Gold Hill (Hovis advert)

Shaftesbury, Dorset.

Voted Britain's most loved TV advert and directed by the British then up and coming super Hollywood director, Ridley Scott, Shaftesbury has understandably made quite a tourist attraction out of this.

Not bad in LARGE

It is such a cliché of tourist's snapshots that I really didn't want to offer it as my Blip. Indeed, when mentioning my intended destination to my feisty friend yesterday, the lovely wheelchair bound Fran, who quite likes my snaps, she retorted "not bloody Gold Hill!!"

This part of Cranborne Chase offers some of the best walking and most beauteous landscapes in the country and I am so disappointed at having feeling so ill all day, that I pretty much had to keep within Shaftesbury itself and not its glorious surrounding hills and villages and so, yes, Gold Hill had to be snapped, as a back-up photo. I did then think of all you lovely lot not in the UK, who might appreciate some pretty twee cottages in glorious rural England.

This was the middle of three quick visits to the Hill - the first and it was overcast, this second time the old lady actually lives in the cottage with the pink door and it was bright enough to use a polariser. The final time, the light was even better, with dappled sunlight but the woman climbing up the hill just looked wrong - with those pink rubber shoe things and just too short and skinny.

The bus had taken 80 minutes to cover the 18 miles there. Almost the same back. I got home to find the workmen doing up the flat below had cleared out but my front door (next to his) is covered in white splashes and so much dust. They had used my 'area' to store materials and whilst all that has gone, I will have to brush and clean it up in the morning.

Then, this Blip took four attempts to upload - over half an hour. Food and a bath may help restore me and I do apologise for taking it out on you guys (and gals) a bit - have a great weekend all and I'll get back to you when I feel up to it.

Lens is Nikkor 16-85mm VR

And yes, the landscape in the background does slope away to the right and no, the picture is not crooked!