Reflective 2

Went to the 9 ladies stone circle for the winter solstice. I got up there around sunrise and stayed in Birchover all day until sunset. In the morning there was quite dense fog - that made it pretty spooky. After about a month focusing on cop this was just to get me thinking about 603 again. Again, I wasn't really sure what I was looking for when I went up there. When I got there at about 8.30am, there was about 5 people in the stone circle, I got talking to them and stood with them as they conducted a ritual. They'd come from Nottingham for the Solstice that morning and went home after the ritual. They gave me a cheese and onion roll that was nice of them. There were a few other people that had been camping out over night milling around. I sat at the 9 ladies for a while but wasn't really feeling drawing, although I did take a few photos. I walked into Birchover and to Rowtor rocks, but again wasn't feeling drawing very much - I think I need a different approach for on location drawing. I generally wondered around the village and Stanton Moor and meandered my way back to the stone circle, where I sat and did a bit of drawing for a few hours. There was a steady stream of people, some looked like they were there for the solstice and some just looked like walkers. As it got dark there were 2 people playing flute in one corner and a man who had been camping- with his dog walked around the stones. In a similar way to in the morning there was quite an atmosphere- on top of a moor listening to flute. - quite quiet - almost like the atmosphere in a Cathedral. 2 women with about 5 yappy dogs walked into the stone circle and started taking selfies. I took lots of photos and did some drawing. I'm don't really feel like doing anything with it yet - I need a few days break after handing in cop - but I'm thinking of doing a zine-y thing when I get back in Jan - with some photos and some practical work. I think I have plenty of material - I just need to work out exactly what the project is about.

https://soundcloud.com/o_wingard/sets/flute/s-5a3dD

Update Update

On the 22nd I went to one of the pubs in Birchover with some friends and saw the Winster Guisers. They basically tour the pubs and village halls of the small villages around christmas time getting free beer by performing. I saw them when I was very young - but had forgotten. My mum reminded me - and luckily it was their last night of the year - and they were in Birchover. Was basically the same as this performance. All very strange. Again, its not immediately setting me off but I'm going to let it stew for a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgKEOBp3qL4&fbclid=IwAR1D37O8LSSxuqwnvhoixK9IYpikKgbGMZ9ZPfD2fPVG7fUrkdPl
nY085PU

Apart from the Birchover stuff (which I'm allowing to move at its own pace) I'm filling the gaps with the Penguin Brief, the poster international political poster competition and assorted editorials.