Spring colours, Malvern, Worcestershire

Primrose in April

Nature is an infinitely more precise designer than man. Mother natures hand considers not only the individual and his niche, but also how he is influenced by. and in turn his influence upon, all other species around him. It is in fact the very differences between each flower species from one another that earns it his niche, (the same of course is true for birds/ seaweeds/ fish / big cats etc).

Forsythia

This is what makes large similarities more curious. Why are all the early spring native flowers, such as aconites, primrose, daffodil, forsythia etc, all yellow ? Why are all the most wild forms of fruit trees in spring, like cherry, plum, gage, apple, pear and hawthorn, have white blossom ? And again why do the vast majority of the second flush of native flowers, anemone, forget-me-not and bluebell all have blue flowers ?

Daffodil wood in April, (Newent)

Forget-me-nots, today by Malvern stocks

My theory is that there are so few pollinating insects about early in the growing season that all the flowers have to appeal to the broad swathe of insects, and it is beneficial to all if they use the same colour to advertise that their pollen is ready.

One of the very few white naturally occurring bluebells

We have deciphered the bee's dance and it communicates not only the distance and direction to the best flowers, but also their colour, to the bees companion's. We know then that insects make a note of the colour of the best flowers,

Later in the year with pollinating insects being far more numerous, flowers can appeal to a specific few insect types and so more varieties of colour can occur.

Bluebells today between Gardiners Quarry and Black Hill Malvern

Rejuvernation therapy, Malvern water treatments.

The path just behind the postbox

Seating area in the little dell

 One of the thing Malvern is famous for is hydrotherapy. The development of a system of water based therapies, designed to aid recuperation from various illnesses including TB and consumption, was most popular during the Victorian era. It is the reason Darwin came to live in Malvern, as he hoped the new therapies would cure his daughter. They didn't, and she died and was buried in Malvern Abbey. It was the loss of her that caused him to reject religion and gave him the strength to stand up to the church of the time, and publish his scientific theory of evolution and natural selection.

The snow now has melted in all but the highest parts of the hill. I went for a walk, starting out from behind the large post box, up past Joyners Meadow, and then past the Narnian gas lamp above Saint James's church.

Whilst walking I saw teenagers running and leaping, throwing themselves into the snow drifts and rolling down hills. They were a little like new born lambs, all newly lengthened limbs, ungainly and jerky. Although many off the hydrotherapy's are now discredited frozen water, in the form of snow, has a miraculously rejuvenating quality. All the cool strutting cynical attitude associated with the teenager wishing to be a proper, "grown-up" suddenly falls away to reveal the child behind the emo facade.

Joyners Meadow

Panoramic shot looking over West Malvern from pathway

View near the Narnian gas lamp by St James well

Great Malvern, History and Architecture

Holly Mount Church

Tudor Shambles entrance to Church Walk

Today I took some pictures around Belle Vue Terrace, Church Street and Church Walk, in Great Malvern. Malvern has many churches, almost all of which are made of the same yellowish stone as the pictured Holly Mount, but varying greatly in design, I think because building on a hill causes problems that must be overcome using interesting architecture.

The towns buildings also are very varied, as buildings seem to date from any period in history after and including the Tudor period, for example the building over the entrance to Church walks.

Wrought iron detail above post office.

Although as with all towns, major shop chains attempt to make there store look identical to all it's others, the history still shines out, above the shop fronts and in stained glass windows and wrought iron details, and the odd random column that still survive. My favourite stained glass is the window above the Mount Pleasant Hotels Tea Room, but unfortunately a large van was parked just outside making it impossible to photograph.

As well as the rich architectural history of the town it has played host to many famous characters. I have included the blue badge plaque outside the house which was home to Charles Darwin and his daughter when she was ill. It was her death that spurned Charles to reject the Churches teachings about creation and publish his book explaining his theory of evolution.

Example of one of the stained glass windows above the shops on Belle Vue Terrace

Plaque on Lloyds Bank commemorating Water Treatment

Plaque outside Darwin's home

Plaque on The Unicorn Pub

The Unicorn, Belle Vue Terrace

I also include the blue badge on The Unicorn pub, and a picture of the pub. It is where C.S.Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia. He was inspired by both the local woods on the hills which are dotted with gas lamps, just like the entrance to Narnia, and the actual, "wardrobe" which is actually a door within Malvern Abbey, (see previous blogs for pictures and details).