Flowers, cows, lambs and donkeys in Somerset

Spent a few days in Somerset, nice Spring weather. Flowers in my friend's garden -

Cat drinking from the pond -

Tadpoles in the pond -

Cows at a friend's farm -

The donkeys will soon be going back to Weston super Mare for the summer season -

Different donkey in a neighbouring field -

Sheep with their young lambs -

Spring is here!!!!!!!!

Somerset carnivals - Shepton Mallet

November is carnival season in Somerset, England. They are held early November to commemorate the attempted blowing up of the Houses of Parliament and are part of the Somerset Guy Fawkes Circuit.

These carnivals are regarded as "the largest spectacular illuminated processions in the world" [Shepton Carnival] and date back more than 400 years. The Guy Fawkes Circuit starts at Bridgwater then on to Burnham on Sea,Weston-Super-Mare, North Petherton, Shepton Mallet, Wells, and finishing at Glastonbury.

I used to go to the carnival at Midsomer Norton in the 1970s, but that was only a small carnival compared to the main ones and is not on the main circuit. This year, 2016, I went to the one at Shepton Mallet on 16 Nov.

Over the years the floats, known as carts, have got  bigger and brighter. Some are up to 100 feet long with 30,000 light bulbs. They are pulled by tractors. The tractor driver dressed as a lion -

In between the floats are groups of people or even single masqueraders dancing and performing. The bright lights mean it is hard to see the detail on the floats, but some are incredibly detailed. So much thought has gone into them. Unfortunately it was raining on the night so the photos are not good.

 

This float was particularly relevant to 2016, for the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London.

Weston super Mare, Somerset

In July 2014 I went to Weston Super Mare for the first time for decades. Weston is a beach resort in Somerset.

One reason for going was to see the donkeys as a friend cares for 2 donkeys on her farm during the winter.

 

See also - The donkeys in winter.

 

 

 

 

 

Somerset in the spring

I spent a few days with friends in Somerset in March. The woods are full of wild daffodils and the primroses are starting to appear.

The weather was mixed, blue sky and sunshine, then hailstones

We went to a friend's farm. I loved these donkeys, they are spending the winter at the farm then in the spring they will return to their beach job at Weston.

The cows in the yard were inquisitive and one kept licking my camera!