jumpers

Made by Lauren Knight.

Modelled by me.

one mile and many moors

North Yorkshire. Hello hello.

Did I ever think I would end up here? Certainly not. A place unto itself, I feel as though I have stepped back in time. Or through the wardrobe into the Narnia of England. The first two weeks of settling in were lovely as Lauren was here to hold my hand. Born and bred, after moving away then coming back for two years her time had come to move to London. My time had come to fill her shoes, to take up my first real job as a Designer. It felt like a big day, my first graduate position. My first pay check. My first rent payment with 100% my own earnings. My first deposit into a pension. I felt terribly grown up and terribly vulnerable, naive and babylike all at the same time. 

During the 9-5 working day we discussed all matters of serious issues, I had a lot of learning to do in a short time frame. By evenings and weekends we had fun, making pottery, eating dinner, drinking wine, walking on the hills, taking photographs, driving across the moors, laughing and chatting and living along. Then I found myself alone with no friends but my own good self. Luckily I enjoy my own company and live a fairly analogue lifestyle, which fills any weekend time quite well.

Weekend trips away and out of this small village are an adventure. Sometimes for one, sometimes to be shared as a two. The first weekend was a date with David Hockney; I took the train to Saltaire and spent the day at Salt's Mill, loving every minute of treating myself hiding from the rain amidst his colours and drawings, the books and the gift shop, the restaurant and cafe, I had a lovely day.

The second weekend was a train to Lancaster where I met Chloe in her granny's green coat. And got back my willow tree she had been babysitting since summer. We drank good coffee, visited the super cool Supermarche, had fancy pub food, looked at books, and bought nice bread.

the grass beneath our feet

ireland is beautiful

she really is

sometimes we forget

we don't see what's around us

without stopping to think or to look

we just live and get on

but sometimes

just sometimes

she takes us by surprise

we see the green

we remember

her endless horizons

her wide open energy

her bleak beauty

she is a wonder

I am inspired

I want to make

I am filled with creativity

 I am happy

romeo and juliet

As a student Anna went to South Africa on erasmus. There she met Ryan, the small American dude. A romance blossomed. He invited her to Chicago, where they fell in love. The next year he came to live with her in Ireland, where they both finished their studies. Life took them back to Chicago for many years. Then on to Barcelona. I was lucky enough to visit them in both places. Next they moved to London. I was also lucky enough to spend time with them there. Lovely. Friends. Good times.

Last year, as tradition would have it, they got married in the area where the bride's family is from; her father comes from County Louth. Invited to their wedding, I visited the midlands for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. The Big Day itself took place in a castle. Of course. The Big Cake was a carrot. Of course.

Hello Ryan. Hello Anna. Hello Cake.

it takes two

the silly lady has a best silly girl friend

this best silly girl friend came to visit the farm

the silly lady and her best silly friend got a little tipsy

the next day the silly lady and her best silly friend had fun farm times 

Always catching myself up

The first couple of weeks on Treflach farm were physically exhausting but beautifully sunny days. I worked outside in the garden and around the land. My favourite place to be was with the vegetables, clearing out the overgrown wilderness and preparing the soil to be turned into beds ready to house new plants. It was hard labour and hot work that left me craving lunchtime coca colas or beers, not to be found.

Every evening my second last task of the day was to water the polytunnel. Giving an hour to feeding rapidly growing plants was satisfying and had a sense of importance. They were shooting upwards and outwards and an evening after a particularly hot day, or the odd sneaky day where I couldn't be arsed, the difference could really been seen. Without water the leaves turned limp and the plants looked sad. 

One evening I spotted some wild raspberries growing in the field behind the tunnel. I hacked through a dense growth of nettles to reach them with my greedy fingers. Seriously disappointed with the meagre offerings I filled only half a tiny flowerpot, gone in a mouthful!

Really weekend I walked into town on the Saturday morning to treat myself to a swim and a normal day of being amongst people, shops and cafes. Oswestry is about 2 miles away, the pool another mile the other side. Post-swim I was starving and well ready for that coffee. Sitting outside on a blue chair at a wooden table I ate my packed lunch and drew some pictures, listening to my neighbours chat about their terms at university and plans for the summer. 

Not a very big town there are more charity shops, bargain stores and pubs over anything else. It is pretty in its own way though, with red white and blue bunting over the streets and a mixture of red brick and ancient medieval buildings amidships newer retail places.

Nuria is one local lady. A friend of Betty's I first met her in Trefonen when Betty brought me to experience a Church of England service. She and Betty have been friends for a very, very long time. When she met me and learned I studied Textile design she invited me to visit her house and look at her collection of Chinese textiles. Geremy, her husband, had worked in Hong Kong and they lived there for 20 years, taking many trips to China during that time. She brought down a museum-worthy bundle of exquisite pieces of traditional dress. The intricately detailed stitching and joyful patterns were really inspiring and I was surprised to learn these were everyday garments worn by ordinary people doing ordinary things on ordinary days. Their old Welsh cottage was the quaintest, most idyllic location imaginable. Perfectly curated inside and out, I was greeted with a tour of the garden then had trouble suppressing my awe at the tastefully decorated interior. Colour themes and harmonies of texture ran through every room from the threshold to the back door. Sitting together the 4 of us, we ate homemade fruit cake and drank green tea from a pot.

walking and wondering

As day says it's slow goodbye as I cross the fields and hills of Shropshire immersed in a symphony of bleating tranquility. I welcome night coming in from the Welsh fields afar waving it's lazy hello.

This way or that?

Sometimes when you don't know what to do, instinct takes over and tells you to pack your bag and run. After months of restlessness, deliberation and angst, my reaction fled from fight and broke into flight. With one sturdy suitcase, one well loaded backpack, one lunchbox at the ready and one one-way aeroplane ticket I said goodbye once again to my lovely safe home and headed east over the sea to England.

Landing in Birmigham I followed a number of trains to Shropshire where my temporary new position is nestled between the Welsh hills and rolling sheep filled valleys. Here I work the land by day and sleep with the light of a thousand stars shining down by night. Too far from town or village there's little to fill the air here with light or noise unnatural. Sheep, bats, moths, spiders, rabbits, pheasants, foxes, ducks, cows and horses, these are the kings and queens of this rural world.

Post dated from 14 June