Autumn in Hexham

29/10/06

Last weekend on a bright, crisp, autumnal day we embarked on a mushroom hunting expedition with friends to Dukes Wood. At the parking bay we collectively assembled various paraphernalia including tripods, baby-carriers, books and Tupper-ware containers before finally stepping into a muted world cut by shafts of hazy sunlight. Dan was on to the job with his trusty field book and selected what we all hoped were edible varieties. Amongst the leaf-litter and pine needles we found fungi of almost all shapes and colours; spongy 'brains', little brown cones and shockingly bright purple arrows.

After an hour or so we stopped at a favourite spot; the Devil's Water, a tributary of the river Tyne. I always feel rather uplifted when, emerging from the trees, you emerge upon a high bank with the swimming-hole and little beach laid out below. At this point we stopped for lunch and the pause in foraging gave me an opportunity to capture this photograph.