Day out | Postcards From Here and There

Glastonbury

To many the word Glastonbury is synonymous with the music and arts festival held in late June since the early 1970s close to the village of Pilton which is six miles to the east of the town of Glastonbury. Most festival goers will never see the town but it has much to offer with history, myth and legends at its heart.

Much of the High Street business today is based around new age/alternative beliefs. There is an eclectic range of shops selling crystals, hippy clothing, organic/wholefoods, art, new age books and music. Indeed it is nothing like most high streets in the country which are much of a muchness with hardly any independent retailers in some. Glastonbury is quite unique in that regard and much the better for it.

Glastonbury has more than its share of myths and legends all of which add to a degree of mysticism about the place Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea visited the area in the first century bringing with him the Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus drank from at the last supper and was used to collect his blood at the crucifixion. Glastonbury Abbey was supposedly built to be its resting place. There are a number of claims of possible locations for the grail around the world but sadly you won’t see it in Glastonbury.

When visiting the town and local area there are two must sees.

Glastonbury Tor

The Tor is visible for miles around as it rises over 150 metres above the surrounding Somerset levels. It is only a short, well signposted walk, from the town and the effort to climb the path to the top is well worth is as the views are spectacular, giving a full 360 degree panorama of the surrounding countryside. There are sometimes storytellers and musicians at the top which can add something a little different to a visit.

The Tor has long been an assembly point for pagans and christians over the centuries and is associated with Avalon and the legend of King Arthur. The slopes are terraced but why and by whom remains a mystery. there is certainly evidence of human activity on and around the Tor dating back over two thousand years.

The tower standing on top of the Tor is all that remains of St Michael’s church which was built in the fourteenth century. All but the tower was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the mid 1500s.

Glastonbury Abbey

In the centre of the town is Glastonbury Abbey. There is a charge for entry and opening hours vary with the seasons. You can find details from the official website.

The origins of the Abbey dates back to the seventh century though legend has it that the origin may date back to the first century with the arrival of Joseph of Arimathea. The Abbey underwent expansion and even rebuilding following a fire in 1184. By the fourteenth century it had become the second wealthiest abbey in the country, second only to Westminster Abbey in London.

However the power of the Abbey was short-lived as it was largely destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. What survived is largely what you see today.

In 1191, following the fire which largely destroyed the Abbey, Monks unearthed the bones of King Arthur and Guinivere. The Abbey certainly needed to raise funds at this time for rebuilding so perhaps this discovery was somewhat convenient. Whether the bones were genuine or not they were reburied in the Abbey in 1271.

The Abbey is well worth a visit, especially if the sun shines and you have time to walk around the quite considerable and well kept grounds.

Brick Lane Street Art

Brick Lane can be thought of as the epicentre of Street Art in London. The streets and alleys that run off from Brick Lane are covered in bright, vibrant art works both large and small. The canvas may well be a wall, window ledge, door or shop front shutters. There really is no limit to the possibilities for expression here. By its very nature the art is constantly changing, take a similar walk around the streets in six months time and there will have been significant, noticeable changes. This ephemeral nature of the work is what makes the Street Art scene so interesting.

Brick lane is just a short walk from Liverpool Street station which is served by the Central, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City underground lines. Leave the station via the Bishopsgate exit, turning left onto Bishopsgate. Cross over at the crossing and then turn right onto Brushfield Street. At the end turn right onto Commercial Street. Cross over at the lights and then turn left into Fashion Street. This is where some significant pieces of art can be found. From here you can walk down the street and turn left at the end onto Brick Lane.

Just before Fashion Street meets Brick Lane there is this piece by Jimmy C.

Once on Brick Lane take the first right onto Heneage Street.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil by Lewis Campbell Lost Monkey 2017 – Heneage Street

Heading back onto Brick Lane and into Seven Stars Yard. There is so much Street Art here it is difficult to know where to begin. Some is better than others but that of course is a personal view.

Exiting back onto Brick Lane again now take the next left onto Fournier Street. There is not much Street Art here but it is a most interesting street with beautifully restored town houses built for merchants in the eighteenth century. At the far end of Fournier Street is the Ten Bells pub which has associations with the Jack the Ripper story.The main piece on Fournier Street is at the Brick Lane end and is by Shok-1, known for his aerosol X-ray art.

Next up is Princelet Street and the Jack the Ripper story is here in an undated context by Otto Schade.

Stix uses his stick figures to illustrate community cohesion in the area.

Hanbury Street has a long association with Street Art. The piece by Belgian artist RoA, known for his huge paintings of wildlife has been on the side of the building for a long time.

At the bottom of Hanbury Street is a huge work by Majid Adin that was completed only recently.

Continue along Brick Lane. The courtyard of the old Truman Brewery is an interesting area but was unfortunately closed off at the time of my visit. At the corner of Pedley Street and Brick Lane is the Kinkao Thai restaurant, the side of which is a huge canvas for street art. The current work occupying the space is by Dan Kitchener.

My walk ended at Grimsby Street but there is much more to explore in the area if time permits.

The London Calling blog is a good website for Street Art in the capital. More about what else Brick Lane has to offer to visitors can be found here

The Royal Cheshire Show

The Royal Cheshire show is held over two days in June each year and is organised by the Cheshire Agricultural Society which was first formed in 1838 although the first Cheshire Show was not held until 1893.

It has had a number of different venues over the years but is currently held in Tabley, just outside the Cheshire town of Knutsford, with good motorway links via the M6 and M56.

It has everything you would expect from a country show, plenty of animals, agricultural machinery, vintage vehicles, local produce, floral displays,country pursuits and numerous shopping opportunities to name but a few. Having never been to an agricultural show before I was pleasantly surprised at how much was going on and how easy it is to spend a whole day here.

There really is something for everyone and if the sun shines, as it did this year, it is a great day out.

The Food Live Theatre was popular with many visitors with numerous cookery demonstrations from chefs including Jean Christophe Novelli, Brian Mellor and former Great British Bake Off finalist Luis Troyano who decorated the most amazing cake. Sadly no tasting samples!

There were plenty of opportunites to get up close to some very fine animals including this European Eagle Owl which at 4 years old is still a youngster!

Some however were not quite so alert.

Dates for next year are the 18th and 19th June 2019.. Might have to put it in the diary.