Sweet Tyre Planters Make a Back Alley Look Cared For
I promised to share more pictures of some of the colourful, child-friendly tyre planters designs I found, so here goes! Continue reading “Sweet Tyre Planters Make a Back Alley Look Cared For”
Armistice Day 2021, Darwen

For The Fallen, a poem by Laurence Binyon, written for an English audience towards the start of the 1914-18 war, has since been adopted as a tribute to all casualties of war. This scene in Darwen’s old cemetery yesterday embodies the idea
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Darwen’s Carnegie Library at Dusk and a Cloud
My sister and I grew up in a family were books were valued. A fair amount of what came our way as spending money was converted to paperback books and we topped up what we could afford with regular trips to the local library.
Over the years I fell out of the habit of using Darwen Library, but one good thing to come out of the last eighteen months is that I have been making good use of the service, which is far better than I remembered. Online reservations make the catalogue of our local group of libraries easy to access and members can read a broad range of magazines online and listen to audiobooks.
I’ve really appreciated the kindness and thoughtfulness of the staff and volunteers at Darwen Library throughout the pandemic and feel sure they have been a lifeline for many. Continue reading “Darwen’s Carnegie Library at Dusk and a Cloud”
Amid the Wildflowers and Grasses At Dusk

This sequence of pictures was taken during an evening walk as temperatures started to cool off after a scorcher of a day. While not technically correct – they’re dark and indistinct – their atmosphere is sweet, for me at least. Continue reading “Amid the Wildflowers and Grasses At Dusk”
Hawthorn Flowers: Cast Ne’er a Clout Ere May is Out
For anyone who needs a translation of ‘cast ne’er a clout ere May is out’, I’m offering, ‘don’t stop wearing warm layers of clothing before the hawthorn has bloomed’.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna, a UK native) is one of the first deciduous trees to leaf in spring. Its small, leathery leaves are lobed, rather like tiny oak leaves. Continue reading “Hawthorn Flowers: Cast Ne’er a Clout Ere May is Out”
Earnsdale Reservoir, Darwen
One reservoir in different moods. Continue reading “Earnsdale Reservoir, Darwen”