Olga Dugina

On the Way to Work

Over the years, I have had many different views on the way to work, ranging from the dismal to the glorious. Here is a selection of a few of my more uplifting moments on my way into Manchester over the course of a year. 

Gedney Drove End & The Rising Sun

Good walk with an 'end of the world' vista. I've done this a couple of times. The first time was about 10 years ago, and the Rising Sun pub was terrible in every way; real spit and sawdust stuff. I know it's a very out of the way pub, probably with little footfall, but at the time I thought if they raised their game, maybe to gastro-pub level, Gedney Drove End would become a bit of a venue and attract more casual walkers, romantic couples, etc. Build it and they will come! Well, I am glad to say I did the walk again this year and the Rising Sun has lived up to its name with a renovation, beer garden, increased range of food & drinks, and actual smiling people behind the bar. Probably under new management. The day itself was delightfully sunny and dry, with a gentle breeze. Ideal for looking out over the Wash and contemplating infinity and the changing seasons at the equinox. 

Flutterbies

I was snapping some September butterflies on my Butterfly Bush when out of the blue a loud hum like a chinook came from behind, and before I knew it, a whopping Hummingbird Hawk Moth dropped in for a drop of Butterfly Bush nectar. Just like the name implies, it hovered whilst feeding, never landing. The whole thing was over in seconds. Before I had time to draw my camera, it was off, leaving me to the serenity of my flutterbies. 

Takashi Yoshimatsu: Memo Flora Op.67 (1998)

This is a perfect piano concerto for the month of August. Takashi Yoshimatsu is not the most well known composer, which is all the more reason to popularise his music. Memo Flora is about plants, and is in three parts:

1. Flower (Allegro)
2. Petals (Andante)
3. Bloom (Rondo in 4/8 and 5/8).

Overall, Memo Flora is poised, intricate, but demonstrates a strength in resilience which is typical of the vegetative soul. It contains art, optimism and tragedy in every bar. It is quite possible however, that Yoshimatsu could do with a botany lesson because the progression flower > petals > bloom is not quite developmentally correct, or even indicates the full range of plant life. Imagine what a masterpiece we would have if he had decided to write a concerto on seeds > saplings > flower > fruition > death and rebirth. Of course, it is easy to criticise from the sidelines whilst the master creates, so instead I will leave you to the music to fold it into your own fertile imaginings and enjoyment.

The artwork is by Yuka Taguchi (b.1992) and is called Pandora (2014), of which she says: "F200 ink, pigment and gold on Japanese paper. I drew a world like the paradise before Pandora of Greek mythology opened the jar. Redon drew several paintings on the subject of Pandora, and I was so moved by them that I wanted to draw one myself someday."

Lime Hawk Moth

Found in a garden in Sandbach, Cheshire. 

Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae
69.001 BF1979 (Linnaeus, 1758)

Wingspan 55-70 mm.

A reasonably common species in the southern half of Britain, it was most frequent in the London area, where there are still extensive tree-lined avenues. In recent years its distribution has spread northwards and is now regularly found well into North Yorkshire and beyond.

It has a distinctive scalloped-edged forewing, subtly coloured in pinkish and green. The central dark band is quite variable in size and extent.

Occupying woodland and suburban habitats, it flies in May and June, and often comes to light.

The larvae feed on lime (Tilia) as well as a number of other deciduous trees including birch (Betula), alder (Alnus) and elm (Ulmus). They are typically green with yellow stripes and a blue horn at the rear. When ready to pupate, they change colour to a dull greyish or purplish and begin to wander, looking for a pupation site. This is when they are most often encountered.

Text from: https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/mimas-tiliae/

Budgie's Clog

I call this walk the Budgies Clog. Its a circular 11 miler taking the following route:

Brinscall > White Coppice (along the Goit river) > Black Brook > Joes Cup > Great Hill > Winter Hill > Rivington Pike > Rivington Barn > Yarrow Reservoir > Anglezarke > Spen Cob > Heapey Waterman's Cottage > White Coppice (back along the Goit river) > Brinscall. 

An option exists to drop into Belmont and visit the Black Dog pub when you cross Rivington Road. Just follow the road down to the pub and back up to rejoin the path when you are refreshed (detour circa 1.5 miles). 

These are the photos I took 2nd time round.  If I find the photos from my 1st visit, I'll post them up. 

Pavel Ivanov aka Paul Mak (1891-1967)

Russian-born Pavel Petrovich Ivanov (who later changed his name to Paul Mak) is best known for his fantastical style and Middle-Eastern themes. Born to a noble Russian military family, Mak studied art at K. Iuon's studio in Moscow and illustrated for Moscow and St. Petersburg journals including Satirikon before enrolling at the Kiev Military Academy following the outbreak of World War I. He was wounded during action but by the end of the war had been promoted to the rank of Captain and served in the 89th Belomorskii Infantry Regiment. Imprisoned by the Bolsheviks in Butyrskii following the October revolution, Mak was swiftly rehabilitated and by 1920 was working as an artist for the Theatre of Revolutionary Satire in Moscow.

Mak's emigration in 1922 heralded the most exciting and creative period in his artistic career. Crossing Turkestan and Afghanistan, Mak settled in Persia, modern-day Iran, initially working as a racehorse trainer before an introduction to the Reza Shah led to his appointment as official court artist. During this period, Mak was devoted to the study of the Persian miniature, renowned for its exquisite detail and intricacy. He sought inspiration from the exoticism of Eastern tales and history and lent his stylized line to figures such as Salome, Tamberlane, and Chingis Khan. Perhaps the most fertile source for his miniatures was 'The Thousand and One Nights', a collection of tales that originated in India, Persia and Arabia.

Text from:
https://www.korshakcollection.com/paul-mak

Liverpool Castle & Rivington Pike

Equinoxial perambulation. Starting from the Dovecote carpark, I walked along the large open paths of Lever park and down through beech woods towards Liverpool Castle and Anglezarke. From there I headed uphill through the woods and emerged on a promontory leading to Rivington Pike. Continuing along the ridge with breathtaking views of Anglezarke and out towards the Irish Sea, I took a dip into the terraced (Chinese) gardens, and ascended towards the Dovecot tower. From there, a mile or so brought me back to the car park. Fabulous walk just following my nose on familiar tracks. One thing that struck me was that despite the relative lateness of the year, the trees and bushes were shy and still only in bud, with catkins predominating over leaves. There were very few people about on this day, but those I did bump into were prepared for a long natter and to open their heart's treasures to a stranger.