Little Red Rooster

What an amazing and adventurous aftenoon. A random text from my friend P yesterday afternoon, was I around to visit an old house?  Of course! We rendezvoused in Durrus and headed off to Clonee. Actually there were two houses - the new farmhouses (circa 1880) and the old farm plus outbuildings (circa 1740). The new farm was lived in and still managed by two elderly brothers who had neither electricity nor running water. They were frail but welcoming and full of information. P and I explored the old house, sturdily made from stone, and wondered at what life was like. Although it was now full of stuff you could see little cupboards made into the walls, small lintelled windows but no sign of any fireplace. Full use had been made of the landscape and the house fitted snugly into the natural rock. The outbuildings were fascinating too, now crammed with stuff. One of the brothers had been big into horses and one shed was full of tack:  horse collars, bridles, horseshoes lying amongst the furze cutters and winnowing machines.
We then decided to investigate the remains of what used to be the old road into Bantry, still trackable. We climbed high up onto the mountain and the views were sublime. The bog though was serious, over wellie height and we both took a couple of squelchy tumbles - P literally up to his thighs at one point; emptying wellies required! Back to the farm, the chooks and cats eyeing us suspiciously and we bade our farewells. A glimpse into a very different and fast disappearing world.
The light only just fading P reckoned we had time to visit one more building - another old farm right down at the water's edge,  in the shadow of the the ruins of an old tower house. Just a mini explore here but we did go over a couple of fields to get some cutting from some apple trees growing right on the water's edge. P had sent cuttings to somewhere in London which had pronounced that they were unique specimens, and therefore very important, and he was hoping to do a spot of grafting.

Leaving me in Durrus, changing into some clean socks he had brought that morning in the market, P then headed off to a book launch in Bantry. A fabulous afternoon and a kindred spirit!
Extras show the new farm (white one) and old farm.

 
Himself has been watching a BBC series on Youtube called What Do Artists Do All day and recommended this one. .  If you have half an hour to spare, make yourself a cuppa and settle down to watch this about Tom Wood, a charming man and exceptional photographer. So that's the way you photograph people. I found him totally inspiring.

Little Red Rooster - 1964!!!