Different Perspectives

I saw some of Stourport from a different perspective on my walk today. You see, in the past I have seen the parishes of Stourport and Wilden as a mixture of rural and slightly urban. Taking photos has helped me to realise that it's not true. Friends sometimes refer to me as living 'in the countryside' and I always think of this as an urban or inner city perspective of our town. I compare our reality to that of the villages in the Teme Valley and see us as positively urban. However, whenever I take photos of the more urban parts of Stourport for this blog, I am repeatedly surprised that the shots don't look urban at all; wherever I point my camera, something of the countryside creeps into the frame!

My walk today began down the Gilgal and up Hartlebury Road then onto the Birches, Heathlands,Olympus Gardens, The Grove, Oakdene, Pinedene, Willowdene, Hazeldene, Kylemilne Way, Ferndale Close......all giving a clue of the backdrop behind this estate. I found little pathways linking the roads together which delighted me - I felt as though I'd found a secret way known only to those who live there! It all felt very suburban; very much of its era  (at least until the Heathlands which was clearly added later). It felt comfortable and reassuring. I noticed the number of garages that had been converted into extra living space and how the garages in that decade were not seriously built with accommodating a car in mind; while you could get one into the garage, I doubt you could open the doors wide enough to climb out - not unless you had a mini! These were houses built to feed a dream of suburban life for aspirational people and now they were being inhabited by folk who were adapting them to meet their 21st century aspirations.One thing that I became aware of while walking, was that I know a lot of this estate. I know it because of the number of funeral visits I have made here and I could call people clearly to mind as I wandered around their roads.

Something else happened today that gave me a new perspective; this was wandering onto the new estate off Millfield Drive. My map is too old to include this area and I was walking 'blind'. It felt like entering a labyrinth, road after road linking to cul de sac after cul de sac. Just when I would think I must be getting back to my starting point, there would be yet more roads and cul de sacs! Much of this was virgin territory for me; many of the folk who live on this estate are young - the housing is largely for families and there are apartments and starter homes alongside some seriously large homes. I may see these folks at school events or around the town but the kinds of life issues that take me visiting across the Hartlebury Road don't occur so often here. People wash their cars here on Saturday afternoons - mine sings 'Happy Birthday' when I remember to get it cleaned!

I stopped to worry about a cat who was mewing its way along a path until a woman with a small child explained he was theirs and always followed them. He called incessantly - sometimes seeming to say 'wait for me' and other times 'but don't you want to stop and sniff here?!' The same woman was clearly perplexed to see me wandering back out of a cul de sac and somewhat j walking around the roads. I didn't explain; I'd never met her before and I didn't want to alarm her, after all!

 I met some dogs and that helps when you want to smile or say hello to human strangers - dogs don't stand on ceremony! Two little dogs on those extendable leads rushed out to greet me, their human reassured me they were friendly as they washed my hands and sniffed my trousers. 'Lovely day, isn't it?' I agreed. 


Fresh, spring air and glorious bright sunshine colouring my perspective anew.