MORE DAYS WITH EMILY - Jan-Eric Osterlund

The following day Emily, Jennifer and I saw the Three Musketeers at an outdoor theatre at Yatton Court, a setup not dissimilar to Glyndebourne, but not at all as grand as an opera at Glyndebourne. But we brought our own picnic baskets and were joined by Zigi and Duncan and later also by our neighbours, Sarah and Angus. The play was adapted for children and quite funny. Warm and nice when we basked in the sun, but when the sun went down, it became a little bit colder.

*Zigi, Duncan, Emily and Jennifer at our picnic table before the play had started*

The following day I took Emily to Shobdon to see the two churches: the present rococo one from the 18^th century and the remains of the previous one from the 12^th C. See also a previous post of Shobdon churches that I published not long ago. Emily agreed with me that the church looked like a “wedding cake”. I brought Emily later to our own church in Eardisland, so that she could compare a more traditional medieval church with this quite unique architecture.

*Emily outside Shobdon church. The tower is from the 12^th Century, whereas the rest of the church is the new rococo church from the 18^th C.*

*Emily at the gallery looking down at the church*

*The best example of a rococo church in Great Britain*

Up on a hill a few hundred metres from the new church are the remains of the original church in the form of arches. It was brought there as a memorandum of the old church and placed prominently on a hill. See also my earlier description of the churches in the landscape post.

Shobdon Arches, what now remains of the original church (apart from the bell tower). The carvings, although worn down by being outside for the last 300 years, are remarkable and by the Herefordshire school of stone carvers

*Emily looking down the avenue of trees leading up from the new rococo church to the old arches. She is standing just in from of the arches*

In the afternoon Eardisland Village had a village show, showcasing some examples of local craftsmanship. Of course we had to attend. I contributed myself by presenting some photos of sunrises and sunsets from around our world travels.