Off for a walk into the Chedworth area of Gloucestershire and it promises to be sunny. My friend Robin and I have done this walk before starting from the Roman Villa and roaming through some of the finest countryside this area has to offer. Last time it was in the middle of Summer, this time it’s a cold but sunny start. Perfect day for walking and we were headed for Fossebridge and the pub for lunch, then back across the Vestey estate to our starting point at Chedworth. There’s a steep climb after the pub sojourn up the field and … Continue reading The School in the Woods

This pretty little house is not far from the River Severn in Gloucestershire, east of the A38 in an area that is generally not bothered by tourists, or anyone much for that matter. It reminds me of how children draw houses with a four window and a door in the middle and a pretty little garden in the front. It seems undisturbed by modern life and has no new fangled anything to disturb the peace that emanates from it. It’s painted green not crushed avocado and they probably still have the tin in a shed ,somewhere. Happy little place. Continue reading House 15. Taken from a child’s drawing?

This place is North of Los Angeles and I took the photograph on a trip a couple of years ago. The small town of Carpinteria has a few houses and a large wide high street off the main freeway up the L A coast. This is a private house and looks like something out of a film set. I’m not sure if the outside tiles have any function other than decoration but the whole place looked like a brilliantly choreographed production number. Carpinteria with a few shops and a super little museum prided over by some ladies of great respectability. … Continue reading House 14. OTT in Carpinteria

Superbly located in a small village that is almost entirely owned by one family, this place has a fine view over the previous village occupants. It’s right next to the typical English church grounds. There are a few of these almost feudal villages in this area, where the houses are entirely controlled by the local landowner. This particular landlord is quite enlightened having brought very high speed broadband to the village for all to enjoy as well as a central heating works, or should that be a heating works that’s in the centre of the village that works. It’s for … Continue reading House 13. Dead centre of the village.

The top floor windows are the eyes and the steps are the open mouth of this modest Californian house in Los Angeles. Standard blue sky helps LA houses look good. I’d have liked to have seen it with the blinds half closed on the top floor to make lazy eyelids, but you can’t have everything, contrary to popular opinion in California, where they seem to think anything is possible. An uplifting but unrealistic view. Wonder what this place is like inside and if it has one of those cheery “doorbells” which says “Hi there! How are you today?”, in that … Continue reading House 12. It’s one of those animated places.

Just meandering off the subject of houses and a trip to Yorkshire. Some good stuff first: two hours on a train from Cheltenham, brilliant. Apparently it takes longer than that to travel short distances up here, where they still have diesel trains, so getting south quicker always seems to have been the priority. Move the House of Lords to Sheffield not York, they have enough old tourists in York and Sheffield needs the money. It’s a great place, young and possibly vibrant. First stop off the train, the art gallery. A short walk from the station, and over the main … Continue reading A Yorkshire diversion

This is actually what was the Gloucester Folk Museum at the bottom of Westgate Street in Gloucester City Centre. It might be something else now as this was taken some years ago. Wonderful building. Just up the road is a completely wooden fronted house but you can’t see it from the street. You have to know the location of the narrow alleyway where it is to find it and hope they have left the door to the alleyway open. Gloucester is chock full of history, and there are times when we just take it for granted. Continue reading House 11. With shop attached.

This place overlooks a park and hence the shot. Taken a couple of years ago in the winter sunshine. Lovely round ended house, which was empty when I passed it by and took this. I like to know the history of houses, but doubt I’ll ever know this one. One can never tell a house by the ‘cover’. I recall going to visit a house with a view to buying many years ago, and it looked great in the picture, great when we got there, but once inside neither of us could get out quick enough. Bad vibes was our … Continue reading House 10. Regency view

This little person is probably the youngest wassailer at the Stroud Wassail on Saturday and seemed to be enjoying it, closing her eyes to fully appreciate the dancing and music. Brilliant day out on a damp and cold January day, a superb tonic for the winter. You can see more images of what went on right here and there will be more added there in the coming week. Continue reading Youngest Wassailer?

Find out all about it here. Like the January sales when it’s gone it’s gone. so if you are in the Stroud area of Gloucestershire go take and take a look, there really will be dancing in the streets. Continue reading Today’s the day, to wassail away, the perfect way to cheer a January day.

Looking forward to a day out in Stroud tomorrow to take a look at the Wassailing. It’s a brilliant excuse for a fun day out with the addition of dancers and music throughout the day, it helps that it’s the same day as the famous Farmer’s Market where one can buy some brilliant locally produced food and goodies, as well as an excuse to buy locally baked bread from the Sunshine bakery in the Shambles. I call Stroud the “Capital of Bread” as it has several bread shops where locally baked excellent bread can be bought, and a Greggs! Sunshine … Continue reading A day out in “The Capital of Bread” with the Wassailers.

The term ‘far out’ would be more than adequate description for this place which is on the route to the Old Man of Hoy. It’s situated just after you get off the ferry to the island. People climb up the Old Man of Hoy which is a tower of Rock in the sea just on the edge of this very far flung part of Orkney. People who climb the Old Man must have no sense of self preservation. Continue reading House 9. Orkney, an awkward commute.