Pink oriental lilies

Oriental lilies are one of those flowers that come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Plantsmen have bred them to the point where the differences between named varieties are often difficult to distinguish. Yet the public's desire for the flowers seems unquenchable. I am not blind to their attractions. Given the right colours in the right setting - the background to the blooms matters - the flowers can be appealing. But, on the whole, I find the the oriental lily just a bit "too much". Subtle, they are not, as these pink example demonstrate.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Brass band musician

As I've got older I've come to like brass band music more than I did in my younger years. I soon go off it when they play what I call "oompah" music, but a good piece of music played well, such as Percy Grainger's "Lincolnshire Posy", offers a treat for the ears. We listened to a brass band playing on the bandstand at Ross on Wye recently. Their programme included "oompah" music, but also a fine arrangement and rendition of Gershwin's "Summertime". As they played I was prompted to try for a photograph of one or more musicians. But the relatively high number of players squeezed into a relatively small space presented relatively few options and the best I got was this band member on the euphonium (or is it a tuba?)

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Alderman John Jones d.1630

One of the most interesting memorials in Gloucester Cathedral is that dedicated to Alderman John Jones. Its style shouts seventeenth century and its organisation attempts to bring the deceased back to life by having a painted half-length effigy framed in an oval out of which he projects. The figure is surrounded by details proclaiming his status and also the carved tools of his office. Behind each column are folded deeds dated 1581-1630. He holds a further deed in one hand and in the other is a book. To left and right are stands with writing materials. What is, I presume, a staff of office is streched across the memorial below him. Left and right of the columns are pairs of implements, the use of which is unknown to me. I have seen memorials in this style in many major churches and have always enjoyed the sense of theatre with which they have been deliberately imbued.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Monument to Sarah Morley by John Flaxman

In the north aisle of Gloucester Cathedral is a memorial to Sarah Morley by John Flaxman (1755-1826), one of the pre-eminent English sculptors of the Georgian period. Flaxman was known as a draughtsman as well as a sculptor of reliefs and stand-alone pieces, and after a difficult start to his career (where he designed for Wedgwood), he became much sought after for funerary monuments. The example shown in the photograph is one of his early commissions and is noteworthy for the fine composition and way the main figures are expressed in three dimensions rather than solely in relief. The text is very typical of this kind of monument and makes for an interesting read. (Remember that some letter "s" look like letter "f.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

River Wye from Wilton Bridge

Last week, as we walked along the River Wye with two of our young grandchildren, we climbed up on to the medieval bridge at Wilton. As we gazed downstream we all started counting and came up with the total of thirteen canoes. What we didn't spot was the two paddle boarders. What we didn't count was the Canada Geese and from the photograph I make it to be ninety three. Then there were four people enjoying the sand and shingle at the river's edge and two mute swans standing in the shallows. These two were soon joind by a third that flew from behind us, climbed to go over the bridge and narrowly missed me and my grandson. We both ducked as we felt the wind from its wings, and wondered why it didn't just fly through one of the bridge arches.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Runner beans, with and without pods

We've grown and eaten runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) for over forty years and you'd think we knew them well. However, this year, for the first time, we discovered that in many countries they are eaten differently. By that I mean in some countries only the beans themselves are eaten whereas in Britain we eat the pods with the beans inside them. Our way of eating them means we pick them when they are relatively short, young and tender: elsewhere they pick bigger, tougher pods that are discarded after removing the bigger beans. In the past we deliberately let some pods grow big to supply enough beans for planting in the following year. This year, with our new-found knowledge we are eating short, succulent beans in pods and bigger beans taken from larger pods - as seen above.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Ancient yew tree, Much Marcle

The ancient yew tree in the churchyard at Much Marcle is estimated to be several hundred years older than the thirteenth century church that it stands beside. Most estimates suggest that it is 1500 years old. That would mean that it started growing a century or so after the Romans left Britain. The tree is still growing though an iron frame supports key branches. In 1953 its girth measured 30 feet and 1 inch at a height of 4 feet 6 inches above the ground. A measurement made in April 2006 at the same height above the ground showed the girth to be 30 feet and 11 inches. That same year the tree was pruned and approximately 6 tons was removed. It is not known when the trunk became sufficiently hollow to fit seating. However, it has been in place as long as anyone can remember and can accommodate several people.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

House martins, Berrington Hall, Herefordshire

A few weeks ago, in early August, we visited the National Trust-owned Berrington Hall near Leominster in Herefordshire. This Georgian mansion is set in typical landscaped surroundings including gardens and lawns, a ha-ha, then acres of pasture with specimen trees and a lake. What struck me most on this visit (that was made at a time of year we hadn't visited before), was the flocking of house martins around the pediment of the house's main elevation. There were dozens. Many had clearly fixed their mud nests to the undersides of the architectural mouldings, and most had raised young which were now flying. I had never seen such a density of house martins before, and was particularly surprised to see an albino bird among the navy blue and white of the majority.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Rotunda, Croome Court

The rotunda (or garden temple) at Croome Court dates from c.1760 and is probably the work of Robert Adam. It stands on a rise a couple of hundred yards from the main house and is almost surrounded by conifers that are thought to be contemporary with the building. The exterior is made of Bath stone. It has a shallow dome, five pedimented windows and one entrance, each of which has a swag above. 

The interior has fine decorative Rococo plasterwork featuring egg and dart, paterae, cartouches, masks and swags, with coffering above. The floor has a central circled sunburst with Greek key edging the room.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Upton upon Severn old church tower

In 1769 the spire of the medieval church at Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire, was replaced by an octagonal timber cupola in the then current classical Georgian style. In 1937 the body of the old church was demolished but the tower and cupola were preserved and the structure became not only a visual oddity, but a clock tower. Today it stands at a busy corner by the River Severn, surrounded by lawns, flower beds and a small museum with a pedimented entrance at the base of the tower.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300