Langford Lakes

On a mild sunny Christmas morning I took my nephew to see the wildfowl on Langford Lakes in Wiltshire. My inner twitcher was a tiny bit disappointed that the cold weather had not brought in any rarities, but I took these two photographs.

Snow scene

England has been on its knees thanks to some snow. In Wiltshire we got off lightly but enough snow fell to turn the countryside into a wonderland. This was my orchard this morning.

Salisbury Illuminated Lantern Parade 2009

My friend Colin and I joined a thousand + in the Salisbury lantern parade organised by Toozalii Community Arts. Amazing giant lanterns: reindeer, angels, stars, fish, seahorses. Colin and I wore our lanterns on our heads. It was a bitterly cold night with a wind from Scandinavia. At the Cathedral a canon blessed us and carols were sung.

Gargoyle on hut

I have always been intrigued by gargoyles on old churches and I made one for the corner of a hut in my garden from a bent car grill. How it got so bent I don't like to think but it came from a scrap yard. Inside the hut a couple are in conversation.

Wiltshire Farmstead Project

I did some more work on the Wiltshire Farmstead Project and visited three farms in the south of the county. The idea is to record the old farm buildings before they are all converted into residences. In my village they all have. The top and bottom photos show an old hay loft still so used and in its rafters some old milking stools no longer used. In another farm the gatehouse of an old priory and leper colony, dating from 1300 onwards, serves as a cowshed and hayloft. The middle photo shows a squint in the metre thick wall of the hayloft, through which one could see potential enemies with minimum exposure.