Kern Baby

Another Miss Havisham's dress type of creation: I blipped another one here, https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2081889173903507621 at Stroud's Goods Shed.

This one was at Compton Verney, http://www.comptonverney.org.uk/grounds/history_of_the_house.aspx, a former stately home in the Warwickshire Countryside, now an art gallery housing six permanent collections and several temporary exhibitions. This 5-metre corn dolly in the grounds was entitled Kern Baby. I am not sure what the rationale was, but it's certainly unusual. And the sky really was that colour, all day long. Summer in September!

I was visiting Compton Verney with the WEA's Learners Circle, which is our social group. In the event, there were just four of us: me, Myra, John and my colleague Janet, who has now paid her sub and joined the magic circle! We started with coffee (and maple pecan ice cream for me) and then headed to the British Folk Art Galleries. After that, Janet and I took in the Chinese collection; the Hart Silversmiths exhibition (small but intricately formed) and the Arts and Crafts House exhibition. I was suprised at how much of the Arts and Crafts work I had seen already, but then I have been to Kelmscott Manor; The Red House; William Morris House; Cheltenham museum and Art Gallery; and Rodmarton Manor. Just not all at the same time! I think I prefer seeing the paintings, furniture and objets d'art in the context of a real house. Time to return to Kelmscott Manor, I think. For me, the highlights of the day were the weather, the grounds, and the silver work, with its accompanying video.

After the looking and reading, we had a tea break and headed into the grounds to look at the carved stone lion-women (Sphinxes) on the bridge, and to seek out the ice house. But it's the ginormous corn dolly that captured my blip today: for all I know, it may be the only one of its kind.

We got back to Stroud before 7pm, with the sun still shining, and this morning's load of washing dried by the sun. All is well in my world tonight.