An early summer evening in Banbury. Oxfordshire, where the children’s nursery rhyme, Ride a Cock-horse, is commemorated at Banbury Cross on the old London road. The statue of the “fine lady” on her white horse is notable for the tiny frog which has just avoided annihilation under the white horse’s hooves.
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes
Banbury Cross itself is now marooned on a traffic roundabout and is seldom to be seen without cars whizzing round. A nice touch, though, are the three play cock-horses at the foot of the cross. Cock-horses, essentially a horse’s head on a stick which goes between the legs, were popular children’s toys in the Victorian era. Astonishingly, I saw one being used by a young boy in Kensington Gardens, London, only a few days ago. It’s a refreshing change from the iPad.
All photos taken by Mike Evans with Leica M and 50mm Summilux ASPH.
