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| "Ah, I see we're on the same page. Or canvas." |
The bus tour taught us that there was more to Holmfirth than
“Last of the Summer Wine.” Just as
people are always more than we perceive, our driver touched upon some of the
highlights from Holmfirth’s past and present.
The area’s unique qualities had given birth to a thriving textile
industry. Several floods had washed
through this lovely valley, taking many lives.
Ironically, some of Britain’s first films were made here. Some have even suggested that, had World War
One not happened, Holmfirth could have proven a precursor to Hollywood.
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| Now this is what I call Summer Wine Magic. |
Colin mentioned a local artist as he drove out of town. That evening, my wife suggested that we visit
his studio. Back home, we don’t normally
visit art galleries: we know where we are, as well as why. Yet on vacation, it helps to view the
landscape through a local artist’s eyes.
Their depictions of the surrounding landscape offer another perspective. They remind us that, while we know what drew
us here, others have different reasons for making this their home.
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| The path we take twists, turns, and navigates hills. |
In Ashley Jackson’s work, the plain white sky so often seen
in “Last of the Summer Wine” emerges as a full-fledged character. Roiling like an angry god, it hovers above
Holmfirth, tormenting the hardy townsfolk who would rather endure the torments
than abandon their beloved town. I’m not
sure I could live in Ashley Jackson’s world: his landscapes tend toward the
stark and bleak. Then again, the Fantasy
stories that I love often focus upon great wars and terrible events that overtake
imagined lands, and threaten to sweep away those who populate them. As with those works, his canvases speak of
stirring battles. Only those who
persevere, who refuse to give up, can hope to achieve victory.
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| Perhaps we need a Mini to explore them. |
Here I go again, speaking of something I have done as an
analogy for life. Yet isn’t that what
great art offers: a chance to view one’s life more clearly? That visit to his studio, while lasting but a
few minutes, would prove decisive. For
there we received a booklet in which the artist lays out a particular walk. The next day, we followed in his footsteps,
stopping at various points to compare what we saw to how he had depicted it on
canvas. Viewing the landscape through
his eyes and my own, I could understand how the landscape could be both cruel
and kind to those who lived there. I
could see the haunting beauty that drew filmmakers, and understand how nature
would then punish them and test their tenacity and resources. The journey even took us past a working textile
mill. Later, back in town, my wife would
purchase some of the local yarn.
In regard to “Last of the Summer Wine,” the walk proved a
definitive experience. That morning on
the road evoked memories of Foggy, Norman, and Campo undertaking similar
journeys. I could see how such vistas
could inspire Foggy to attempt feats of greatness. As with Ashley Jackson, they also inspired me
to pursue my own.
Thanks for keeping pace with me,
Dragon Dave
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