Enjoying a Cotswolds Daydream
Cotswolds Daydream
Last year the sun shone and we “reveried” in it. This year the sun went as soon as it came. The black clouds gathered. And the weather forecast got more and more alarming.
We had left the Surrey Hills slightly battered by Storm Ciara. Only to find that a much bigger Storm was looming. Storm Dennis was to prove catastrophic for many areas of Britain, including low lying areas of Surrey close to rivers. We escaped the worst and avoided Swift’s Hill on its designated day. 15 February. Climbing it the day before, on Valentines Day. It was still lovely in the Cotswolds as we relaxed in the Frocester George once again.
Slimbridge
Andean Flamingo
Red Shoveller
American Flamingo
Swan lake. Peter Scott’s house.
Swan Lake from Penn hide.
Black-headed Gull. In winter.
Mute Swan.
Iron Artwork.
Avocet.
Black-winged Stilt.
Redshank.
Sparrow.
Sparrow.
Crested Screamer.
Chiloe Widgeon.
Hooded Merganser (Male).
Hooded Merganser (Female).
Eider Duck (Male).
Eider Duck (Female).
Slimbridge visitor centre in the Cotswolds.
Smew (Female left, Male right).
Pochard.
Large flock of Lapwings.
Canada Geese.
More Canada Geese.
Lapwing.
Pintail. Late evening.
Swift’s Hill. Valentines Day.
Above Slad (first time post heart attack).
Slimbridge. 15 November… (Storm Dennis).
Slimbridge Watchtower. Storm clouds gathering.
We stayed indoors. Here is Peter Scott’s famous painting of Nene Geese.
We went on a guided tour of Peter Scott’s House. Now a museum.
Despite the weather, it was fine indoors at Slimbridge and will lead to a story entitled “Happy the Man”.
The Friends of Skomer and Skokholm Annual Reunion, Bishops Cleeve.
The venue. The Old Tithe Barn, Bishops Cleeve.
Nice venue. Lots of presentations.
Sylwia. Skomer warden. (See Eamonn goes to Skomer).
Richard and Giselle. Skokholm wardens. (see Eamonn goes to Skokholm).
Sonia and Myf. Skomer volunteer friends from years ago.
Chris and Angie’s
We had a read while they were all playing Pictionary very noisily with grandson Jamie. Can you imagine? A guinea pig called Brian!
The sun shone after Storm Dennis and we moved some snowdrops symbolically from Cherington Lakes to Abinger Roughs on the way home. Fourth year we have done this. A little bit of the Cotswolds in the Surrey Hills. Don’t tell anyone.
Lighting a Candle for Diddley
As the rain lashed down during Storm Dennis we hid in Slad Church for a while. We met a lady who had lived in Slad for fifty years. Knew both Laurie Lee and Frank Mansell years ago. And remembered the Solomons. Diddley’s birth family.
There is no such thing as bad weather only the wrong clothes.
(I think that well know saying would get short shrift around some parts of the country at present,)
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Thank you, Bobbie. My copy of Down in the Valley: A Writer’s Landscape, arrived three days ago, courtesy of Amazon.
Finally made it to the UK! Might see you on a train. I will look out for random bears and say hello! At present in Cornwall. Train to Montrose on Thursday!
Congratulations .. but what a time to come. The wild fresh air of Scotland sounds very inviting at present. Keep in touch.