Winter is dark and whilst the arrival of Snowdrops heralds the early signs of spring, the nights are still dark. What is needed is for someone to conjure up a colourful festival to raise the spirits and light up the dark nights. That is just what Compton Verney have done with their spectacular light display in the grounds of their beautiful estate. What would the landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown who designed the gardens think of a light extravaganza that took advantage of the reflections from the lake and the other structures such as the bridge across the river? I am sure he would have been proud of this artistic light show.
The opening night was cold and dry with a waxing gibbous moon rising in the clear night amongst the stars. The lights lit up the night sky and it was exciting to see the house from afar as we approached from the main road. Once parked and through the main entrance, the path led us through the illuminated wood onto the shore opposite to the house. The bridge, grounds and house were all subject to a colourful rotation of lights that were reflected in the still lake. The trees shimmered in the water like colour ghosts.
Moving on through the grounds, we were guided by lanterns through red lit trees into tunnels of light. Everywhere you looked there were rich colours boldly painted on the black canvas of the sky. Once we had exhausted all the photographic opportunities, we realised how cold and hungry we were and luckily outlets from the Digbeth Dining Company were there to satisfy our needs. The hot food and drinks were very welcome. The quality of the food was high with lots to choose from and served piping hot.
Having taken so long to move around the grounds, we found that we were one of the last groups to leave. However it was to our advantage as we had no people to interrupt our photographing and were able to take pictures of several of the light exhibits without interference. The evening experience was unforgettable although it was good to get into the car and get the heating on for the journey home.
There is a more extensive article on the BBC website about the event.
Want to learn more, please visit the Compton Verney website for more information. If you are interested in learning more about the Digbeth Dining Club, their website is a good starting point.
You may like to see more of my pictures about Compton Verney on my blog. Enjoy the reading.
