Ripley Pigfest Scarecrow Trail - a Crackling Good Time!

On Sunday afternoon we had a trip into Ripley to test our super sleuthing skills on all things porcine!  The Pigfest has been running for fifteen years now. It's inspired by the story of  Thomas Ingilby, an ancestor of Sir Thomas Inglby of Ripley Castle who saved King Edward III from a wild boar attack in 1355.

Ripley is very beautiful, little local shops, an abundance of blooms, and the majestic castle looking over the village.

So, with our sheet in hand, we took the first steps into Pigfest! At the start of the trail we were just having a bit of fun, and then a competitive streak kicked in. People were swapping their pig tales on the streets, and there were even volunteers on hand to help those ham-pered by their swine know how! 

If you'd like a challenge, here are a few of the trotters we saw. I've put the names at the end of this post. To give you a flavour, past pig names have been Uswine Bolt, Beatrix Trotter, Amy Swinehouse, Statue of Liboarty and Bradley Piggins. 

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13  -Think Royalty...

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And as a little bonus, this little piggy in the stocks was left nameless for someone to come up with a suitable title for him. My sis came up with Guy Porks, any advance?! Chop chop!! 

And to round it all up, we went to The Boar's Head for roast pork...

We have a few suggestions for next year, we couldn't help ourselves - Tilda Swineton, Porkham and Pies, Elvis Pigsley & Orange Is The New Black Pudding....

Answers:

1. Rupigscube 2. Vincent Van Hog  3. Hams Solo  4. Boaris Johnson  5. Lester Piggott  6.Pork Scratching  7. Alboart Einswine  8. Spider Pig  9. Captain Pigwash  10. Demi Boare & Patpig Swayze  11. Bacon Foil  12. The Red Boaron  13. Hamilla Parker Bowles  14. Hogsleigh  15. Scuboar Diver  16. Finding Boary

A Voice From The Past

I heard a voice from the past a few months ago, a 23 year old me.  We'd been doing quite a bit of house tidying, and I rediscovered a beautiful (if a little bashed) suitcase that holds my diaries from when I went travelling on a round the world trip with my friend Andrew.  I've picked up the diaries before and skimmed through their pages.  This time I sat down and read a chunk from my first few weeks away.  It was strange to see my neat writing and read those words, an echo from half my life away. In the case, I knew there were a couple of rolls of film that I hadn't had developed when I returned. But tucked down at the bottom in a little pouch, I discovered a couple more. I couldn't believe they've been there for so long. I wasn't sure what they'd reveal, or even if they'd still be OK. 

UK Film Lab (now known as Canadian Film Lab), had developed a few rolls of film for me in the past, and being really pleased with the results, I sent them off in a big brown envelope, not knowing if the secrets stored inside would ever develop. A short while later, an email containing the zip files appeared in my inbox. Each click on an image felt like I was drawing with a magic marker to reveal what lay beneath. Bursts of colour, scenes stored in my distant memory, each film grain and speck of dust adding to the story. The ones that resonated with me the most, were of a few weeks spent in Nepal. We flew into Kathmandu on September 23rd 1993.

From Kathmandu, we travelled to Pokhara, where we trekked for a few days in the mountains. We witnessed the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets and watched the light dance on the Himalayas. We walked alongside patchwork rice fields, stopped for refreshments at tiny cold drink stores in the mountain villages, visited temples and schools, and watched the clouds swirl beneath us.

Our boots gathered dirt and dust as we walked further into the mountains. We met kind, generous people who looked after us on our journey, who cooked for us and gave us sweet tea. Looking at the photos of the children we met, I can still hear their laughter, it was so infectious. We played many games of hide and seek and kick the can! I look at these photos now and wonder what they're all up to 23 years on.

It's sometimes hard for me to believe I did this round the world trip. For quite a few years now I have had anxiety and panic attacks around long distance travelling. But I'm getting itchy feet, and there are so many places I want to discover. Looking at these photos makes me realise how much I achieved, and how it is all very possible again.

A Night At The Mollycroft

A few weeks ago, we spent a night away in an ornate showman's travelling van on the edge of the North York Moors. It's hard to believe after the bonkers hail, sleet and snow of last week that we were sitting outside drinking our morning cups of tea, basking in the sun. 

We were working with Canopy and Stars. They have some truly amazing glamping locations to stay in and explore. This shoot brought us to The Mollycroft. It's a restored 1940s showman's living van that used to be owned by the White family who toured around the fairgrounds in the Glasgow area. 

It's so thoughtfully restored. The gorgeous wooden furniture and panelling in the lounge area, colourful and interesting ornaments, and homemade sloe gin laid out Alice in Wonderland drink me style!

I love building fires, and made one outside and inside. It was perfect just sitting and reading whilst the logs were glowing in the burner.  

As well as restoring showman's vans, the owner of the site is passionate about bamboo, and has planted many species in the garden that surrounds The Mollycroft.

We just missed the 15,000 starlings that were making the bamboo garden their home. One day I will see a murmuration! But they did leave traces of their visit - one of the guys was busy jet washing the bamboo. In the low sun, the droplets were catching the light and it was really beautiful.

The light was magical..

The next morning, I listened to the world wake up from inside The Mollycroft. The whispers of the bamboo, the first songs of the dawn chorus, the crows nesting in the tall trees. My hair smelt of wood-smoke, I always find this comforting. I lit the fire and took a cup of tea outside. My breath hung on the air and mixed with the steam rising from my tea. I felt myself winding down, it's the perfect spot for this. 

After breakfast (freshly laid eggs), we had a walk into the woods. The coppiced trees provide the logs for The Mollycroft fires. They make their own charcoal too.

Then all too soon it was time to leave. It's a perfect bolthole to have a little space for thinking, reading, walking. Cosy corners and campfires surrounded by beautiful bamboo. I know we'll be back - and next time I'll brave the outdoor shower!

If you would like a bit more info, or to book TheMollycroft, you can find it on the Canopy and Stars page here.