. . relish the rain and sun in equal measure

     In a shady valley not far from here, where the river slides over cool rocks beneath muscular Oaks, the Last Queen visited once. A small courtage followed and everyone barefoot (by decree) till the edge of Paisey Pool. There she stepped lightly into the cool waters and even the birds were hush as she dipped beneath the water, her train billowing in the flow. But when she emerged but a heart beat later age had been purged from her limbs and her body was lithe and supple.

     She turned to the company and addressed the barefoot lords who waited.

'These are the new rules of my reign' and the scribe began to take notes.

'Firstly . . . 

     We shall walk barefoot always, mirrors will be banished - our lovers, children and friends will reflect our beauty in all our transformations. 

We will dine on nothing but the finest, freshest fruits and berries. 

Celebrate each season, relish the rain and sun in equal measure. 

Have no need for clocks or time pieces other than the sun and the moon.

     We shall . .

Fragment from story book left in the box at Webbers Post

Continuation of the story above.

Yesterday I ventured out to the Jubilee Hut at Webbers Post with a little intrepidation, the last time I visited I removed a book which was full and replaced it with this one. It was only about two weeks ago, but the journal in question had become a visitor book, not a story book.

The concept of the story box is simple, find the box read the tale so far, add a drawing or paragraph but no more then leave for the next walker. So when it devolves into a guest book I feel a little saddened and hoped this one would not fall foul the same. I wrestled with putting a note inside saying 'This is not a visitor book, story only please' but I rile at that, my mind set is one of enablement, not of impediments. But once someone breaks the thread of a tale it drifts naturally into the visitor book mode. So with all that said, just before I set out I did print some thin book marks to tuck in the active pages to negate the drift.

Also last week I received an email from Katie Bourne who stumbled across this story box with her two year old and loved the project, she also mentioned 'the visitor book syndrome' and I knew she was looking at the newly installed journal which added to my anxiety. She went on to link to a Braunton project which she had managed a while back, similar to my storywalks work with GPS location triggered content, but Katie admits herself that some of the tech is already a little dated, but still worth checking out.

So yesterday I walked through the sun dappled trees at Webbers Post on the way to the Jubilee Hut which is where this box is installed. It is a stunning location, the crunch of pine needles, glimpses of deer (got close enough to pet two!) give me any excuse to go breath in the Exmoor tonic.

Illustration of Dunkery Beacon from this story box location

So I nervously approached the box, pleased it had not disappeared totally, (I am expecting to lose one or two over the summer). But the box looked perfect, with a good scuff on the lid (good, box in use), I opened it and found it well used in a relatively short period, but more to the point it was well used in the intended manner. Yes there are a few additions which wander off into the guest book cul-de-sac, but the meat is of tale, and more than I could have hoped.

Story Box on the bench next to my QR poetry project.

I added a little tale to the tale to gather some of the threads, took lots of pictures of the pages and then left the box once again to the wilds and whims of strangers. But when I checked my photo's at home last night, they were dreadful, so later that evening I drove out again with Davina (Walking Book Club), and not only did we see more deer, but a stunning sunset, and in that short time another visitor had added to the tale.

Brilliant.

So thanks to all those who have contributed, for me it recharges my faith in the creativity of strangers, the willingness to engage with the wilds of Exmoor, and add a little cumulative magic to the whole, just for the fun of it. 

I know that in years to come I will meet people who will remember stumbling across the story boxes, anonymously adding their mark or just enjoy seeing the of story grow there in.

The Story Box Story So Far . . .

Story box  book at Watery Lane, Nether Stowey.

Nether Stowey, Watery Lane, the first proper stretch of the Coleridge Way, where you leave the tarmac and traffic behind, this is the first act in a 36 mile play of ruts and rises, tunnels and vistas, heath and heather, cutting and combe. What has struck me, having been along pieces of the Coleridge Way regularly over the past few months is how the mood changes and transforms. Whether it's a quick dash in a cool evening to the story boxes, or more of a walk and rest with pencil and patience, the atmosphere is dynamic, never the same, always transforming, evolving, which I suppose this is what a living thing does.

  

But more recently my main focus has been the Story Boxes which I placed along the trail early June time. So how have they been fairing? and if you are unaware of this project have a look at this link with a map and descriptions of locations.

Well judging by these images I think rather better than expected, there have been drawings, poems, and little ditties, with a very small amount of abuse (I only left pencils in the boxes) The Coleridge Cottage booklet has developed well, though the paints I left inside were useless, and they have just installed an interpretation post in the arbour itself. Which is brilliant but when you need to focus on writing, it's not easy doing so with Coleridge's 'Lime Tree Bower' weaving it's magic across you.

Horner Garden Tea Rooms has a relatively small amount of work in, though we are just on the cusp of holiday season, so that should pick up soon. But even with only a little inside, it has the most beautiful drawing of a campsite in a valley.

  

The Jubilee Hut, which has Taffy Thomas' story at the beginning, has funnily fared the porest in my opinion, which is somewhat disappointing. It just devolved into a visitors book, with most inputs by Duke of Edinburgh Awards kids hiking through. The book in question has been visited a lot, as it's now full, but the majority of inputs have no story, or only tiny fragments of a tale which bare no connection to the task set. I have a mind to write a big note - This is not a visitor book - please write story or draw. I'll see how we go now that the D of E are out of the way, but they are by no means the only culprits, but did set the trend.

So dear reader my challenge is out to you, to gather your tales and head out to the boxes, restrict yourself to just the task in hand of adding a little to the story so far, doing a drawing but no more and then leaving the story box for the next to find and do the same. This blog I will keep short as I think the pictures speak the loudest, and at the end of the summer (September) the books are to be exhibited at Venue 23 in Dulverton for Somerset Art Week, and also Porlock Festival. So you still have plenty of time to hunt out the story boxes and add your little magic, I recommend you do as I have, and return again and again for this is how the Coleridge Way is rejuvenated.

two men went to mow, went to mow a meadow, two men, one man, and his dog, spot, a sausage roll and a bottle of pop, went to mow a meadow.

After two of the artist's walks at Westcott farm earlier this year, there came a point in the proceedings where I knew I would have to 'do something' and what could be more fun than cutting an old style grass labyrinth in their Orchard?

It's a simple enough concept, as a labyrinth is a single track path which weaves back and forth lots of times before actually finishing at the middle. This is different to a maze where there are constant choices, which you must solve to find your way through. The labyrinth is more meditative (though I always seem to end up running with my kids) and the path has kind of visual tricks where you think you will come to the end as you approach the centre only to realise that it throws in another loop before actually showing you it's heart, just like life I suppose.

There are grass labyrinths in the UK, one of which I remember seeing as a kid up in Yorkshire not too far from my childhood home. It sit's on an ancient roman style road, which are characteristically straight but not busy and not near any settlement. In fact it seems to be in the oddest of places, the view of rolling hills is nice but nothing special, certainly not an expansive vista as from a stone circle. The place is off the beaten track so you kind of have to go looking, and even if you do you could go by it without a second thought. I have been back a few times over the years but I distinctly remember saying to my Mum on the first occasion 'what is it' and she said 'an ancient game perhaps'

'Oh, what are the rules?'

'No one knows, somethings are truly lost in time.'

So that one, on a rolling hill in Yorkshire must have piqued my imagination for I have been fascinated by them ever since. So when I thought about Westcott Farm, for Somerset Art Week 2013 I couldn't resist, and drew map after map of paths in preparation. But better still as the orchard is on a valley side it is visible from the opposite side where a group of strong Oak trees stand, and artist Gordon Field hopes to work aswell. These two projects naturally merged with the maze becoming a journey, not just to the heart of the labyrinth, but also past Gordons Oak Tree Aura Viewing Boxes, but more about those another time.

Gordon Field and his mock up
 Tree Aura Viewing Station
(mark I)

So last week I put in the third cut, and the path is now written in grass, over the summer it will take a few more cuts and be in tip top condition for Art Week. But I do have more planned than just a grass path at Westcott Farm, for at the entrance will be a vestibule to act as a transitional space before entering the maze, with these 'rules' or 'instructions' for the walker.

1 remove foot attire and store here in vestibule in sensible manner

2 choose one passport per participant (also known as teasing ticket)

3 read instructions on said passport

4 travel labyrinth path in contemplation of said instruction

5 alight at central destination and scribe on passport in appropriate manner

6 tie passport considerately upon focal tree

7 disengage labyrinth to reclaim foot attire

8 pose new passport question on fresh teasing tag for new attendee

Couldn't be simpler, hope to see you in September?

 

Unfortunately I will be mainly at the Dulverton venue Number Seven manning my exhibition there and guiding people to the Dulverton site specific story walk 'The Watching Way', which asks you to make clock parts out of leaves and twigs for other walkers to find (and add to). 

So lots going on, but the good news is that the maze (sorry labyrinth) is looking fabulous, and after Art Week I hope to do some more with it so follow my twitter and facebook (storywalks) to keep up to date. But in the mean time here is a crazy little 60 second film with the first cut of the Westcott maze.

Enjoy.