Simon English
England Revisited
Summer 1971: Simon English visited 75 points across the country to write the word 'ENGLAND' on England.
Summer 2010: Simon English made a new artwork by revisiting those points.
Observation 1971
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Point:
48
Letter:
E
Date visited:
17th August 1971
Flag:
On an ash tree in a hedge. 2 1/2 miles N.W. of Kenilworth. Near junction of Balsall to Warwick and Balsall to Kenilworth Road.
label
Observation 2010
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label
Point:
48
Letter:
E
Date visited:
24th August 2010
Observation:
On the same ash tree in the same hedge as in 1971. The fields and distant trees look the same as in the old photographs although a little taller and bigger.
The farm itself has changed quite a bit with changing times. It is still with the same family but by the next generation who have moved away from a land based economy to using the farm buildings. Originally a dairy farm, there was a time when horses grazed the fields and these were used in competitive carriage racing until recently. This year the fields are ‘resting’.
The farm buildings, which once were agricultural and for farm maintenance, have evolved to now being used to house high class carpentry & cabinet making workshops specializing in building bespoke wooden staircases.
The footpath that once ran through the farmyard, as was once the norm when a local agricultural working population walked to their place of work now runs along the back of the buildings. This must be a necessity where the nations ancient footpaths are used mostly for leisure walking and in this day and age, with greater mobility, by those whose use of footpaths is for a less benign purpose.
Points 50 & 48