SNOWDROPS ARE EVERYWHERE!

Today Belinda and I went for local walk and viewed the aftermath of the Snowdrop Festival, which took place at the weekend.  Belinda said that Shepton had been buzzing!

I was right about the winner of the Best Dressed Window - it was Anna's Attic.  The trophy can be seen above top left.  Incidentally, it was made by Fran Davies, a specialist stained glass artist, and one of the members of the One Craft Gallery.  We, at the gallery got  highly commended, as did the Opticians in the High Street - Christopher Young, whose window can be seen in the three bottom pics above...

Our walk took us to the Charlton Viaduct, part of which is in the gardens of Kilver Court.  Our route went by their vegetable garden which is being prepared for planting - see above centre top photograph. 

The snowdrop festival is run by Shepton Mallet Horticultural Society and they have implemented a massive planting programme, so wherever you go in and around the town, you can see the delicate white snowdrop heads.  We saw them everywhere - they are a welcome sign of the forthcoming Spring!

ANTICIPATING THE SNOWDROP FESTIVAL!

So much for good intentions!  Belinda, Jenny and I have found that colds, work and life commitments have got in the way of the three of us going for a walk!  However, yesterday the sun shone and we managed to get together to have a look around Shepton and follow some public footpaths around the outskirts.

The walk, for me, starts by walking to Jenny's beauty salon, Skin and Tonic - see above right pic.   We had a look at the new lifestyle shop in Town Street - Cedar House and checked out what was happening in the High Street...

As Shepton is quite hilly, you get some interesting views, looking down into people's houses and gardens - see above. 

The town is starting to buzz in anticipation to the Shepton Snowdop Festival which takes place this coming weekend.  At the One Craft Gallery, I had a hand in the window dressing (see above).  My painting, 'Dancing Snowdrops' can be seen in the bottom right photograph. 

Above is the fabulous snowdrop window done by Anna for her shop, Anna's Attic. She won the best window design last year and it looks as though she is set to win again!

AFTER THE SNOW STORM!

Today, was positively balmy, compared with the extreme cold temperatures and the chill factor of the biting winds, that we endured last week!  There were some remains of snow and ice, but it was mostly thawing fast.  As I walked through Collett Park to meet up with Belinda, the ducks and seagulls were out in force and some were a bit puzzled why they could walk on the water, which was still half ice!  My pics on the top row above, show the state of the allotments - a lot of work ahead for the vegetable growers of Shepton!

We saw plenty of footprints in the snow and dog walkers, eager to get out now that everybody can move around, instead of being cooped up. On many fields and footpaths, mud had replaced snow, but there were still patches and drifts of the white stuff lying around...

By the end of the walk, the sun had come out.  I was surprised to see a drift of snowdrops looking so perky, but then I read a notice in a shop window that they contain a natural kind of anti-freeze so that if they collapse in freezing conditions, they quickly recover once the temperature rises.

I do love trees, especially in Winter, when you can see their sculptural skeletons. This tree that I am looking at in the bottom right pic, has split into two.  Its trunk must have had an enormous girth originally, so it must be quite ancient! 

A SPARKLING MORNING ON A NATURE RESERVE!

This morning I went for a walk with Belinda at Westhay Moor Nature Reserve on the Somerset Levels.  It was a beautiful Winter's day with the reed beds and bullrushes the star of the show!  We had to wrap up well as there was a bitter wind but the way the ice sparkled in the sunshine and the blue of the sky and shimmering lakes made up for that... 

The reserve is a special place for watching and photographing birds.  It is famous for the spectacular starling murmurations, which are best seen at dawn or dusk in the Autumn.  There are managed walkways and several hides.  We went into the Island Hide but did not see many birds, only some ducks and moorhens.  However, during our visit we did see some swans in the distance and a cormorant perched on a branch in the middle of a lake.  There is water everywhere, so much so that they provide a life buoy in case you fall in - see bottom right pic!

The walk included wooded areas and signs of spring flowers. The snowdrops are going over with the daffodils coming into bud but this cold weather should hold them back...

MISTY FEBRUARY MORNING!

This morning I had the pleasure of Belinda for company.  It was a misty morning which didn't clear all the time we were out. We went up to one of my favourite places, Barren Down, which looked very atmospheric, but today there were no views over Shepton!

The footpath we were on took us through somebodies garden, which looked rather forlorn, as all gardens do this time of year.  However, we did see signs of life and the brussels sprouts, pictured above, looked inviting to eat!  I have discovered that sprouts, coated in oil and roasted in the oven, are much more tasty than boiled...  

Last weekend we had a Snowdrop Festival in Shepton and we saw plenty of examples on our walk.  They are such a delicate little flowers that looks fabulous in drifts.  There have been thousands of bulbs planted around the town so the displays should improve year by year...

Another early Spring flower that I love is hellebores - see above pics.  The only problem with photographing them is that their flower heads drop down, facing the ground, hiding their beauty.  To overcome this, I had to point and shoot with my camera, practically on the ground, facing upwards!

    

SNOWDROP FESTIVAL HAS STARTED!

I have to confess, that this morning was my first walk for a few weeks!  A combination of not having anyone to walk with, and cold, wet, murky weather has put me off! Today, however, it was fine and there was something in town to walk to and see - the first Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival, which began today as part of the Friday market...

At the One Craft Gallery, I and a fellow member, had put together a window in celebration (see above), which was given a special award by the 'snowdrop' committee!  Today it was great to see snowdrops everywhere - I never knew there were so many varieties...

The festival is in celebration of James Allen (1830 - 1906) who lived in Shepton and was the first person to breed snowdrops from wild varieties.  It has been organised by the local Horticultural Society and they have been busy, not only planting snowdrops around the town and in planters, but they have arranged a series of events and competitions. 

Above you can see stalls selling snowdrop varieties, all with different names and features.  Top left, is an example of snowdrops which were stencilled onto to the pavements to show people the way.  You could even have your face painted or photo taken in a snowdrop setting (see above)...   

I had a good look around Snowdrop HQ in Town Street, where they were serving coffee, tea and cakes.  There were also stalls selling artwork and snowdrop inspired wares and displays of the winning photographs and poems. 

The town was teeming with people and colourful displays.  There was even a display by a rhythmic gymnastic group called The City of Bath Snowdrops - see above right! There are events throughout the weekend, including a ceremonial walk to James Allen grave to plant some snowdrops, and a guided snowdrop ramble through Edford Woods, 3 miles north-east of Shepton.  Hopefully, this festival is just the start of a successful  annual event for the town...