During our Jersey/UK tour in May 2019, we visited the wonderful home of John Rustin who was a poet an artist plus an art critic. His home called “Brantwood” is on the shores of Coniston Water and we wandered through his amazing premises and his “Puratorial Mount gardens” and had a cup of tea and a bite to eat of course.
His passionate desire was to open people’s eyes to the free beauties surrounding them – sunsets, tender dawn light, iridescent feathers, spectacular natural crystals, green leaves against the blue sky, clouds, the vitality of Gothic architecture and ornament. His creed was: ‘There is no wealth but life.’
A pioneering conservationist, who foresaw the ‘green-house effect’ more than a century ago, Ruskin inspired the establishment of The National Trust, and the founders of the National Parks movement.
We then went on the Steam-powered Gondola ride across the lake Coniston where Donald Campbell did his final speed attempt and was killed in 1967. We alighted at the “Blue Bird Cafe and found a plaque dedicated to Donald Campbell and he was buried in the Parish Cemetery, Hawkshead Old Road, Coniston.
