May 6th, 2021....Could this be a return to normal, finally?

 The first blog for more than four months. It's not that we haven't walked at Furness Abbey. Far from it. But when the country locked down just after Christmas, the lights just went out, didn't they? I'm sure that feeling was a universal experience. These months have just been about surviving. No work, no visits, polar temperatures and not even Poldark on the television (just finished watching Leonardo though. Sigh!). We've come through, though, and have walked nearly 700 miles since January- averaging 5-6 miles per day (apart from the two days I had in bed after Astrazeneca Dose One!)

Looking lovely in the chilly afternoon sunshine. And do you know what? It felt great to have a cup of tea and a cake at Abbey Mill Cafe! Still going strong. Hats off to Jackie. And to Mike and Deb Stephenson, who are going to reopen our favourite Last Resort Cafe, against all the odds. More than ever, we have to support local businesses.

There are some lovely places to walk in our town. Aside from FA and Channel Side, we've become fans of Barrow Park. We've walked in lots of parks, and I always think that whoever is behind the maintenance of our local one knows what they're doing. It looks beautiful, whatever time of year.

Another gem- Holker Hall. Despite the wedding and hospitality sector of our economy being slammed shut for such a long time, the SteveHillmanCamera got himself invited to a wedding photoshoot at this fabulous venue last month. What a stunning place for a wedding! 

So, what else have we been up to? Lots of wedding bookings coming in, but no actual, real weddings until the end of May, then it really hots up, fingers crossed! I have now got two books out on submission, and am working on a third, as well as the final part of the first year of my MA. And my daughter has turned into the female version of Percy Thrower! Go to her house if you want veggies or flowers! Her jaw hit the floor when her old headmaster turned up with some timely gardening advice, too. There's no doubt about it, the outdoors has saved us during the lockdowns, and I'm sure that's a truth for many people. Long may it continue.

And yes. There was snow in May!

 

Targaryan Christmas.....30th December, 2020.

 Well..... we are still in the midst of a pandemic, and sources would have us believe that we are far from over the worst. Today, a second vaccine- developed by Oxford University and Astrazeneca- has been give approval, ready for roll-out, and my seventy-nine year old father has been the first in our family to be vaccinated- though his was the one developed by Pfizer-BioNTech. IN the meantime, we are all expecting further measures to be announced by the government today, with regards to slowing the spread of this terrible respiratory virus.

Christmas was quiet, for obvious reasons. But it was still lovely. And today, we have had the first hard frost of the season.

Poor sheep were freezing! So, Christmas.....

...still had family around....

...still had children singing...

...still had Dave Pooley's brilliant artwork...

....still had Christmas shirts....

....and gin!

Since the summer, we have watched every season of Game of Thrones. Seventy-two episodes, in all. We are late to the party, I know, but WOW! what was that all about. But we've got so into the story and characters. And it's certainly art imitating life!! So many Petyr Baelishes about!!

And we have reinvented ourselves as Jon Snow and Arya Stark! The writer of A Song of Fire and Ice- George R.R.Martin- must have had a crystal ball. Surely the White Walkers could be a creeping pandemic?? That the world had to work together to defeat, though megalomaniacs got in the way!!

Whatever it was about, we've taken to calling How Tun Woods Targaryia!

Still no weddings, though! So the SteveHillman Camera has had to reinvent itself as a nature and landscape photographer.

(guess where that was taken....it's Barrow?)

Me? I'm just writing and studying and writing some more. And reading. thanks to everyone who has volunteered to proofread for me. I have to let my agent do the work now, though.

But don't miss this book.

It's superb!

8th November, 2020....A twist of difference on Remembrance Sunday.

 Sadly, our country went into lockdown again this week, which means that all the usual Remembrance Day commemorations had to be restricted or cancelled, leaving many of us baffled. The government's scientific advisors have been accused of scaremongering this week too. You do the maths. Some good news though; the megalomaniac that is Donald Trump has been defeated. But I doubt he'll go quietly.

We've had some beautiful autumnal walks this week. Living in Barrow means there is no need to drive to enjoy countryside, woodland and seaside- we are so lucky.

A poignant first anniversary for me. A year since I left teaching. I've learnt so much about myself in that year. That I'll always be a teacher at heart. That when your gut instinct is telling you something, you HAVE to listen. And who my friends really are. Only a select group of people know what actually happened this time last year, that the truth wasn't what it appeared to be. And to the people who wanted me gone- thanks. I'd never have done it without you! Enough said.

Three weddings had to be cancelled for this November. But the Steve Hillman camera was not downhearted (we don't do that)- it's reinvented itself as a wildlife camera! 

Good, hey!

Been looking at poetry this week on my course- all by Zoom or Teams of course! Here's the full version of For the Fallen by Robert Laurence Binyon. Interspersed with photos from previous Barrow Remembrance commemorations.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,

England mourns for her dead across the sea.

Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,

Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal

Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.

There is music in the midst of desolation

And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;

They sit no more at familiar tables of home;

They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;

They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,

Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,

To the innermost heart of their own land they are known

As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,

Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,

As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,

To the end, to the end, they remain.

Let's stick together folks- we only get one shot at this!