Crafts at Erwood Station and a Siskin's bottom! Plus some Huguenot roots . . .

 

This is the old station at Erwood - the other side of the river from the village, and done for by Mr Beeching.  They have used a couple of the old carriages  to display locally-made crafts, and as a little cafe.

On its own little bit of siding, one of the last shunting engines.

. . . and a Siskin's bottom!  Inside the cafe carriage there are pictures of the wild birds you might see from whilst having tea and cake, and thoughtfully provided binoculars.  Great for kids.

Above and below :  nice glass wall hangings, with photographs in the centre.  These were priced at £40 - £50.

I loved this and thought of my Aunty Mary who died recently.  She loved owls.  It was already sold.

An interesting stump repurposed with the glass moulded into position whilst still hot, one assumes.

These are rather pretty.

Lapwings - they used to be common on the ploughed fields of Hampshire when I was a kid.  Now they're becoming scarce.  My reflection in the glass - looking tired and run down . . .

I thought these glass animals were rather fun.

Keith came with me for a change of scenery, but didn't get out of the car - no interest in the crafts and the churches too far to walk and across grass.  I checked out a couple of churches - St Stephen's at Llanstephan which I saw a sign for as we drove along the back road (previously the railway line?) to Boughrood, and then the church at Boughrood.  Billy - I know you have been to St Stephen's, what a lovely spot it's in.

Yesterday I was feeling very glum (that word takes me back to The Glums, with Ron and Eth!) and distracted myself with some family history research, following a female line from my dad's mum, until I hit the unusual surname of Legassick.  They were in Dean Prior (Devon) in the late 1700s (1694 or thereabouts) and then a colony a couple of miles up the road in Buckfastleigh.  The slightly posher ones were in Modbury.  My lot were probably involved in woollen manufacture (carding etc).  There was another link to this name in St Essey, Cornwall - between Wadebridge and Padstow, but apparently the name is French,  probably has Huguenot connections and is linked to Gascony. Our two girls have often been mistaken for being Greek or having Mediterranean blood, and my cousin Ellen also.  So perhaps these Gascon genes are coming out!