flowers & mirror

preparing for the summer flower show. cut flowers in the back yard by a mirror - under a roof. First saturday in september, late 1990's I think.

japonica & boat

A vase full of spring flowers beside Bunty's boat (I had been at the scout jumble sale in Gomshall quite some years before, where she had bought it for £5, a very successful jumble sale - I bought a suitcase at it in which to put all the stuff I had bought!). Not quite sure of the date of this image but I believe it to be 21st century!

Nan's poppies

How many pictures have I taken of the poppies in the garden? I used to walk round the garden with my Nan, inspecting them all! These were blooms of 1986.

front door

light through the front door - onto one of my favourite parraffin stoves, simple shape. These images were taken in 1986, probably May, perhaps Whitson week. The one below was taken some years later.

dressing table

sweet peas and roses on the dressing table.


a self portrait in the mirror, my eye throught the sweet peas.




Summer 1998 I think.

sofa in the garden

perfect early summer seating.

photographed late eighties early nineties.

the loo with a veiw

This image was taken in 1987: the bucket toilet. Here seen with crab apple blossom, and the current art display. Oft times the door was unable to be closed and paricularly in the winter one could see above the hedge, across the field into the woods - and sometimes spot a deer or two.

bedroom window

The flickering light through leaves and net curtains was always a preoccupation of mine in this house, right up to the last visit when it was almost empty. Many of the windows had shrubbery growing around them, or a tree filtering the light. A sense of lively movement on sunny days, even in the slightest of breezes - and of course as the earh moves so does the light around the room.

birthday tea 1987

memory of memory

Green tin shed house in a valley

The smoke curls
from the red chimney pot
into the heavy mist.
Rose petals lie fragrant
on the damp dark soil,
trampled by thrushes
picking for snails.
Sweet peas
are full of the shower
that fell half an hour ago.
Patiently dripping,
the apple tree shelters
sweet scented stock and marigolds.
Soon she will come
and pick my favourites
to place by my bed.

I arrive late;
and awake to the fresh smell
of sweet peas and roses
mingled
with the familiar
aroma of paraffin.


I wrote this when I was perhaps 19 - it could have been just before or just after. I find it interesting that I chose to write about the place in misty damp weather, muted colours; not the sunny times that I have spent there, the glorous blue skied orange poppied spring days, or sharp frosty days....