My apologies. I was very busy at the week end, doing a location shoot and had absolutely no time to post. I am now back after a long coach journey but I feel exhilarated as my shoot was very different from the usual ones. On Friday night I travelled to Newcastle where I was a guest of photographer George Swift. We then travelled together to the Lake district to shoot amongst waterfalls.
I had never been to the Lake district before and was totally blown over. I am not familiar with moorland. I grew up in southern Italy and then moved to London before I even reached the age of twenty. I made the mistake of taking England for granted and identifying England with London, to some extent- I know , I know, it is a silly thing to do, but there you are, I did it. So I never visited the Lake district, never had an opportunity to do so and my god, I certainly did miss something. It is stunning, simply stunning. On the way there, while driving, I amused my host by telling him I tended to confuse Yorkshire with Lancashire. 'Oh they will love you for that. Once upon a time there was a minor war called the War of the Roses. I dont think Lancashire and Yorkshire ever recovered from that...' I knew I had made a major faux pas.
The Lake district was amazing. We had to walk quite a bit to reach the waterfalls and then we had to negotiate brackens and treacherous terrain. The most difficult part was for me to learn how to stand on slippery rocks covered in algae and brave the cold water sprays on my back, it was cold, I can assure you, and having to contend with the weather, now sunny, now threatening to rain.
But it was worth it.
When I got back to London today I felt so odd. I was struck at once at how crowded London is.
I do miss the moors, the lakes and the waterfalls.
I had never been to the Lake district before and was totally blown over. I am not familiar with moorland. I grew up in southern Italy and then moved to London before I even reached the age of twenty. I made the mistake of taking England for granted and identifying England with London, to some extent- I know , I know, it is a silly thing to do, but there you are, I did it. So I never visited the Lake district, never had an opportunity to do so and my god, I certainly did miss something. It is stunning, simply stunning. On the way there, while driving, I amused my host by telling him I tended to confuse Yorkshire with Lancashire. 'Oh they will love you for that. Once upon a time there was a minor war called the War of the Roses. I dont think Lancashire and Yorkshire ever recovered from that...' I knew I had made a major faux pas.
The Lake district was amazing. We had to walk quite a bit to reach the waterfalls and then we had to negotiate brackens and treacherous terrain. The most difficult part was for me to learn how to stand on slippery rocks covered in algae and brave the cold water sprays on my back, it was cold, I can assure you, and having to contend with the weather, now sunny, now threatening to rain.
But it was worth it.
When I got back to London today I felt so odd. I was struck at once at how crowded London is.
I do miss the moors, the lakes and the waterfalls.
Terrific series of images. I can see you were inspired.
ReplyDeleteSeems like a bit of an understatement to call the War of the Roses a 'minor' war.
ReplyDeleteIt determined the future and the world as we know it! The end of the Plantagenets and beginning of the Tudors!
That's some exciting stuff, if Shakespeare's anyone to be believed.
Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, LOVE the first one!
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Thanks ERosanne. Very chilly up there but I felt a sense of elation just being able to stand with the water running behind me.
ReplyDeleteOh, Hatebunny, he meant major of course. Yes, it was a war that changed a lot of things and Lancashire and Yorkshire still resent each other as a consequence, after such a longtime. As said my host thought it was such an amusing thing that I should admit getting mixed up between the two - fortunately he was from neither region or my faux pas would have been utterly embarrassing. I made a different but somewhat similar faux pas relatively recently in France when I compared Sarkozy to Napoleon. I knew I had said the wrong thing, unacceptable even as a joke, when my then host chillingly replied " Oh he WOULD like to be like Napoleon but he is nowhere near him". It makes you realise that as a foreigner you are always bound to say the wrong thing and upset sensibilities, no matter what.
ReplyDeleteSo many parts of England are incredibly beautiful...the Cotswolds, Dover, the Borders, and everywhere about Yorkshire and the Moors, including Haworth. The Lake District is indeed beautiful, and I am glad you could shoot there. You must get out of London and do these location shoots more often!!!
ReplyDeleteyou are so very right. Whenever I think of travelling I think of going away to another country forgetting that there is so much of England, let alone Scotland, I have not explored. I will try and do more location work.
ReplyDeleteAmazing pictures, Alex! A "spell for the refreshment of the spirit" (C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) for us--and I suppose that being there was a far, far greater refreshment for your spirit. I agree with everyone else: More!
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