BEACH STONE PATTERNS ON WEYMOUTH BEACH, DORSET
BEACH STONE PATTERNS, WEYMOUTH
BEACH STONE PATTERNS ON WEYMOUTH BEACH, DORSET
‘WE DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE…’ 4th JULY 2012 – WEYMOUTH 25 DAYS BEFORE THE OLYMPICS
4th JULY 2012 WEYMOUTH – 25 DAYS BEFORE THE OLYMPIC SAILING
Weymouth beach – a huge curve of sand. In July it should be filled with happy holiday makers and the renowned sand sculptures. Olympic sailing events will be taking place right here in less than 4 weeks. But this year the dull wetness of the summer has had a dramatic effect on Weymouth’s seaside charm, as this slideshow reveals. An almost empty beach and attractions mostly closed. There’s still some enjoyable colour, but overall my half-hour wandering the beach was fairly bleak. Total of sandcastles: 2. Total people relaxing behind windbreaks: 1 brave woman. Total actually in the water: 2 0r 3 paddlers, not one swimmer… Great British Summer? Bring it on… and quick!
BUMBLEBEES: NATURE’S ESSENTIAL POLLEN MAGNETS & SPREADERS
THREE BUMBLEBEES FEEDING ON ONE FLOWER – DORSET
WOODLAND TREES IN THE EVENING SUN – DORSET
WOODLAND TREES IN THE EVENING SUN – SOUTH DORSET
ROLLRIGHT STONES, OXFORDSHIRE: (1) PATTERNS
The Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire is a late-neolithic stone circle about 30 meters in diameter. The stones are heavily marked by time, and many have colourful lichen growths. Some of these lichens are thought to be 400 – 800 years old. Here are some examples of the stone patterns 
A BEAUTIFUL 1928 STUDEBAKER CAR FROM OHIO… IN OXFORDSHIRE
THIS LOVELY CAR WAS PARKED IN A LAY-BY IN OXFORDSHIRE. Its owner was rightly proud of it, and its condition 
DOLLOND SUNDIAL AT ROUSHAM HOUSE, OXFORDSHIRE
DOLLOND SUNDIAL AT ROUSHAM HOUSE, OXFORDSHIRE
A BRACE OF PARTRIDGE IN DORSET
TWO PARTRIDGES have taken to regular visiting quite close to the house – especially when the feeders have been filled. They come for a peck around every morning and evening, and burble quietly to each other as they feed. Yet again I missed them when the window was open, and have had to take photographs through glass, so their wonderful markings are not pin-sharp. The female is slightly paler than the male. I tried sneaking up on them, but they are very wary of being papped… 
GOLDFINCH IN A WEEPING ASH – DORSET
GOLDFINCH IN A WEEPING ASH – DORSET
COMPTON: THE WATTS GALLERY, WATTS CHAPEL – THE ARTS & CRAFTS MOVEMENT
The newly restored Watts Gallery showcases the work of artist G. F. WATTS. There is also work by his wife MARY WATTS, though that is best seen at the Watts Chapel a short walk from the Gallery. I found material for 3 of my Themes – sundials, mazes** and (stretching the definition somewhat) ‘stone’ marks. Here are examples in the first two categories; I’ll leave the remarkable terracotta gravestones (and their lettering) for another time.
SUNDIALS AT COMPTON
The Garden Sundial
An ususual sundial, now kept inside the Gallery
‘MAZES’ [**in fact LABYRINTHS] AT COMPTON
These apparent mazes are, as Ellen has rightly pointed out in her comment, strictly-speaking labyrinths. The distinction is this:
MAZES provide multiple paths with only one “correct” one
LABYRINTHS which provide a single path to the centre. Here, you should follow the raised rather than the recessed paths to understand how the labyrinth works
A maze labyrinth on the altar front in the Watts Chapel
Terracotta Angel holding a maze labyrinth outside the Chapel, among other elaborate ornamentation
This similar Angel and maze labyrinth was on the other side of the Chapel
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 