Having a fond trawl through some LEJOG reports I came across a picture in Mark Moxon's LEJOG report from 2003 that made me scratch my head. It was almost identical to one of mine from my walk in 2007. Not so surprising though as we had walked the same route through the south west.
What was surprising though was to find the almost identical picture in Dave Greenwood's LEJOG report a few months before my own!
What was surprising though was to find the almost identical picture in Dave Greenwood's LEJOG report a few months before my own!
Dave Greenwood's picture (Jan 2007)
Mark Moxon's picture (2003)
So what was it that stopped the three of us in our tracks to put down the rucksack, drag out the camera and take the same picture? they say that great minds think alike, but also that small ones seldom differ!
Interestingly the same car is sitting in the same spot to the left of the house four years after Mark's first picture.
This is definitely one of those close encounters of the third kind moments - spooky
ReplyDeleteIt's the composition - plugs straight into our childhood archtypes of winding road / two story-house with single chimney, fields, stylised trees centre, top third sky, and all seen from a child's height. And checks the boxes marked "bucolic", and "non-threatening rural" Also meets most of the requirements for a Rule Of Thirds composition. Prententious, moi? Bien sûr, mes amis de la route...
ReplyDeleteYeah, not spooky, just composition. Look at the road winding through and the other points mentioned by Humphrey.
ReplyDeleteHi Darren, Humph & phil w,
ReplyDeleteThat's it then - we are just products of nurture - forced once more, struggling, into the straitjacket of society's norms. No power of independent thought, no imagination.
That's good, because as a 'Gentleman of the Road', I enjoyed the bucolic as I am sure did Mark & Dave before me. It was non threatening and gorgeous for four wonderful months!
Cheers, fellas.
If it was a single thatched cottage instead of the semi's, then it would be the perfect visual cliché ;)
ReplyDeleteI like this blog. It really appeals. Together with Humphrey's reply it introduces a welcome shaft of light to a dull winter's day.
ReplyDeleteSurely it's just a simple case of, um, great minds thinking alike. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLooks like Dave got the best of the weather out of the three of us, too. It was raining when I was there...
Yes, that was a lovely day if I recall. I think I stopped to take the picture because a) it seemed to encapsulate the spirit of the area in a handily cliched way, and b) it was an excuse to pause before attacking another slope.
ReplyDeleteI think I am with Dave on this one. The hills were quite hard work and so any excuse to stop was welcome. I believ that at the time I was pub-less the previous lunchtime (both possible pubs had been shut!) and so I was making haste as I realised that there was a chance of a pub on this day (which turned out to be a coach-party joint), so spirits were high. Birds were singing and then this view hove into sight.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Dave - an excellent day.
I'd like to know exactly where this picture was taken - since I could probably pass that way, too, soon. It certainly is a great shot. Could someone possibly email me the coords (or something similar to locate it) to hikerguy@earthlink.net?
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Daryl
Hi Daryl - It was just north of Thorverton: Ordnance Survey GR: SS929028, looking north.
ReplyDeleteIt was on the Exe Valley
Way.
Take a picture when you get there!
Cheers
Alan
When I got near, it was raining, and I would have had to detour to the spot. So no pic from me.
ReplyDeleteDaryl
Well I really don't know!
ReplyDeleteYou are just going to have to come back over here and do it again - properly this time Daryl!
That okay with you?