Winter - The Abbey Fields, Kenilworth

It is splendid how the Warwickshire landscape can change so dramatically over winter. No sooner had the leaves fallen from the trees, opening up some interesting views of the castle that had been hidden in summer than November brought the floods. 


The Ford

The rivers swelled and the ford filled until it was level with the raised pavement and impassable for pedestrians as well as cars. 

A torrent poured into the fields where the rushing Finham Brook and the lake merged.



The lake looking to the castle

Fields turned into natural lakes where even the handrails of the bridges were submerged. Trees looked suddenly much shorter, dogs splashed in the new shorelines where a day before they had played ball and swans and ducks swam happily where there was once a path. Further down the fields, the swollen river crept over the tennis courts and flooded the footpath beneath Bridge Street and swept along to the allotments. The sun came out and people flocked to see the amazing changes, many with their cameras.


The dark nights of December were brightened by the switching on of the Christmas lights, first in the town centre and then in the old part of town where a couple of reindeer were in attendance, seemingly unconcerned at the attention they were receiving.



Footpath beside the lake

The water had hardly receded and the brook had just returned to normal when along came the snow, covering everything in a thick white blanket that levelled field, path and mole hill. Tree branches sparkled and a layer of snow settled on the frozen surface of the lake. 



Sledging on the slopes

In scenes reminiscent of Lowry, people, bundled up from the cold,  covered the slopes and lined the tops of the hills; matchstick people against the brilliant white with sledges and toboggans providing so much fun. Everything looked clean and bright, even until well after nightfall.

Now February has arrived and the snows have gone. The fields are returning to a bright green, if still a little muddy. The morning mist shrouds the lake and the two swans glide silently along its surface.  A red plastic sledge lies broken against the river bank and the moles have resumed their own re-landscaping with seemingly fresh vigour.

And soon the Spring will be here and the leaves will appear on the trees ready for summer.

St Nicholas Church, Winter,  2012 -2013

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Spoke too soon.  It’s nearly the first day of Spring and heading towards the end of March with Easter next weekend and everywhere is covered on snow again.  Biting cold winds and white skies. 

Foodie Fortnight in Kenilworth

Foodie Fortnight in Kenilworth

Food, glorious food.  Today was the last day of a new two week event held in Kenilworth and I popped along to see the activities taking place. 

A Foodie Market had been set up where the regular Thursday farmer’s market is normally held at Abbey End, by the Clock Tower. Even before we had turned the corner, enticing smells of hot food wafting from the stalls were enough to set my mouth watering.

There was plenty on offer  - chicken in wine and tarragon sauce, Cotswold roasted lamb with a Salsa Verde, artisan breads, Kenilworth honey, olives, quality meats, pies of all sorts, sausages of numerous variety with or without onions, hand-made burgers, pancakes.

The traditional Pye maker’s stall took my eye with its rabbits and pheasants hanging from the frame of the canopy and a stuffed squirrel on the counter and such a variety of home-made, hand-raised pies. There were pies of rabbit, pork,  venison, wild boar and pigeon and pea pies. He even sells squirrel and crow pies, as well as Homity ( a traditional open vegetable pie) and Fidget pie (a traditional Shropshire pie of gammon, apples, cider and cheese). I couldn’t resist some small Medieval style pastries of  pork and black pudding, pork and stilton and one of garlic and hot chilli, along with some Stilton scones and some pig's pudding.

The Taiko drums were setting an fervent rhythm, with no shortage of audience participation.

At one stand where you could place an order for your Christmas turkey or goose there were two live turkeys and further along the British Hen welfare Trust had an adopt a hen stand with a brood of hens to meet ,and some fresh eggs for sale .

At the Kenilworth honey stall they were also selling beeswax in a variety of forms, some most delicately carved and some live bees.   The Almanac were giving away tasters of their puddings and there was advice on how to go green.  Another stall selling hand made pies had a delicious looking salmon and broccoli as well as a rather meaty shepherds pie but by then the aromas meant I had to sample a sausage batch loaded with two sausages and a stack of onions which was very tasty and peppery.

In Talisman Square, a little along down into the town, there was face painting and a Make and Bake activity ,and the Talisman Theatre, who are  celebrating their 70th anniversary were in costume and had costumes for youngsters to have their photographs taken in.

Restaurants all over the town, including the old town and even the castle, had been putting on special food and wine offers for Foodie Fortnight which coincided nicely with the Oktoberfest Beer festival at the Virgins and Castle  last week, where they had 30  beers to taste, cider, food and music.  A thick booklet detailing the events and activities along with information about the restaurants and pubs taking part, and their offers, were distributed at the beginning of the fortnight, which kicked off with Kenny Bear and the Mayor and food samples and music at the Almanac on Sunday the 30th . 

This looked to be a good annual event so I will be watching out for it again this time next.

 

www.foodiefortnight.co.uk

7 days in Kenilworth

A busy start to July

There was plenty going on during the first week of July in Kenilworth. On Sunday the 1^st there was the Olympic Torch going from Stratford on Avon, Warwick, Leamington Spa and Kenilworth before heading off to Coventry.

In Kenilworth, a steel band was playing in the town during the day and sporting activities were put on across the Abbey Fields. By late afternoon, crowds were lining the route through Kenilworth town centre and a great cheer and sounding of horns greeted the convoy of support vehicles and the bearer as he made his way past the clock tower and around to the Castle where another bearer took the torch on between the cottages on Castle Hill and down High Street, accompanied by the church bells, and followed by a mass of youngsters. 

The following Saturday saw Kenilworth’s 80^th Carnival which, despite the on-off showers, was great to watch, as always.  I had watched several of the floats making their way to the Castle for the start, zipping along at a brisk pace through the morning traffic with everyone onboard already in full swing.  It was quite a sight to see members of the Royal Family dancing on the back of one lorry as it headed along the same part of town that I had seen the Olympic torch travel only six days before. Weather forecasts were not optimistic but it did not deter those that gathered along the route, armed with umbrellas and picnic chairs, to see the brightly decorated floats, excited youngsters, comical costumes and marching bands - what fun. 

From Thursday, the annual fair was in the fields next to the car park, to coincide with the carnival, along with stalls and displays around the tennis courts on the Saturday.  St Nicholas church put on tea and homemade cakes and then at dusk there was a firework display to complete the celebration. 

What a busy week.

Morris Dancers in Stratford

Morris Dancers in Stratford - jingling bells, colourful costumes and lots of  energy.

Ribbons on their clothes, flowers around their hats and bells on their legs, – this was the mass of Morris dancers who descended on Stratford on Avon this Saturday.

Everywhere was the sound of jingling bells, accordions playing their merry tunes and sticks clacking together; on street corners, beer gardens and outside the Shakespeare Theatre, troops of Morris dancers from all of the country were performing with such enthusiasm it was a real treat to watch.


This was by far the most impressive Morris dancing I have ever witnessed as no sooner had I seen one troop perform with gusto than another would take their place, each group different in their colourful costumes and style dancing to such music as the Stick Song.
Milling among the crowds of visitors, the dancers made their way through the streets of the town in their distinguishing garb, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of jingles, a beat of the drum and the sound of clogs on the pavement everywhere you went.

It is a shame that they are not invited to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games - but perhaps Morris dancers don't really fit in with their English village theme.

Joint Morris Organisations Day of Dance, Stratford on Avon, 30^th June 2012

And riverside fun ...

At the same time as the Morris dancers performing in the town, the Stratford’s River Festival was taking place on the opposite bank.  Stalls of all types were assembled along the river bank and around the bandstand. The river was filled with boats of all sizes, including some carefully crafted model boats and dozens of colourful narrow boats adorned with fluttering bunting.

This is a two day event so I hope the weather stays good for the Sunday and the planned fireworks on the river tonight.

What a great way to spend the day in Shakespeare's Stratford :-) 

Supercar Sunday

Held during the Kenilworth Festival in May. A great free event held at Abbey End, by the Clock Tower, Kenilworth, with an amazing variety of interesting cars on view and, for a very reasonable donation to Macmillan’s Cancer Support, the chance to ride in your favourite, whether a 1926 yellow Rolls Royce, a Bullnose Morris or even a Model T Ford; or for those looking for something more recent there was a James Bond Jaguar, complete with rear mounted machine gun, Dodge Viper or a new McLaren MP4-12C,  to name but a few.

I chose a spin in a 1947 Bentley Roadster which roared away down the town, and out onto the A46 towards Warwick, passing others having trips in their chosen vehicles, accompanied by waves and blasts of horns. I began to realise why a pair of goggles they offered me would have been useful as there was little protection from the elements as we flew along at 50mph. I’ve always wanted a drive in a car like this; traditional racing green with the gears on the outside and a step to climb in – no doors and a token windscreen but surprisingly comfortable seats. Bit of an effort climbing back out at the end after we had travelled back via Leek Wootton. A great ‘adventure’ that leaves me to wonder, which car should I choose the next time?