Cultural interlude

Since my previous post, I have travelled south to the north east of England to be reunited with Our Lass. We then went to a niece's wedding in Northumberland, before returning to Orkney over Easter.

This is Penshaw Monument, it was built in 1844 as a memorial to the Earl of Durham, John 'Radical Jack' Lambton (1792-1840). The monument is an adaptation of the Theseum, a Greek temple in Athens. Penshaw Hill, on which the monument stands, is better known as the place where the mythical Lambton Worm would coil itself to rest. This fabulous monster is eventually slain by the young John Lambton, and immortalised in the popular folk song which begins...

"Whisht, lads, hadd yer gobbs, an' aa'l tell yer aal an aaful story. Whisht, lads, hadd yer gobbs, an' aa'l tell yer boot the worm."

The following day saw matrimonial matters come to the fore. The wedding venue was in a sleepy Northumberland village, and the weather was just peachy. The early morning frost slowly disappeared as the sun gently caressed the landscape, providing pleasant conditions for wedding photographs in the afternoon.

Prior to the ceremony, Our Lass and I wandered out for a breath of fresh air, to enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of Spring.

The photo above actually has a pair of Dippers in it (why didn't I take a proper camera?!).

Our Lass even managed to capture an image of two normally grumpy brothers...

The next day and a half were absolutely dreich, as we travelled back north. However, once through the Cairngorms, the weather improved greatly. Here's a few snaps from Helmsdale, where we stopped for a break.

As we neared the top of the Scottish mainland, I remembered a floral treat which I had seen in rainy conditions a few days previously. Near the village of Latheronwheel, the road verge was covered in a multitude of Butterbur flowers.

The plants' leaves emerge later. They are huge and are the reason for its other name, Elephant's ears.