Yesterday it didn't rain... (for a couple of hours) so I took a break from washing bedding, picking up stuff off Alex's floor until I could actually see the floor, hoovering the stairs, etc, and Abby Frodo and I went for a walk. Gloucester is just on the edge of one of England's prettiest regions, called the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is a range of gentle hills, mostly countryside, dotted with honey-coloured stone cottages and ancient, sweet villages. We went to Bibury, which is one of the best-known and most-visited villages. It has a clear, wide stream flowing along its main street and past rows of cottages, with ducks, and yesterday even adorable ducklings floating along, and you can see large spotted trout down in the water. We are fortunate to live close to such a beautiful part of England and look forward to exploring it more...
Apparently the famous artist, poet and designer William Morris once called Bibury "the prettiest village in England." William Morris created the most beautiful designs, so he must know. I used to have William Morris posters up on my bedroom walls, - in the days when I used to have arty posters on my walls. I've grown up loving his work but not knowing much about him. He lived from 1834 - 1896 and was one of the leaders of the "Arts and Crafts" design movement.
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| William Morris wallpaper designs |
This is an excerpt I pinched from a website about him:
William Morris 1834 - 1896 | |
Poet, artist, conservationist, craftsman, calligrapher, printer, socialist and "dreamer of dreams": William Morris was all of these and more. Born in 1834, much of Morris' life was influenced by the Cotswold countryside. Kelmscott Manor near Lechlade, not far from Bibury, became his country home from 1871 until his death in 1896. Kelmscott played an important part in his life and can still be visited today.
Morris was one of the leaders of the Arts & Crafts Movement which flourished from 1850 - 1920 and spread across Europe and North America. Many of his followers remained in the Cotswolds, and this tradition is still alive today, and inspiration for artists and craftworkers in the countryside.
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