Monday, February 04, 2008

Chooks, leaf and lost bridge.

1. Barnevelder chickens scratching in a pen. A mud path is worn round the edge, where Gwen the sheepdog has been rounding them up. I ask Bill the warden about the chickens, and he says: 'They're lovely when the light hits them.' I look again and spot the peacock irridescence, and that each feather has a brown chevron.


2. An ivy leaf burnt to a charred flake has an electric blue sheen.


3. Among the trees covering the spoil heaps at Ticknall lime yards is an old bridge that once carried the tramway. Through the arch, I can see the turquoise water of a flooded quarry.

Beyond the barriers, going home and half term.

1. At the station, a friendly face waiting beyond the ticket barriers. 2. I walk on to the platform in time to see the destination on the fr...