We’re back!

There are lots more photos to come from our recent northern trip, but firstly, it’s good to be back to the everyday normality (if that’s what it is) of life in Shropshire. What better than a wander around the Willey lanes, to see how the season has moved on. In the fields, they’re lifting the spuds. Along the hedges and verges, there are crab apples, glorious (but inedible) red berries and the last of the blackberries (the devil’s in them now). All the damsons have gone – someone’s been busy while we were away

View OS map in Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367470&Y=298250&A=Y&Z=120

Silent and secret

We leave the car and take the path across the field, cutting off the corner and avoiding the road. The corn has been harvested; just the stubble remains, and with it an eerie feeling that, with the crop, everything else has gone. The air is still, it’s very quiet – is anybody there? We continue via Harnage Grange, then, further along the lane, we take the path across the fields towards Kenley. There’s a secret world here, not visible from any of the roads nearby, and if it was quiet earlier, it’s even quieter now. Not even the sheep have anything to say.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=357220&Y=301550&A=Y&Z=120

Mersey scenes

We’ve spent the day exploring, in a fairly eccentric and unstructured way, the north-west of England, focusing (so to speak) on Liverpool and Merseyside. More to follow; here are a couple of tasters. The Liver building may be instantly recognisable, even when it’s hiding being more modern structures; the Water Street entrance to James Street underground station may be less well-known, but it was worth a visit with the camera.