Monday 3 March 2014

White Horses

Nothing to do with stormy seas but all to do with chalk figures.
And why am I telling you this?  Because I can see the Cherhill Horse
across the valley from my bedroom window.  How cool is that?
 
 
You may also notice in the foreground is a crop circle sometimes
thought to have been made by alien invaders at dead of night.
It all happens here, hope I don't get abducted, it would be just my luck!
 
The figures are cut out of the chalk escarpment and are visible for
miles.  This one was cut in 1780 by the mad doctor Christopher Alsop,
a friend of George Stubbs, who called out instructions for marking
it out through a megaphone.  Originally it has a glass eye made from
inverted bottles which sparkled in the sun but sadly this has long gone.
At one time there were twenty four of these horses but only eight remain today.
 
 
The Uffington Horse is by far the oldest of them all and is prehistoric in
origin which means it's about 3,000 years old give or take a bit.
Carved about the same time as me.
 
 
And it certainly wouldn't be the Long Dog Blog without a little bit of
rudeness from time to time so here's today's offering of naughtiness.
The Cerne Abbas Giant, he's just down the road from here.
Camilla dear, try breathing into a paper bag it will stop you
from hyperventilating in such an unseemly fashion.
 
 
Would you believe it, inspiration has struck - I'm off already!
Think yourselves lucky it was only a horse.
 
 
 
 


3 comments:

  1. I dare you to do the giant!

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    Replies
    1. May I draw your attention young Vicky to Kokopelli, the flute man, on Rain Dance. I think one willie in my repertoire is probably quite enough - although that's not to say I'm not tempted!

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