Monday 8 June 2015

Thought Provoking???

I saw this huge oak tree the other evening in the grounds of an old country house in Suffolk, with late may-blossom in the background.


England can be so beautiful at this time of year.

I'm off to Sheffield to see a relative who is featured in a documentary film. (PS Here is the link, forgot to put it in before).  I'm told that it is quite thought provoking.  Not quite sure what to expect but it's years since I went to Sheffield, so at least I will be able to compare it as it is today with the way it was when I was a teenager in nearby Chesterfield.  I think it's fair to say that Shef will now be very different from the grimy yet characterful old place it was in those days!

As for the film, I will just have to wait and see..... "thought provoking" - what can that mean???

46 comments:

  1. Ah- that gnarly bark looks just like my ancient oaks.
    Beautiful!

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  2. That's a wonderful photo, Jenny of a wonderful old tree. You've really captured the lighting beautifully. Well done! :)

    I bet that tree is harbouring a few good stories beneath its bark!

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    1. I believe too that the native English oak has the widest variety of wildlife and supports the widest variety of vegetation than any other tree. So there are likely to be a good few INSECTS beneath its bark! :D

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  3. I love old trees - - such stately reminders of long ago, silent witnesses of so much history. I think trees are thought provoking in many ways. As for the documentary film, all I can say is that it sounds very intriguing. Please let us know more about it when you can!

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    1. I will. I think it should get to more fillm festivals and then come out on DVD.

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  4. Interesting photo, thought provoling photo
    I look forward to reading about the film as well as your travels.

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  5. Any of a number of things...Just think of it as an adventure and have fun. Come back and let us know more.

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  6. Thought provoking can mean a good many different things, so i would reserve judgment. Such a pretty scene here!

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  7. Well you provoked much thought in my mind too! I hope to hear how and what it is, and do enjoy yourself!

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  8. Wait to hear how it was.
    I keep forgetting to ask who is the adorable friend in your heading photo.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. A rather self possessed cat on a greek beach.There are so many strays there but contrary to popular belief, many of them seem very contented and healthy enough.

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  9. I wonder if the film will be more widely shown - one day. Hubby would be very interested.

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    1. I will let you know when it is out on DVD. I think you might be interested too, Valerie. As I said in my later post, (or almost said) if I can be made to be interested, anyone can. I'd lhave been impressed even if it had been nothing to do with Nick. .

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  10. I love ancient oaks - and we have some in Savernake Forest that are over 1000 years old! Just think - they were saplings when William the Conquerer landed. Henry VIII hunted wild boar here. Cavaliers and Roundheads hid in their branches.

    One now stands guard on the corner of the cricket pitch. If only it could tell its story - all the hunting and bloodshed, and now the local confrontation is so gentlemanly!

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    1. Oh,Jo, I think it is hard to beat some of the trees in Savernake!

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  11. A lovely old oak tree in one of my favourite counties. I think you'll find Sheffield very different now - the city centre is really quite attractive, pity there are hardly any decent shops:) Happily I live right on the edge of Sheffield virtually in the Peak District so I have the advantages of the city (theatres, cinemas, concerts etc) without having to actually live there:) Hope you enjoy your visit.

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    1. I didn't get the chance to see many shops but it seemed to have all the usual chains, not that this is much of a recommendation I am afraid!!!

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  12. Sounds good and look forward to your thoughts on the Doc Film Festival, the visual art scene in Sheffield as well as the ambience of the city centre!

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    1. Thanks Linda. I will do my best to return to Sheffdocfest next year and I will be able to get a more comprehensive view of the area, and also perhaps take a look around Chesterfield where I used to live , as I said to Gary

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  13. Suffolk is a lovely part of England, but there are so many beautiful counties. I grew up on the outskirts of Sheffield too, and it was not a place to linger then, although recent visits show how much it has changed. Enjoy your visit!

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    1. Sheffield was the kind of place that was OK to go to university in, I'm told, but there wasn't much to stay for. I suspecti it is different now. People looked pretty affluent and cool, maybe that is partly because there are so many students there.

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  14. The texture of the tree bark makes me want to reach out and touch it. Have a good trip and tell us about it when you return.

    Darla

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  15. Wish I could visit and enjoy the English countryside at this time of year.Is that a Mediterranean beach in your header?

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. It is in Greece! ;) the island of Rhodes....

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  16. One of the primary reasons I watch British dramas and mysteries is to see those lovely trees!! Yes!!

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  17. "Thought provoking" usually makes me feel vaguely uneasy.

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    1. Me too. But unfounded in this case, I am glad to say. It was thought provoking in a good way.

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  18. Pretty picture and enjoy your little adventure!!!

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  19. Gnarly old trees never fail to spark my imagination.

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    1. Me too. Sometimes you think they might come alive!

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  20. A thought provoking documentary sounds in any case interesting. I hope you will solve the puzzle for us and let us know what it was about!
    When I came to Sheffield for the very first time, it all seemed a bit run-down. The second time, I was pleasantly surprised at how much the city had changed for the better, with a lot of money obviously having been invested in public infrastructure. The last time I've been there was last summer. The contrast between the shabby and the chic was rather pronounced. I thought it was a shame that some areas that could have been actually very nice (such as the walking paths along the river) were so unkempt and full of rubbish.

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    1. Yes, your comment is one reason I think it's worth going back. I would be a bit sorry if every trace of its old personality had disappeared, even if that old personality was a bit scruffy. Not that I have ever exactly enjoyed litter, mind you!

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  21. Well, I certainly cannot blame you for going to see if you can cash-in on their good fortune. (LOL?)

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  22. I love running my hands over old oak trees.
    "Thought provoking" usually hasn't been disappointing, in my experience. I hope it is a good one for you. :)

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    1. As it turned out it really was thought provoking in a nice way, Rita. Thanks for your comment.

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  23. Hi Jenny,

    One can begin to see all sorts of patterns in the bark.

    Thought-provoking and Sheffield is but just a short distance across the Peak District from here. Chesterfield, the place with the crooked spire.

    All the best and have fun, Jenny.

    Gary

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    1. I used to live in Chesterfield, and saw the spire from the train as we passed by. I bet C'field has changed a lot too.

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  24. The film sounds fascinating. I'll be curious to get your review. And that tree is magnificent. Don't you wonder the stories it could tell of how the world has changed in its time?

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    1. I have done a review now, Jeanie, thank you for asking about it. I like to think of the tree still old 100 years ago! :)

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  25. I agree about the beauty of England at this time of year. I can’t get enough of the glories of early summer round here.

    Sheffield, however. I’ve never been so perhaps I should make no comment.

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  26. One line caught my eye in your post: "England can be so beautiful..." One of the reasons why I love Britain is that it is a beautiful country. Enjoy your visit to Sheffield. I've heard it's very industrial. Is that right? Please, correct me if I am wrong. :-)

    Greetings from London.

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    1. It certainly used to be industrial. I think it's now post industrial! So many of them are. It used to be famous for cutlery and steel, and I believe there are still one or two factories that produce stuff there. Like pottery in Stoke. It's all gone to developing countries now.

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  27. Looks serene in that photo. I love big old trees.

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