Can you be sure?

A lot has happened at this delightful spot on the Purbecks since Paul Nash was a resident and was commissioned by Shell to deliver this delightful lithograph (1937) as part of their Visit Britain's Landmarks series - printed by Waterlow Limited - as rare as ephemera goes unless you have about £1K spare...

No nesting here!

This tree caught me out for a while. Always a landmark on my journey heading towards Cranborne Chase, it never appeared to move in the wind - any wind. Even in the most violent of gales its branches would remain still.

I parked up by it a few years ago for a closer inspection and all was revealed - almost hoodwinked, just like a Tory Party manifesto.

Views of Little London

I feel like a bit of a stalker sometimes when on my travels - it's not always intentional, but it's just some of my special places were also the special places of some of my loved artists - Paul Nash, John Piper, Bawden, Ravilious ...............they are just as special now.

Sometimes, just by chance, I will have taken in a view and found the very one in a photograph or painting on my return home - I am not artistic at all, I just like to notice things. They liked these places then. I like them now.

Paul Nash - High Street, Swanage 1935

Paul Nash - Town Hall, Swanage 1935

Paul Nash - High Street, Swanage 1935

The view up High Street in Swanage and the entrance to the Town Hall are always pleasing to the eye - the story is a good one and the old name of "Little London" is most appropriate for Swanage - I'll let you read the story of Mowlem and his links to the town here, but on my return after a recent visit I felt sure I had seen the views before. I had a look through my Paul Nash photographs and knock me down with a barge pole I found these. All taken circa 1935-1936 when Nash was a regular visitor to the town. He lived here for a short time when researching his Shell Guide to Dorset - more of that another day, but for now I make no apology for following in the footsteps of Nash. I am sure I will continue to do so both intentionally an unintentionally.

The 40 ton ball

Graham Sutherland - c1932