17th September 2021

Klaxon day......at...the...The Burdale Ash!

I traveled to the Wolds to look for views to paint, stopping along the high Gill’s road. It was a wonderful, clear day and the September sun warm and bright. Scanning the views I saw several interesting possibilities, however the wind was a little too strong, encouraging me to drop into Thixendale village. Here, it was still. I remembered a view, nearby towards Burdale, of the three sycamores. I knew exactly where David Hockney had painted them from, so thought I would go and visit. Just before reaching the spot, I parked near a 'Private' gate leading to William Dale on the Raisthorpe Estate. I walked George along the road, tumbling steep slopes to our right, to the place where I could see the sycamores clearly. Looking at them I did’nt feel inspired, the light wasn't right, so we headed back to the car. The view from where I had parked the car, looking towards Burdale with the stable in the distance looked interesting, it featured a large ash growing at the edge of a field. The field was full of sheep. This was worth a try. I set up and began painting. Behind me sounds of shooting could be heard, and I wondered if the Raisthorpe Flyers were out, indeed I saw a wind blown cloud of gun smoke blow over the tops of nearby trees at one point. I think they were target shooting using some kind of musket...though I am not at all sure. I started outlining the view in order to capture the main elements. A klaxon sounded and the shooting stopped. I continued painting, working on the sky. Another klaxon sounded and the shooting resumed. As I worked several vehicles passed by me on the Thixendale road, including a large tractor with ploughing rig attached, which inched past very carefully. One vehicle stopped and reversed, wound down the window, it was my friend from Burdale, the talented mason. He remained parked, blocking the narrow road as we chatted. "Ya cant kep away" he said with a smile, and smiled more when I mentioned the 'Burdale Ash'. It was good to stop painting, to confirm some aspects of the view, the distant trees behind the stable were more sycamores. I painted on, more shooting, and then klaxoned silence. The sound of vehicles made me turn round, several black Range Rovers and four by fours were traveling down side of William Dale, and along a private track back towards Raisthorpe Hall. The shooting, I thought, had finished. Shortly after, the klaxon sounded  again and shots could be heard. I carried on painting. The field was full of suspicious sheep who became very mobile racing towards each other, then suddenly stopping, and looking towards me. I carried on finishing the painting. The edge of the field in front of me was overgrown with weeds, convolvulus, binding up tall pale umbrals, which hung onto the dark disc seeds, on impossibly delicate, floretted seed heads.The ash tree on the right side of painting is significant, they are suffering from ash dieback and suddenly disappearing from the landscape. Ash trees were recently felled near Thixendale which must have been three hundred years old. so I wanted to capture this one in particular. I carried on painting. As I finished vehicles passed as if in convoy, I realized the shoot had finished as I watched them driving away towards Burdale. As they drove past, they waved and smiled, they had had a good day and I was pleased for them. The gate behind me opened and a Kawasaki RTV emerged, laden with cardboard boxes linked to the shoot, which I sought of reinforced my notion that the shoot was not a game shoot. We exchanged hellos and they cheerfully drove off…I never realised before now how many makes of RTV were used.

Can you see the Burdale postbox?

 

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