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medwinfrench.bsky.social
Mark French
@medwinfrench.bsky.social
120 followers 210 following 290 posts
Folk and roots music
Architecture and place
Natural environment
Climate challenge
'(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding' - Nic Lowe
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medwinfrench.bsky.social
Intrigued to find these pencil sketches on these old floorboards when I lifted the carpet. Don't remember seeing them before.
Perhaps the builder was planning three houses and considering the roof pitch.
#buildersmarks
Pencil sketches on bare old floorboards, appearing to depict a protractor and a perspective view of three house blocks.
November 23, 2025 at 5:10 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
This fab album 'Needless Alley' from @jonwilksmusic.bsky.social arrived yesterday.
A delight to sit and enjoy Jon's brilliant songwriting and musicality while reading the lyric book and admiring the
gorgeous artwork by @alexmerryart.bsky.social
Check it out here
jonwilks.bandcamp.com/album/needle...
The 'Needless Alley' album CD digisleeve with colourful artwork and open lyric booklet, laid out on a table with tour poster and notecard from Jon Wilks.
October 12, 2025 at 1:26 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Another high tide covering the weir beside the Old Dee Bridge in Chester.
#newsfromnoweir
@welsh-dee-trust.bsky.social
View across the River Dee beside the Old Dee Bridge, showing high tide covering the weir.
October 10, 2025 at 5:35 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Great to see Brooks Williams & Vera Van Heeringen in Chester on their autumn Song Roots tour.
A mix of duo and solo sets showcasing their songwriting with wonderful harmonies and interplay of guitars and mandolin.
Thanks to independent promoter @sboxmusic.bsky.social for bringing us great live music
Brooks Williams with guitar and Vera Van Heeringen with mandolin, both playing and singing into an ambient mic on stage in St Mary's Creative Space (the former church of St Mary on the Hill, Chester)
October 10, 2025 at 5:09 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Looking forward to Vera Van Heeringen & Brooks Williams in Chester tomorrow Thur 9th Oct on their #SongRoots tour.
Playing in the beautiful St Mary's Creative Space.
Brought to you by #SoundboxChester @sboxmusic.bsky.social
@rpmmusic.bsky.social
Get your tickets from
wegottickets.com/event/654715/
Poster for Brooks Williams and Vera Van Heeringen's October Song Roots Tour dates
October 8, 2025 at 9:15 AM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Thrilled to finally get to see #FrankieArcher play live at St Mary's Creative Space in Chester last night. An innovative musician, engaging performer, and creative interpreter of traditional songs.
Great opening set by #ClaraDay.
Thanks to @urbanroots.bsky.social for bringing us great live music.
Frankie Archer on stage at St. Mary's Creative Space, Chester, playing electric fiddle, with her sequencer deck beside her. Frankie's stage costume is a wedding style dress and a halo.
October 7, 2025 at 8:05 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Today is #BandcampFriday when @bandcamp.com waive their fee. A good day to support independent musicians by buying music and merch, knowing what you pay all goes to the artist.
The next Bandcamp Friday is not until 5th Dec, so buying something today will help artists keep making the music you love 🎶
October 3, 2025 at 11:37 AM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
High tide on the River Dee in Chester this afternoon.
Time to repeat the pun...
'NO WEIR TO BE SEEN'
@welsh-dee-trust.bsky.social
View of the River Dee in Chester from the Old Dee Bridge with the high tide covering the weir.
September 25, 2025 at 4:11 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
We loved 'Three Acres And A Cow' at the Wesley Church in Chester last Thursday. Thank you @threeacresacow.bsky.social and @cynefinmusic.bsky.social for a fantastic evening 👏
The cast of 'Three Acres And A Cow' starting the final song in the show, with the completed 'Washing Line of History' and the beautiful arched stained glass window of the Wesley Church, Chester behind. them
September 21, 2025 at 7:42 AM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
An enjoyable and enlightening show from 'Three Acres And A Cow' in the beautiful setting of the Wesley Church in Chester.
'A History Of Land Rights And Protest In Folk Song And Story' it was fun to sing along.
Catch them on tour, if you can!
@threeacresacow.bsky.social
@cynefinmusic.bsky.social
Three performers preparing for the closing song in the show 'Three Acres + a Cow'. They are standing in front of a washing line hung with paper banners printed with the dates and titles of each of the chapters in the history of land rights in Britain from 1066 to the present day.
September 19, 2025 at 2:36 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Well, this was exciting! A Eurasian Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) feeding nectar from Salvia (Pink Lips) flowers right outside the window!
First time seeing this beautiful moth species!
September 5, 2025 at 10:10 AM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Balchladich sunset
...just before a thunderstorm
Sunset over the sea, with waves breaking on a pebble beach. The sun is behind clouds, but rays of sunlight fan out into the blue sky above.
August 13, 2025 at 8:06 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
The beautiful pink sands of Clashnessie Bay, Assynt, Sutherland.
The pink sand is a result of the weathering and erosion of Old Red Sandstone bedrock, which is softer than the Lewisian Gneiss rocks and boulders around the beach.
@walkhighlands.co.uk
@historicassynt.bsky.social
View of a pink sandy beach with some rocky outcrops. A wave breaking on the shore and a grassy headland beyond.
August 12, 2025 at 9:47 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
A little way up the Glen Loth road from the remote Kildonan railway station, a stone bridge crosses over Craggie Water, below which a series of falls tumble down a tree-lined rocky ravine towards the Helmsdale River in the Strath of Kildonan.
View looking down from a bridge into a deep ravine with a dark river and white water cascading between rocky outcrops. Tall trees towering above on either side and beyond these are distant, heather covered hills.
August 10, 2025 at 8:35 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Distracted from my weeding by these Common Field Grasshoppers (Chorthippus brunneus) sunning themselves on the garden fence.
#grasshoppers
@the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social
@recordlrc.bsky.social
Profile view of a Common Field Grasshopper perched on the edge of a timber fence board View of a Common Field Grasshopper resting on a timber fence rail.
August 3, 2025 at 9:11 AM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Interesting to watch this Little Egret fishing near the lip of the weir on the River Dee in Chester.
The technique seems to be to circle the shallows while holding its head at a low angle, looking for potential prey.
It appears to catch a small fish.
@rspb.bsky.social
@welsh-dee-trust.bsky.social
August 2, 2025 at 7:39 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Tomorrow 1st August, will be #BandcampFriday

That means @bandcamp.bsky.social will be waiving their sales fee again, and what you spend goes straight to the artists you care about.

So you can support musicians to the max by buying CD, vinyl, digital download, or merch on Bandcamp tomorrow.
Bandcamp Friday returns this week, Friday 1st August
July 31, 2025 at 8:59 AM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Happy to discover we have froglets (juvenile European Common Frog) sheltering in a log pile in the garden. This one showed off its ability to climb the near-vertical face of a log, before tumbling to the safety of the long grass.
@the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social
@recordlrc.bsky.social
July 28, 2025 at 10:55 AM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
A good crop of scarlet berries on the Rowan tree this year, looking particular vibrant in the evening sunlight against a deep blue sky.
#rowanberries #nofilter
@the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social
@treesforlife.bsky.social
@rspb.bsky.social
Looking up at a Rowan tree (Mountain Ash) and its clusters of bright red berries, with a background of deep blue sky.
July 26, 2025 at 6:48 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
What's your favourite post-donation biscuit?
Mine is Fruit Shortcake.
If you like a biscuit, a nice cup of tea and a sit down, but are not already a blood donor, please consider giving it a try.
Every blood donation can help up to 3 people, potentially saving, or greatly improving lives.
#GiveBlood
Two Welsh Blood Service vans parked outside the Blood donation session at Wings Sports & Social Club at Airbus, Broughton. A pack of Crawfords Fruit Shortcake biscuits and a cup of PG Tips tea on the refurbishment table at a blood donation session.
July 9, 2025 at 9:24 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Wonderful #houseconcert from Eleanor Dunsdon & Gregor Black at #FolkAtTheLodge Chester.
An innovative harp and percussion duo playing beautiful original music and fresh arrangements of traditional tunes and songs.
Catch them playing live if you can.
#folkatthelodge
@andyscargill.bsky.social
Duo Eleanor Dunsdon (harp & vocals) and Gregor Black (drums, bodhran & percussion) playing to a house concert audience at Folk At The Lodge, Chester
July 8, 2025 at 11:57 AM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Inspiring day last Thursday at the #RSAW Royal Society of Architects in Wales Summer Conference exploring the theme #ThePowerOfPlace. What better setting than #Portmeirion, the Italianate vision of architect Clough Williams-Ellis, nestling above the estuary of the River Dwyryd, #NorthWales
View from the Town Hall (conference venue) towards The Dome (Pantheon). In the foreground is a bronze statue of Hercules. The tall tower in the upper right is known as The Campanile. View from The Hotel showing the dramatic location of Portmeirion village perched high above the estuary of the River Dwyryd. The distinctive Campanile is a landmark on the skyline. In the foreground are topiaried trees and a flagpole flying 'Y Ddraig Goch' (the red dragon), the flag of Wales. The Blue oval of an outdoor swimming pool is visible at the base of the hillside. View across to the Central Piazza at Portmeirion. In the foreground is a giant chessboard. Stone steps lead up to a a paved, and beyond that a fountain pool and the Gothic Pavilion.
June 29, 2025 at 12:35 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
🙌 @ldadesign.bsky.social I enjoyed Clare's talk very much. Part of an inspiring day in #Portmeirion at the #RSAW Summer Conference.
June 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
View across Clew Bay to Croagh Patrick from The Point, aka Roman Island, a small peninsula near Westport Quay, Co Mayo.
The pink flowers in the foreground are sea thrift. The ruined structure jutting into the sea is the Old Bath Hotel Pier.
@wildatlanticway.bsky.social
@mayodotie.bsky.social
A view across Clew Bay to the distinctive cone-shaped mountain of Croagh Patrick, from The Point, a small peninsula extending from Westport Quay. The pink flowers in the rocky foreground are sea thrift. There is a ruined structure jutting into the sea, is the Old Bath Hotel Pier on Roman Island.
June 24, 2025 at 3:40 PM
medwinfrench.bsky.social
Great to see virtuoso banjo player, singer-songwriter & guitarist Dan Walsh at St Mary's Creative Space, #Chester. His playing spans blues, folk, Irish trad, even Indian raga. Always an enjoyable performer.
Fab support by bluesman Raphael Callaghan.
Opening set @rpmmusic.bsky.social's Home Side.
Dan Walsh playing banjo and singing at St Mary's Creative Space, Chester with a colourful stained glass window behind him. Dan Walsh playing acoustic guitar and singing at St Mary's Creative Space, Chester with a colourful stained glass window behind him. Liverpool born blues man Raphael Callaghan playing slide guitar and singing at St Mary's Creative Space. A colourful stained glass window behind him. Local Chester band 'The Home Side' playing a short opening set at St Mary's Creative Space. Behind them is a colourful stained glass window. The band members are Ian Sotherton (bass guitar) Rose Price (acoustic guitar/lead vocals) Martin Medina (acoustic guitar/vocals)
June 22, 2025 at 6:52 PM