Summer's Setting

[steepholm]

Yesterday was likely to be too stressful (for Brexit-related reasons) to stay at home, but luckily I spent it very pleasantly in Somerset instead, with my new friend Moe (whom I met through Toki, who in turn was a stranger who interrupted me in a cafe a few months ago to ask whether I was studying Chinese).

Our schedule took in Stanton Drew, Cheddar, Glastonbury and Wells, which added up to a day of just the right length for October. I don't think there's anything here that won't be at least a little familiar from former entries, but it's always nice to see it through fresh eyes, and Moe was an entertaining and appreciative companion. I had the pleasure of introducing her not only to these places but also to Melton Mowbray pork pies. Here are few photos, anyway:




We were lucky in our choice of day: not only was the view from Glastonbury Tor particularly good, but we happened to land in the town on the day both of a Fairy Fayre (sadly I took no photos, but refer you to the Cottingley girls) and a zombie parade, including this Zombie Morris (click through to the video):



Wells Cathedral's west front was particularly attractive in the late afternoon light, but the moat around the Bishop's Palace was sadly swanless. Could this be a Tower of London/ravens kind of deal?

Comments

[poliphilo]

I know Glastonbury and Wells but I've never been to Stanton Drew; that's one enormous monolith they have there.

[steepholm]

There are plenty more where that came from! The stones are on an Avebury kind of scale, and but although it's a huge monument and only about four miles from Bristol, it's very little known for some reason.

[cmcmck]

A friend of mine in the folk scene wrote a song about Stanton Drew years back.

Funny how many standing stones seem to be sinful people turned to stone for being sinful and doing naughty things like dancing!

[steepholm]

Long before I saw it it had a special aura for me because it matched the surnames of the protagonists in the Dark is Rising sequence, although Susan Cooper later told me that was not deliberate.

[sovay]

Here are few photos, anyway

Thank you for the photos! (The Zombie Morris is charming.)

[steepholm]

It was a nice variation! Of course, to Moe, who had never heard of even ordinary Morris, a little confusing...