Trees are part of all our lives, the myths, the magic ,the folktales resonate through time and across cultures. Yet many of us have become disconnected from the beauty of these life long companions and their role in our lives, many of us rarely notice them, rarely stop to appreciate them. Our children no longer collect conkers, or kick clouds of autumn leaves, enjoy the experience of tree climbing , looking down from a unique vantage point, gazing across the familiar places. But why not?

So I joined the Woodland Trust volunteers at Smithills, primarily engaged in education and inclusion activities with our local communities as well as doing practical tasks to maintain and improve Smithills Estate.

 

Sadly, these activities have all been put on hold in this difficult year, but in adversity opportunity can be found. I started exploring a long unrealised plan to learn the art of photography. The support, and encouragement of the Smithills photography group is both generous and unstinting.

I try to take pictures which offer a story, a glimpse, a possibility, something unsaid, gateways and signposts, paths through the woods.

The limitations which we are living under have restricted all our movements and so most of my pictures are local to where I live with a range of subjects and differing degrees of success.

 

But I am developing the art of seeing