West Fest, Music Festival 2013, Worcestershire,

Main stage to left of inflatable slide

West Fest is a small music festival held annually in West Malvern, Worcestershire. This year it took place on the 6th July, a fantastically beautiful Saturday, bathed in sunshine and set as always on the village playing fields. This year there were three music stages, as a new stage, The Deakin Diversity stage, made it's first appearance. The main stage, (loud electric) and the second stage, (which is an acoustic stage) played host to 15 different bands, rock and roll/ jazz/ country/ original groups and those playing mostly covers- a very varied mix. The diversity stage had a more "world music" feel, but also saw a silent disco take it's turn. I have been to every West Fest, and the event must have been going now for about ten years. The bands get better and better each year.

View from inside the shade of beer tent

A one day event it's entry is priced so anyone can afford to go, and all it's profits go every year to help various charities. Look out for when it is to be staged next year as it is well worth visiting.

There were also at least twenty art and craft stalls etc

Priory Park, Malvern, Worcestershire.

Geranium

Yellow Rose

Hebe in flower

  Priory park is looking lovely
 at the moment. Here are just a view floral highlights.

Pink lupin

Rather fancy carnation

Less fancy but delightfully smelling carnation

Purple lupin

View across one of the ponds

Great Malvern, Floral Competition, Worcestershire.

Iapetus Galleries Black dog in Car

 The weather was not great this weekend, too many showers and not enough sunny spells. This couldn't dampen the Floral competition in Malvern though, as the floral displays were all indoors.

Forget-me-not's wedding theme

Great Malvern Deli's Granny's picnic

The various shops created displays around the theme of, "A grand day out". Here are just a few examples. I get why a wedding is a grand day, and I was surprised that only one entry had taken the Wallace and Gromit film, "A grand day out," as its inspiration. Some though were just odd. gran enjoying a day in the country is just weird, but not as weird as a black dog enjoying a ride in a yellow flower car.  A black dog is often used as a symbol for depression, and I can't think of any other meaning that is better linked to the topic. Made me smile though, the idea of depression going for a spin in the country, sometimes we all just need to feel the wind in our hair, (fur or floppy ears).

Gordon Smith's Wallace and Gromit entry

Holy Isle, just off the Isle of Arran, Scotland

Looking down holy Isle hill

 Holy Isle, in the Firth of Clyde off the west coast of Scotland is a delightful place to visit for the day. It has a population of about 13 and is just out in Lamlash Bay, Arran. It was the site of a cave and holy well that was home of the 13th century Saint Molaise. 

Looking across to Lamlash

The island is now the home to a Buddhist Community and home tp the Centre for World Peace. The island is also a nature reserve, home to the Eriskay ponies, Saanen goats, Soay sheep and the Arran Whitebeam.

One of the Islands painted stones

The visitors centre

Throughout the summer ferries from Lamlash to the island can be taken from about 10am and the final ferry back is about 4pm. Just enough time to walk over the hill and then back along the sea shore taking in the painted stones of Buddhist Gods.

The low path

Another of the Island painted stones. 

Priory Park, Lovely in spring sunshine, Malvern, Worcestershire.

Elephant ears flowers

Forsythia and ducks

General view

Heron fishing in the main pond

Formal beds with pond and bridge behind

Red quince

The Spring sunshine is delightful and the park is looking magnificent at this time of year. The flower beds are full of colour, yellow daffodils and forsythia, blue hyacinth, bluebells, purple fritallaria and elephant ear flowers, (sadly only know the common name and I am a little worried actually it may just be a nickname), red tulips and quince. Ornamental cherries and exotic magnolia fill the skies with blossom.

The park is well designed, with both large expansive areas and smaller secluded garden room sections. 

The large ponds are looking great as well and the ducks are very friendly. The pond used to have about twenty really huge fish in it as well as many much smaller ones. The last few times I have visited though, a heron has been in residence, and although the heron was still there I didn't manage to spot any of the larger fish. I expect they have eaten.  The park is well worth a visit at the moment as it is looking great.

Narnian Lamp and Magnolia in flower

Queenswood Arboretum, Herefordshire

Award won in 1981

Pale pink cherry "accolade" and deeper pink "kursar"

Fragrant winter Hazel, "Corylopsis glabrescens"

 Queenswood arboretum is easy to find on the A49 between Hereford and Leominster, (HR4 0PY). An award winning arboretum, it is free to visit.

Some signs of spring are beginning to show them selves. The few cherries and hazels are already in blossom and looking delightful.

There are primroses dotted around the woodland floor all over the place. A little more difficult to spot, and less numerous, but incredibly beautiful and fragile looking and exquisite are the wood anemone.

For children there is a play area, and the telescope at the viewpoint. There are also large wooden sculpture to spot dotted around the place. There are a number of bears. and when you find the mummy bear in amongst the redwoods look up to find her young cub. The raccoons are delightful, but my favourite is the native dormouse.

A great place to let the children run wild, and if you are a dog owner, they too are welcome visitors. There are also many picnic tables, and an area set aside for barbecues.

Wood anemone

Primrose

Mummy bear guarding babies tree

Two raccoons

Dormouse and her berries