Simpson Clouds
Well, here we are three days into July, with half of 2011 gone, and still waiting for summer! Last Sunday and Monday were incredibly hot (to me) with temperatures reaching 30 degrees! Then it was back to the changeable ‘summer’ weather which we’ve become accustomed to! On Monday evening the sky went incredibly dark threatening thunder, which culminated in a few huge drops of rain, whilst a few miles away a downpour caused the guttering (which catches the water off the roof) to overflow! Luck of the draw! And for days we have been treated to exceptionally blue skies with what I call ‘Simpson’ clouds! More technically known as cumulus clouds, which usually predict ‘fair weather’ but can ‘grow’ into more hostile varieties! (Sounds like a few people I know!!)
The above photo is of the Lawley Hill!
My Feathered Friends
The bird platform is still inundated with birds, still flocking in throughout the day to partake of the mixed seed, peanuts and/or sunflower seeds. They’re costing me a small fortune, but I can’t really put a price on the pleasure of seeing the variety of feathered friends who swoop in for sustenance! Blue tits have been bringing their young, which delight in hanging upside down underneath the peanut feeder, and chaffinches have been administering to their offspring on the floor, hopefully when Scully (the cat!) is not in the vicinity! And the woodpecker still visits every morning, but I only see his streak of red brilliance briefly as he is very shy and undulates away at the first sign of the curtain twitching! (Is that why birdwatchers are called ‘twitchers’ I wonder?) And yesterday we were treated to a small flock of goldfinches (what my dad used to call ‘seven coloured linnets’) sitting on the telephone wires! Amazing!
Stretton Hills
On Friday I met up with my friend for coffee in Church Stretton, a small market town about four miles from where I live. It is a picturesque place set amongst the Stretton Hills. The surrounding area is a great attraction for walkers, mountain bikers, horse riders and those of us who love the outdoors in all its guises. Because of its hilly terrain Church Stetton is often referred to as ‘Little Switzerland’. From my windows I can see the Lawley (1240ft), the Caradoc (1509ft) and if I go outside and stand on tiptoe I can see the Long Mynd (1693ft) stretching away into the distance! And of course Church Stretton is probably best known for its beauty spot Carding Mill Valley. The Roman road Watling Street runs along the outskirts of the town.
Church Stretton
Many years ago Church Stretton was a thriving community, which even boasted a ‘picturehouse’ (the forerunner to the poshly named ‘cinema’), but as with most places locally, once a supermarket moves into town everything else struggles, and eventually disappears! Gone are all the small independent grocers, establishments where the aroma of freshly ground coffee greeted you on the threshold. The post office, which once was housed in a grand building, is now tucked away at the rear of the Spar shop (which was the picturehouse in its former life) where only the locals know of its existence! And the grocer’s shop where I worked when I left school (many years ago!!) is now a newsagent’s.
God’s Waiting Room
Church Stretton is an ideal and popular place for people to retire to, often irreverently referred to as ‘God’s waiting room’! Food for thought indeed! But it does occasionally have a bit of excitement! Recently a woman was stabbed!!
Thanks for your time! Speak soon!
The Bumpkin Rambler xx
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