Eastern Poland: Fruit-Picking

Really enjoyed picking plums the other day.  They had an almost alcohol-type, rich taste, they were much better than we'd expected:

Also enjoyed picking pears, didn't even realise we had pear trees in the orchard:

The pears were also wonderful, crunchy and tasty, not juicy:

Also did some apple picking for apple pie.  Rotten apples were all around, there was a very pleasant, cider-type smell:

Raspberry Juice and a Basket of Grapes

More raspberry juice from eastern Poland, accompanied by a basket of grapes:

Sturminster Newton: Passing the Medieval Bridge

Passing the wonderful medieval bridge in Sturminster Newton shortly after having visited Sturminster Mill.

The six arches of the bridge are just about visible in the shot below:

Have just read that the bridge was built in the early 16th century.

Kotek Waking from His Siesta

Nice shot above of Kotek waking up from his late morning/early afternoon siesta.

Sturminster Newton: Passing Riverside Villa

Still on the Thomas Hardy trail here, passing Riverside Villa in Sturminster Newton where Hardy and his first wife, Emma, lived between 1876 and 1878, and where Hardy wrote 'The Return of the Native':

Still have a massive fondness for 'The Return of the Native', it being the first Hardy novel I read about 35 years ago.

In 'The Hardy Way: A 19th-Century Pilgrimage' (how I'm indebted to this wonderful book), Margaret Marande (2015: 97) explains that Hardy and Emma enjoyed the happiest years of their marriage at Riverside Villa, and that in 1916 and 1922, Hardy revisited the place "to recall his time" there with Emma (who died in 1912) "over 40 years before".  Have read somewhere else that this didn't impress his second wife, Florence, of course.

On the way back to Sturminster Newton town centre, we passed this wonderful sign:

Thomas Hardy's Wessex: Tess Cottage, Marnhull

We had a bit of trouble finding Tess Cottage in Marnhull, but were eventually pointed in the right direction across a field where small piles of stones kind of paved the way.

Of course, Marnhull is the model for Hardy's Marlott in 'Tess of the D'urbervilles'.  It is Tess' childhood home to which she periodically returns during her dips in fortune.

In 'The Hardy Way: A 19th-Century Pilgrimage', Margaret Marande (2015: 92, 96) reminds the reader that:

      "The leasehold of the Durbeyfield cottage expires on the death of Tess' father, John, leaving the 
       family homeless"

and that Hardy used novels like 'Tess' to express strong views on such leases.

My friend, Dave, who is a keen gardener was in awe of the garden at Tess Cottage:

Galway: An Interesting-Looking Pub

A lot of the pubs looked interesting in Galway, it was a pity I didn't have the time to visit any.

Kotek Finding Something of Interest

Was surprised to see Kotek get so interested in such food on the floor.

Eastern Poland: Village Shot

One of my wife's photos, from a village in eastern Poland.

Bury (Lancashire): Redisher Wood

I originate from Bury, Lancashire, and ever since childhood back in the mid-1970s, I'd always heard people talking about Redisher Wood, but until recently, I'd never visited the place.

Thankfully, my friend Phil took us on a walk through Redisher Wood:

Redisher Wood lies at the base of Holcombe Hill, and we simply followed a path behind the Hare & Hounds pub.

The metallic device below seemed to offer a good focal point for a picture:

The scene below may look idyllic but the signs were warning about dangerous deep water:

Two of my friends reflecting about things on a bridge:

Passing the Bolton Wanderers Football Stadium

Had to catch a bus from Bolton to Preston, as the trains weren't running, and we passed the Bolton Wanderers football stadium in Horwich:

When I went to Bolton Institute of Higher Education (now the University of Bolton) many years ago, the football ground was still at Burnden Park in Bolton town centre (again, this is like another lifetime away now).

Have always quite liked the small clock tower at Bolton train station:

Galway City: Spanish Arch and Claddagh Quay

After visiting the Doolin Folk Festival, I had to visit the Spanish Arch and Claddagh Quay area of Galway city centre as a special kind of pilgrimage:

Had last seen the Spanish Arch and Claddagh Quay area (and Galway) in 1997, shortly before setting off for Poland.

The place has deep meaning, because my late brother found a good pair of jeans on the floor which didn't fit him, but were perfectly-sized for me.

This is one of the strongest memories of my late brother.

It would've been his 49th birthday today, it was his anniversary two days ago.

When we visited Galway City in 1997, I think there was a small, homely-looking EFL school near the Spanish Arch, but I'm not 100% sure, the mind plays tricks over time:

Eastern Poland: Beautiful Painting of a Cat

A beautiful painting of a cat that my wife got as a present today.

Thomas Hardy's Wessex: St. George's Church, Fordington, Dorchester

Through the directions from Anne-Marie Edwards' book 'Discovering Hardy's Wessex' (1978/1982), we were able to find St. George's church in the Fordington district of Dorchester:

Anne Marie Edwards (1982: 95) explains that Fordington is the Durnover district from Hardy's 'The Mayor of Casterbridge', and that Hardy often visited the church as a "close friend of the Moule brothers whose father", Henry Moule, was rector there.

Have just read that Henry Moule battled for the health of his Fordington parishioners during an 1856 outbreak of cholera (if I remember correctly, Henry Moule's heroic actions may be the inspiration for Hardy's short story 'A Changed Man').

Anne-Marie Edwards (1982: 95) also reveals that "in later years", Hardy attended the services at St. George's church from his home at Max Gate.

Of course, one of Henry Moule's sons, Horace, who tragically took his own life, was a good friend of Hardy (can remember reading about this many years ago, when I started reading Hardy's main novels in the early 1980s).  If I remember correctly, it was either Horace or another of the Moule brothers who pushed Hardy towards having a humanistic (non-transcendental) view of the Christian religion. 

Have also just discovered from a bit of internet research that Hardy was a member of the parish council of St. George's church, but resigned in the early 20th century due to some alteration to the church.
 

Love being able to find such parts of Hardy's Wessex.

Bury (Lancashire): The Duke William Pub, Ainsworth

While visiting Ainsworth Unitarian church to take some shots, we had a quick pint next door in the Duke William pub:

The pub had a nice, old-worldly feel to it inside.

My friend John waiting for his pint below:

There were a couple of decent Real Ales on tap.

Would love to know how old the Duke William pub is, and whether it may've once been an old coaching inn (got the latter on the brain after my recent trip to Thomas Hardy's Wessex).