We were out just after dawn….about an hour after as last night sleep was interrupted by heavy rain. This meant I was a little late getting ready this morning.
I wandered through the woods and being in a generous mood allowed the dogs to squirrel chase. A favourite pastime of theirs. I don’t really know why as they have never got anywhere near catching one. It does keep both the dogs and squirrels fit. Whilst they terrorised the tree rats I found these.
A beautiful lilac coloured fungi which I think must be Blue Green Funnel Caps Clitocybe odora. Not that there was much of the odora bit but what there was smelt vaguely of aniseed. I’ve never seen these before.
It was time to wander down to the Kronospan Fibre board factory. I must have left my thinking head at home. This place is massive and I could see little point in trying to blag my way in with two dogs in tow.
I got close enough……….I find it beautiful. It’s next door to Kraft Foods. What used to be Cadbury, the smell of chocolate was a little nauseating but I survived……….shan’t be eating chocolate for a while though!
I went down to St Mary’s Church and it was open…….I did get inside but they were having a service……….I got booted out almost immediately which I thought a little unchristian of them. Perhaps tomorrow they will let me in.
That’s all from todays expedition. What follows is a bit of catchy uppy.
At the side of the canal in Froncysylite there are the remains of these old Lime Kilns. There are also some much older ones in peoples gardens. I should have snapped them but forgot. The reason for this rather drab and uninspiring image is this.
It is the memorial to the Chirk Castle Lime and Stone Company. I quite like the old iron picks that have been incorporated.
It is a little bit of whimsy, it’s not dated and seems to have little purpose considering the amount of work that went into it.
Carved in the Primitive Style…..that’s being kind. I have looked up both the memorial and Canada Bill but no one seems to know anything about either him or the monument.
That’s all for today, happy December.
I like your shot of the Fibre Board factory..Looks like there is lots of scope there for some great abstract shots as well as standard industrial views...
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Trevor, it is a six month job.......a photographer in residences job. There are six hundred people employed here. The light has to be good. I dread to contemplate the number of health and safety courses one would have to complete to be allowed freeish rein. It would be a great opportunity though. It is a stunningly beautiful factory.
ReplyDeleteHappy December to you too! Love this tradition on the 1st of the month! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity they didn't take the time of giving more info about the memorial to the lime and stone company especially as someone got in a lot of effort to carve it and put it in place!
Isn't it amazing to see how many mushrooms are still coming out, i guess this is due to the really mild weather we've had until now!
I love those shrooms and your factory shot is quite striking in the sunlight. A couple of Google hits indicated that Canada Bill was an employee who married a Canadian woman but had never been to Canada himself.
ReplyDeleteA good day looking at the skies on the factory image.. I hope you manage to capture the interior of the church tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteSmiled at your comment on my post about Hardy!!!
DeeBee, I've Googled the carving but can find very little about it.
ReplyDeleteIt's bee a really good year for fungi.
Hilary, It is a wonderful if slightly incongruous factory. The only thing i saw on Canada Bill said he went over got married then came back to Wales.
Andrew, it is good weather. Earlier in the year i was suffering rain in Derbyshire whilst a friend staying here was sunbathing.
Thanks to your post a misconception I held for years has been corrected.
They're a fantastic photos, the mushies, the lime kilns and there is a place where it's spewing fumes, yuck.
ReplyDeleteWhen I see you loving the factory, I don't feel so silly about going overboard with joy when I got to tour the oil refinery. There is so much beauty in some of those places. A memorial has to have a purpose surely? I really like that one.
ReplyDeleteLooks like three sessions of building by the varied stonework in the lime kiln photo.
ReplyDeleteHI Adrian...good heavens man that first photo would be enough to scare me out of the woods..the darn thing looks like it is alive..has the appearance of real skin, it is weird!!
ReplyDeleteI can't say I find a factory beautiful..but it is quite an interesting structure of pipes and stacks going every which way..glad you got to view it closer!!
Now that memorial is just great...I too like the old picks!! It is a shame that more is not know about it!!
Enjoyed the post and your photo's even the ugly mushroom ..it is very interesting!!
Have a good night sleep...or maybe I should be saying; hope you are having a good nights sleep ; }
Grace
There is a fibreboard factory near Napier. I think I shall put it on my list of things to see properly instead of just driving by.
ReplyDeleteThe memorial is astonishing. I found it rather poignant.
I hope that you get into the Church. If you don't then I think I shall make it a project next summer.
Bob, Ta! I'm assured that the fumes are just water vapour. I'm sure they are correct.
ReplyDeletePauline it is not daft I enjoyed your trip to the refinery. They can be wonderful. The memorial is a little strange.
John, I googled the kilns. They evolved over the years. They were also repaired with concrete.
Grace, it shouldn't be frightening it's only a baby and will sort itself out. I'll see what it looks like today. I don't dislike the monument I just wish I could find out something about it.
Graham, I will nip down to the church later. The factory looks better in the early morning light.
Thanks for the trip against your photo. Great series.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend to you.
Greetings from Hilda
Fun post. Funny you should mention the plant formerly known as Cadbury. I haven't bought any for a while and I've wondered if the chocolate has suffered since it was taken over by corporate America (and Kraft food is hardly gourmet). I like the monument, it looks like a sincere tribute. Too bad the story is lost.
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