by Steve Tanham
Originally posted on Stuart France:
* “There are a lot of ugly looking lions in Portmeirion.” We shrink from wondering whether or not one of them is devouring the Buddha’s missing right forearm. “And lots of steps.” “Number Six spends a lot of time in the village running up and down steps.” Run up one set of steps in Portmeirion and a Mansion becomes…
by Steve Tanham
Originally posted on The Silent Eye:
The road through Snowdonia was spectacular…at least, once we had left behind the rush hour traffic on the main coast road that delayed us. Realising we might miss the pre-evening drinks, my companion sent a text to say we would be a little late, while I tackled roads I would otherwise have loved to play on. It had…
by Steve Tanham
As the land-train pulls out of the main square in Portmeirion, we head up into the forest. There are three distinct internal regions within the Portmeirion site. The first is the village, itself; the second is the coastal walk; and the third is the forest walk. The little train follows the forest road, but stops to give a view of the coast in several … Read More An Eye full of Reflections (4)
by Steve Tanham
Originally posted on The Silent Eye:
‘The prophet takes over where the mystic stops. The mystic is ascent; the prophet descent.’ – William Everson The bibliomantic reading could not have been more appropriate. From the mines, we were heading for the heights to meet a Druid on the top of a mountain. “I’m not sure I’m really up to climbing mountains….” Between the mountain…
by Steve Tanham
Originally posted on The Silent Eye:
* Borth-y-Gest from Portmeirion Beach * “We have Take-Off!” Resignation “One-Nine-One, or One-Nine-Two?” * No 3 (Light) ‘Suddenly the world Cracks, the phallos Slams home, slams the ineluctable stroke. And the universe splits, the touched-off tinder, Fired by that blazing torch Detonates all the tamped and pounded down empacted intensity.’ – William Everson * “I think we were…
by Steve Tanham
Originally posted on The Silent Eye:
You could not wish for a more spectacular setting for a stone circle. Perched high above the sea, with views to distant mountains in every other direction, it is a magnificent site. A slight rise to the seaward side blocks the view of the modern quarrying and, from within the circle, there is no visible trace of the…
by Steve Tanham
In tiny Hynish’s western shore Where gentle waves now kiss the sand The resting seas recall the names Of they who built the Skerryvore ➰ Forgotten in the passing nights Unknown to most, of even few Who chance on Hebridean soil And stumble on the wreck of lights ➰ For ears a story here in stone Which value engineers of night Of iron and … Read More The Skerryvore Light
by Steve Tanham
Originally posted on The Silent Eye:
I was distinctly sceptical…unsure what to expect when we parked at the entrance to the mines. So many ancient sites, once commercialised, seem to lose both their intimacy and essence, but I remembered watching something about the discovery many years ago and was curious to see for myself what had been found. A landscaping project in an area…
by Steve Tanham
Originally posted on The Silent Eye:
* * “Somewhere in all that cloud stands a Druid at the head of a circle.” “Let’s go see if we can find him.” … * The Pillars: Penmaenmawr. * Tee minus Six hours and counting… “It’s odd, I had no recollection of these pillars, yet now that I see them I do remember and it seems like…
by Steve Tanham
It takes only a few minutes to descend into the village from the entrance archway, beneath which is the McGoohan bronze, but in that time the temperature soars, and the rare and pure blue of the June sky, only a week away from the fullness of the summer solstice, becomes flecked with gold whenever I raise my head to stare at its beauty. But … Read More An Eye full of Reflections (3)
by Steve Tanham
It’s a station on the North-West main line – ‘Oxenholme’ is how it is really written. If you set quiz questions, it’s a good one: what’s the only main line station in Britain to be found in a village? Oxenholme is really on the outskirts of Kendal – as close as the main north-south line to Glasgow gets, but there’s another station in … Read More Oxen Home
by Steve Tanham
Originally posted on The Silent Eye:
** “Curses,” said Butch, tugging at his collar in the sticky heat. “Now, what?” sighed Serafina. “It’s another of those Silent Eye thing-a-me-jigs.” “A Walk and Talk Weekend?” “That’s the one.” “And what’s so bad about that?” “Well, nothing, ‘cept we’ll have to give some readings.” “Not necessarily,” chimed Brown Rabbit, slipping his watch back into a jacket…
