Along the Towpath

Making the most of this late September warmth we have continued to explore various walks along the canal towpaths,

and are now more aware that autumns colours are slowly appearing.

Shall we go under, over, or around?

The Grey Heron and a Moorhen completely ignore us.

Clematis vitalba - Old Man's Beard

It is very peaceful, it feels good,

timeless,

but is it? This wretched virus is on the rise again in several European countries.

This year there is a very strong recommendation from WHO and our own NHS that we should all have a winter Flu vaccination. Have you booked yours? My husband has already had his, and mine is due next week.

Camera Woes

I have been wondering how long I should expect a camera to last? and whether, like our computers, there is an element of obsolescence built into them? 
For the past few months mine has been playing up. It has been acting like a mischievous child doing it's own thing, and certainly not what I want it to do! It seems that I shall simply have to bite the bullet and purchase another.

This almost end of February day was a perfect moment to walk along one of our many canal towpaths and take in some much needed February fresh air. According to the forecasters, our weather this week is coming up from the Caribbean!

 The Blackthorn blossom - Prunus spinosa is now fully open and busily decorating many of our hedgerows and byways. It is this blossom that produces the small deep blue damson like plums during the Autumn known as drupes or more commonly sloes.

Not much activity seen on the water, apart from much chasing and splashing about from the ducks - the drakes were busily pursuing any hen (female duck) that appeared in their view outnumbering them by at least three to one.

The canal boats were locked, shut up, and tied to their moorings following the winter months. Easter is late this year so they will probably begin sailing again before then.

It was lovely to walk in the sunshine and enjoy the surroundings which we had almost to ourselves. Birds were twittering and chirping in the hedge, and all was peaceful. There was just the occasional ringing sound of hammer meeting metal from across the water where the local boatyard were carrying out repairs.

Anemone blanda growing along the towpath.

The Walk

The guests have departed, August is over, and once again my birthday has come and gone.

Being an end of August child my memories are all bathed in fields rippling with gold - scenes of harvest time, fruits ripening, and a new school year beginning. Back then crop gathering would be in full swing, but now they ripen earlier and are already safely gathered in.
We like to take a family birthday walk together and see what nature and the countryside are up to, and every year we tend to be fortunate and have perfect walking weather. 

I pride myself on knowing most of our native wild flowers, but this one growing in profusion along the canal banks was a mystery. The flowers and seed heads appeared similar to Himalayan Balsam which led me on to the correct answer. It is a member of the same family i.e the Balsaminaceae family to which the Busy Lizzie also belongs - it's name is Impatiens carpensis - orange balsam.

The wild flowers, fruits, and berries were a delight, and youngest son spotted four Kingfishers, which made his day.

Along the canal towpath we discovered a restaurant which was perfect for lunch.

Then hastened to our next destination to see a small exhibition of iconic personal belongings which were kindly loaned by Zandra Rhodes.

    
 via wiki

'Egg Hat'
Zandra Rhodes was made a Dame in 2015 by the Princess Royal at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace, and this is the hat that she wore for the occasion. It was designed for her by Piers Atkinson which was made using Swarovski crystals.

'Blue Haired Lady at Night' - Zandra's own artwork,
signed and dated 1982 from her private collection

'Cherry Hat'
Zandra went to afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Princes Trust and wore this hat.

'Flower Hat'
from her personal collection by Piers Atkinson

'Andrew Logan Shoes'  
These were made for Zandra in the 1970s - her favourite shoes!

'Field of Lillies Gown'
Designed by Zandra in 1975.
In 1977 it was worn by Donna Summer, and used on the cover of her Album 'Once Upon a Time'.

Detail in the 'Field of Lilies Gown' 

   'Diana Dress'
One of the dresses designed by Zandra for Princess Diana, and replicated here on a stamp.

  I wonder, is this small cottage waiting here for me?

More Tales from along the Towpath

'Spring was in the air' along the towpath - 'pussy willows' were laden with pollen and nectar 

Of the 150 mills that once crowded these valleys only two are still working woollen mills. Many are now utilised as business premises, places where artisan craftspeople work, specialised shops, and art galleries. In this valley some of the foremost sculptors of our time have their work caste in bronze within one of the mills.

  A mill race runs beneath this building where originally a large water wheel would have turned

Five of these little round houses were built along the edge of the Severn/Thames Canal following its completion in 1789. They housed what were known as Lengthsmen who were responsible for maintaining the towpaths, managing the water levels and controlling the weirs. They also kept the banks in order on their 'lengths', cut back the reeds and vegetation, and if there were lock gates on their 'length' it was their duty to keep them in good order.

Life along the waterways was not the

idyllic place of leisure and recreation that we know and enjoy today. 

For the canal watermen and their large families living was tough and physically demanding - a life lived in a cramped, confined area, often coated in black dust from their cargo of coal. They led itinerant lives crisscrossing the country along the waterways with no fixed abode. Their children, born as they travelled, were expected to help on the boat and were unable to attend school. Such a tough life resulted in the whole family having an extremely low life expectancy.

In stark comparison, life for the successful Clothiers was good - they built themselves fine houses on the upper slopes of the valley 

whilst down in the valley bottom 

dwelt rows of modest cottages to house the 'weavers' and their families 

However, as mentioned in the previous post, many of the Mill Owners were extremely benevolent to the area, building fine schools, and churches, and families tended to remain totally loyal to the mill where they worked for their entire working lives. Today one of those locally endowed schools is nationally recognised as being a top state school which achieves a very high level of successful entrants to Oxbridge every year.
old images via