I’ve always had an open mind on the reality of ‘fairies’ – earth elementals to many magical folk, and a very real presence to many in our woodland, and particularly landscapes with streams.
We recently had a visit by my son, his wife and family – two young girls who are both intelligent and delightfully open to new expereinces. They live in Queensland, Australia, where the climate and terrain is very different to Cumbria.
Our daughter-in-law has fond memories of staying with us during part of her final year at Durham-Newcastle medical school, when we had just begun the conversion of the old bungalow into what would be our future home. She wanted to show the children the places of her memories of the Lake District, even if their stay was to be only a few days.
We do our best to keep in touch with ‘the Aussies’ via video link and email, and the two girls love the little videos that I make when we are on walks, or when I’m taking Tess through the forest. A particular favourite was a series of video ‘shorts’ I took last spring, to introduce them to our very own ‘fairy-land’ on the Low Sizergh Estate. They are fond of the idea of fairies, and I had noticed they had several books on the topic.
We got busy devising an agenda that would dovetail one event into another without exhausting anyone…
Australia is a long way from Cumbria and they were still a little jet-lagged when they arrived.
Low Sizergh is a great place for families to bring their children either en-route to or coming back from a visit to the Lake Windermere area.
The fast-expanding old farm is both farm shop and cafe and offers a short walk through the forest and back through the place of the fairies. When we moved here, 13 years ago, we spent many days exploring the local walks.
The arrival of Tess the Collie regularised my visits to this beautiful enclave, which follows the banks of the largest stream to emerge from the higher ground near Levens and flows down the wooded farmland to enter the River Kent.
The Sizergh team have invested in expanding the ‘fairy presence’, and have recently added a magical tunnel made from willow. Our two girls, enchanted, began their journey there:
The end of the willow tunnel intersects with the return of the stream and soon we came to the ‘fairies parliament’ – a set of carved mushrooms on which they are reputed to sit and sing via moonlight. The girls loved it and crossed the stream to sit with them.
They looked very happy when they returned, jumping across the stream ‘as instructed’, and they hinted of conversations with the fairy-folk…
But our visit had to be brief, as we were due to catch a ferry from Bowness to Ambleside in the next 90 minutes, so I promised them I would come back on a sunny day after they had returned to Australia and see if I could take photographs of the real fairies to send to them.
In a grandfather-grandchild conspiracy, we had agreed that real fairies were free to take many physical forms, including those ‘bursts’ of sunlight through dense foliage.
I waited until one of those days where the autumn light was perfect and returned. The fairies must have been okay with my grown-up presence because they were very cooperative. Here are two of the best…
As I was leaving, I noticed a part-buried wooden stump on which were carved the words:
I sit in the sunshine and muse: the doorway to past lives
Hard to ignore…
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax or created using NightCafe Studio Al.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
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Taken recently, these photos of Maude’s Meadow, in Kendal, may well show the ‘last gasp’ of that beautiful week of golden weather we had – most certainly the best of the summer – here in Cumbria.
Maude’s Meadow is tucked away at the start of the Windermere road out of the town. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d never stumble across it.
The small park is circular in shape and marks part of the base of the steeply climbing Fellside area of Kendal, on which the streets are ‘stacked’ layer after layer to nearly the top of the Fell.
This part of Kendal was home to many of the original Quakers. To this day, Kendal has a strong connection with the Quaker faith. There is a Quaker college in nearby Ulverston.
In the centre Maude’s Meadow, there is a monument to those local soldiers who were killed in WW1.
In summer, the circle of grass has a bright centre of colourful plants.
The grassy edges of Maude’s Meadow are popular as a summer picnic spot. This is a sea of mud during the wet winter months…
And there are many ad-hoc seats for personal meditation and reflection.
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12
ProMax or created using NightCafe Studio Al.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation
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Some structures strike you immediately as a ‘model of life’.
It’s not that they are exact, or even comprehensive, but somehow they reflect an important aspect of life.
When I took this shot, of the interior of the Bentall Centre in Kingston-on-Thames, it reminded me of a J.C. Escher drawing; several of them, in fact.
Escher is famous for his multiple ‘stairways’, many of which appear to contradict the ‘laws of connection’. When I looked, again, at the photo I’d taken in Kingston, I saw the Escher in it, but there was a sense of much more order, and my mind began working on the parallels.
The floors brought to mind the idea of ‘levels of consciousness’, from the molecular stage of the materials, through the organic level of the body to the attainment of stable higher levels achieved in such practices as meditation.
The levels also reminded me of the constant ‘vertical’ movement of mood – something whose instability and unpredictability we dislike and fight to contain in interior structures that do not allow negative energy to flow.
The moving stairways I see as both will and inspiration. We can’t always use self-discipline to get us ‘up a level’ but a combination of that and inspiration might well.
The roof/ceiling of the Bentall Centre is a soft and beautiful contrast to the complexity beneath. It speaks of the grand curves of the skies and heaven, and of the ordering of the causal levels of being and consciousness.
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12
ProMax or created using NightCafe Studio Al.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
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I’d read about it but never seen it: the celebrated ‘goose crossing’ manoeuvre at Bowness-on- Windermere.
With my wife off to do the monthly shop at Costco (Haydock on the edge of Merseyside) via a close friend’s house for a cuppa in Leyland, Lancashire, I needed to brave the constant heavy rain and take Tess the collie for a decent walk.
‘We’ opted for Bowness-on-Windermere. It’s only half an hour from where we live on the edge of Kendal and has a few excellent coffee shops for when Tess has done enough walking. Sadly, she can’t run much these days without the arthritis slowing her down painfully. Collies tend not to live much longer than ten years or so, and she’s approaching that.
The pitch and put golf course is open to responsible dog walkers and is one of her favourite walks. We potter around the edges and she explores all the new smells.
Arriving, we park at the far end of the golf course which requires a one-way circuit of the semi-circular lakeshore road. At this time of year the geese divide their days between the park – next to the golf course – and the narrow edge of Lake Windermere.
Their famous ‘crossing’ is at the narrowest point of the road.
They gather on the park, often in their hundreds, then the leader makes a lot of noise and they all – literally – line up in an orderly fashion and head for the lake … via the main road.
I stopped, of course. The lead goose turned its head to examine me through the rain … and nodded at me. I gazed in silent admiration as the whole flock followed in military precision. Thankfully, my phone was in the breast pocket of the raincoat I was wearing. The car was stationary and I managed to fumble it out halfway through the flock’s crossing, as you can see from the photo.
It was a cheery and uplifting moment.
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12
ProMax or created using NightCafe Studio Al.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers spiritual correspondence courses and a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
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The ‘gentle autumn’. It’s a phrase you might find in a poet or painter’s description of their work. As far as I know it has no official meaning.
But for me, it’s quite specific, and describes the period in which the end of summer and start of autumn overlap.
That time when there is still heat in the air – at least once the night’s chill has been soothed away by the golden rays of the morning.
As a young child I decided that the autumn was ‘my season’. I loved its mellowness, though it was many years before I understood the depth of the onomatopoeia.
Nowadays I am content to point the iPhone and see how much of this ‘green and goldenness’ comes through into a usable image.
I hope you enjoy the sharing of these.
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax or created using NightCafe Studio Al.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
Www.thesilenteye.co.uk
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Playing with some NightCafe Studio AI.
A rustic cabin in the woods. A place of peace and self.
Poetry and song notes litter the floor, to be swept up next visit.
For now, before that soft and golden late summer sun sets over the treeline on the ridge, I want to capture the memory of her soft voice and gentle fingers on my neck as I find the heart of that melody-to-be in the first three chords.
Stephen Tanham, normally mystical, is whimsical this morning.
Happy Sunday.
Image by the author using NightCafe Studio AI.
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I didn’t expect to be going back to Carcassonne in 2024.
A few years ago, we began our cycling trip along the Canal du Midi here. I wrote extensively about the trip at the time.
But then my son, who recently moved their family to Canada as part of a job promotion, announced he had booked a few days in Carcassonne to allow the family to spend some time with their two year old grandson.
This part of south-eastern France: ‘Cathar country’ and close to both the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean coast is filled with both beauty and history.
My son’s family are not keen on having photos on social media, and I’ve respected this, posting here only a few images of this spectacular Unesco world-heritage site, which preserves an entire medieval walled city, intact and functioning now as a visitor base, bringing considerable income into this rural part of France.
The two sets of photos were taken on the same day, but some in the morning, which was overcast, and others in the evening in the glorious light of the setting sun.
but it’s always a delight, especially when it lengthens the summer in such a heartwarming way.
And, below, (and the header image) a final sunset shot from the Barbacan walls of the cité. Two members of the family are discretely in there, if you can find them…
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 MaxPro.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
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Kingston-on-Thames; an ancient English borough, and a place we love to return to each year as the summer is coming to a close, and the sense of the autumn is on the breeze.
Three hours on the train from Oxenholme – Kendal’s main west-coast station – a quick snack in London, then on to Waterloo Station and another train out to the south-west, getting off seven stops later alongside the River Thames at Kingston-on-Thames.
I love the ‘soft’ light here and, for this year’s trip, had an idea to create a ‘mood’ for a series of photos that would bring out some of the corresponding shapes and tones that we like so much in this fascinating town.
These are the results…
After arriving an checking into our budget hotel, we did our usual walk through the town and down to the river. Many of the streets are curved rather than straight – it’s a delightful change from colder and more clinical grids!
We love being here for our special weekend. There’s so much to do. Cafes and casual restaurants are plentiful – many on the banks of the Thames, itself.
The central attraction is a plethora of local boat trips from Kingston to places like Hampton Court, Cardinal Wolsey’s palace during the reign of Henry VIII.
Thomas Wolsey was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king’s almoner. Wolsey’s affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figure in virtually all matters of state. His significant personal income – enabling the building of Hampton Court – was paid by Rome.
King Henry, profligate and increasingly desperate for money, saw Wolsey as an easy target and, following the Cardinal’s failure to negotiate the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the King turned on him, stripping most of his titles, and confiscating Hampton Court as his own at the same time as he separated the church from Rome and created the Church of England.
Hampton Court is a vast estate which hosts important festivals through the year. Arriving by boat just adds to the charm…
Kingston’s summers get a lot more sunshine than we do in Cumbria, so we actually get to use warm weather garments for a change!
Kingston Upon Thames, to give it its full name, has a long history and was England’s earliest royal borough, first referenced in 838 AD as Cyninges tun, meaning ‘Kings Estate’. Its position on the River Thames, with the only bridge over the river upstream of London Bridge for many years, resulted in Kingston’s importance and was a major factor in the town’s rapid growth.
There are many beautiful buildings in the ancient Market Place, not all of which are what they appear to be. The terraces on the North side (to the right on the photo) are resplendent with mock Tudor features, which were added to the existing Edwardian building in the twentieth century. The small, unassuming building next door dates to the early years of the 16th century and is actually one of the oldest buildings in Kingston.
It would be wrong to close without mentioning the Bentall Centre, since its such a dramatic piece of architecture… and divides opinion in our household!
I love its open spaces and the gentle infusion of light from outside. My wife is less enthusiastic.
Modern architecture tends to divide opinion. Visit it yourself and see!
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
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A simple (self) assignment… I was on my way to a haircut in Kendal and – leaving the main car park – I emerged into ‘bright soft sunshine’. It’s a feeling that only happens a few times each year and it has a definite ‘sweet’ quality to it.
I decided to try to capture the light (in all senses of the word) mood in a few photos.
The Westmorland Centre offers all day parking for a mere £1.10, as long as you’re in before 09:00! It’s a lovely concession, and I’m normally an early riser – I have to be as Tess the collie needs to go out as soon as she hears sounds of life in our waking household.
The Westmorland Centre connects on different levels to the sloping streets around it. It can be confusing for those visiting for the first time. We often extend help in the stairwell!
The old cobbles reveal the age of the underlying structure on which the retail complex was built.
We emerge into Kendal’s Main Street – Stricklandgate – with the sunlight streaming along the old highway.
The ‘gap’ on the left is market square, bounded by the white ‘bell tower’ above one of the larger jewellers. In the far middle distance; actually only a few minutes’ walk, is the iconic town hall.
The ‘bandstand’, at the top of Finkle Street, is the point of intersection with Stricklandgate. The bandstand structure is used by local MPs to host open meetings.
It’s a nice morning, and I’m early. I remember that my usual coffee shop is closed on Wednesday … and it’s Wednesday. So, we have an extra ten minutes to fill before I’m due at Karol’s salon.
I double back and linger in the best of Kendal’s surviving commercial alleyways. With a smile, I remember that a new coffee shop has opened at the far end of this which will enable me to have a take-away.
Above and below: Alfred Wainwright, local author of the famous Walkers guides to the Lake District.
With a final turn, we emerge from the end of Finkle Street to see the iconic town hall before us. Karal’s salon is fifty metres beyond.
It’s been a perfect start to the day… and that coffee was a treat. I hope you enjoyed our walk.
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
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Continued from Part Two
The rest of the story is best told in the pictures taken on the day…
The Basilica of Aquileia as seen today is the result of a series of evolutions of the church built by Bishop Teodoro at the beginning of the 4th century, much of it remarkably intact.
These periods of enlargement culminated in the long nave seen in the photo above. And the original visitor or pilgrim would have walked the length of this in rapturous silence.
The main feature is a parallel hall system, which, between the XI and the XIV centuries, assumed the form of a Latin cross divided into three naves, with a presbytery and an apse decorated with frescoes.
Today, due to the fragile nature of the restored mosaics, we must walk along the edges of the room on raised pathways. One can be seen on the left of the above image.
The purpose of this walk was and is to bring us face to face with the transept and its ingress to the sanctuary and the altar. But in the case of this beautiful building, the raised sanctuary (ironically) also offers access to the oldest and deepest part of the basilica in the form of a descending narrow passageway that opens into the magnificent crypt.
And what a crypt…
Soon it was time to take our leave and, via hastily drunk coffee, walk the mile or so back to the canal dock, where our boat back to Grado now waited…
We have plans to return, hopefully next year.
This concludes the series on Aquileia.
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax. Illustrative images created using NightCafe Studio AI.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
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Continued from Part One.
There was a taxi service from the canal’s dock to take those not wishing to walk into the centre of Aquileia.
The weather was mild and pleasant. We opted to walk. Fifteen minutes later we came to the centre of the village; a pleasant place with small shops, a local bar and a restaurant.
Our destination – the ancient Christian complex centred on the Basilica of Bishop Chromatius – was on the far side of the small town.
The walk revealed Roman ruins on either side, but little that hinted at the splendour that was to follow.
We saw the ‘campanile’ bell-tower first; then the outline of the rest of the basilica. Even from a distance the size of the complex was impressive.
Visitors are guided, first, to the smaller building on the left of the photo, above: The Baptistery of Bishop Chromatius, built, like most of the site, in the 4th – 5th century AD, the period when the Roman Empire was coming to its end, but a time that marked the expansion of the Roman Church into a formiddible religious force.
The Baptistery is an integral part of the basilica complex created by Bishop Chromatius (388 – 408). The original plan was square with four corner niches, above which the building is octagonal, with windows in the eight sides, an internal vault and a sloping roof above.
The floor and socle were probably in marble, whereas the walls and vault were certainly decorated with mosaics and frescoes.
The Baptistery was joined to the narthe by two long chambers which had functions connected with baptism and religious instruction.
In the 9th century, after the demolition of the two side wings, a direct connection with the portico of the basilica was built (the “pagans’ church”) and three of the four corner niches were eliminated, giving the Baptistery a basically octagonal shape.
The same period saw the construction of an ambulatory, with reused Roman columns placed at the corners of the hexagonal baptismal font.
But if the Baptistry was impressive, what followed left us dazzled.
To be continued in Part Three
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax. Illustrative images created using NightCafe Studio AI.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
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The Old Bridge mills once formed the heart of Kendal’s industry. They have since been converted into offices and other commercial properties.
The River Kent flows right through their heart, providing a dramatic urban landscape which can be seen from the castle, a twenty minute walk away.
The height of summer is a good time to reach into this landscape and capture its lushness.
©Stephen Tanham 2024
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12
ProMax.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.
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Sun in Gemini 
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