Church Stretton Owls

Here's another 'away from home' blip, courtesy of Terry who was down south over the weekend. He spotted these owls at Church Stretton station in Shropshire. Terry explains: "Apparently a couple of trees near the railway platform had to be taken down as they were growing at a dangerous angle. This is what has been created from one of them. It's an interesting thing to do rather than leaving a tree stump."

According to an entry in Wikipedia, the station has been "adopted" by local volunteers and is regularly kept tidy by them, including the garden areas behind both platforms. In 2008 a group of volunteers undertook to transform the unattended station gardens and two years later were awarded the Station Gardens of the Year competition. In 2011 a tree sculpture depicting two owls was carved by David Bytheway.

Not far from the station, there are more of David Bytheway's carvings at the Allen Coppice Woodland Walks & Sculpture Trail. So, if you're ever in that neck of the woods (so to speak), you might want to take a detour to have a look.

And if anyone else has a blip you'd like to share with us please get in touch.