....... About five miles north of Storrington is the small hamlet of Shipley, the main feature of which is a windmill, built in 1897 and the home of writer and politician Hillaire Belloc from 1906 to 1953. Ten years ago, the mill was used by BBC as the home of 'Jonathan Creek', the comedic sleuth, in the TV series of the same name:



I was saddened to discover that the mill is under renovation and does not therefore look as picturesque or photogenic as it might have done, two of its four sails having been removed. However, 'The Saltire' seemed pleased to be there:



We then went for a very short walk to benefit from the crisp New Year air and, whilst I expected my feet to tire fairly quickly, I was surprised when 'The Saltire' wanted to rest at an ancient bridge over the River Adur:



Returning to Bicknell Grange via the beautiful Sussex countryside, the moment seemed right for a brief photo-shoot at THE sundial. First a joint shot:



and then 'The Saltire', posing in its own inimitable manner:



Just a few days more and our little friend will have to wing its way back to California before, hopefully, returning to the United Kingdom and Dumfries for The Ferintosh Burns Supper weekend. However, we have a few more outings planned (unbroken frosts permitting) before 'The Saltire' heads westward.

To be continued........

Take care,
Ham.