4th November, 2024

Home

A thought for your day, with my good wishes …

The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do,

and the more genuine may be one’s appreciation of fundamental things

like home, and love, and understanding companionship.

― Amelia Earhart

It may appear as though this famous footbridge had few travellers when I was there, yet a small group of us took turns waiting for others – including one woman who spent at least 15 or 20 minutes posing with no apparent thought for others – who also wanted to catch photos on or of this famous bridge over the gently flowing Bybrook River. Now, while that woman did spend at least that amount of time in multiple poses at different spots along the short bridge, other travellers were assertive enough that our gracious remarks to her generated a brief break in her posing, enabling us to capture our shots.

My time in Castle Combe was a day trip from London, relying on a combination of train, bus and (from Chippenham to Castle Combe) taxi travel. While awaiting the bus back from Castle Combe to Chippenham Station, I enjoyed a cool drink inside The Castle Inn, and asked about the population.

When you’re too picturesque for your own good: The young Castle Inn staff members, who live in nearby towns, told me numbers have declined substantially since World Wars I and II, and the village is now home to about 75 people (a significant difference from the 356 quoted on some websites) year ’round. I find it difficult to imagine any privacy buffs living here. While visitors are good for the village hotel and inn, it’s understandable that more than a few locals are frustrated and saddened by some homes having been bought up as Airbnb investments … let alone the thousands upon thousands of us who stop by each year!

Having lived just doors from a popular beach in our last home, and being an avid gardener, my family and I have experienced what it’s like to occasionally see people slowing down, in vehicles or on foot, to take photos of our front garden. It struck me that it must be an entirely different matter to be a member of a small community such as this when travellers – including yours truly – descend upon their single main street (which appears on maps as just that … “The Street”!) to capture images or memories.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE, take some time to check out something new I have coming your way this month …

I’ll soon be launching two subscription offerings – a mix of on demand and live professional development – for people who love to learn and perform at a high level. Click here for an advance look at EA Accelerator (EAA) and EA Governance Accelerator (EAGA).

Have a look at my courses, and check the attractive introductory pricing for whichever subscription you choose.

Want to join me on my travels?

I love to capture photos and videos from travels in numerous countries, as well as Vancouver and Canada, my hometown and country. If you already follow me on Instagram or YouTube, you’ll have seen some of this fall’s travels in England, France, Scotland, Sweden and the US … and there are more to follow.

If you’d like to see more of my photography and videos, click here for my Instagram feed or here to follow my travels on YouTube. For the next while on IG, I’m continuing to concentrate on stories (simply click on my headshot within IG to see the stories) rather than posts, and you’ll see plenty of uplifting images from home and afar.

Images © 2024 Shelagh Donnelly. All rights reserved.