End of week three

We have spent the weekend at upcote farm outside withington . Yet
another idyllic place, the journey here was staggering in it's
beauty , feel like I am starting to over egg the landscape and
endlessely wax lyrical , il starting to rin out of words to describe
it . We walked from the outskirts of chedworth down to the roman
villa , it was like walking through a BBC costume drama that had been
perfectly dressed, obviously the weather helps massively. We stopped
for lunch in a lush field with a stream running through it . Ella our
artist managed to persuade Scott ( young man from Stroud ) to pose for
a cyanotype print . Thus involved lying naked for 30 mins on a piece
of photosensitive paper and them washing it in a stream. Unbelievably
he did, Ella took her clothes off for moral support . Very funny
watching from the distance particularly as the donkeys wouldn't leave
them alone , scott would never have done that two weeks ago. We then
took the beasts up to the roman villa which went down very well.
Carried on to upcote farm , again countryside unbelievable, the houses
we passed almost embarassingly large . Have started to think about
privilige and wealth and where I stand in this . Feel very priviliged
to see all this and then start to think about the Money divide
particularly in relation to some if the young people I work with.
Also no matter how much we might pretend it doesn't matter how much a
public school education will stand you in good stead and connect you
for life. Occasionally I feel the unfairness of that and yet I am
relatively priviliged , how must it be for others, actually these
places are so remote and private that you have to search for them off
the beaten track . Upcote farm has been great , lovely lovely farmer
and his wife, the farm has a very open feel , they are preparing for a
big festival next week. Two thousand trees festival , looks great .
Also fantastic skinny dipping in the large spring fed pond as
reccommended by the farmer .
Had to go home yesterday , it was really hard and I hated it . Don't
want to sound sanctimonious or preachy but even living like this for
three weeks has highlighted how crazy our world is and what stress we
are under all the time . The minute I was in the house felt stressed
and fat! Still bloody 10 stone , that stressed me, then the bathroom,
then the post, then the garden , tax bill , mirrors, choices
everywhere , stuff everywhere. Then the cars, the shops, so many
people talking felt almost nauseous by the time we got back , feel we
have lost something that is fundamental to our soul
, I spend so much time stressing about the frantic life that we are
all persuaded to buy into , how we look ,smell, eAt, shop etc etc
think I will need rehab at the end of this . Looking forward to
walking again, plotting a huge walk , Istanbul to London , am going to
manifest it and hope that it can happen . Hope some rich
philanthropist reads this , a travelling art, craft, solar, donkey
powered year ling walk x x x
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