spent most of this year very close to home. So, my online advent calendar for my friends and followers this year is firmly local – views east…

27 November 2020

When I first had a digital camera, I found it hard to restrain myself from taking far too many shots, most of which were utterly discardable. My hard drive filled up with unexceptional images, most of which I never looked at again or printed. These days, I try…

23 October 2020

Since SARS-CoV-2 struck, we’ve tended to do our almost-daily walks first thing in the morning. At the start, this was out of necessity as we were instructed to abhor any human contact during exercise, and fewer people went out before breakfast. But over the months it’s become a…

8 August 2020

A lot of people complain about the Town Council (as in most communities, it’s always easier to complain than to praise) – but the gardening staff have done a wonderful job this spring and summer, despite the multiple inconveniences of lockdown. In this post, I’m sharing a few…

16 June 2020

… when the living is not exactly easy for all sorts of reasons, but is certainly simpler – and sometimes, quite wonderful. Unable to sleep, I got up just after sunrise and found lots to enchant me just a few minutes’ walk from home. Despite the hour, it…