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???
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???
Ah- that gnarly bark looks just like my ancient oaks.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
Florida oaks are wonderful!
DeleteThat's a wonderful photo, Jenny of a wonderful old tree. You've really captured the lighting beautifully. Well done! :)
ReplyDeleteI bet that tree is harbouring a few good stories beneath its bark!
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
DeleteI 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!
ReplyDeleteI will. I think it should get to more fillm festivals and then come out on DVD.
DeleteInteresting photo, thought provoling photo
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading about the film as well as your travels.
Any of a number of things...Just think of it as an adventure and have fun. Come back and let us know more.
ReplyDeleteThought provoking can mean a good many different things, so i would reserve judgment. Such a pretty scene here!
ReplyDeleteWell you provoked much thought in my mind too! I hope to hear how and what it is, and do enjoy yourself!
ReplyDeleteWait to hear how it was.
ReplyDeleteI keep forgetting to ask who is the adorable friend in your heading photo.
cheers, parsnip
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.
DeleteI wonder if the film will be more widely shown - one day. Hubby would be very interested.
ReplyDeleteI 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. .
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteOne 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!
Oh,Jo, I think it is hard to beat some of the trees in Savernake!
DeleteA 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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!!!
DeleteSounds 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!
ReplyDeleteThanks 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
DeleteSuffolk 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!
ReplyDeleteSheffield 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.
DeleteThe 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.
ReplyDeleteDarla
Wish I could visit and enjoy the English countryside at this time of year.Is that a Mediterranean beach in your header?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIt is in Greece! ;) the island of Rhodes....
DeleteOne of the primary reasons I watch British dramas and mysteries is to see those lovely trees!! Yes!!
ReplyDelete"Thought provoking" usually makes me feel vaguely uneasy.
ReplyDeleteMe too. But unfounded in this case, I am glad to say. It was thought provoking in a good way.
DeletePretty picture and enjoy your little adventure!!!
ReplyDeleteGnarly old trees never fail to spark my imagination.
ReplyDeleteMe too. Sometimes you think they might come alive!
DeleteA 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!
ReplyDeleteWhen 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.
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!
DeleteWell, I certainly cannot blame you for going to see if you can cash-in on their good fortune. (LOL?)
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteI love running my hands over old oak trees.
ReplyDelete"Thought provoking" usually hasn't been disappointing, in my experience. I hope it is a good one for you. :)
As it turned out it really was thought provoking in a nice way, Rita. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteHi Jenny,
ReplyDeleteOne 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
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.
DeleteThe 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?
ReplyDeleteI have done a review now, Jeanie, thank you for asking about it. I like to think of the tree still old 100 years ago! :)
DeleteI agree about the beauty of England at this time of year. I can’t get enough of the glories of early summer round here.
ReplyDeleteSheffield, however. I’ve never been so perhaps I should make no comment.
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. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
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.
DeleteLooks serene in that photo. I love big old trees.
ReplyDelete