Last Show of 2016, Craft in Focus at RHS Wisley

We are doing our last event of 2016 this week, a 5 day Christmas show run by Craft in Focus at RHS Wisley near Guildford.

All the details are in the show email that recently came round. In case the weblink included below doesn't work click here to go straight through to the show page on their website: www.craftinfocus.com

We will have lots of photos from £5 to £150, some reduced in price too. My current 3 books will be available there too. Our stand is B32, the middle marquee.

We will be showing our latest designs at the UK’s most popular Christmas Craft Fair at RHS Garden Wisley, I hope you can come along and visit us there.  This year’s ticket will also now admit you to the Garden as well free of charge*. Christmas All Wrapped Up! Christmas Contemporary Craft Fair 23-27 November 2016 Enjoy visiting our Christmas Contemporary Craft Fair at RHS Garden Wisley for relaxed Christmas shopping from 170 exhibitors and free admission* to the wonderful RHS  Garden making this an excellent day out! This event brings together thousands of original items that you won't find amongst the mass-produced products on the high street! This year also sees the introduction of our NEW Coffee Lounge within the Craft Pavilion. Enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and discover the breath-taking creativity from some of the UK's finest designer makers.   The event also incorporates a Food Pavilion for a "Taste of Christmas".  Delicious food on offer includes olive oils, handmade chocolate andfudge, fruit infused spirits, Christmas cakes, truckle cheeses and a selection of English preserves and chutneys. We will also have live music to create a fantastic festive atmosphere! Visit Our Website Admission Admission: £10 Free admission for RHS Members (card holder) RHS Member guest: £7 Children under 16 FREE Book in advance (by 11 November) and save!  Click here to purchase advance tickets!   Craft Fair ticket also includes admission* to the Garden! *free Garden admission valid on day of ticket purchase only.  Times  9 am - 6 pm Wednesday - Saturday 9 am - 5 pm Sunday Where This wonderful event is held in floored and heated marquees. RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey, GU23 6QB Signposted on the A3 near M26 J10 Directions By road  RHS Garden Wisley lies between Cobham and Ripley in Surrey, off the main London to Portsmouth road (A3) south of Junction 10 of the M25. Follow the brown tourist flower signs on the A3 and M25 to RHS Garden. Car parking is free. By rail  Closest stations are West Byfleet (4 miles) or Woking (7 miles). There are no taxis on standby at West Byfleet.  By bus  515 Kingston to Guildford via Surbiton and Wisley (service 515A on Sundays and Bank Holidays). For details call National Traveline on 0871 200 22 33.  Click here for Google map Follow Us! To view the images of just some of the work that is available to purchase at this event please visit our Facebook album by clicking here

Crowthorne Art Fair 29th to 30th October 2016

We are exhibiting at the Craft in Focus Art and Craft Fair at Wellington Private School in Crowthorne near Bracknell. Jan is there on her own with lots of pictures and books.

We are in the process of reducing the size of the prints that we take to shows so the prices of the 100 x 50cm and 70 x 50cm prints are reduced considerably. We also have 5 prints, including 3 hand-printed originals, in wide profile frames that we no longer stock and these too are reduced in price. Included in these are several London shots as well as Paris, Berlin, Venice, Rome, New York and a couple of wintry tree-filled landscapes.

We also have several  triptychs of London, Paris and Rome at £95 and a smaller one at £55 of the UK 3 Peaks, if you know anyone who has recently completed this challenge this could make a thoughtful present. Lots of smaller prints from £5 to £20 too. My 3 current books, City Light, Land Light and Snow Light, are also available.

Jan has quite a few of her colour images on display too.

So lots to see on our stand and there are also lots of other exhibitors selling a huge variety of hand made designer products.

The show is very high quality and is run by Craft in Focus, open until 5pm today and from 10am to 4.30pm tomorrow, Sunday 30th October 2016. Here is the web link for more information: www.craftinfocus.com/crowthorne_october_16.html

Buxton Artist and Designer Fair

We are exhibiting at the Artist and Designer Fair in the Buxton Pavilion Gardens marquee this weekend, 10th and 11th September 2016.

Lots of photos, lots of show offers. All 3 books here too. Open until 4.30pm, free entry.

Craft in Focus Contemporary Art and Craft Fair Henley June 2016

We're exhibiting at the contemporary art and craft fair run by Craft in Focus, Friday 24th to Sunday 26th June 2016. The venue is Henley Meadows just north of Henley on Thames, near the River.

Lots of marquees packed full of high quality hand made designer stuff! We're in Marquee A stand 26, open until 5pm all days.

We have lots of photos with us, Cities and Landscapes. We have two 70 x 70cm prints and several 100 x 50cm prints at half price as we reduce our stock that we take to shows. Books are reduced too, especially if you buy all 3! New photos include 6 framed triptych's of London, Paris, Rome and Venice.

It took a while to add some photos. I'm having problems adding my pictures because both the Google Blogger app and Blogger website failed using my Moto-X phone. I finally added them using my iMac on my return home.

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Lake District Trek Rosthwaite to Threlkeld via Watendlath

The end!

This was the last day of our Lake District Trek . Jolly good breakfast, complete with soya milk for my corn flakes, at the Royal Oak in Rosthwaite. A good start to the day.

After a few hundred yards along the valley floor we headed up to Watendlath Tarn. The old packhorse bridge at Watendlath was closed, damaged by the December storms, but there was a temporary wooden bridge next to it so we crossed the river with dry feet!

There was a chilly old wind as we climbed up the slope behind the Tarn so I stopped to put on my waterproof, the only windproof that I was carrying. It was still quite bright.

There was a pretty good path to the top of High Tove which we reached as the rain started. Proper rain driven by strong winds of over 25mph.

The next bit to High Seat was horrible. Peat bog with deep soft areas. We had to weave around to find a way through. I was jolly pleased that my boots (Meindl Dovre Extreme GTX) were 10 inches tall so no problem keeping my feet dry, unlike Al with normal height boots.

We reached High Seat after a couple of hours, now with the rain beating down. The next section was a bit easier. No deep boggy bits but it was very wet. We passed lots of people coming the other way. Looked like there was some event on, must have been over 40 people in 4 or 5 groups.

Bleaberry Fell was similarly wet but the rain eased off and stopped as we made our way down. Interesting at times, rain, wind and sunshine, all at the same time. A bit over an hour of rain in total.

There were a few hillocks to the side of the path as we descended and it was brightening up so we went up a couple of them. The last was called Falcon Crag. Quite a view with nice light over Derwent Water and Keswick so I pulled my Mamiya camera out of the rucsac to take a few pictures, the only ones of the day.

We called in at Castlerigg stone circle on the way to Threlkeld. Lots of people here. Just a few phone photos as I already have lots of photos of it, summer, winter, normal, infrared, with and without snow in the background (visit davebutcher.co.uk to view them!).

From here it was a short hop to the end, the Horse and Farrier in Threlkeld, which was where we started 5 days ago. I celebrated with a Snecklifter or two!

Our evening meals were good but having 5 dogs in the pub, which is effectively a restaurant as all tables are booked for food, spoilt it. I'm allergic to dogs. The place was packed so I just had to rely on my Ventolin spray for my asthma to get me through the evening.

It was about 50 miles and 12 mountains/hills in 5 days. Just 1.5 hours of rain in total, this compares with 7 days of rain in 8 in Snowdonia last year! I also took 46 proper black and white photographs, all on Ilford 400 Delta 120 film, with my Mamiya 7 camera and 65mm lens.

We also managed about 14 miles to the gallon.....of beer.

Watendlath

Cat Bells from Falcon Crag

Al with a Bad Head, must have been the beer

Derwent Water and Keswick

Castlerigg 

Bringing in the Sheep 

Horse and Farrier, Threlkeld

Lake District Trek Day 4 Buttermere to Rosthwaite

It was our penultimate day today and the weather forecast was not good until mid-afternoon. We were staying at the Bridge Hotel in Buttermere, jolly nice room and good beer and food last night. Good breakfast too to set us on our way this morning.

It stayed dry for the first 40 minutes or so, then we had very heavy rain for 15 minutes, just long enough for us to put full waterproofs on. The rest of the day was dry with sunny spells from midday. So much for the forecast for rain showers all day!

It was very peaceful walking along beside Buttermere Lake, we didn't see anyone until we reached the other end of the lake.

We started up the steep main ridge of Fleetwith Pike from the road and made good time, passing a couple on the way up. I've been up by this route a few times before but I always like the steep rocky bits, you can get into a sort of rhythm on them.

Jolly good views at the top. Chatting to the couple that we passed when they reached the top, the woman worked in Macclesfield just 10 miles from home! Small world.

Lots of sunny spells as we made our way across to Honister Slate Mine. We refrained from using the zip wire for fear of being disqualified from our trek and walked down.

We originally planned to go straight down to Rosthwaite, our stop for the night. As it was early we changed our minds and headed for Stonethwaite. The Langstrath Inn is open all day and always has good beer. From there it was just 1.5 miles along to Rosthwaite but it was still early so we dashed in to the Scafell Hotel, next door to our hotel. The last time I can remember being in here was on my first Coast to Coast trek in 1979. They had 6 real Ales on today so well worth the visit.

The Royal Oak Hotel was a little bit different to our other hotels. We booked dinner, b&b for a change. Our 4 course Dinner started at 7.30pm. Quite a few of the others were walking Wainwright's Coast to Coast so a lot of others were staying just one night. We couldn't get in to the Scafell or Langstrath because of it being just a 1 night booking.

The bar area was very small with just 1 real ale and a keg beer. It was local beer from near Ullswater but not my favourite. The meal was excellent and they catered very well for my allergies.

After the meal we ran next door to the Scafell in the rain for a couple of nightcaps, of the Snecklifter variety!

Last day tomorrow. We walk up to Watendlath Tarn then over 3 peaks to Castlerigg stone circle and back to the Horse and Farrier in Threlkeld to finish.

Buttermere 

Buttermere from Fleetwith Pike 

Buttermere from Fleetwith Pike Summit 

Honister Slate Mine 

Borrowdale

Lake District Trek Loweswater to Buttermere

It's day 3 of our trek in the Lake District.

Scales Force Upper Falls and Al

Today is a sort of rest day as it's just 6 miles and 1500 feet (less than 500m) of ascent over a small peak called Mellbreak. 

We were well looked after by the staff at the Kirkstile Inn in Loweswater. The Grasmoor Dark Ale was very nice, as was the steak pie last night. The full English breakfast was a bit much for such a short day but I forced it down anyway. 

Suzi, our luggage transfer supremo from Keswick (Suzi'z Taxis) obviously couldn't sleep very well as she came to pick up our bags shortly after we'd started breakfast. Fortunately, she didn't mind waiting a few minutes.

Once again we excelled by getting out by the crack of 9.25am! Immediately we saw a confusing sign obviously designed to stop you going any further. See picture.

A good farm track led us to the small wood at the foot of the northern end of Mellbreak. The track started off grassy then became loose rocks so I headed off to the right of this to climb the smaller track through the heather just as it steepened. There was a short section where no track existed but it was easy enough to the ridge above.

Al seemed somewhat subdued when he reached the top. He soon pointed out that he hadn't enjoyed climbing through heather wearing shorts, his legs were covered in cuts and grazes and were bleeding. This reminds me of rule number one when climbing steep heather covered mountain slopes 'Don't Wear Shorts'!

Al's legs, not a pretty sight!

From here it was a short romp to the lower top then a broad ridge took us to the main top at the other end. Good views all round as we marched along. The southern slopes of Mellbreak are steepish grass but easy underfoot and we soon found ourselves at the bottom looking back at our route.

Immediately opposite is a narrow steep sided gorge, home to Scales Force waterfalls. There wasn't a huge amount of water but it was still impressive. The waterfalls are split into 2 main falls, the lower one about 15 feet high, the upper falls about 150 feet, maybe more. 

The rocks were dry to the side of the lower falls so Al climbed up to check it out while I took more shots below him, as if I don't have enough photos of these lower falls already from several previous trips!

Al gave me the nod that it was worth me clambering up to take some proper photos with my Mamiya. I must say it was impressive. The bottom section of the upper falls in particular was beautiful. I went in as close as I could without getting soaked.

After this short interlude we returned, carefully, to our rucsacs and made our way to Buttermere. We had just bought our beers and found a table to sit down at and it started raining outside. The first rain of this trip and we avoided it. Makes a change to last year's trip where we had lots of rain on 7 of our 8 days in Snowdonia.

So far in 3 days I've taken 34 photographs with my Mamiya 7 camera, 67mm lens and Ilford 400 Delta 120 film, all handheld as I can't carry the weight of even my lightest carbon fibre Gitzo tripod with my bad back.

There must have been a mistake on booking as our room at the Bridge is extremely good and reasonably spacious. There was even a towel shaped to look like a swan in one of our 2 washbasins!

Tomorrow we move on to Rosthwaite for our penultimate day.

Here are a few phone photos.

Loweswater from Mellbreak 

Crummock Water and Buttermere 

Scales Force from below 

Scales Force Upper Falls 

Colour version 

Bluebells on the hillside 

Our luxury bathroom