The beautiful Swallows formation which appeared below the Alton Barnes white horse at the end of the 2003 is one of the loveliest of all time, so I was pleased to see a swallows-based design appear in Alton again in 2008.  Although, with my art critic’s hat on, I must say it lacked the elegance of the first one by a long shot.

 

The new formation appeared on two nights, starting July 22nd, with a serious mistake made on the 2nd night (one bird’s wing was too large, and the crop had been lifted back up to try to hide it!).  But it was quite large and well loved by all.

 

This photo was shot by Dai Dobbs quite late in the summer when the grass was growing up in the formation, making for a dazzling, emerald sight!  There was a lot of damage in the field (who are these idiots who walk through the crop to get to formations which are easily accessible by tramlines?!), which I fixed with PhotoShop to restore the field to virgin condition.

 

Notice the 10 or 12 people standing in a meditative circle in the middle.