A Wander

Ah the dying suns rays brighten the darkest skies!
Actually it would be lighter but I set the camera to the wrong setting and this resulted.  Good enough for me I must say.  Doing that and pointing the camera at the sun gives a better picture as it hides the town beneath it, and that canny be bad.
I sauntered around half dead, I forgot to eat properly again, looking for unusual signs and views with which to entertain myself.  This meant walking slowly, as I do, looking up dreamily at the buildings in the High Street and being accosted by folks rushing past on more normal Saturday duties.  Tsk!  The taxi driver I unwittingly stood in front of was most kind, he picked me up and dumped me at the side of the road after running me down in that side street. 

   
I'm sure someone will know the significance of this flower (?) being placed at the entrance to the parish church.  There is a similar but different one at the other side.

It may just be decoration but it is the first time I have noticed these.  The advantage of actually 'looking' enables you to see what lies in front of you, the things that you ignore just because they are always there!  I still don't know what purpose these met.

Opposite the church door stands a tree that is home to some sort of bird.  Quite a large nest and it is only at this time of year these become exposed.  I wonder what nests here?  In one of the villages the zimmer bus passes through one tree has half a dozen very large nests visible high above the main road.  Clearly home to someone, Crows possibly?

This does not respond to my day!
I found this in a small shop, once upon a time a pub, which sells variety of ice cream to the kids and teenagers also I suspect.  Quite how it survives I do not know but it was open today and with a couple of folk inside.  There were other words on the other windows but this one can be used again and again, about twice a year if the present is anything to go by...

The town has lots of 'Gants.'  These are narrow alleys between buildings in the town centre mostly, the word originating most probably with the Flemish weavers in the middle ages when the arrived here to avoid persecution.  Many moved down the road into Bocking and their trustworthiness was such that the 'Bays & Says' they sold far and wide were never checked on arrival as their honesty was without reproach.  If it said so many yards then that is what you got!  
There were roadsigns placed at the gants a short while ago to remind us of the town's heritage, many being rather obvious such as this one but others being somewhat strange to the eye.

Now work that one out!
This relates to a small pub that once worked from the back door of the building next door to the sign.  There were an enormous number of pubs in this small town, in olden times many found them warmer and more social than their own rather poor housing, but others were cheap and not always so cheerful.  I would not like to guess what this one was like, not what was on the menu!

Can you guess what this is?
Yes indeed, it's used by a small dance company!
This once was the church vestry, used for such meetings and indeed was used by the town council in times past I am told.  Until recently a law firm stored their documents in here but they have moved to safer dwellings, I hope.