Photo Walk Extraordinaire!

It's been a busy couple of days. I have been up in London at the Blogtacular Conference being inspired and having fun. The main conference was on Saturday, but on Friday there was the option to go on a photo walk so I signed up. Imagine about 25 colourfully dressed women armed with phones and cameras charging though the streets of Chelsea and you'll get the idea!

The first place we stopped was a cake shop called Peggy Porschen - I really have to go back and try the delicious looking cakes!

Then we wandered on, following our leader, photographing anything and everything of interest!

It was a great afternoon, though I have to say at the end of a couple of hours pounding the pavements I was ready to go back to the hotel and have a rest!

If you would like to see more on the photowalk and Blogtacular, head on over to my other site ChequerCreative where I will be posting in a few days time. In the meantime have a great week.

Why India is Hell for Photographers

Why would India be hell for photographers? Some might argue it is one of the most photogenic countries in the world. Therein lies the rub, practically everything you see in India seems deserving of a photograph. Potential themes are endless: transport, notices, traditional crafts, wildlife - I could go on. But how to discriminate? do you choose an area to focus on, or do you snap indiscriminately at everything that catches your eye and hope to theme them later? I chose the latter route and am now busy post-processing 2000 + photos. I have themed a few for you to give an idea of the scope, but in doing it this way I am very aware of the lack of place and context.

What works best? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Transport

Bullock Cart on the road from Ooty to Coimbatore

Elephants used for transport Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Traditional Crafts

Lighting a cow dung fire to put with bananas in the 'banana cave' to ripen them Madurai Banana Market

Wildlife

Signs

Notice seen on station while riding the 'Toy Train'  from Ooty to Coonoor — Notice seen on station while riding the 'Toy Train' from Ooty to Coonoor

This is a tiny selection of the pictures I took and the themes explored during my travels in South India. I would love to know about your journeys and how you decide what to focus your camera on.

Hasta La Victoria Siempre

The words Hasta la Victoria Siempre translate as 'always faithful to victory' and the Cuban people have been. As a visitor there is a sense that the revolution is still ongoing, and in one sense it is. In the other communist countries we have visited the ( Vietnam and Cambodia) the revolution has been and gone, leaders dead or deposed. In Cuba, however, the Castro's, Fidel and Raoul, are very much still in charge.

Everywhere you go in Cuba the revolutionary heros stare down at you, usually, but not always, in their younger incarnations

you can find them on houses, as street art and on the front of garages.

Even on doors.

Che, Fidel and co are also to be seen imortalised in metal in the more formal setting of the Revolutionary Square in Havana

While Che and Castro are fathers of modern Cuba, the man looked on as the founding father of the nation is Jose Marti. Marti founded the Partido Revolucionario Cubano which united Cuban forces in favour of independence. He died in battle against the Spanish in 1895 and is buried in a mausoleum in the cemetery of Santiago de Cuba ,where an armed guard is maintained ceremonially changing every 30 minutes. Marti is the only individual or institution in Cuba so honoured.

and finally this is how the Cubans show the American base at Guantanamo on their maps

Everybody Salsa!

“The roots of Cuban music are in my head.”

— Compay Segundo

Music and dance is everywhere in Cuba, on the streets, in the restaurants to the the Casa de la Trove set up following Fidel Castro's degree that every town in Cuba should have its own Casa de la Trove where the troubadours were to be given regular wages. You couldn't escape it even if you wanted to - most don't!

most of the music played in Bueno Vista Social Club type salsa

Then of course there is the national song 'Guantanamera' or literally 'farm girl from Guantanamo Bay'. I have to admit that I, along with others in the group, had not previously associated it with Cuba but with Mexico! If you are trying to remember the tune here it is in a version by Compay Secundo of the Bueno Vista Social Club.

Company died back in 2003 and has been awarded the accolade of being buried in the cemetery at Santiago de Cuba near to the Cuban's founding father Jose Marti.

On one of our nights in Havana we went to see the band that had evolved from the Bueno Vista Social Club incorporating a couple of the original members it was chaotic but great fun with fabulous music and a fair number of Mojitos.

The music on the streets was the best

whether single musicians of larger groups, in this case discussing what to play next

or in the evening in Trinidad in the Casa de la Musica

so come and and join in!

Hola from Cuba

“Cuba has become a symbol of courageous resistance to attack. Since 1959, Cuba has been under attack from the hemispheric superpower”

— Noam Chomsky

It seems a long time since I posted here. The principle reason for this is that blogging and builders don't go well together. We had builders, of one sort or another, in for most of 2105 and it felt like a year when art or artistic endeavours were constantly interrupted by life. Hopefully things should be calmer this year and I shall probably spend some time refreshing my blog and website - but for now I will just say 'Hola from Cuba' in what will almost certainly be the first of several posts as Cuba was a bit of a photographer's dream!

Cuba is a country of colour music and dance. It is also a country of poverty, hope and pride. I know a lot more about Cuba than before I went and from a different perspective. There is much that is good and much that is not so good. The country faces huge challenges in the immediate future as the old revolutionary leaders pass on and the US embraces the nation. I don't feel qualified to comment on any of this, though I am so hoping for a positive outcome for the Cuban people, so I am just going to share with you some of the colours and sights of what is a very special place.

In order to make some sense of what I saw I am going to theme the posts starting with transport. To start off with there are those wonderful classic cars, many of them used as taxis

Few have many of their original parts and most have been mended and remended over the years - but they still look stunning

Next come the vans and lorries - just as attractive in their own way

Next up is two wheeled transport, with cycle rickshaws much in evidence

as well as bikes for individual use

The further east you go in Cuba the more horses and mules you see. Horses pulling commercial vehicles, taxis and ridden by cowboys - we actually saw someone lasso a steer on the motorway between Havana and Santa Clara! there were also oxen and buffalo carts but unfortunately I didn't manage capture any of those.

Different sorts of horse drawn taxi abound

This picture also features our state owned tour bus of which there are hundreds whizzing round the Island

Here are plenty of more commercial horse drawn vehicles too

I'm not sure if these speakers work or if they are just painted on!

Then there are the cowboys

and after a run down of most, if not all, of the Cuba's methods of transport I will say adios for now!

Once upon a Time on Lake Maggiore .................

Once upon a time there was a scotsman called Neil McEacharn who spotted an advert in The Times for the Villa Taranto. He bought it in 1931 and spent the next 30 or so years creating a rich a varied garden with plants from around the world, the most surprising feature of which was, in my view, the dahlia maze

Dahlias have never been one of my favourite flowers but this display caused me to think twice! Alongside the Dahlias were many more exotic plants such as these giant amazonian lilies

and an amazing field of lotus blossom - one of my favourites

There were also beautiful vistas

and some other visitors

McEacharn died at the Villa Taranto in 1964 and is buried in a mausoleum in the grounds decorated with his beloved flowers

close to these spectacular views

Ode to Orta

We have just returned from a holiday to Italy where we stayed on Lake Maggiore - stayed tuned for a future post about this - but for today I want to invite you to to visit lake Orta with me and in particular the village of Orta San Giulio.

The joy of this place and of its accompanying Island of San Giulio out in the lake (which unfortunately we didn't have time to visit) was the fact that there was nothing to disturb the harmony of the buildings

no monstrosities of the sixties or seventies to spoil the flow of the architecture

no jarring colours to spoil the predominance of earth tones that softly blend into the landscape

rather, an ancient square with frescoed houses

roads along the lake that once may have led to Rome,

or just back to the central square

and little jetties where you can enjoy a drink or an ice-cream overlooking the lake

In all just perfect!

Its not the Leaving of Liverpool ........

My trip to Liverpool last month was my first time in the city and I absolutely loved it! only problem was that my reason for being there at all was to attend a 3 day art workshop led by the wonderful Orly Averini. The down side to this great opportunity was that there wasn't a lot of time to explore the city. But these were my highlights

I loved the docks with their mix of ancient and modern, topped by the original Liverbirds

no time to take a 'ferry cross the Mersey' though'

or even paddle ourselves across

We did make it to the Tate though!

Liverpool provided lots of great opportunities for Street photography

I loved that there were pianos provided for the public to play

One of the best things apart from the great food in some fabulous restaurants was our visit to the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

We hit it at just the right time in early evening with the sun streaming though the windows and turning everything jewel coloured - just fabulous!

All just fabulous we were so sorry to go and definitely mean to come back!

“Farewell to Princes’ landing stage River Mersey fare thee well
I am bound for California, a place I know right well
So fare thee well my own true love
When I return united we will be
It’s not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me
But my darling when I think of thee”

— Traditional

A Walk Round Yarmouth

At the beginning of the month we had a week on the Isle of Wight. With hindsight and considering what it has been like since, the weather was very good. Indeed we had two near perfect days. On one of these we had a lovely walk round Yarmouth, one of my favourite places on the Island.

We headed off past the old station that has recently been reimagined as a cafe

through Rofford Marsh

and down to the sea where we saw a couple of cormorants fishing together, and a man walking his dogs along the shore at what was one of the lowest tides of the year (usually no beach visible here)

Back through the town, the cottage gardens were looking pretty,

then on to the pier, reputedly the longest wooden pier int he UK.

From the pier we spotted children taking advantage of the low tide and glorious evening to go crabbing

All this in a gentle stroll lasting around an hour - we are blessed!

In Dublins' Fair City ......

Last month I had a very last minute and unexpected opportunity to visit Dublin. I had just two days looking around by myself while my husband was at work - the weather wasn't great but here of some of the things that stuck me.

Of course the pubs

Trinity College Library containing the Book of Kells which I wasn't able to photograph

The Georgian houses - I particularly enjoyed this one, celebrating Dublin's year as European City of Culture

and this one with the fabulous door furniture

As I approached Dublin Castle I heard a volley of gunfire. This was shortly after the devastatingTunisian beach attack so I felt a momentary frisson of fear which was quickly allayed when I noticed a crowd of people watching something. It was, of course, filming for a TV programme on the Easter Rising of 1917

Near St Patrick's Cathedral I found trees with hand crocheted socks!

There were plenty of statues

and opportunities for street photography

Lunching leprechaun in St Stephen's Green

and finally I was intrigued / amused by these Edward V11 letter boxes still in service but painted green!

“In Dublin’s fair city, where the girls are so pretty
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she wheeled her wheelbarrow through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive a-live O! ”

— Traditional

Another Place

On Monday we visited Anthony Gormely's installation 'Another Place' on Crosby Beach just outside Liverpool. It consists of 100 cast-iron, life-size figures spread out along three kilometres of the foreshore, stretching almost one kilometre out to sea.

When we arrived the tide was on its way in and the weather was pretty murky with outbreak sof squally rain, but somehow the scene didn't call for bright sunshine.

The figures - each one weighing 650 kilos - are made from casts of the artist's own body standing on the beach, all of them looking out to sea, 'staring at the horizon in silent expectation'. The figures are really spaced out and some were already underwater when we visited. We walked to a couple of the nearer ones which were textured with rust, sand and barnacles.

According to Antony Gormley, as quoted on Visit Liverpool , 'Another Place harnesses the ebb and flow of the tide to explore man's relationship with nature. He explains: The seaside is a good place to do this. Here time is tested by tide, architecture by the elements and the prevalence of sky seems to question the earth's substance. In this work human life is tested against planetary time. This sculpture exposes to light and time the nakedness of a particular and peculiar body. It is no hero, no ideal, just the industrially reproduced body of a middle-aged man trying to remain standing and trying to breathe, facing a horizon busy with ships moving materials and manufactured things around the planet.'

As we watched and waited the tide rolled in and more figures began to be underwater, it gave a slightly erie feeling. I guess the visit would have been entirely different if it had been a bright summers day with the beach crowded with people. As it was, it seemed to represent the human condition, how we are buffeted by the time and tide of life, marked by its vicissitudes but gaining a strange beauty as we age.

“Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.”

— Walt Whitman

Post Card from Chelsea - Two

Together with the show gardens the big draw was the Great Pavilion. Photography was, if anything, more difficult in here; not least because of the crowds who, like ourselves, had rushed in to avoid the rain. The pavilion is full of amazing displays of plants of all colours shapes and sizes. I particularly loved these aliums both on their own and with amazing displays of Amarylis (?)

Looking up was amazing

Not all the exhibits were natural however, with a ceramic tulip installation by Paul Cummins who was responsible for the poppies at the Tower of London last year (see previous post) His new collection Tulipmania references the rise of popularity of tulips in 17c Holland where they became a national obsession. The tulips are available for purchase on Paul's website

Also impressive was the large stand of carnivorous plants - especially to someone such as myself who went to see the Little Shop of Horrors only a couple of weeks ago. ( I now just call them all Audrey!) Here is a selection for your delectation.

I really think this lot are talking to each other!

Signing off with this image of some of our fellow flower show attendees - I think we may have been underdressed!

Postcard from Chelsea - One

This week for the first time ever my husband and I went to the Chelsea Flower Show . The primary reason of this, other than it was on my bucket list, was to get inspiration for planning our tiny courtyard garden (somehow it seems much more difficult to plan a small space than a large on as there is no room for mistakes). Naturally I took my camera as well.

The challenges of taking photos at Chelsea are immense. First there are the crowds which mean that you are lucky to get close enough to any of the exhibits to see them never mind photograph them. Then there is the fact that you can't spend half the day fiddling with your camera settings as you will (a) annoy those people jostling for position to view the gardens and (b) annoy your companion who is, after all, here to look at the gardens himself. If you then throw into the mix difficult lighting conditions around some of my favourite exhibits ,it seems a wonder that I took any pictures worth sharing at all! But here goes.

I'm going to start off by sharing one of my favourite gardens in the Fresh gardens category which represents the cutting edge of small concept gardens

This is the World Vision Garden inspired both by the beauty of the rice fields of Cambodia, and the fact that many children are existing on 2 bowls of rice a day. The golden rods represent the rice and the dark water the fear of hunger.

Other dangers lurk beneath the waters for those who work in the paddy fields and these are represented by bowls of cacti

Hope blooms in the garden too, represented by the Irises and other delicate flowers that are able to thrive, as Cambodia's children must.

This Garden appeals to me on multiple levels. I love the colour and the visual impact, but I also travelled to Cambodia a couple of years ago and visited Honour Village, a children's centre founded by a friend of mine. This foundation is doing much good work to help children and families in Cambodia.

New Discoveries

One of the great things about moving to a new place is discovering new things about the environment. Today we went for a country walk in the city and the possibility of doing this is one of the things I love about Salisbury.

We started off on familiar territory going through Elizabeth Gardens on our way to the industrial estate. There we followed a grassy track down the side of one of the units which led to the river. It was like entering another world, green peaceful and a million miles away from the industrial estate we left behind. During this part of our walk we only came across two other groups both walking in the opposite direction.

On the other side of the river were stunning views of the cathedral across the water meadows.

There were lots of wild flowers but my favourites were these yellow 'flags' or irises

Then there was the wildlife, families of geese with their goslings,

I love this one with mum (or dad) eating a fish,

A beautiful grey heron,

and last but not least an egret.

Across the river we entered a more wooded area where we spotted some magnificent fungi

Finally on the way back more views of the cathedral this time with sheep!

In all a fabulous country walk without leaving the city boundaries, or having to get into the car.

If you are in Salisbury and would like to try this walk it is detailed in the Salisbury & Wilton Walking map available from the Tourist Information Centre

Class Outing

On Sunday my photography class had a field trip. We headed out to the coast at a place called Calshot which is right next to the Fawley oil refinery and also boasts an activities centre run by the local council.

In addition to these delights there are ships, wildlife, marshes, beach huts, and a host of other treasures. Our brief was Go Explore!

I started with the wildlife and was charmed to find this egret pottering about the base of the old castle before taking off to sit on the top.

There were also lots of Oyster Catchers enjoying the low tide

and it's a long time since I saw so many shells on a beach

As well as these natural wonders there was man-made detritus on the shore too, such as old tyres.

But I was getting chilly, maybe it was time to explore inside. Calshot was an airfield from 1913 to the 1960s and the activity centre is housed in the old aircraft hangers

The main attraction indoors from a photography point of view was the velodrome

I've never been inside a velodrome before. It was impressive! I still can't work out how they mange to stick to the walls

It also gave me a chance to practice panning

Back outside again I focused on the more industrial landscape

boats and chimneys

before ending up with a visit to the beach huts

verdict - cold but fun!

Settling In?

We have been in our new home for about 3 weeks now and are beginning to settle in a little. There is still loads to do, more boxes to unpack, decisions on where to place things to make, and and urgent need for more decluttering especially in the book department! All of this has meant that I haven't been out with my 'big' camera very much. Instead I have been taking opportunistic shots with my iPhone . In particular I have been taking sunrise shots from my bedroom window

The template here comes from the Project Life app which I am enjoying playing with as I make an effort to record our first year in Salisbury. I want to document the changes in our lives. We are walking more, for example, on an every day basis rather than having to take the car to get anywhere

Although we lived in lovely country before the walks directly from the house weren't that great, with a lot of shady lanes and gloomy woods when, in winter you want any sunshine that's going. So our first Sunday walk through town was a great success

While we are loving all this it does take time to settle in and begin to feel 'at home'. What is helping is small corners of the house that give a respite from the chaos of the rest and a sense of purpose to some of my outings. I captured this on Tuesday

As you can see I am somewhat addicted to using the waterloque and brushstrokes apps at the moment!

It will take a while to feel fully at home here - after all 33 years was a long time. But I see little glimmers as I place loved pieces of furniture and other objects in their new positions and think - yes that looks right! See you all soon.

Head & Heart

As you may know I'm not posting very regularly at the moment, the reason is that this moving house business is all consuming. If all goes well (and with moving there are always plenty of things that can go wrong!) we might be in by Christmas, or maybe early January. There is really a panic inducing amount to do, we have lived in our current house so thirty-three years so you can imagine the amount of clutter we have collected!

I have recently started a photograpy course in Salisbury, the city we are moving to, which is around an hours drive from our current home. Our first assignment was to produce two pictures one illustrating where our heart is and the other where our head is.

This is what I am taking to class tomorrow night -

My head picture. This is attempting to illustrate that I am wearing way too many hats at present. Wife, mother, employee, project director to name but a few. I like the writing on the phrenology head as it references how much my head is buzzing with stuff, different projects, different lists, different agendas. I know it will get worse before it gets better, but it WILL be worth it! (I should perhaps also add that my husband is pretty busy too!)

This is my heart photo, I took it last week on a photo shoot with the class.

“the Cathedral was enlarged upwards between 1300 and 1320, by the incomparable tower and spire. This development was not unique to Salisbury – the cathedrals in London (old St Paul’s) and Lincoln both had taller spires, if only of timber and lead – but this one has proved the longest-lived, and since the late 16th century has been the tallest in England, standing at 404 ft/123m. ”

— http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/history/adding-spire

My heart has definitely moved to Salisbury and the cathedral, especially the spire, is the symbol of Salisbury. You can see it from almost everywhere in the city and it acts as a marker or guidepost in the city's life. I choose this photo because I liked the way the birds were juxtaposed with the spire and the black and white really draws attention to this, although I also like the coloured version with the evening sun turning the stone a glorious gold

While I'm here I can't resist adding a picture of the chapter house from the cloisters. This magnificent building houses one of the 4 surviving originals of the Magna Carta

“Magna Carta is famous as a symbol of justice, fairness, and human rights. For centuries it has inspired and encouraged movements for freedom and constitutional government in Britain and around the world. But when it was issued by England’s King John in June 1215 it was an attempt to prevent a civil war between the king and his powerful barons.

Magna Carta means simply ‘big charter’. A charter is a legal document issued by the king or queen which guarantees certain rights. This charter has over 60 clauses, covering many areas of the nation’s life, including the right to a fair trial. It is one of several copies written immediately after King John agreed peace terms with his barons at Runnymede, which were sent around the country as evidence of the king’s decision. Salisbury Cathedral’s copy is one of four which survive from this original issue. It was written in Latin by hand, by an expert scribe, on vellum (preserved animal skin). Medieval documents like this were not signed, but sealed, and at the bottom of our Magna Carta you can see the marks where King John’s seal used to hang.”

— http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/magna-carta/what-magna-carta

Finally I had to include this - I haven't seen a clerical hat like this in the UK for decades - welcome home Father Brown!

Yes, there is no doubt about it, my heart has definitely moved to Salisbury!

City of Dreaming Spires

“And that sweet city with her dreaming spires,
She needs not June for beauty’s heightening,”

— Matthew Arnold

Last weekend (well it was when I started writing this!) I was lucky enough to attend the 'Call of the Wild Soul' art retreat in Oxford led by Wild Souls, Erin Faith Allen, Tamara Laporte (AKA Willowing), and Claire Russell. The retreat took place in the beautiful Magdalen College which is one of the most beautiful places on earth to spent a weekend.

The college is unique in that it has its own deer park, home to Red & Roe Deer, a tower where the chapel choir sings at 6am on May Morning to welcome in the spring and a most spectacular set of cloisters which seem to be the heart of the college and my favourite place there.

I thought the planting of green Hydrangeas interspersed with what I think was a dark Berberis was inspired, and I don't think I have ever seen quite so many gargoyles and statues in one place!

A particular treat was to hear members of the Genesis Sixteen practising for evensong in the chapel . The acoustics must be truly wonderful as from outside of the chapel the sound seemed as if it came from the choir of 100, on investigating however, I found there were only 5 people responsible for making this glorious noise!

The Sixteen's conductor Harry Christophers and singer and practical scholar Sally Dunkley introduce this year's Choral Pilgrimage tour.

Everywhere you looked there were ancient artefacts and items of everyday use that had been crafted with love and care

Then there were the gardens - an oasis of calm and colour especially the stunning herbaceous borders - always a favourite with me,

enjoyed by college members and visitors alike

Even with a fair sprinkling of tourists around the sense of calm and peace prevailed, and this, together with the hours dedicated to making art and connecting with kindred spirits, made for a very special weekend

“Outside the open window
The morning air is all awash with
angels.”

— Richard Wilbur

The Golden Hour

“Once in a golden hour,
I cast to earth a seed,
And up there grew a flower,
That others called a weed.”

— Alfred Lord Tennyson

Photographers make much of the golden hour and with good reason. You just need to look out of your window shortly after sunrise or coming up to sunset to see the marked difference in the light. Often it is not convenient to grab your camera and go outside (work getting in the way is often the problem here) and I have to confess I'm really not a morning person!

This week however we are on holiday on our beloved Isle of Wight with the opportunity to breathe, relax, and, of course, get out with the camera.

Monday evening we headed off to Newtown, one of my favourite places on the Island. One of my best friends lived here when I was a child and we spent a lot of time round the quay and the creeks, wallowing in the very stinky mud when the tide was low and swimming off the quay at high tide.

I was really surprised as I got older to discover that herons are grey, and it was only coming back to the island that I realised that what I thought were herons as a child were, in fact, egrets.

and of course there were the ubiquitous black headed gulls looking dapper with their bright red legs and matching bills!

We crossed over the footbridge to access the quay where a pair of swans were catching the light

then walked back passed the disused oyster beds

Where I noticed the sun illuminating these marsh plants

I have taken numerous picture of Newtown over the years but none at the is time of day - the difference the light makes is amazing! Have a good week, and see you soon!

I have taken numerous picture of Newtown over the years but none at the is time of day - the difference the light makes is amazing! Have a good week, and see you soon!

In Flanders Fields the Poppies Blow .........

Yesterday we went to the Tower of London, not to see the Tower itself, but to see the installation commemorating the centenary of World War 1 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies will progressively fill the Tower's famous moat.

I feel a deep personal connection to the First World War. Not only did both my grandfathers serve in the British Army (and survive, so that I knew them both well) but my maternal grandfather's family had lived in Belgium for many years and my great grandmother came over with my Aunty Bessie ( my mothers cousin) as refugees at the beginning of the war and lived with my grandparents. My mother remembered hiding under the kitchen table from the Zeppelin attacks, and Aunt Rose told be the story of her escape from Belgium at the beginning of the war ( see previous post). For me the First World War is not just something to read about in history books but also a collection of family stories

By the end of November the moat will be full of poppies, one for each of the 888,246 British and Commonwealth forces who died. Every evening at sunset the last post will be sounded and a roll will be called of some of the fallen. You can nominate a friend or relative's name to be read out on a certain evening here.

The roll of Honour is read out by one of the Yeoman Warders of the Tower (AKA Beefeaters) and we were lucky to see this one walking through the poppies to check that the set up for the evening was all OK

I very much hope to visit again in November when all the poppies are in place which will be a truly awesome sight both in terms of the visual impact and what it represents.

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”

— John McCrae, May 1915