Lois Wakeman Posts

29 April 2008

I’m always concerned about plastic rubbish on the beach. But that isn’t the only rubbish. A big rash of ugly and largely unnecessary signage is – to my eyes – just as obtrusive and out of place. These horrible railings and signs were put on the end of…

25 April 2008

Dartmoor is commonly thought of as a bleak and treeless waste, but is home to a small number of ancient oak woodlands. In these sheltered woods, mossy boulders and lichen-festooned branches combine to lend a primæval atmosphere, largely unchanged since lowland England was almost entirely forested in Neolithic…

2 April 2008

Lyme is home to several colonies of beach huts. Glorified sheds by the sea, they have a quirky charm that has inspired me to take quite a few photos over the years.   These are on Monmouth Beach, and for a few weeks each spring and autumn, the…

2 April 2008

Most people drive up and down the A303 oblivious to the wonderful chalk country either side of the road. But I have to make a conscious effort to concentrate on the road rather than admiring the scenery. A few times, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to…

26 February 2008

One of the pleasures of Sunday afternoons in my pottery is listening to Open Book – one of Radio 4’s better literary efforts. Presented by the wonderfully husky Mariella Frostrup (please will she come and read me some bedtime stories?), it often features reviews of books or authors…

12 February 2008

Today was the day when I decided to “Carpe Diem” – after weeks of crouching over the computer at work, we went to Wheddon Cross on Exmoor to see the Snowdrop Valley on a glorious sunny day. And I was so glad we did. It was quite early…

21 November 2007

Number 3 in an occasional series: 1 was staplers, and 2 was caravans. I was amused to see in the latest fURNITURE@work catalogue™ that office chairs obviously have very high opinions of themselves – well, some at least. In the lead, we have some very noble cities: Torino, Rome, Milano, Quebec, Athlone,…

3 November 2007

This beech avenue is part of a grand estate, rather than a humble farm track like the one at Bindon. After an exploratory visit to find a good viewpoint, this photo was snatched in a few minutes just as the winter sun was setting, balancing my tripod on…

24 August 2007

Although it has been warmer and sunnier these past two days than since early May, there is a definite feel of Autumn in the air – indefinable, but unmistakeable. My neighbour George, down the hill, has been sending billows of fragrant woodsmoke into the air each evening, and…

20 August 2007

Part II in an occasional series on the names of things, inspired by Gary Larson. Part I: Staplers A few weeks ago, I spent a lot of time in traffic jams on the M6, and to pass the time, collected some names of caravans. Since then, I have added…