An array of traditional, timber-framed houses form the backdrop of a traditional market in a little village at Bekenscott. The rather utilitarian form of the bus garage presents a sight more striking in its form, especially given that the scene is set in 1930s England. I've been a bit unwell in the last week, which has hampered my ability to edit & publish old photographs as I've been doing, but passing near Bekenscott on my rounds last weekend was a good reminder to pick up some of these photos which have been on the waiting list for a long time. These were taken in 2017 & most likely by the time I next show my face, the scenes will be completely different, as the figures don't take well to the elements & need changing out every few years. That being said, I can't help whenever I see these photos how relatively recently it was that rural & small town life was pretty much as it had been for centuries. Economies were still quite localised. Farmers still brought fresh produce into town & sold direct to the consumer at the local market. Different areas would have their specialist trades for which they were known nationwide. Even as long-distance travel had become a possibility for the average rural family, most people still got around by public transport - train or bus. Vehicles such as cars, lorries, and trains were designed to look the part. It was still an era when everything we'd consider "quintessentially British" was still a part of the everyday working landscape. Today it feels like many of those things are a world away, yet the scenes modeled are barely 100 years old, at a time when many of the conveniences of modern life were emerging, if they hadn't already done so, even as many of the things that now evoke nostalgia were still commonplace. So if this doesn't suggest a starting place for bringing back the best of both worlds, what does? #Bekonscott #market #nostalgia #BestofBritish #foreverEngland #QuintessentiallyBritish #thisisme #traditionalist #learnfromthepast #heritagetreasure #localism #smallbusiness #vernaculararchitecture #timberframe #traditionalarchitecture #localcommunity #rurallife #ideas #blog #goodlife #happyplace #Bloganuary (at Bekonscot Model Village) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnuL-ShIMYu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=