Westonbirt Tree Festival

As part of Tree and I having a relaxing weekend, we went to Westonbirt Arboretum for the annual tree festival. Amongst the usual wood sculptures and crafts we found some particularly inspiring work by artists such as Malcolm David Smith. His chairs are described as, "seating that just might be alive" and you would well believe it ! Tree and I have promised ourselves one each when we move to Wales. We bought some wood and had a good lunch in the restaurant. I do find it interesting how people pay to visit the show, yet miss some brilliant sculpture in the shape of the roof of the restaurant itself. During our meal I didn't see one person look up. When I build my workshop I intend to incorporate this style of roofing with a reciprocal roof centre window to maximise on the natural light whilst I work. We stopped at Ragged Hedge Wood on the way home and visited the circle where we were handfasted. I still love the calm within the wood when nobody is there. A perfect end to a chilled weekend !!

B Days III

Festie Eve

The shower was worth dancing about !

Amy & friends

The Fairygarden


Listening to the Deep Sea Jivers..Tequila!!

Worm & Diane

Gonen & Keren

At the risk of being quite boring, I shall post the final selection of photos of Beautiful Days. Although, if you were there, then it's a wholly different viewpoint.

B Days II

Blimey ! A week has gone by already since Beautiful Days and it still seems like only yesterday. Tree and I decided to take time out this weekend, just for ourselves, and started by going to Ceci Paolo's in the morning, for an exquisite lunch, and then on to Cheltenham in the afternoon. Cheltenham has become a bit of a disappointment these days and doesn't seem to retain the air of sophistication it once did. Anyway the point was for Tree and I to relax, and we did, so that's what matters. We stopped outside Bredon on the way home and picked wild blackberries. Tomorrow we are going to do sweet FA for a change. Can't wait ! Anyway, here are some more photos from B Days. There was a masked ball at the end and these are just a few of the hundreds that went by our tent.

Beautiful Days - Retrospective

(L-R, Alice, Diva, Gonen, Keren, Holly, Denise, Rosie + 2 old hippies)

We arrived back yesterday from a most interesting, successful, weekend at the Beautiful Days Festival. The weather was rain, sunshine, rain and,let me see now, more rain. In actual fact it wasn't that bad, apart from the tent leaking a bit on Friday morning, and we soon sorted out any leaks with a cover over the top. When we arrived we had some time to spare, whilst they sorted out the pitch, and got talking to our neighbours, Denise, Holly, Alice and Diva. We mentioned we had a spare ticket going to waste and they suggested a friend of theirs, Rosie, come down and help us. We got set up quite easily but we're knacked by midnight and decided to chill and finish in the morning. Trade was good and by the time Rosie came we were glad of the assistance. Rosie was a fantastic help and a lovely person to boot !! Our neighbours on the other side, Gonen and Keren, from Israel, introduced themselves and offered very welcome cups of rooibos tea. Gonen plays and sells didges and takes workshops as well. Every morning we had about ten to fifteen people playing. Keren is an artist and was painting alternative tattoos on people, in glitter. We all got on really well. We saw loads of people of all types and persuasions, so many I will not be able to mention them all. Special mention goes to Amy Coulshaw and her sister, Amy gave us a CD of her beautiful music, Worm and Diane who voted us the best stall of the festival and everyone who gave us support and compliments over the whole festival. Most of all, our thanks go to Rosie, without whom we would have had a much less relaxed time. I shall post photos a few at a time, as I took about two hundred in all !!!

Beautiful Daze or one hundred uses for a dead (cannabalised) flag.

At last, after all the hard work preparing for the Beautiful Days Festival , including P.A.T Testing, fire certificates, extending the tent, Public Liability Insurance and loading the van, with only a centimeter to spare, we are finally ready. To celebrate, after being in a whirlwind of organised chaos, Tree sorted my festie "Spiral" hair. What an excellent job it is too !!! In addition, we have created a special rasta stylee "Beautiful Daze" flag, so you can't miss us whizzing by in the van. Have no doubt, a full report of the days ahead shall appear soon. Ooh.. I'm all in a daze !!

A short break and thick nobs.

We've just come back from a few days in Wales and feel refreshed and ready to face the challenges of everyday Worcester life. Although the weather was hot, we still haven't managed to get into the sea at Mwnt, but I'm sure we will next time. We explored the north of Aberystwyth and decided that we prefer to look at the Cardigan area to live. Whilst out and about we went to a car boot near Sarnau and met a nice couple there, called Claudine and Simon. Simon is a tree surgeon and makes handcrafted wooden furniture, how ironic is that !! We spent a long time discussing the merits of moving to Wales and they have kindly offered to look out for smallholdings for us. Anyway, I've posted a couple of photos of Aberystwyth, taken from the top of Constitution Hill, just to post a photo really. Oh, and I almost forgot, we stopped at a golf club for a spot of lunch at Newport, whereon we got a very snotty reception and we're told we had to book for lunch, whilst being looked up and down. We sat outside the main dining room, spoiling their view, judging by the way we were looked at, so I left a little reminder for them, made from a crisp packet, before leaving. It's good to confirm peoples negative stereotypes sometimes !!!

Yew seats, you see, Yew seats !!!

As promised, I have just uploaded the photos of some chairs I've just finished to the Wyrdewood site. But, in case you're too lazy, here's a taster.