Bearwood's Grounds Laid Bare!

Sunday gave us a rare chance to have a wander round the freshly restored grounds of Bearwood College; once the country home of Sir John Walter III, proprietor of 'The Times', philanthropist and general all-round decent sort of chap (by all accounts), the property is now home to several hundred children of varying ages as they skin their knees and furrow their brows in pursuit of a (probably) quite expensive education.



Usually closed to the public, Bearwood College opened it's grounds to the public last Sunday for 3 hours, under the National Gardens Scheme.



The pupils are working tremendously hard to restore the grounds much as they were back in the day of Sir John Walter III. There is still some way to go before Sir John would recognise it all, but the effort that is still ongoing is fantastic. The pupils are tasked not only with clearing a hundred years-worth of debris from the original pebble paths and steps, but they are also actively removing invasive species and troublesome plants such as Rhododendron ponticum, and replacing them with old cultivars that would have been around in 1870/1880 when the grounds were first laid out.

Some losses have been inevitable over the years, a couple of mature Monkey Puzzle trees for example, but the restoration of the grounds with original planting and styles sympathetic to their first owners is not only rather heartwarming, but really quite exciting as well. It is a real labour of love.

It's a gargantuan task... the grounds include wooded walks,



reedbeds, the lake, lawns and shrubbery, a rock and water garden, and the meadows.

The pupils are also sympathetic to modern views as well, however. Where Sir Walter's garden would have been highly ornamental, the current aims of conservation and preservation have been extended to the wildlife that has made Bearwood their home. The ice house in the woods, for example, is now used as a bat roost, the kingfisher has recently returned to the lake, and the lake has also seen a pair of storks who have actually reared young!

Old ways of the woods are also revived, however, but in a more modern way;



Charcoal burning using sustainable and considered practices ensures fuel, but not at the cost of the wider environment as the school ensures it's carbon footprint is negligible as far as it can be!!

The whole project is a huge success, showing how old and young, ancient and modern can be melded to produce something very special indeed... a new future, sustainable and beautiful.



And a note to my mum... if you will walk in front of my camera, you will get your photo taken, he he!!

Rebecca, x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk
rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Lounging around at the Landmark!

The last time I was at the Landmark Hotel in Dundee, it was actually the Swallow hotel... the roundabout on the A90 is still known as the Swallow Roundabout and probably always will be; one of those things that in years to come when new generations grow up and wonder why the roundabout got its name, all memories and traces will be gone and maybe stories of giant flocks of swallows will replace the rather more uninteresting truth!

So, now known as The Landmark, the hotel has undergone some fairly major changes cosmetically... and all for the better in my opinion, but the fabric of the old castle-like building is still there. The character remains, the staff are still as friendly and the grounds still as beautiful. So it was that I met Rachel and Jason here for a pre-wedding shoot.



They are a lovely couple that I met last year when we did a family shoot with their fabulous, really funny lads. With the wedding booked at The Landmark for next month, it was a perfect choice to go and get some photos of them together around the grounds. The weather was perfect, Rachel and Jase looked gorgeous and so off we went, exploring every nook and cranny in and around the hotel.



It was a beautiful afternoon, not just for the weather and the location, but mostly because of the company. Rachel and Jase are so easy to get along with and the time just flew! We tried so many different places from an old walled garden, all the way through to the ornately carved wooden staircase and the huge old windows behind it. The trees outside were just right for portrait photography. Fresh, green and beautifully shaped, they made the perfect backdrops.



Thank you very much to Rachel and Jase, but also to the staff at the Landmark for allowing us to roam at will. It is very much appreciated indeed.



If you want to see more of The landmark or are considering it as a base for staying in the Dundee area, have a look at their website by clicking the link (I'm not on any commission or anything, I just liked it while I was there!) http://thelandmarkdundee.co.uk/

Rebecca, x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk
rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

A Sassenach in the Studio in Scotland!

Yep, that was me, travelling back up north of the border again last week. Amongst other things, I had a great portrait session with Wayne and his family. I love being a portrait photographer (which is probably just as well), not only because it gives me a chance to meet some really smashing people, but also because it is just so much fun and you never know exactly what's going to happen!



I know Wayne and Linda from a while back, so I knew we were in for a great session! I also knew I'd be very well looked after and indeed I was... cooked breakfast on arrival, more tea and coffee than is probably feasible to drink (though I always manage!!), blimey, it's not a bad job I've got is it, he he.

Linda looked stunning.



She had the most beautiful top I've seen in a long while and was perfect for her skin and colouring. Liam was lively and bubbly despite the early start,



and Brooke is achingly sweet with the most gorgeous eyes and shy smile.


Then of course there was the dog. Smokie was anything but shy!! Straight in, on his back, bits on show to the world, he hadn't any inhibitions!!! I did try to tell him it wasn't that kind of a photo shoot, but dogs will be dogs and he was only really happy to lay on display!!!

Wayne was rather nervous but I had a lovely email from him just a couple of days ago saying that I'd helped him to relax and that means so much!



I am fully appreciative of the fact that most people don't like getting their photos taken and feel really awkward in front of the camera... I'm just the same (lucky for me I'm the one that's always behind the camera!!). Throw in the studio lights and whatnot and it can be a very intimidating setting to most people!

I like to give people time to relax first. We do a few test shots to get the lighting just right, but it also gives the model time to get used to the flash. I will also help with posing, trying to keep it natural but at the same time as flattering as possible. It's amazing how much difference a small turn of the shoulders or changing your arm or leg position can make.

So, all in all, we had a fantastic morning and, it has to be said, wow to the breakfast! Thank you so much to Wayne and all the family. It was great to see you all again and I hope it's not long until the next time!!

Rebecca, x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk
rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Puppy Love

I spent a wonderful weekend with friends in Lincolnshire and, as ever, my faithful pooch came along too.



My friends have a gorgeous young Siberian husky called Roxy, who isn't really used to other dogs coming into her territory and stealing her bones right from under her nose, so you can imagine we were a bit worried as to how it might all turn out!! It was a bit awkward for the first hour, but as soon as she realised Hogy was just a big ball of fluff after all, Roxy was smitten! It was so cute to see her gazing adoringly at him, licking his mouth and nudging him to play. He certainly didn't object and they made a very lovely couple!



Margaret and I took them across the fields for a walk and they met a few other furry friends,



but nothing could separate them, they were in love. All they needed was a big bowl of spaghetti to share, you know, like the one where they end up on the same string of pasta!!

Oh, I do like a happy ending... but alas, these two fluffy youngsters were torn apart and I had to bring my young pup back to Berkshire as Roxy pines for him nearly 100 miles away in Lincolnshire. How cruel fate can be!



I'm sure they will be reunited in time, but for now, well, their lives and their loves must each tread different paths...

Rebecca, x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk
rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Wollaton Hall & Deer Park

Last weekend saw me and the dog in the East Midlands, passing through from Scotland and back down South. We stopped in Nottingham before detouring east into Lincolnshire, and spent a very pleasant afternoon at Wollaton Hall.

Managed by Nottingham City Council, Wollaton Hall is a very, very impressive old house... certainly not bad for a council house! And you should see the size of the garden that comes with it!!! There's a lake, bluebell woods, lime walk, orangery, shrubbery and deer strolling about with antlers and everything! Superb!!



Something we didn't get to see that I think would be great is the Industrial Museum, where they have 'Sunday Steaming Events'... no prizes for guessing it's on a Sunday, but appears to be the last Sunday in every month. Working with the Nottingham Arkwright Society, the rare Basford Beam Engine is in steam, as well as a great collection of working steam and barn engines, a miniature fairground, threshing machines, blacksmiths and all sorts of other attractions.

The ice cream van in the car park and the cakes in the cafe are also worthy attractions, and I wouldn't say no to a pint in the pub over the road too! Wollaton Hall really is a great family day out.



You'll obviously need to keep dogs on the lead, but to see deer so close, happily munching on trees and lolling about in the long grass, is something that feels like a real privilege.



If you get a chance, just swing off the M1 at junction 25 and spend a couple of hours in the park. It's time very well spent indeed!

Rebecca, x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk
rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Viking Field

So now that I'm down in England again, my furry friend needs to find new places for his walkies. There is a lovely spot not far from where I'm staying known locally as Viking Field.



I have no idea where the Viking connection comes from... I wasn't aware that Berkshire ever really had a Viking connection. Plenty of Romans wandered about these parts, but I would have thought it a bit too far inland for the Vikings. I suppose the Thames would provide a convenient route through the land, but here in Wokingham we are still quite a distance from the river. I shall endeavour to find out for you... and for me. I am intrigued as to how Viking Field became Viking Field and so I shall do my utmost to find out.

My four-legged furry friend is very fond of the field already. It was bequeathed to the people of Wokingham in 1997 by Mrs N. Henagulph. A wonderful gesture and one that is very much appreciated by a lot of people here. There are 2 parts to the fields, the dog walking circuit and the children's area and playing fields across the gate. Divided by a very old mixed hedgerow and a high deciduous-wooded ridge (now also clothed in beautiful swathes of bluebells)



the dog walkers can do the rounds and the children can safely play apart, each in comfort and truly lovely surroundings. Hogan (the pooch) has met many new acquaintances, from the smallest Jack Russells to a Harlequin Great Dane. There is always a new rear to sniff, a new pup to chase, and a new human to fuss him and tell him he's gorgeous.



What a life!

From the human perspective, the field offers not only exercise and sociable exchanges, but is also an excellent wildlife spot. The birdlife is fantastic. Jays, Red Kites, Long-tailed Tits, all varieties of Woodpecker, and a myriad other feathery delights. If you go early enough there are deer,



and if you go at the right time, there are several varieties of owl too. There are so many different butterflies, wildflowers, bees, and goodness knows what else

.

I saw some kind of fly that I've never seen before yesterday... quite a few of them in fact. They seemed friendly though, not pesky at all, so they were just as welcome as everything else.

Berkshire is certainly not deficient in beautiful spots, far from it, but Viking Field, just because of it's proximity, it's name and the fact that Mrs Henagulph left it for us to enjoy, is a place that I shall enjoy very much! Thank you Mrs Henagulph on behalf of all of us!!

Rebecca, x
rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk
www.rtphotographics.co.uk