Wednesday 1 March 2017

Snowdrops & Allsorts

Taking full advantage of the season I couldn't resist showing these snowdrops again. I'm always reminded of them everytime I see the sides of lanes and corners of gardens liberally carpeted. The photograph was sheer serendipity. Seven years ago we went into the quietness of Horninghold church in Leicestershire on a cold windy day when the sun was very intermittent. My two boys went off to have a fight with brooms they'd found in the cleaning cupboard and I walked up to the altar just as the wind parted the clouds to allow a few seconds of sunlight. Genuine genuflection took place.
    Those who enjoy the idiosyncrasies of Unmitigated England will know of the trilogy of my handbooks that map out such things, and indeed I used this photograph in the third volume English Allsorts, in a chapter called Daffodils & Monsters that describes and pictures a very personal natural history. As incongruously as I could make it, it sits between Cakes & Ale (market towns) and Black & White (monochrome photographers). Elsewhere you will find amongst other Unmitigated subjects Hornby Trains, Brighton Rock and Jaguar XK120s. Still available in all good ironmongers and coalyards, or here. Or even, in complete over-selling, by clicking on it opposite.

6 comments:

Sue Imgrund said...

Recycling (of photos and blog posts, especially those that don't date) is sometimes just the right idea. When you think how much digital diarrhoea gets produced (current company excepted, of course!) and never looked at again, it's far more interesting to see a post or photo from the past that you may have missed rather than 'Wow! My blog has had 100 trillion viewers' or 'Join me in celebrating my blog's birthday' and other such nonsense.

I have your Unmitigated trilogy on my bookshelf and refer to all three frequently - they are built to last!

Peter Ashley said...

Thank you Sue, that's very encouraging! Recently I discovered a box full of unmounted 35mm transparencies that I'd forgotten about. Since nearly all my 'spares' had been consigned to a spectacular bonfire in the field at my old home eleven years ago I was intrigued. And on searching through found some overlooked treasures. The scanner's been working overtime of course.

Sue Imgrund said...

Look forward to seeing some of your rescued treasures.

Stephen Barker said...

It must be time for another book.

Peter Ashley said...

Sue: I'll put something on soon.
Stephen: Plenty of ideas in the pipeline, but publishers are having a hard time. Or so they tell me.

Anonymous said...

thank for sharing,
It must be time for another England.

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