A celebration of trees: January

If you’re a friend of mine on Facebook you will know that one of my photography projects this year is a celebration of trees.

I love trees! Not only are they beautiful to look at, trees provide food and shelter for humans and for wildlife; trees release oxygen and clean our air by absorbing greenhouse gases; trees help reduce flooding and water pollution, and stabilise ground at risk of erosion; and so much more.

To celebrate both the beauty and benefits of trees I intend posting a photo each day of a tree or trees. If you’re interested, you can see these photographs in my Picasa album here. 

30 January, after an overnight dump of snow. Magical!

I am also going to share my favourite trees in a monthly blog post – this is the first of those. For January, because we’re in the depths of winter, it seems appropriate to select a snowy tree scene, and this is one of the local trees I particularly cherish. Although there are large numbers of trees here in Cheshire, it’s actually quite difficult to find a solitary tree. I especially love where this tree sits in the landscape, in a field on higher ground above Pickmere Lake so, not only can you see the mere below, you also see a sliver of the lovely Cheshire countryside beyond.

22 January, cold and a little misty

As you can see from the series of photos here (taken since I arrived here at the beginning of November 2014), I return often to this tree, partly because it sits beside one of the walking circuits I most enjoy and partly to photograph it in the ever-changing weather conditions.

Life’s better with trees!

11 January, blue with the cold

3 January, a cold and windy day

25 December. I was walking off my Christmas dinner!

24 November, a lovely late autumn day and the tree still has some leaves

Cheshire walks: Around Pickmere Lake in the snow

Elated by last night’s dump of snow I headed out this morning to enjoy our white winter wonderland. I decided on a circuit of our local lake, Pickmere, with a slight detour to the lime avenue at Great Budworth, walking partly on the narrow country lanes and partly along some of the public footpaths that criss-cross local farmland. I’ve included a map of where I walked – the numbers mark the kilometres (this was about 6.5kms all up so quite a short wander) and the blue dots are the places where the following photos were taken (sometimes more than one at each spot) (a small selection of the 200-plus I took!). 

I hope you enjoy walking along with me – it was magical!

We start off via the footpath that runs along the top of Pickmere Lake. It's a favourite walk for local dog-owners.

Looking out across the lake. That’s the tower of the church at Great Budworth on the skyline.

On Park Lane, looking back across the lake. This is one of my favourite trees hereabouts.

Looking in the opposite direction, over the fields towards the Millenium Wood. There’s another footpath that heads in that direction and it's also a lovely walk - another day, another blog.

The lane heads through a small section of wood called Pickmere Rough.

Three photos from this spot. The first is looking over farmer’s fields on the other side of the Rough.

And, from the same spot, looking over the fields towards Great Budworth.

And the third shot looks over the fields towards Hield House Farm. As you can see, the clouds were looking threatening at this point so I started striding out for Great Budworth.

The magnificent lime avenue at Great Budworth. It’s a long planting that runs either side of this narrow footpath. I sheltered here while a hail and sleet shower passed through.

From halfway along the lime avenue, I headed down this public footpath across the local farmer’s fields.

There are a couple of photos from points along this footpath – this first one has the lime avenue on the right and looks towards the Church of St Mary at Great Budworth.

This path is very muddy during the winter months, but was made easier today by the covering of snow, though I had to be careful not to slip!

The footpath comes out on to Hield Lane, which changes its name at the bottom of this slope to Dark Lane (the border between neighbouring councils runs through at this point, changing from Cheshire East to Cheshire West and Chester).

Looking back towards Pickmere Lake, along one of the streams that feeds into it.

On Dark Lane now, looking back toward Hield Lane and Hield House Farm.

And my last shot for today, taken of my favourite trees in Earle’s Lane, before I headed home to dry my wet feet and warm up with a hot cuppa. I hope you enjoyed my stride in the snow as much as I did!

Weathervanes of Cheshire

Atop the Penny Farthing Museum in Knutsford

For as long as we have roamed the earth, humans have been obsessed with the weather – and for good reason. Even today, the weather can shape our lives, direct our actions, cause mayhem and madness, bring happiness and joy.

Weathervanes, weathercocks, wind vanes – whatever you want to call them – are one of the tools we use to keep in touch with the weather, to check for those all-important changes in wind strength and direction. Yet they can also be delightful pieces of artwork.

In a triumph of the creative over the practical, weathervanes can be made to measure. They can advertise a profession, signal a personal preference, pay homage to history and reflect local heritage, or celebrate an object of adoration. They can be used to make a statement about their owner and add distinction to a building.

In May 2014, while I was back living in my native New Zealand, I celebrated the weathervanes of central Auckland in a blog and, ever since, I have kept an eye out for more examples. Here in England, the tradition of owning weathervanes, especially those of bespoke designs, seems to be flourishing, so I am accumulating a veritable treasure chest of images to share. Here is the first of likely several blogs, with a few snappy quotes by famous people to accompany my photos.

A ship in full sail became Runcorn's insignia in 1894 so this weathervane atop the town's
 information centre is entirely appropriate

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. ~ Jimmy Dean

A gardener and a bird lover perhaps? From Wincham

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~ John Ruskin

Another ship design in Runcorn's town centre

The weathercocks on spires and housetops were mysterious with hints of stormy wind, and pointed, like so many ghostly fingers, out to dangerous seas, where fragments of great wrecks were drifting, perhaps, and helpless men were rocked upon them into a sleep as deep as the unfathomable waters. ~ Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son

Found in Wincham

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. ~ William Arthur Ward

The Grim Reaper seems an odd choice to me but each to their own. Found in Wybunbury

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. ~ Henry Ford

From Pickmere. Not sure I approve of the subject, but it's a fine weathervane just the same.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~ Charles Dickens

Found near Bollington

If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees. ~ Khalil Gibran

Found in Over Peover

Faeries, come take me out of this dull world, / For I would ride with you upon the wind, Run on the top of the dishevelled tide, And dance upon the mountains like a flame. ~ W.B. Yeats, The Land of Heart's Desire

Cheshire: Pubs and their signs 1

The pub is an institution in England, a much-loved and oft-frequented centre of its local community, where the publican is counsellor and confidant as much as businessperson. Many of the public houses are centuries old, located in heritage buildings and steeped in history, with intriguing names and fascinating signs that reflect their origins.

Don’t be misled – I did not visit the interiors of all these pubs but I have certainly accumulated an album full of their signs. Here are the first of them, some of the signs that captivated me in Cheshire.

The Bells of Peover, Peover  

Given the name, you might perhaps expect there to be bells in the vicinity of this public house but there are none. The name refers to the Bell family who ran the pub in the 1870s, rather than to the bells in a church or a clock tower. And The Bells of Peover (pronounced Peever), which seems to date from around 1839, was originally called ‘The Warren de Tabley Arms’ – the family crest of the de Tabley family can still be seen on the front wall of the pub.

One particularly interesting fact about this pub came to light while I was researching its history. In the early months of 1944, when American soldiers were billeted at nearby Peover Hall, their commanders, General Eisenhower and General Patton, made plans for the D-Day invasion of Normandy over lunch here. For this reason, the flags of the United States and Great Britain still hang together outside the pub.

The Golden Pheasant, Plumley  

I couldn’t find much information about The Golden Pheasant, except that it’s approximately 200 years old, though the village itself is much older. The earliest known mention of Plumley is in 1119, in the Chartulary of the Abbey of St Werburgh, in Chester. 

We did see pheasants quite often as we drove around the narrow country lanes in Cheshire and, from personal experience, I can tell you that the pub is very nicely decorated inside, with lots of small nooks and cosy snugs where you can relax in a comfortable armchair with a friend and a drink. I totally agree with their philosophy on how to keep calm and would be more than happy to enjoy more ‘golden’ moments in this lovely place!

The Red Lion, Pickmere  

Unfortunately, I found no historical information about the Red Lion either, though it does appear on the 1840 Ordnance Survey map and I suspect it’s actually much older than that. It was refurbished in 2012 so the décor is very pleasant, tastefully furnished with nice spaces for eating and drinking.

Sarah and I visited this lovely pub twice during my three-week stay in Wincham. The first time we just enjoyed cold beers outside in the garden. It's a great place to eat on a summer's day, the grounds are nicely landscaped, there's a playground for the kids and it's dog friendly. The second visit was for lunch and both our meals were superb and delicious.

The Angel, Knutsford  

Knutsford is a large town close to where Sarah lives and it borders Tatton Park, the wonderful stately home and parklands which are very popular with both local visitors and tourists (see my previous blog). One of Knutsford’s other claims to fame is that it was home to well-known author Elizabeth Gaskell and, naturally enough, the town features in her novels. In Gaskell's time, the Angel Inn was a notable posting house and tavern, and it gets mentioned in her 1851 novel Cranford.

The White Bear, Knutsford  

Another old public house to be found in Knutsford is The White Bear. It was first registered in the 16th century, making it the oldest pub in town, and it’s also the last building in town to have a thatched roof. And what a roof it is! I love the little pheasant and bear the thatcher has added to the roof ridge.

The pub was once a coaching inn – in the 1820s you could catch the coach from here north to Liverpool or south via Newcastle, Stafford and Birmingham to London. There are several theories as to the origin of the pub’s name. The White Bear was the name of the ship Sir Francis Drake used for his daring raid on Cadiz Harbour in 1587; Richard III’s Queen Anne had a white bear as her crest; and, sadly, bear baiting used to be a popular sport in the days before football and rugby.  

The Lord Eldon, Knutsford  

Staying in Knutsford, the Lord Eldon public house (formerly known as the Duke of Wellington Inn) is another oldie at 300 years old and, interestingly, this beauty is supposed to be haunted. The ghost of Annie Pollitt, the daughter of Lord Eldon’s landlord James Pollitt, has been seen wandering the corridors in clothing dating from the 1800s and, apparently, also causes lights to flicker, objects to move and a cold breeze to send the chills up the spines of unsuspecting visitors.

According to an article in the Warrington Guardian on 13 June 2001, ‘Landlady Laura Scullion was sceptical about the myth when she took over the pub two years ago -- until she too glimpsed a white figure. "We had just closed for the night and I was standing at the bar with a barman when the white shadow of a woman moved across the bar and into the tap room," she said.’

I’ll leave you with that spooky tale but, be warned, there will definitely be more blogs about English pubs and their intriguing signs and history.