A trip down memory lane

I was clearing up my old phone ready to recycle it (as is the done thing now I’m told) and I found lots of photos from the last two years that I had forgotten about.? Each one entwined with a memory full of different smells and feelings.
So I thought, why not share them with you.

The first photo is a graveyard that I used to walk through when I was living away at university.? I use to jog through it as it was near our house, but I often used to stop and just breathe for a while.? It was so quiet and calm and the gravestones were wonky.? A bit odd I know, but as a child my Mum used to take us for picnics in cemeteries as she said they were the most peaceful place; I guess that stayed with me.

The second photo was taken outside of my house when lots of crows flew overhead.? I snapped it so quickly, I didn’t think it would turn out very well, but with a black and white filter added, it’s very ‘Hitchcock’.

The third shows our family dog Lilly.? She’s hilarious and is convinced that she is a seal.? Once she’s in the water there is NO getting her out.? She’s great fun in the water too, she’ll let you hold on to her and pull you along like a dolphin.? She’s definitely channelling the spirit of a marine animal.

The next row shows the wall along the waterside where I used to live.? Another peaceful place to sit.? You have to walk under the wall and through a tunnel to come out at this exact spot and perch on the rocks.? There was no actual beach here, so this was as close to the sea as I could be when feeling homesick for my beaches.

Then one of my favourite memories!? This is the track along which I run.? When I was allowed to.? before the knee injury last August.? I have six more months of rehab time before I am allowed to try running again.? I miss this never ending trail, surrounded by woodland, where I would run my worries away.

A beach scene.? My sister and I decided to do an epic summer walk two years ago.? We walked about 21 miles and climbed some pretty steep hills.? It was such an extremely hot day, that by the time we reached the sea, we sat in it fully clothed!? We were bone dry in about five minutes of walking back.? Such beautiful scenery around here.

The third row has the stunning snow the winter before last.? I took this photo out of my bedroom window.? I woke up to this and spent the ENTIRE day playing in the snow in my garden and driveway.? It was about 7 inches thick, which for this part of the country is crazy, and it transformed the world in to a beautiful snow globe for one day only.

Then one of a Taylor/King adventure. This one took us across the cliffs and braving the rough seas to find this pebbly cave and take some great photos.? My friend Alex took a funny series of photos here of me jumping across some rocks like a lunatic.? I can’t remember where I saved those, but if I ever find them I’ll show you.

And a photo from last summer. Whilst barbecuing in the garden with family, we heard a lot of chirping in the bushes and a blackbird kept flying in and out.? After a while, my cousin and I decided to investigate.? We needed a step to be able to see down in to the bush from the hole above that the mother bird was using and I was just able to take a quick aerial shot of the nest of baby blackbirds.? It was a lovely moment and we spent the rest of the afternoon watching her bring food back to them.
I am a little obsessed with nests and have two that were abandoned (post hatching) in my friends garden.? She saved them for me when they were landscaping and I will be sure to use them for photography this spring.

The bottom row shows a gorgeous Moth that I found once whilst out walking.? I thought it was a piece of tree bark that had fallen off in some string winds.? But, on closer inspection, I found it was this stunning creature.? I wish I’d picked it up and framed it, but I was caught in the moment and didn’t think.

Another beach scene.? This is the beach I grew up on.? Every summer of my childhood was spent in this water and on these sands.? Punch and Judy shows, stripey deck chairs and beach huts (probably why I love nautical stripes so much) and ice cream.? This is how most of my young memories look.

And lastly… My friend Alex is a fantastic photographer and I often accompany him on expeditions to take new and exciting photos.? We venture into far off woodland and exotic countryside, full of mystical beasts and possible (or not) dangers.? This was a quick snap I took whilst on one of these adventures of a tree that looks like an old, gnome face.? Maybe I caught a glimpse of the Green Man himself.

Well that’s been quite a trip down memory lane.? The last few years of my life summarised in twelve photos.? Thanks for popping by to have a look.