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| Watchdog in Misson |
Misson is a substantial village in northern Nottinghamshire. It sits by The River Idle amidst rich arable land. By car you reach it via one of two country lanes - either from Bawtry two miles to the south west or from the Haxey/Doncaster road - three miles north of the village.
Misson is a very peaceful settlement - like a forgotten village. Once it was much more self-contained than it is today - with three shops, two pubs, a parish church, two methodist chapels, a school and a proud, independent spirit. There was an annual fair and a ferry service that took villagers on the short trip across the Idle. Nowadays some of the houses are owned by commuters and other incomers but in past times the village was very insular.
As your intrepid reporter explored the mean streets of Misson, he came across a young artist at work. He was standing on a street known as Gibdyke looking towards the church. We chatted for a while. He was a very pleasant young man and someone with whom I felt an immediate connection. It turns out that he spent a year as an Art teacher in a Doncaster secondary school but could not bear it. "It was sucking the life blood out of me," he admitted. And so he decided to follow the yearning in his heart, becoming a professional artist - albeit one who is fortunate enough to be married to a full-time nurse.
His name is Andrew and he asked me to snap a couple of pictures of him for possible inclusion in his website which you can see here. Perhaps you would like to help a destitute artist by purchasing one of his paintings or even arranging a commission?
Soon I left Misson, heading northwards to Misson Springs and the Haxey road, feeling glad that like Capatain Cook I had discovered the place but also somewhat envious of those who have always called Misson home. What a splendid village to come home to. Peace and community and the sound of the wind buffeting across the fields.
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| The River Idle west of Misson |
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| St John the Baptist Church in Misson |
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| River Lane, Misson |
I like that guy's art, though I'm not really in a position to shell out £600 for a painting. :) Looks like a nice village! Did you sample the offerings at the White Horse?
ReplyDeleteSadly, "The White Horse" no longer operates as a proper pub. It's now an upmarket dining venue that is open at weekends only.l believe the village's other pub "The Angel Inn" is still ticking over nicely.
DeleteI also am fortunate enough to be married to a full-time nurse, and it was a great comfort, let me tell you, to know that if IBM ever gave me the boot at least someone in the family would always be able to find employment and we would not starve, and also that if I ever got a boo-boo she could both kiss it and make it well.
ReplyDeleteYoung Andrew is quite talented, but he has priced himself out of my market, I'm afraid. I do wish him well in his endeavors.
Nurse Ellie? I never knew that. Guys like us need nurses as wives to look after us and to mop our fevered brows. On a fellow's seventy fifth birthday he is entitled to lie late abed and to call out "Nurse! Nurse! Where is my breakfast?" Whereupon she will soon scuttle in with a delicious tray of breakfast delights.
DeleteDream on YP !
DeleteHush, hush my little sweetie pie and bring me a hot toddy.
DeleteMission seems like a nice little town. I love nice little towns - cities are not my scene at all.
ReplyDeleteI like Andrew's paintings...I hope he does well from his art. I feel sure he will.
He will if you order one Lee! Perhaps you could commission a painting of Hinchinbrook Island.
DeleteNot enough spare cents in my coffers, Yorkie (I've not much spare sense, either); and I've little room left on my walls now as it is with my own paintings and sketches hanging all about (although, mine aren't in the class of Andrew's)! :)
DeleteI didn't realise you were so strapped for cash Lee. I shall start a charity to raise funds for you. It will be called the HELLO charity (Help Lee Out). I have already made a yellow collection bucket and shall soon be shaking it in Sheffield city centre. It would be helpful if you could send me a picture of your good self, barefoot in raggedy clothing and looking very sad - like Cinderella.
DeleteLooks a pretty village YP especially with the sun shining on it. Shall now pop over to that site.
ReplyDeleteHe could create a nice picture of your farm Mrs Weaver... then I get 20% commission!
DeleteTwo living on the state. Nowt wrong with it but his draughtsmanship and colour need more practise or I suppose that is practice as he is living off the state.
ReplyDeleteWhich state are you talking about? The Russian state? I suppose he could have been a spy. I just thought he was a guy making money from art sales and commissions. I do like his self-portrait on the website's homepage.
DeleteIt's great that some of thee villages have survived. With centralization some of these places are lost.
ReplyDeleteIt is less easy to live in a distant village than it used to be. They are far less self-contained.
DeleteWhat a delightful village - all the different shades of colour in the brickwork.
ReplyDeleteAnd the lovely black and white dog surveying the world through the space beneath the blue gate.
Ms Soup
The dog was watching me before I saw him (or her). I have seen some old pictures of Misson which increase the place's appeal. If interested, go here Alphie:-
Deletehttps://themissonhub.wordpress.com/category/history/old-misson-in-photographs/
When I first saw this post's name on my dashboard, I thought you had made a typo and it should have been "Mission". But of course, you do not make typos (or if you do, I don't find them) and especially not in something as important as the headline of a post.
ReplyDeleteMisson looks a good place to live, for those who do either not work anymore or can work from home or have found work in the village itself. Everybody else, I suppose, will have to travel a lot to get from A to B, which is why I live where I live - in a town with a train station where I can do nearly all my errands on foot.
I've not yet looked at the artist's website but am glad he and his wife have found a way to make him live his dream. I do hope he does all the house work so that if she comes home from her exhausting job as a full-time nurse, she can rest her sore feet and drained mind.
I don't think artists do housework. Being creative is hard work - probably harder than having nice chats with hospital patients.
DeleteI think that you will also find the old photos of Misson interesting Miss A:-
https://themissonhub.wordpress.com/category/history/old-misson-in-photographs/
I visited David's website hoping to find his account of your meeting. Sadly it wasn't there which is a shame as it is nice to get both sides of the story.
ReplyDeleteYour photos of clear blue skies are very much a tonic though.
I noticed that Andrew (not David) is using my photo of him as a his profile picture on his Facebook page.
DeleteThat sounds rather idyllic in a charming sort of way. I shall look it up on the map. I always had a yearning to live in a rural village with its school, pub and shop. The nearest I got was living in Lymm in Cheshire (a 'village' of about 8,000 (?) people back in the early 70s).
ReplyDelete