Marillion - Aylesbury Waterside

After all the fun and craziness of the Tring Natural History Museum we arrive in Aylesbury. We get parked up close by to the Waterside Theatre. A new venue for me but not for Marillion who have played here 11 times previously. Mostly when it was the site of the legendary 'Friars Aylesbury'. Which seems to have had almost as many incarnations as the Deep Purple line up over the years.It's an impressive looking building from the outside. Can't wait to see what it is like on the inside. There is already a gathering of a couple of dozen or so patiently queuing for the stalls just after 4 pm. Several I suspect will have been there much earlier. We instead make our way over the road to the Wetherspoons 'The White Hart'. They were serving a good selection of Ales from the Tring Brewery.

Walking up to the historic Market Square we pass the fantastic David Bowie statue entitled "Earthly Messenger"It was unveiled on 25th March 2018. The plaque reads as follows 'Following the untimely death of David Bowie on 10th January 2016, a groundswell of opinion surfaced in Aylesbury to celebrate his Art in a permanent way. In recognition of the strong connection he had with music club  Friars Aylesbury'..There is a lot more information on the the two plaques.  It was here that Bowie debuted his Ziggy Stardust character. Apparently a David Bowie song is played every hours from the speakers above. 

We catch up with some fellow Marillion friends at the Kings Head pub. One of the oldest medieval pubs in the south.  pint of Chiltern IPA goes down well in the courtyard. Even the drizzling rain can't dampen the excitement mounting amongst the Marillion fans gathered.. 

Inside the venue only cold drinks are available. A shame as we could have done with a warm up. Speaking of warm up, we are just in time to see the excellent Luke Jackson start his support set. We are on the second row of the circle and have an excellent view. The Theatre opened in 2010 replacing the Civic Centre. The auditorium can seat 1200 people. As long as the couple next to me and the couple behind stop talking, it is going to be a great night ahead. I don't think that it is any great secret that the new album ' An Hour Before It's Dark' will be played in it's entirety tonight. Fulling running order which is just how it should be. It's a great album that I really like .

It's a dark album, morose some might say? 'The ultimate death album' as singer Steve Hogarth puts it. Twin themes of the Coronavirus and the Climate crisis dominate the album narrative. With the darkness there is also light. 

Songs such as 'Murder Machines' and 'Be Hard on Yourself' are excellent.
There isn't a weakness on the album, of course this is my opinion only. I remember my favourite song fluctuating with each different listen of the album. 

 However, tonight is Marillion with a slight difference.

There is an extra band member on the stage! Luis Jardim is providing an extra percussion element. He holds a mighty musical CV and has collaborated with musicians wide and varied over the years. It reminds me a little bit of when multi-instrumentalist 'Troy Donockley' joined Nightwish in 2007. By 2013 he had become a full time member in the band! 

Hogarth was a little worried that age might not suit the tour bus life style that Luis may not be used to?  'What a way to go' came the emailed response to the polite enquiry.  

He looks to have fitted in well whatever the travel arrangements. I suspect though that the appointment will remain temporary. 

The first set of songs finishes of course with the epic 'Care'. It builds into a majestic celebration of the work of the NHS. 

For once possibly ? hearing the new album from a band in full has been an absolute pleasure. It is usually the case of putting up with a few songs from the new album, and then enjoying all the old favourites. It just feels so appropriate to hear in full. 

My highlights in the next set of songs were, 'Somewhere Else', 'Afraid of Sunlight' and 'The Great Escape'. Hogarth is as enigmatic as ever, posing , posturing, larger than life. By comparison Steve Rothery is almost motionless, his playing immaculate, a master of his craft. Pete Trevawas seems an uncomplicated sort of chap. Bouncy, full of enthusiasm, the glue that holds the band together. 

We have a little bit of a stop start, 'after you Claude' situation. For once keyboardist and Hogarth are not quite on the same wavelength. 'I'll sing it if you really want me to quips 'Hogarth'.

 

The concert continues with an encore of the New Kings in full from the FEAR album. 

We have a flurry of activity as 'Mr Friars' David Stopps and the resplendently attired  Mayor of Aylesbury take the stage. 

Marillion are presented with the FA Cup. An award that David is free to dish out as he sees fit. In the 21st Century it has been given to Mike O'connor for all the work he has put into the Friars website. Steve Hackett has also received the award and now it is the turn of Marillion. It is a lifetime achievement award.  The band seem truly chuffed to be the recipient of such a prestigious trophy.

It is entirely appropriate and fitting that we finish with a rousing rendition of 'Market Square Heroes' with everyone up on their feet clapping and joining in with the words. 

It has been a fantastic night and you can feel the buzz of the audience as they make their way towards the exit doors. 

Many thanks to fellow Marillion fanatic Alison Higgins, for her generosity in sharing many of her photos used in this write up. 
 

Tring Natural History Museum Visit

I was vaguely aware of the Natural History Museum at Tring through walking The Ridgeway. The influence of the Rothschild family is hard to miss since It's arrival in the late 19th Century. The family dominated the World finance and banking industry, becoming influential politicians and investors. The Rothschilds transformed Tring, providing.   employment, housing and improved the social welfare of residents. I was reminded about the museum after listening to a very funny podcast by the Comedian Mark Steel. Mark visits various places across the UK poking good natured  fun at their curious behaviours and ways. I have posted the link below for the Tring episode which is well worth a listen!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001bssk

The Museum is just off the High Street.Directions are painted on to a house wall , which sadly we missed.....

Although born into the prominent Banking family Walter Rothschild (1868-1937) had little interest in the world of finance. Born in 1868, Walter became interested in nature when he was very young.Aged just seven he told his parents he was going to have a museum. By the age of ten he had collected enough exhibits to start one in the garden shed. It was a collection that was to expand astronomically. The collection included 2,000 mounted mammals and a similar number of mounted birds, two million butterflies and moths, 300,000 bird skins, 144 giant tortoises, 200,000 birds' eggs and 30,000 books. His father built him a museum on the edge of Tring Park as a twenty-first birthday present.

Amazingly admission to the museum is free, donations are welcomed of course. Split into 6 galleries over several floors there are over 4900 exhibits to see. Apparently there are still thousands more back at the house.  

In Gallery 1 we are greeted by a huge smiling Polar Bear. Walter Rothschild bought this polar bear from the Northeast Siberian Trading Company. This specimen is one of many animals which were traded between North America and Siberia. It is thought to have provided the inspiration for Raymond Briggs' book, The Bear.We meet 'Simon' who is the Museum Expert and features on the Mark Steel Podcast. He is extremely helpful and gives us further insight on what to expect.

There is an incredible amount to see and take in, its quite overwhelming actually. The oldest specimen is thought to be the Emperor Penguin. It was collected on an Antarctic expedition between 1839 and 1843 by Joseph Dalton Hooker, who was a famous botanist and one of Charles Darwin's closest friends.  

There are even a pair of Dodo's, the extinct flightless bird that only existed on the island of Mauritius. These though are composite exhibits made up from the parts from parts of other birds put together. As mentioned previously Walter wasn't too interested in banking. He spent much of his time and money employing collectors to travel the world in search of new specimens.He also hired taxidermists, a librarian and, most importantly, professional scientists to work with him to curate and write up the resulting collections.

As well as the thousands of specimens Walter put on display, the collection included over a million more used for research behind the scenes, notably 300,000 birds and over a million butterflies and moths. 

Not surprisingly the banking empire suffered financially and he was finally allowed to do his own thing aged 40.

 

There are animals here of literally all shapes and sizes.  There are wooden shuttered cases of all sorts of insects. Beetles, Butterflies, Stick Insects, Moths, Centipedes and a wealth of other creepy crawlies.The collection of Humming Birds is equally as stunning. Some no bigger than a thumbnail in size, all the colours of the rainbow.  

In Gallery 6 is the strange looking Cassowary, a large, flightless bird found in Australia and New Guinea. Walter was fascinated by them and kept 64 live cassowaries roaming free in nearby Tring Park. There are reports of one of them attacking a horse! 

Walter kept 144 giant tortoises in his lifetime, including Aldabra and Galápagos tortoises. (in the Indian Ocean)His aim was in part to protect them from hunting and potential extinction in their native habitat.There is a life-size replica of his giant tortoise in the Rothschild Room. 

Visitors are encouraged to have their picture taken on it .Re-creating the famous one of him riding a Giant Tortoise, and steering  with a piece of lettuce on a stick. Well it would be rude not too wouldn't it? 

He also managed to train Zebra's to pull a carriage. (I'm told by Simon it is incredibly difficult to train a Zebra).  The picture below is actually outside The Royal Albert Hall.

 

The one thing that I really wanted to see(and there are many) were the Fleas dresses as Mexicans. Yes you did read that correctly. These fleas were purchased in Mexico around 1905. They were handmade by women as a form of folk art and sold to tourists as souvenirs. 

By looking through the magnified lens (pictured left) it is possible to see the two fleas in Mexican costume. The male is complete with a type of white Sombrero and suit.The female has a long dress and is carrying a parasol, quite amazing. They are said to have been made in 1905 with fleas caught from local cats and dogs. 

Weighing in at a whopping 6 tons is the giant Elephant Seal They are often bigger and heavier .It is so large that it won't fit in the display cabinets. Instead it is perched on top. Further along hanging from the ceiling is the skeleton from said creature.This particular seal came from South Georgia.

What an incredible place to visit! Spent a few hours trying to take it all in, could have spent double that. To say that Walter Rothschild is an understatement. A bit like saying Adolph Hitler wasn't very nice. There is something of interest wherever you look. I'm sure if and when I go back, there will be things that I don't recall seeing before. 

To finish off the Tring visit had a wander along the High Street. We saw both Hardware stores and the lone taxi mentioned by Mark Steel. We never made it to the Railway Station though. Nor did we encounter any of the numerous species of edible Dormouse (Glis Glis) introduced to Tring by who else but Walter...

The Shakespeare's Avon Way - Bidford On Avon (16)

Here we are again in the picturesque village of Welford on Avon. We set off down the much photographed 'Boat Lane'. We are walking in an anti-clockwise direction following the course of the River Avon. 

It is very noticeable how clear the water is, numerous fishes are visible.There are one or two Narrow Boats on the water too. It's a beautiful scene, on a very pleasant day for walking. We are walking in the direction of Bidford on Avon.

This is how I had envisaged walking on The Shakespeare's Avon Way. Blue skies and nice easy riverside walking as we move into early Autumn.

There are quite a few other walkers out and about. Nearly all of them seem to be going into the opposite direction to the one we are walking ? There is a derelict old shack on the path that has fallen into disrepair. 

Maybe it was used for anglers weighing in their daily catch? Whatever it was it makes for an interesting photograph at least. 

 

 

We pass the point where the 'Heart of England Way' crosses the Shakespeare's Avon Way. That is another walk that we have started but runs north to south, as opposed to the East to West that we are walking today.  

We are getting closer to the Worcestershire border, and my finely tuned ears can detect a slight change in accent. Bidford Bridge is a scheduled monument and Grade I listed. The bridge dates from the 15th Century and was actually destroyed by supporters of Charles I as he fled his pursuers. We won't be going over it today though. That will have to wait for when we get up this far on the Heart of England Way.

We have sadly reached the point where we have to say goodbye to the River Avon, for today at least. We are heading inland in the direction of  the small village of Bickmarsh. Although in a blink of an eye we seem to have passed through it! Not too surprising as there are only about 60 odd residents. I don't mean that they are odd in any way, just to clarify that bit.  Next stop Dorsington!

By comparison Dorsington is a sprawling metropolis. It was originally at the centre of The Heart of England Forest. Entering the village there are some very nice house indeed. I was quite taken with one of the elaborate gates actually. Taken enough in fact to have my picture taken by them. 

The church is Grade II Listed and was built between 1764–1768. I have to say it isn't the most attractive Church building I've ever seen. Perhaps the Architect was an Atheist? Built to the glory of his Bank Account rather than to that of God?

I help myself to one of the plentiful apples on offer. The Blackberries though are very small and many seem to have gone over. We continue past a couple of farms, some interesting looking sheep eye us up cautiously. Dare I say 'Sheepish'? There are some nice views though as we make our way back towards the starting point at Welford on Avon. I shall be quiet glad too as the knee is starting to struggle.

A bit of 'zig-zagging' through the housing estate and the walk is complete.Another leg of this cracking walk completed. In total a distance of 10.56 miles!

Stoke Albany and Brampton Ash Walk

A solo walk planned for today. Been a strange old week, things going wrong, not going to plan and then the extremely sad death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Sept 8th at Balmoral Castle. I'm not the biggest Royalist, but do have a huge amount of respect, and admiration for what the Queen has done for Great Britain.

Today will be a good opportunity for some isolation, reflection and some calmness. It is a bit of a journey to get to the starting point at Stoke Albany. Which lies somewhere between Market Harborough and Corby. Parked up close to the 'White Horse' pub I set off following a route I sketched out on the O/S map. Not walked much in this area so should be interesting.If all goes to plan. Roughly about 12 miles I suspect. Today I shall be walking in an anti-clockwise direction.  

Fittingly as soon as I turn the corner I come across a monument to her majesty. Looks as though it was placed there to celebrate her 90th Birthday.  

I pas the Grade II listed parish Church of St Botolph as I leave the village. I'm looking for a footpath on the left which will take me close to the Golf Course. First there is a large field to negotiate with no obvious footpath. There is a Farmer in a Tractor trimming trees around the perimeter. I upset one the other day on what I thought was a Bridleway. He was quick to point out it was a private road. Nothing for it but to continue in a diagonal manner as it showed on the map. 

There looked like a few mushrooms to be picked too! Closer inspection revealed that they were actually golf balls. Very strange as there is no Fairway or Tee anywhere nearby. Perhaps they just have some very bad Gofers who play here? No sign of anyone, leave alone a Golfer since leaving the car! 

Weighed down by 14 newly acquired golf balls, I continued past the Club House (CH on the O/S Map).  

No sooner had I passed an abandoned shack in the field,the heavens opened. I actually heard it coming over the field. Then I saw it, and was powerless to avoid it. A thorough drenching ensued, by the time I reached the field edge it was too late. Shorts were saturated and the lightweight jacket was no proof against the rage of the storm. It got me thinking about when people in films and on TV get a soaking. They seem to dry out in minutes. This has never been my experience. I know full well my shorts will still be wet by the time I get home! 

Directions continue to be a problem. Where there is a marker post it seems to have collapsed. Looking at the map again it seems that I've got to go up the next ploughed field, which is rather steep... The views at the top are great though looking back towards Stoke Albany. It has brightened up a bit now, and the sun has come out. 

Following the field edge I come across a private grave site that has been fenced off. The saying at the bottom seems quite appropriate 'Right I Must get on'.

Although I have a dilemma..... There looks to be a lot of bad weather coming in my direction. I'm not entirely sure where exactly I am? I have an idea where I am , and know where I want to be. In the distance there is a sign, best to double check.

I now have options to cut short the walk. Ashley and Wilbarston would be good , but that is where the weather is coming from. Instead of going all the way towards Braybrooke I could cut a chunk out by going through Brampton Ash. Its a steep path down again (Midshires Way). There are warnings to beware of Badger setts. I can sense another downpour coming so find a suitable tree to shelter behind and opt for an early lunch. Sure enough it pours down again but I am out of the worst of it at least.   

After the rain, there will be sunshine

 

View from my shelter as the rain arrives

Crossing the A427 I head towards Brampton Ash. Just as I try to take a picture of the church my old adversaries appear. Showing far too much interest in me for my liking. I make a hasty retreat towards the gate , which in my panic I struggle to open.

I think that cows have now replaced horses as my number one Nemesis whilst out walking. I do find some real mushrooms though, definitely not golf balls. I see my first person of the day too. He isn't confident that the mushrooms are safe to eat though. However he did advise that there were bigger ones at the bottom of the field. Something to bear in mind if I'm feeling particularly brave though. I told him that all mushrooms are edible though! But some only once. He didn't seem to appreciate the humour in that statement.

I could have cut even more of the original route off if I had taken the footpath through 'Red Hovel'. I decided against this opting to follow the trusty road to where it meets up with the B576. The Macmillan Way seems to join up with the Jurassic way too.

It's another nice part of the walk as it passes the back of Hermitage Wood and through Brampton Wood. Finally climbing past the tip of Stokes Wood and back up into Stoke Albany.   

There are some tricky styles to negotiate though. One in particular is a death trap with two platforms slippery as a pair of eels. Two posts lull you into thinking they offer support and stability. In fact they are collapsible and I very nearly exit into the undergrowth. My knees are bad enough, and are refusing to go any further without a break. I sit in the sun and give the wet feet an airing. it's not as though anyone is going to see me around here. 

Death trap style

Shoes and socks safely back on dry feet the walk is completed. Not quite as planned but I'm nothing if not adaptable. 

In total the walk is coming in at a fraction over 9 miles, so not too bad. I've already earmarked another route, which will take in the missing part some time in the future.