A break from the place names for a day, and a brilliant walk in the countryside. Loads of cow parsley and bright sunshine now and again. Walking with my friend Sir Robin Burton of Churchdown, who is always the best of company. We set off on a circular tour from the bottom of the Chalford valley, up through Dimmelsdale ( yes, it does sound like a made up name ) and to the top edge of France Lynch. The area is familar to me as we used to live around there. Over to Oakridge and then across towards the Daneway … Continue reading Magic day and little yellow jacketed bombers.

Nether Westcote: Underpants of very poor quality where support is lacking in certain vital areas, like the Labour party in Cirencester. These can be purchased generally from market stalls, but not from Cirencester market where they tend to specialise in home made jams at eye watering prices. In that respect the two items have something in common. Wearing nether westcots can be eye watering, both to the wearer and anyone who might unfortunately have sight of them. ____________________________________________________________________ A Guide to Gloucestershire Place Names and their True Meaning. This is another in the series from my considered in depth research … Continue reading Nether Westcote

Pitchcombe: Combe is from the latin for dung and in this instance pitchcombe is the word used for the hurling of dung. In particular cow dung that has dried enough for it to be successfully lifted as a complete circle about the size of a pizza, and then thrown.It is thought that Pitchombe preceded Frisbee as a marketing name, but has since fallen out of common parlance. Stancombe: The stance adopted before delivering a Pitchcombe. Legs wide apart, arms like a windmill in readiness for the launch. Very risky when loaded with the necessary as detritus may emanate and you … Continue reading Stancombe

Ashton Keynes: The way a small boat might sit in the water when waterlogged. An uncomfortable angle. Has developed from its first water association to mean slightly unhinged, so if someone is described as “ a bit ashton keynes” they can be considered to be “lying at an odd angle in the water”. Barmy but not completely. _________________________________________________________________________ A Guide to Gloucestershire Place Names and their True Meaning. This is another in the series from my considered in depth research into this esoteric subject. _________________________________________________________________________ Continue reading Ashton Keynes

Bishop’s Cleeve: The word cleeve is generally thought to relate to the way a valley is formed, so it’s a geographical term. A Cleeve is a wooded valley. How it relates to a Bishop is unknown, could be a favourite walk of the Bishop or possibly a parade through the area by religious people. A Guide to Gloucestershire Place Names and their True Meaning. This is another in the series from my considered in depth research into this esoteric subject. Bishop’s Cleeve is a small town on the edge of Cheltenham quite close to Cheltenham’s Racecourse. Perhaps the Bishop was … Continue reading Bishops’s Cleeve

Burleigh: Generic term to decribe a large fellow, tends to elicit the phrase: “ Moind eem a bigun moind” from onlookers in the Gloucester area. Bigun was the first name used, then it developed to just burleigh. So the phrase more recently would be ” Eeem a burleigh eni?” Meaning in both instances: ” He’s a very large fellow is he not?” Frequents the Kingsholm area in the winter months. A Guide to Gloucestershire Place Names and their True Meaning. This is another in the series from my considered in depth research into this esoteric subject. Continue reading Burleigh

A Guide to Gloucestershire Place Names and their True Meaning. This is another in the series from my considered in depth research into this esoteric subject. ________________________________________________________________________ Bibury: The walk of a tourist who does not understand what he/she should be doing, or seeing, or indeed why they are where they are at all. Involves walking slowly in one direction and then in another random direction, even the person doing the walking does not understand exactly why or in which direction they might be going. It’s a sorry sight. Pity them. Common in the Cotswolds. Japanese tourists avoid by following … Continue reading Bibury

Another from the archives,when I amused myself and hopefully others with my own take on Gloucestershire place names. I used to have a coat like this back when at college, I think my mother secretly disposed of it as it became a health hazard for anyone near to it, though I was immune when wearing it. One of those parkas your dad or granddad used to own in the 70s that you never bothered to throw away. The undefined fur on the collar is somewhat perished and moth eaten. It has no waterproofing qualities at all and never did, and … Continue reading Hucclecote

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Just came across this drawing from 2007 when Gloucester, the City where I lived at the time, was more than knee deep in water. None of this was drinking water, that was cut off. No water came from the taps but Biblical amounts came from the sky. June 2007 was we were told at the time, a once in 100 year event, when it rained, then it rained even more, then it turned on a pump in the sky and it deluged down on us. “Toys r Us” the huge local toyshop since washed away financially, opened it’s doors at … Continue reading One inch away from evacuation…

I’ve had a plot, an allotment, for a while now and this year it’s had the benefit of a lot of neglect from me. Leaving it well alone has allowed a group of pink poppies to take over an area where I’d planted shallots. They look brilliant so thought I’d share this one with you. If I’d tried to grow them I’ve no doubt they would not have been as successful as they have been. That’s Comfrey with the blue flower in the background. Someone told me once that it can be a bit of a thug invader, which it … Continue reading Plot poppy