Day three of our visit to the Cotswold and it was still grey but, with the hint of sun lurking behind the cloud
layer, we set off for the Falconry Centre at Chipping Camden.
The birds were
just amazing and the talk by the expert was enlightening. Birds, it seems, do not
fly for fun, only necessity – food and to escape danger. It’s pretty obvious if
you think about it. I suppose it’s because we’re earthbound that it looks so
thrilling. The sad truth is that half of them die of starvation in the first
year of their life.
Their enclosures were large and full of natural plant life
and birds were all looking glossy and gorgeous and it was lovely to see again
some that were familiar from the time we spent in Africa. The last time I saw a
Secretary Bird it was walking alongside the runway at Bulawayo Airport!
The flying displays were thrilling, but everyone lost their
heart to the tiny burrowing owl from South America. Flint didn’t fly much, but
he ran brilliantly. :)
He’s only a few months old but has already played a stunt-double for a natural
history film to be shown in the late autumn. They do close ups in the studio
using a blue screen. It’s cheaper, and less dangerous than filming in the wild.
We had lunch in the Arboretum, although contented ourselves
with looking at the trees from a distance since the dodgy knee was not feeling up
to the trek.
In the afternoon we had a walk around Snowshill Manor which
is just opposite our cottage.
Unfortunately it involved a walk of close to a
mile to actually get to the front door which the knee did not appreciate, but it was worth it.
Charles Wade never
lived in the house – he bought it to house the collection of objet d’art and
“stuff” that he began when he was seven years old.
He was clearly fascinated by Japan. There are stunning
lacquered cabinets stuffed with pretty things, and Samurai armour. There were
bicycles of every age, from the ubiquitous penny farthing onwards. Toys,
models, sedan chairs and navigational equipment.
There was a dovecote (and doves) and charming gardens. Sadly his costume
collection is on loan to Leominster Museum at the moment, although there were a
couple of very pretty Regency dresses.
