Vesna Armstrong Photography

Every year around June time these beauties catch my eye with their spire like appearance laden with purple bell shaped flowers. Some species of foxglove have speckled centres which gives them the intricate, blousy look. They all attract bumblebees, and I enjoy watching them fumble about in the bells. I love the way foxgloves grow in the Yorkshire countryside as wildflowers and the way they interact with other shapes and forms in the nature. You can buy them in pots at some florists and garden centres too; they are the cottage garden classic and work very well teamed up with say lupins and roses in evoking that nostalgia of a past age. For me, foxgloves are, above all, one of the perfect reasons to praise the beginning of summer.

Self-portrait  c.1840 “Backward I look upon my life, And see one waste of storm and strife, One wrack of sorrows, hopes, and pain, Vanishing to arise again! That life has moved through evening, where Continual shadows veiled my sphere; From youth's horizon upward rolled To life's meridian, dark and cold.”  -  Patrick Branwell Brontë  - Branwell Brontë was the talented but troubled brother of the three famous literary sisters - Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë. They were all born in succession within five years 200 years ago, and 2017 is the second of the bicentenary years, Branwell's 200th birthday. Last year I paid tribute to Charlotte on her bicentenary  here . As the only boy in a family of six children, Branwell held a privileged status, and much was expected of him. From early childhood he showed as much artistic talent as his sisters did. Living an isolated life in a Parsonage on the edge of broody and windswept moors the children cre...

Walker Ground Manor is a beautiful 17th century Bed & Breakfast accommodation where we stayed on our recent visit to Hawkshead; I blogged about it here . I loved its traditional interior and I could not resist shooting some still life in such an inviting and inspiring setting. The most obvious choice was to use the lovely sash windows in our room and en-suite bathroom. Apart from my diary and my night dress everything else belonged to our room. I was going to accompany the images with a narrative as usual, but then I decided there was no need for it this time. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. They will speak louder than words.

Last Sunday, after a great session on Brontë treasures at the Parsonage, I went with G and our friends for one of my favourite walks. Top Withens is a ruined farmhouse on Haworth Moor whose location is believed to have inspired the location of the Wuthering Heights farmhouse in Emily Brontë's novel. It was a warm, windy day with a lot of menacing clouds, some sunshine and scattered showers. We got wet twice, but we wore our waterproof jackets and didn't care. It was just great to be on those paths and tracks again. I decided not to take many photos this time, but just enjoy the walk and countryside. Sometimes it is nice to do just that - totally immerse yourself in nature and forget about everything else. It is quite a long walk for our standards and I was surprised how much less time it takes if you don't stop every so often to take a shot. But it was impossible for me not take any pics at all, so here are the few I did take. Looking back towards the narrow and sh...

Following my recent post on our visit to Hawkshead I cannot but share photos and experience of the accommodation we chose for the visit. We stayed at the beautiful Walker Ground Manor , a traditional 17th century country house with original features such as exposed beams, fine oak floors and paneling and a barley twist oak staircase.   I just love this charming and welcoming entrance that speaks volumes about what you can expect inside. There are three very beautiful and stylish rooms to choose from at the Manor, as well as a self catering converted barn. We went for the Garden View room. I loved its peaceful and relaxing feel, antique furniture, partly sloped ceiling and the sash window overlooking the garden. The second little window gives the room additional charm and character. The large ensuite bathroom with views over the field is simply stunning.  The large old window was a great backdrop for some still life photography I will share in on...