On Edge

We are planning to walk from Edge next Wednesday, if there is reasonable visibility so as to enable us to enjoy the view from the top of the escarpment. Today would have been almost perfect, though a little misty. Four of us caught the bus to Painswick, and walked a shortish distance along the Cotswold Way - there and back.

In the field just below Painswick, we passed a signpost, newly-erected, commemorating the late Tony Drake. He was Gloucestershire's arch-Rambler, so it's a fittingly elaborate memorial to someone who lived to fight for rights of way.

As it's my common complaint, when out walking, that you never see many farm workers these days, I was glad, passing Randall's Farm, to spot one in a field with just one cow in it. Wearing the traditional long coat, little seen nowadays, he gave her a pat, no doubt to say he was waiting for her calf to appear. Our path ran alongside the fence of another field containing a whole herd. "Oh, look at that handsome bull! I shouldn't much fancy being in that field." "Unless you were a cow of course."

Leaves are at their best, many still on the trees, but enough underfoot to scuff with satisfaction. It was shirt-sleeve balmy, with little wind - the culmination of some extraordinary October weather.

Painswick

Five of us walked from Sheepscombe this morning. The only steep bit was at the outset, up through Lord's Wood. But worth it for the view down towards Painswick.

Blow about the Beacon

Caroline brought me a snowdrop this morning, the first of the year. Who needs to travel to Painswick House or elsewhere to see them en masse? Which reminds me, a notice by Painswick Beacon implies that it is (or was) in the ownership of the Blow family. And the next house we passed on coming down from there yesterday, Spoonbed Farm, has what looks like a Blow connection, in the form of this stained glass window. "IDB 1995" it says at the bottom. (Rather odd that this should appear facing outwards, when the window can only really be seen to advantage from the inside.)

Detmar Blow of Hilles House - barely half a mile West of this farm - was the husband of Isabella Delves Broughton. It was Isabella's second marriage, one scene in several acts of a tragic life.

The eldest of four children, her only brother was drowned in the family swimming pool aged two. At 14, her mother shook hands with her and her sisters and left home. More or less cut off by her millionaire father, she worked as a cleaner. By 23, she was married to an American, but divorced after two years. Despite success in the world of fashion, she was usually broke.

Passing 30, she married Detmar Blow. They later separated, she going off with a gondolier. 18 months later they came together again, after she had been diagnosed as bi-polar. Soon she was found to be suffering from ovarian cancer. Half a dozen suicide attempts were botched before - one Sunday in May seven years ago - she followed her father-in-law's example and swallowed Paraquat in the middle of a house party at home, dying next day in Gloucester Hospital. No children came from either marriage.

Holcombe

Mild, fine and still weather - and relatively little mud - made this morning's walk particularly enjoyable. And for me it was another voyage of discovery.

We climbed steadily through the Northern reaches of Painswick, crossing the golf course to the Beacon. (I once walked North starting from there, with Leo, but don't remember the outlook being so extensive - not that one could see any great distance today.)

Descending Westwards, the four of us passed across the Gloucester road and through the various Holcombe farmsteads, eventually climbing back via the drive to Painswick House.

This hundred-year-old letter box would be at home in The Shire.

Painswick

"We are only here for the Beer," we might have said this afternoon. But not quite.

The focus for the Painswick meet-up of members of our book group was John Beer's newly-opened Arts & Crafts Museum, in Gloucester Street: it's housed in the former Christ Church, a square 19th Century building, with a fine Morris & Co. stained glass window at the "East" end, which Beer told us was one of the attractions to his securing the place.

He has been amassing Arts & Crafts (and associated) work over many decades. We first caught a glimpse of it - and him - when we looked over his beautiful but crumbling former home in Priory Street here in Cheltenham in 1994. Caroline was keen to buy it: I less so. The collection has since grown considerably - Pugin, Lutyens, Morris, Gimson, Barnsley, Waals, Russell... It must be among the finest in private hands. But the chief attraction of a visit is John Beer's extremely knowledgeable commentary about all aspects of the work he loves, with many red herrings thrown in for good measure. No pains are too great for tracking down the provenance of a Tiffany chair or extra large, curved walnut table (the BBC).

From the end of this month, the Ashton Beer Collection is only open on Sunday afternoons, over the Winter months: well worth discovering.

Over lunch, we enjoyed discussing The Great Gatsby. I'm sure I have read it before, but it seemed almost a new book - some of it like blank verse, much de nos jours, and altogether gratifyingly brief.

The Roadmender

Dialogue with teams of present day road repairers is not easy on account of the noise their machines make. So you bustle past, to get out of their way. Not so on Folly Lane above Slad yesterday. Surprisingly, it's unadopted, so here was a riparian owner with his DIY kit - two wheelbarrows, a spade, a rake and a bag of the black stuff. And time for a chat.

The three of us had parked near the Woolpack and climbed up the path on the South edge of Worgan's Wood. From the East side of the Painswick Valley, we looked over to Whiteshill and Pitchcombe before turning onto the Painswick Old Road at Brownshill Court (its once fine entrance looking very neglected). Wick Street was entirely new to me, a delightful hamlet with a fine early 17th Century manor house - not attracting a lot of sun in the Winter though I guess.

It was a warm day for some steep climbing, and a pint of Old Spot at Laurie Lee's local went down beautifully. Hannah, recently installed as mine hostess, offers a sensible, slightly minimalist pub lunch: the best soup I've tasted for a while! Our cup overflowed when we saw Kathy Lee in the other bar.

Sheepscombe

My Wednesday walking colleagues were meeting at The Butcher's Arms in Sheepscombe today. I took this photograph, looking back at the village shortly after we set out, so the shadows are still quite long. Though I know the Painswick area a little, I hadn't done this walk before: some lovely views! And a perfect Spring day for it.

Three valley walk

Stepping from the bus this morning, I set off down Lower Washwell Lane, towards the Painswick Stream and Lovedays Mill. Ascending to Cockshoot, there were great views back to the self-styled (?) Queen of the Cotswolds, and then a good view also of Sheepscombe from Blackstable Wood.

After a few yards along the Slad road, my path soon led down vertiginously into the next valley East, Dillay Brook, tiny lambs scurrying away from me. I took this photograph on the climb back out, before the less scenic trudge up through Nottingham Scrubs.

Back at 250 metres, I crossed the Calf Way, before my third descent, to the Holy Brook at beautiful Honeycombe Farm, and the final climb leading me soon into Miserden and the warmth of the Carpenter's Arms. Not having seen a single soul since I left Painswick, "Are we following each other?" a voice asked. It was someone who had just come in from a walk in Miserden Park, and (like me) had also been walking round Dursley four weeks ago: he had seen me lunching in The Old Spot (where the food is better).

"Art Couture"

It was new to me, this Painswick open-air festival. Thank God for a fine day for once! We couldn't spend long there, as we were off to a charity picnic at Duntisbourne Abbots, but it was well worth the detour. All those little streets - normally you need to squeeze yourself against a Cotswold stone wall to avoid the oncoming traffic - were closed for the day. Performances took place on three stages. And the place was thronged with eccentric headwear, painted faces - and bodies!

A second happy day!

An outdoor ceremony in England during June – such as Mini and Leo planned yesterday – means umbrellas at the ready, but our daughter-in-law proved right in saying that she is "Sunny Lady:" there was only the merest whiff of rain during the post-marriage blessing and celebration in the romantic setting of Painswick's Rococo Garden. Andrew Meynell devised a beautiful liturgy: this was his Introduction:

Leo and Katsumi are really thrilled that you are all able to come to this Celebration of their Marriage, and want to welcome you very warmly to the Rococo Gardens. This is the English celebration – the Japanese version will happen in October – so it is based on a Christian service. They are very keen to help us think through the significance of what they have done in marrying each other and to open our understanding of the meaning of this relationship. They particularly want their family and friends to participate with them in this Service before we all move to the Orangery for the reception and cutting of the cake.

You, Mini and Leo, are standing in front of your family and friends as husband and wife, as you come to dedicate your lives to each other.

From very early in the Christian story, Marriage has been understood as a gift: it is a given that husband and wife may comfort and help each other, living together in need and in plenty, in sorrow and joy. It is a given, that with delight and tenderness they may know each other in love, and, through the joy of their bodily union, may strengthen the union of the hearts and lives. It is a given as the foundation of family life in which children may be borne and nurtured in accordance with God's will, to his praise and glory. This is the meaning of the marriage you have made.

Leo and Mini, you are doing more than marrying each other: you belong to one another as partners and as soulmates; and also are bringing together two families from different countries, crossing the boundaries of cultures and faiths. By your action here you are saying you are not afraid of differences, but are enriched by them; not distancing yourselves through fear but committed to working with whatever keeps you from loving one another to completion. We have a common humanity - in which we know deeply that we belong to one another; a world in which we pray and work for humanity’s well-being; where we search for its meaning and purpose; where we repent of what goes wrong, where we act to put things right, where we celebrate what goes well; it’s a world where we become more healed by being prepared to bear more for the sake of others who are less well. It is through close relationships such as marriage that we learn about trust, commitment, faithfulness and love and how we might live most fully the life we are meant to live.

St John wrote ‘God is love, and those who live in love live in God and God lives in them.’ So let us keep silence, and become aware of the deeper mystery that is the Holy Spirit here within and amongst us now.

‘Love does not come to an end.’

Sunny lady

This afternoon, we visited Painswick's Rococo Garden. It is to be the venue for a blessing and reception following Leo and Mini's marriage, on a date that Mini's family (from Japan) can manage.

Here the happy couple are, standing where the blessing is to take place, in front of the Red House, a folly at the head of the garden with a tiny room behind its rather exotic facade. "What happens if it rains?" I ask. "I am sunny lady," my future-daughter-in-law replies with sang-froid.

Washbrook

Yesterday, after some of the heat of the day had abated, we drove the nine miles South to Painswick. The annual exhibition of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen - well worth a visit between now and 25th August - was opening that evening.

Having set off in time to meet our friends John and Sue Colquhoun for a walk beforehand, we aimed Westwards from Painswick into unfamiliar territory. Our path followed the Cotswold Way for a mile or so, then branched right down into a likely-looking, wooded valley, leading to what turned out to be the Washbrook. Soon we came across an unexceptional mill building, just like so many one comes across beside a stream - but look at this William and Mary doorway!

Walter Hawkins, a Bristol brewer, built Washbrook as a grist-mill, it seems. Successive owners milled cloth and then corn here for more than two hundred years. Hawkins' coat of arms, flanked by more swags, surmount another doorway on the same frontage, with an oval window above.

What extraordinarily rich carving to find in the middle of nowhere! (What an encouragement to go places on foot!)