Eccentric and Brilliant…

Eccentric and Brilliant…

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. Woke up this morning, and decided that it looked like a perfect day to have a good day – so we did.

Just got back from a delightful adventure at a Woodland festival in the woods at Bentley, near Lewes. You meet such great characters at these gigs, you really do! Check out this little empire! We did!!

Andy from Cumbria was so interesting. Lovely fella, too. Kind.

Candle fuelled steamboats….ingenious.

We knew him from Glastonbury, so were instant kindred spirits! We had a right old chuckle about the wettest Glasto ever in 2016. Never to be forgotten. And he was whistling through his missing teeth, which he lost on a dance floor a fortnight ago (ouch. that must have been a helluva night!)

But oh what a lifetime project he is working on back home in Cumbria. They are restoring an old water mill. Live off grid, and are dedicated to creating an alternative lifestyle with renewable energy.

He wants people to come and see that there is another way. What a nice bloke he is, too. Never ever judge a book by the cover, eh.

Then we met another chap called David, who spent 11 years writing his book. Such a modest, fascinating bloke too! Told us his grandson was a nipper when they started exploring and gathering information for the book; and that he was as tall as him by the time the work was completed.

We even boarded the miniature steam train and chugged along for miles! It was magical…

Art and music abounded in the woods, too. This Noble Land. How wonderful is this caravan?!?

And then I found this poster nailed to a tree in the woods…

That’s it, isn’t it? When I take the time to step out of my world and walk in somebody else’s for a while, when I open my eyes and ears properly – I experience a whole other life – and become part of it. Walking through a little woodland festival is tiny. T I N Y. Yet it makes me stop and think about others, about their worlds, and about much bigger issues.

I learned loads today. L O A D S. About renewable energy, about spelt flour, about tree felling, about woodland management, coppicing. The thing is that Dave is very knowledgeable about these things anyway. He comes from that world as a farmer, so to go back to his roots is like opening his mind again to that rural world. He hasn’t forgotten any of it. Not at all. He has just chosen to help me in Clarityworld.

I asked him today whether he doesn’t miss his past life. (I miss it for him!) He responded as he always does: “Of course I do, when the sun’s shining. Ask me again when it’s cold and wet.”

Time to go sit in the garden, back in our sunny today world, with a cuppa.

Love & Hugs,

Barb xx

If it’s ok with you, I shall announce the winner of the How-was-it-made-Competition tomorrow. You still have time to join if you fancy!

20 thoughts on “Eccentric and Brilliant…

  1. These little festivals never cease to amaze with the things on show and the knowledge of the folk involved in them do they? Glad you had a fabulous day. My alphabet stamps arrived yesterday so I is one very happy bunny. 😊😊😊

  2. How on earth do you find these quirky little festivals? It was a beautiful day up here too today – perfect for a chill-out day! Glad you’ve managed to restore yourselves a little with your outing x

  3. Enjoy the sunshine. It is glorious. Have to work indoors today but hopefully next weekend will be nice in Leyburn, not that it will matter. The sun will be shining indoors when we all meet up and do something of what we love. Hx

  4. Sounds like a fantastic day, lots of information to remember and memories made. That quote at the end was amazing, would be a great stamp! XX

  5. Lovely to here you and Dave have had a good day away from the work place ..I am in Bognor Regis for the weekend , lovely and sunny down here , one of my favourite towns , seems to be something going on every time we come back.

  6. You always make it feel as though we are there with you when you write about your adventures. I bet the book is really interesting and can’t believe he was selling it for £10 a copy! What a wonderful labour of love and especially to share it with his grandson. Treasured times.
    Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Hugs. Annette X

  7. Hi Barb, so glad to hear you had a sunny day, sunny outside, and sunny inside. Thank you for sharing and letting us in, in the way you do, to your experiences. I, for one, am so grateful, me not being able to experience so many things in the world myself. Love the poem. I often go to bed singing, having cfs that’s not so typical when I get up in the morning…!!! I had a good day today too, once I had had a talking to my stupid head this morning! I totally soaked up our last day of summer too, in that I made sure to take note and appreciate it. Bye, bye summer, hope to see you next year… I’ll be singing early tomorrow morning, for sure – Oh flower of Scotland… Send good luck to my team for the morning everyone, I need them to do well, we’ve got Ireland, otherwise I’ll feel sad all day. Hope you have another happy day tomorrow Barb, live life to the full any chance you get, none of us know what may be just around the corner for us. Love you xxx

  8. Thank you for sharing your outing, you obviously had a wonderful day. The design on the caravan would make a great embossing folder, or stamp, or…………
    Nice and sunny here and not too hot so Ray has done some outside jobs and I caught up on my chores. Have a few free days next week and plan to craft, craft, craft while it is raining. Want to finish all my Christmas cards asap and try making some tree decorations with the lovely dies and stamps. I mean to relax and enjoy Christmas this year with no last minute panics.
    Have a good evening 🍒🍒🍒

  9. What a fascinating day you had. Its amazing isn’t it how every day is a chance to learn something new.
    I have just got home from having a meal with Colin at Amy and Matty’s house. It’s so nice to see how devoted they are to each other and how lovely they have made their home.
    I can’t wait til Leyburn now where I can catch up with people face to face!
    Love and hugs Xxxx

  10. Lovely Bentley Wood fair! Enjoyed visiting there during our 40+ Sussex years, but rather a trek from Thanet! Hope there were horses in the woods, and a charcoal burner! Glad you enjoyed your day!

  11. Hi Barb,
    It sounds as though you have had a fantastic day. I bet you both thoroughly enjoyed it and that it did you both a world of good. We are off to my “ happy” place tomorrow ( otherwise known as Pembroke in Wales) until Friday – back just in time for Leyburn. The only problem is that the weather forecast is dire! Never mind, I’ve packed the waterproofs and if it’s too bad, I’ll just go swimming in hotel pool + I’ve packed a couple of the new embroidery plates that I can sit and do. I adore Pembroke and the wonderful beaches close by so am really looking forward to it as we haven’t been for 7 years. Love and hugs, Alison xxx

  12. You do have some wonderful festivals near you sound a wonderful day. We had trip to cinema downtown abbey it was good nice to go out just mean and Bob x.

  13. Glad you had a wonderful day in the sunshine Barbara, and it is good to see what other people are up to and experience a little of their worlds and ideas and take it home with us. I thought the verse was very thought provoking and also the wonderful artwork on the caravan x

  14. I love hearing your side stories, Barb 😊 Your blog entries will make a fabulous book. *Happy Days with Barbara Gray* …… Just sayin’ 😄😄 xx

  15. Sounds like a great day and so glad you and Dave were able to get out and about to enjoy it, does you good to step away from the ‘coalface’ now and then.

  16. What an interesting morning you have both had, enjoyed reading all about it. Lovely artwork on the caravan. We are away at present at Porth in Cornwall, been a bit dull here weatherwise the last few days but at least we are away so making the most of it. Bought my Groovi to fill in the dark evenings.xxx

  17. Hi, looks like you had a great day. Looked up Terry Tempest Williams, what an interesting life, what an interesting lady. Looking forward to 28th, see you there.

  18. I agree with a comment above, I love listening to your stories. The Clarity newsletters over the years has had me laughing one month and sad another. I think a autobiography would be a great read. Just a thought if you ever retire.

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