Driving a carriage with horses in Gloucestershire

I had a busy day today, preparing to go away for a couple of days on a photography course. There seemed to have been a crescendo of events, which meant I had to make choices and to forsake some commitments in order to enable others. One main issue was solved by Eva kindly agreeing to take over the chairing from me of the Finance committee meeting on Tuesday evening. So I had to spend a few hours with her today explaining all the key issues from my perspective that would need to be addressed. Thank you very much, Eva.

Then Bomble became unwell over the last few days and we took him to the vets late this afternoon, where we were told he needed some severe dentistry. Since I had to go away I suggested that he stay in the vets so he could have the work done in the morning which seemed sensible. It was only after we left him behind that the idea didn't seem so good, for either him or us, as I felt guilty about leaving him there. He hasn't left our house for many years since his last bout of dentistry, and he had previously been taken away from his homes and put into cages until he became re-homed with us.

We went home and I did some chores, packed my bags with clothes and camera gear, watered the garden plants, cooked some food before dropping Helena off at angela's house when I set off for Bristol. The evening was very warm and still sunny as I headed south on the A46, through Nailsworth towards Bath. As I drove, I pondered on whether to stop and look for a blip opportunity, and suddenly decided to turn left onto a single track lane heading towards Didmarton.

I didn't know the road, but knew the area vaguely. After a couple of miles of winding between copses and open fields, I spotted ahead of me a carriage being pulled by horses. there was obviously no room for me to pass so I quickly stopped in a field gateway and got my camera from my bag in the boot of the car and set it up. Looking down the lane I saw the carriage turn to the right and realised it was at a road junction. I then followed in the car, turned right after it on a two-lane road and gingerly drove past receiving a friendly wave from the four passengers, who were obviously out for a lovely evening ride through the countryside in their carriage. After a few hundred yards I pulled into another field entrance to park and waited for them to slowly approach me. By now several cars and a huge tractor had driven past the horses. When they approached me I shouted out to ask if they minded me taking a picture and they smiled and waved in a jolly manner which seemed to offer permission.

I was rather glad that my instant decision to turn off to find a blip had produced such a lovely scene for me to blip. So here they all are as they head south towards Badminton at a leisurely pace. Lets hope the next couple fo days go as well.