Seeds, Scoping, Making Plans

Whist out scoping their May Light Walk Carole and Jo found this bridge spanning the A6 near Rushden / Higham Ferrers. Whilst standing on the bridge they decided the intervention for the next walk should involve weaving something through the bars. Ribbon? Fabric? 

When they reached the other side and looked back at the bridge the V shaped bars seemed to suggest bunting. There was only a few days between the scoping walk and the actual walk and they knew that they would need permission to attempt their intervention in such a public space. Jo undertook the creation of a marvellous visual of what they intended to make and scoured Leicester market for something suitably red, white and blue to weave into the bars.

Carole tracked down the right people to talk to about getting permission, it was touch and go, would the powers that be say yes, would the group say yes, would the forms get signed in time? Thankfully Yes was the resounding end to the week. Both artists are very excited about their Jubilee inspired activity and rumour has it that Carolyn is busy creating a fabulous picnic to take out on the walk.

Beyond the bridge, the intrepid explorers crossed into fields, where the sun danced on buttercups and lit the grass a delicious translucent green.

Around a complicated three-directional kissing gate...

and into a further field, the flourescent yellow of rapeseed glowing in the distance. The sky became an incredible heavy blue-grey, further brightening the yellows and greens around into an almost surreal effect, they felt as though they were stepping into a painting.

And then...

they could see the heavy clouds approaching, and before they could zip up their jackets a violent hail storm was upon them! Throwing its little bullets in their faces, they had to crouch by a hedge for cover.

As they were trying to shelter from the hail Carole's phone rang, it was Alastair from the Northamptonshire Community Foundation, concerned that Beanfield Artists' (Miles & Dacombe) Local Giving Page had received no donations and was missing out on the NCF match giving opportunity. Carole said that both she and Jo had been Tweeting, emailing, contacting supporters and were hoping to hear about some definite donations shortly - again the news at the end of the match funding period was good and they have raised some funds to put towards the Art of Growing project they are planning at The Green Patch in Kettering later in the year. A big thank you  to all who donated - although the match funding has ended it is still possible to donate by clicking the Local Giving icon on the homepage of this blog or by following this link.

On the way back to Kettering Carole and Jo decided to see if anything had started growing in Finedon, on the site of their last Guerilla Gardening adventure with the Light Walks group. Jo had no trouble at all climbing over the wall whilst the less than agile Carole stumbled into some nettles disturbing the rabbit kitten sheltering under the assorted greenery.

The recent rain and the slightly warmer days had caused a lot of growth 

but they managed to find traces of their seed bombs,

some of which had started to sprout.

It had been an amazing day, with all sorts of weather, dramatic light and the promise of new growth. Plans were afoot for the next walk, coming soon in the next post - would the bridge bunting installation be a success?

Through The Gaps - Wellbeing Walk 1 - West

We wanted each of our Wellbeing Walks to start from Corby Station and search out different environments: urban, green, wild spaces and the forgotten.

When we were scoping out the walks we also realised that we had an instinct to make something happen in some of these spaces, to respond to them in an active way. We decided for each walk we should create an intervention.

Our first walk took us West and then North. We didn't know quite what to expect, the weather was unpredictable and we hadn't yet met our group, but we both knew that the simple act of walking could take us through an unexpected gap in a hedge to new ideas and new relationships.

"Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. ~Soren Kierkegaard"

For other lovely quotes about walking follow the the link to The Quote Garden

Waiting for our walkers to arrive

We turned off the main road, and through a gap in a hedge - immediately we were in another world, a wooded area, over a stream, birds singing, cool shade and a quieter atmosphere, the sound of the road masked by the trees.

Horse Chestnut blossom in West Glebe Park, we were amazed by the vivid colours and the tiny conkers forming. During the World Wars the conkers were a source of starch which was fermented to produce acetone. This was then used as a solvent which aided in the process of ballistite extrusion into cordite, which was used in military armaments.

A place of mystery and history

Rolling down the steep slopes of West Glebe Park

Future blackberries waiting to be foraged when the time is right. You can find lots of free information and Blackberry related activities at the Nature Detectives site

Very determined Sycamore seeds

Striding out

We picnicked by the lakes, discovered hidden behind hedges

Creating a variety of ripples

Exploring the everyday

offers perplexing contrasts

We watched a pair of swans make

their graceful way across the water

only as they swam closer could we see

their one Cygnet sheltered in between.

Just beneath the surface,

the skeleton of a pram or trolly

A young tree in a newly renovated park stripped of it's bark -

surely there are less destructive games to play

We made seed bombs.

A spot of guerilla gardening will be

our intervention for the walk next week!

Our seed bomb wishes:-

"Sky, water, sunlight, grow, petal"

"Grow"

"Petal Power"

"A more colourful world"

"Darrel wants green hair again"

"A brighter future"

"Playing football for Ireland"

"Tino Greeno"

"Blooms to dispel gloom"

For more information about Guerilla Gardening and seed bombing follow the link

A snapshot of our route

The lovely people at Mytho Geography donated copies of the book 'A Sardine Street Box of Tricks' by Phil Smith to our project. Here's a link to their site and to Phil Smith. Many thanks, we're really enjoying the books! We also had some BEAR Granola to nibble on. A quote from 'Sardine Street':

"The street is our library. But the library is also full of walks."