This was a great day out in spite of a rather dull cloud cover. Nonetheless the light on days like that is often perfect for photography because the cloud acts as a giant diffuser. With a smaller group, six of us this time, everything changes substantially in terms of our relationships with the landscape and with each other.

We followed a route from the road above Hunthill, down to the Scraesburgh back road then cut up through the woods to the fields and track above Coalpits. Plenty stops for photographs, chat about landscape, light and art and a silent chi kung exercise with eyes closed which was very revealing. Back at the ranch (Kenmore Hall) we had refreshments and I rolled out a length of paper for everyone to write and draw their words and sketches. Pictures below.

Look out for details of the next walk on 27 April where we'll be exploring sound.

This is the start of it. Timber and compost donated by Forth Resource Management Ltd and Border Demolition Ltd. A generous discount from Mayfield Garden Centre in Kelso for Cuprinol, membrane and netting. Bob Dawson always ready to give his time to drive, collect, store and paint. The last picture is one of our sites for a planter. Jed folks will know where this is. I'll blog many more posts to thank and acknowledge our collaborators as we go along.

Spring made a spectacular appearance over the weekend. Cool and misty in the early mornings giving way to clear blue skies and the much anticipated warmth of the sun. All graced by the silvery light of Lent. 

To make my art work for the Fallow Land project I've settled on two proper fallow fields. One of these, set aside for stubble that the birds can enjoy, is to be ploughed sometime in the spring so I got in quick and made the basic audio recordings I need. If they spare the field for a few more weeks I'll do some more recordings then hopefully get the pictures I want using long lenses and getting my eyes down to ground level which will involve lying down in the stubble in the early morning or evening. Dry weather would help. These are some pictures taken by me and others on the walks. You have to be here in person to appreciate the quality of the amazing light at this latitude but hopefully the photos give you a feel for what it's like.

There's an excellent programme of events at our local bookshop Heron and Willow (who hosted yours truly on guitar last week). Although the picture doesn't show everyone it was actually a full house which is promising for the future.

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​But that's about it. There's still nothing much else going on in sleepy old Jed. Deadburgh they call it in other towns. No movement on the Town Hall, the library, no public spaces to meet or to develop creative and cultural activities. Lots of meetings, secret committees, minutes, agendas and points of order but no spaces for people. A new community school bristling with features but so expensive to rent for creative or community activities. That leaves expensive piss-ups that ordinary people either can't afford or get invited to. Not the best use of a community school is it?

This is all to be expected win a town where people vote Tory. Not all but most. It's as if they want to be worked over. Tories hate giving things to people. Their ideology is based on rent and profit. Plus they're useless and always seem to run out of money. One can only speculate as to why. But there's a by-election coming up soon so maybe we'll get someone new with fresh ideas on creative placemaking. I won't hold my breath, nor will I stop being a pest and reminding people that they're chopping themselves off at the knee by voting Tory. Anyway here's a few recent pictures taken around the town which, in spite of everything else, is still a beautiful town.