On Friday night Ed and I stayed over at Ilam Hall YHA as we were filming a wedding together on Saturday morning. It’s not a long drive up from Birmingham, but it was a 9.30am start so staying local the night before just made sense. We often stay at YHA properties as they’re simple and self-catered, and in really good locations. I think Ilam might be one of the best!
Yesterday morning I was woken up at dawn by the radiator beside my bunk turning on and the pigeons outside my window starting up their morning song and dance. I always forget how noisy the countryside is in the morning. City life is loud at night, but mornings are quiet. In the countryside it’s the other way around. Ed can sleep through most things so I went down to the kitchen in the basement for a cup of tea, and on my way down the stairs spotted the most amazing golden light pouring through the 3m window in the drawing room. With two hours to go until my alarm I picked up my camera and went for a walk in the grounds.
A riverside walk at dawn with wild garlic on the air, bluebells at every turn and rabbits running free across the lawn was such a lovely, peaceful start to the day. I wish we’d had more time to explore the grounds as there are so many good walks from there including the mile downstream to Dovedale, but I’m sure we’ll go back soon, minus a car full of tripods and light stands!
It’s the little things my mind commits To etch behind my eyelids Like getting stoned when we wake up Coffee grounds in coffee cups Your silhouette in high top sneakers And hardcore from laptop speakers The classics to the more obscure From Minor Threat to your old roommate’s band
A new series for the snapshots and little moments from my everyday life. These are over on Flickr, but I thought it’d be nice to have them on my blog too. I take a lot of photos, and I’m trying to capture more video from my everyday life too. It’s fun to look back as the seasons change.
At the start of winter I hoped for snow and for the first time in five years it came. I love snow, as it covers the detritus of a big city in mid-winter and makes the world seem brighter and more inviting. Winter in the UK is usually mild, grey and damp. It stretches on for what feels like eternity, and is more of an endurance than a pleasure. Winter is the season I dread, but snow breaks up the monotony and makes it seem more interesting.
Over half term Ed and I spent a few days in the English Lake District, staying in Keswick and going walking on the fells. As it was the school holidays the towns and villages were really busy, but one morning we got up early and walked down to Derwentwater for sunrise to enjoy the lake before it got too crowded, and to take photos of the boats.
