Wandering....

 Well it's been a while and I've been very busy doing everything but art.We're now approximately halfway through our summer holidays and it's been nothing if eventful!

A couple of weeks ago we had a fantastic week in Yorkshire. On our journey down we detoured into the beautiful Lake District,heading for Grasmere and Dove Cottage. My daughter who is studying Higher English and currently the Romantic poets was supposed to go on an English trip in October planned by her inspirational English teacher.The trip was going to take in places such as Somerset to visit the area that inspired Samuel Taylor Coleridge to write The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. On their return journey they were to visit Dove Cottage and the Lake District  that inspired William Wordsworth. Unfortunately the trip has been cancelled due to the number of children dropping out -so we improvised.....

Wordsworth lived at Dove Cottage for eight years from 1799 with his sister Dorothy and also Mary whom he married in 1802. Three out of his five children were born there.

In 1795 he met Samuel Taylor Coleridge ,publishing 'The Lyrical Ballads ' in 1798.His most famous work  'The Prelude' was published posthumously by Mary in 1850.

We toured the cottage early in the morning while it was still cool and fortunately before two coach-loads of tourists arrived.With dark panelled rooms and stone floors ,it was easy to visualize what life must have been like back then. Dorothy also kept journals which give a vivid account of her life of domestic chores and spending time transcribing her brother's work.

The garden to the rear of the property is beautiful and rises to give a fabulous view across the fells. As for Beatrice,she loved it and fell into conversation with some lovely American tourists about the drug habits of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Beatrice at Dove Cottage

I particularly enjoyed the museum where it was possible to see the writings .Paper was so expensive that every inch was covered.

So it was an inspirational visit for us all.....I felt the horrors of 'A' level English finally begin to dissipate...and how I wish I could have had an English teacher like my daughter has who tries to inspire his pupils by trying to arrange what would have been a wonderful trip.