The dwelling, close up
Showing root coverage
At the base of the tree
Playground area
Elderly hobby-horse
Shenley Woods, dark and deep
Christmas Eve, 2017
I don’t think I’ve ever gone walking on Christmas Eve before – I’m usually up to my eyes in icing sugar and marzipan, putting the finishing touches to the Christmas cake or wrapping up the last few presents – but this year I felt a strong pull towards the outdoors, towards the woods. Shenley Wood in particular. It’s funny, I’ve still never been there in the summer. Always autumn or winter, when the trees are at their witchiest and the thick mud tries to steal my boots.
It started with a post on Facebook. I still used it heavily, back in those days, and had just joined a new group which posted about playgrounds in the local area. I was looking for one with a bird’s nest swing, I remember, and this group had a handy map showing where they all were. One rainy lunchtime, I was browsing through my feed and idly wondering whether I could face getting up and heading out for a walk when I came across a picture someone had posted up near Caldecotte Lake. It showed a beautiful gothic doll in a black gown, perched in the branches of a tree. The poster had been out walking his dog, and was asking if anyone knew who it belonged to. No-one had replied. Intrigued, I headed for the door before I could change my mind.
City of Secrets 