In praise of a humble sign


Forget about the metal post and fixings - I'm sure that they were once wooden - just look at the sign. Look at how alive it is. Breathable wood. Flaking paint. Showing the passage of time and weather. Hand-painted lettering. The care taken to produce it. Upper Caps. Lower Caps. Tiny Caps. Somebody thought about this. Crafted, although the simplicity can hide such a thought. How long has it been there? Burnt by the summer sun. Drowned in heavy rain. Encased in snow and ice. Rocked by the wind. What has perched on it? Flown over it? Who has looked up at it and, being helped on their way, grunted in thanks as they headed off to Walton-on-the-Hill, thinking about that welcoming pint or slice of cake when they got there?

Apart from falling in love with this sign (on Walton Downs,) I still found time to record a Woodcock, two Common Snipe (flushed from open fields), 120 Skylark, 240 Redwing and just the two Fieldfare. I also caught up with local birder Paul, who I hadn't seen for a few years. A good day.

Comments

Derek Faulkner said…
Blimey, that's a rather emotional tribute to a sign that most people probably would give a second glance to. Just need such a tribute to a years old stile and we'll have a double act.
12 January 2019 at 12:53
Steve Gale said…
C'mon Derek, I know that there's a hidden romantic inside that gruff exterior!
12 January 2019 at 18:16
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