Golden Tree Moment

I always look forward to one particular Autumn moment – as you walk through a narrow gap between our street and the main road, straight ahead is a beautifully shaped maple tree which turns completely golden, just before its leaves begin to descend. 

Last year, the moment never came – a gale stripped the foliage before it had yellowed. But this year it was back in its full glory.

EXCEPT,

When I went to photograph the tree to send to my children, I discovered something new and even taller growing there.  There is now a huge and hideous 5G telecomms mast sprouting amid the Autumn splendour.

Our neighbours have been fighting this excrescence, although Nigel and I were a little ambivalent since we would appreciate better phone reception. 

There is probably Somebody’s Law that where Residents’ Associations are strong, phone masts are few and far between. 

However, there’s a rumour that instead of supporting a variety of different networks, this new mast will serve only one, and one none of us uses at that.  If such proves to be the case, it will be very sad indeed as even more 5G masts will need to be built, and we shall not be the only ones with an unwelcome addition to our Autumn treescape.

Autumn Quick Green Crafts

 

Out walking at the moment, I am often literally stopped in my tracks by the lavish beauty of the season.

The combination of exquisite leaf shapes and crackling colours sends me creative.  My head floods with ideas and I’m in danger of being overwhelmed and undertaking nothing. 

This year I salvaged two quick craft projects from the Autumn parade.  One is to take the prettiest small leaves and press them in old encyclopaedias, as my mother taught me.  In two weeks, they will be ready to glue onto seasonal birthday cards.

The other is to dry hydrangea heads.  Hydrangeas spend the summers putting out innocent candy-coloured flowers, but they take on a more subtle blushing and tinting in autumn.  I have hung them upside down in my larder and when they are dry, they will fill vacant vases round the house.  Dried hydrangeas always remind me of my art teacher who would keep them in her draped and jumbled art room, ready for us to paint a still life.

Whether it is the slight melancholy of the falling season, but carrying out these small acts makes me feel a connection with days and people from my past, a sensation which even as it saddens, comforts.

Autumn acer leaf cards

 

Autumn acer leaf cards

The Return of Fun

Fun has come back, but frankly I’m not sure I’m ready for it.

For many months I have barely been into London except to participate in peaceful protests about climate change.

However, at the weekend, Carenza took me to a play at the Sam Wannamaker Theatre – the candlelit theatre next to the Globe.

What caused us to chance our health in this way?

The strapline – ‘Forget about Covid – Let’s have some Ovid.’

Years ago, I had taught Ovid to Carenza – my first Latin pupil - and now here was the chance to watch an imaginative retelling of some of his Metamorphoses – tales of shape-changing.

We hadn’t attended the Wannamaker before and its crowded benches are euphemistically described as ‘intimate’.  All the adults were wearing a mask, but even so…

However, when the play started, with its four talented actors changing roles faster than you could remove a hat, we were entranced.  For ninety minutes, we forgot all about Covid.

 

Afterwards, in buoyant mood, we strolled along the South Bank to Vaulty Towers where we had a table booked for dinner.  Old theatre sets made the interior of this pub fun, and it served only vegan barfood.  No wonder it was popular.  No wonder it was crowded….

Once again, I had to wrestle with my Covid fears.  Luckily my ‘Fun’ side won

 – and a good thing too as it has been leading rather a quiet life lately.