Friday, 4 May 2012
7th Earl of Howard Monument
This picture was taken at the beginning of the drive from near the 'house' looking towards the monument, which was completed about 1870. I've cropped it to about half the original distance and it is still a very long drive... (with a couple of 'gates' in a couple of walls on the way).
Thursday, 3 May 2012
On York and Yorkshire
Another day another Minster - the largest in Northern Europe, one of the guides told me - apparently the Spanish have something larger. However, having taken some 260 years to build it would have to be excessively grand. A tennis-court-sized stained glass window is shrouded by its printed facsimiles while conservators remove each panel from its place, and painstakingly clean, re-lead, and replace the glass, so when finished it will be back to its original brightness. A couple of partially restored panels were displayed in lightboxes. An irreverent thought, such delicacy and detail didn't ought to be fixed into lead came, 50feet above those looking at it. Why must we see only coloured patches in a huge backlit window? Perhaps visitors to churches sporting such magnificent glass art should be issued with powerful binoculars so they can clearly see the detail in the large windows. Maybe a bank of (seaside) telescopes, requiring a coin to operate - that would bring in the money!
During my travels I have come to realise that many UK churches' stained glass is donated memorials to family individuals, or members of regiments felled in wars such as the Boer and the Great War. Magnificent stained glass often was installed well after a church or cathedral was built, or sadly, replaced original installations destroyed during the reformation (Henry the Eighth and his rewriting of divorce law at the bottom of that!)
I've had enough of historic buildings so went to Castle Howard yesterday. Yes, another historic building, but one built to glorify the great and powerful of politics and state. (Used as the site of both Brideshead Revisited productions) I was particularly drawn to the gardens, and aspects created by landscape artists - a joy to live in such manicured perfection. The rose garden will be fabulous in a month or so, for now the bushes are producing their leaves.
As I drove south towards Cambridge today I altered my view of Yorkshire, not the dour and sere moors, but fertile farms, many lighting the grey skies with large plantings of bright yellow flowering rape. It really is an uplifting colour, those who plant fields of rape cannot help feel happy when looking on the crop, it surely brightens the day for those hissing along the roads in the rain.
Tomorrow Cambridge. An encouraging weather forecast indicates the sun may show its face, for a few minutes at least. I'm going to do the park and ride, and get myself to the 'backs' where students disport themselves, and many a comic scene has been viewed as punters punt, or not, on the Cam.
During my travels I have come to realise that many UK churches' stained glass is donated memorials to family individuals, or members of regiments felled in wars such as the Boer and the Great War. Magnificent stained glass often was installed well after a church or cathedral was built, or sadly, replaced original installations destroyed during the reformation (Henry the Eighth and his rewriting of divorce law at the bottom of that!)
I've had enough of historic buildings so went to Castle Howard yesterday. Yes, another historic building, but one built to glorify the great and powerful of politics and state. (Used as the site of both Brideshead Revisited productions) I was particularly drawn to the gardens, and aspects created by landscape artists - a joy to live in such manicured perfection. The rose garden will be fabulous in a month or so, for now the bushes are producing their leaves.
As I drove south towards Cambridge today I altered my view of Yorkshire, not the dour and sere moors, but fertile farms, many lighting the grey skies with large plantings of bright yellow flowering rape. It really is an uplifting colour, those who plant fields of rape cannot help feel happy when looking on the crop, it surely brightens the day for those hissing along the roads in the rain.
Tomorrow Cambridge. An encouraging weather forecast indicates the sun may show its face, for a few minutes at least. I'm going to do the park and ride, and get myself to the 'backs' where students disport themselves, and many a comic scene has been viewed as punters punt, or not, on the Cam.
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Whoops, I missed Durham
I left Edinburgh in mizzling rain, and then, by the time I reached Berwick North, the rain had stopped and the fog was reducing visibility to about 20 metres at times. I decided to drive slowly - what else could I do? I had lunch at a pub somewhere, oven baked salmon with lovely, fresh green beans, broccoli and carrots. The berry crumble to follow was more of a compote, of redcurrants and strawberries, deliciously tart, with a crunchy topping. Didn't need dinner after that!
Just outside Durham, my accomodation for the night was delightful. Lovely comfy beds, a normal sized bathroom, definitely room to swing the proverbial (cat, I mean!) and, from my window, a view across the valley to a pretty village. By the time I arrived the fog had lifted which is why I could see the view.
This morning the view was even better as the sun was shining, weakly, but you take what you can get, the locals say. My hosts chatted me over the best prepared breakfast I've had so far, including pineapple and melon to start, mushrooms, just crisp enough bacon, scrambled egg and fresh, oven baked truss tomatoes. Such healthiness!
British bread is not good, when it's brown that is all it is. Even whole grain, when toasted, develops that awful empty crispness - almost sandy in texture.
There was a 6month old British Bulldog puppy in residence, clearly training itself to be a real character. They look really mean but are absolute sooks, in my experience. Not very bright, must be the shortage of oxygen getting to their brains through those scrunched up nasal passages.
York next, will do the must sees - the Minster, York Museum and try and finally see some of the Great Houses in the area. So far they've all been closed - out of season - or open 'tomorrow, or next week'. Weather forecast for tomorros is for SUN - maybe it will turn out correct!
Just outside Durham, my accomodation for the night was delightful. Lovely comfy beds, a normal sized bathroom, definitely room to swing the proverbial (cat, I mean!) and, from my window, a view across the valley to a pretty village. By the time I arrived the fog had lifted which is why I could see the view.
This morning the view was even better as the sun was shining, weakly, but you take what you can get, the locals say. My hosts chatted me over the best prepared breakfast I've had so far, including pineapple and melon to start, mushrooms, just crisp enough bacon, scrambled egg and fresh, oven baked truss tomatoes. Such healthiness!
British bread is not good, when it's brown that is all it is. Even whole grain, when toasted, develops that awful empty crispness - almost sandy in texture.
There was a 6month old British Bulldog puppy in residence, clearly training itself to be a real character. They look really mean but are absolute sooks, in my experience. Not very bright, must be the shortage of oxygen getting to their brains through those scrunched up nasal passages.
York next, will do the must sees - the Minster, York Museum and try and finally see some of the Great Houses in the area. So far they've all been closed - out of season - or open 'tomorrow, or next week'. Weather forecast for tomorros is for SUN - maybe it will turn out correct!
It's been a while
Somehow Edinburgh didn't have a blog in it at the time, or perhaps it was because I spent time with my long-lost cousin and his family, and the walk from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood House, then back to George Street to catch the bus was memorable more for the distance than for the sights - not really true.
I am rather crowd averse, and even more averse to packs of tourists - you know: Take a photograph of everything and if possible take a photo of every member of your party in front of everything, I don't know what is achieved but it looks as if they are enjoying it.
St Giles Church: has memorials, furnishings and the usual amazingly carved decorations on the ceiling and decorating much of the walls etc. A number of touching epitaphs on the memorials. There was a lovely carving of a very human John Knox, standing with other city notables flanking the main entrance (just about 60 cm high, I'll post the photo shortly).
As you walk down the Royal Mile, views are revealed down the alleys that connect to other streets, and the backyards of the many shops and pubs. Tourist trap heaven, I can't imagine why one would want to take up a special offer of 5 tartan scarves for £20.00, well, perhaps I can, very easy gift buying.
My visit to Holyrood House started out with a giggle. For your £10.75, you receive a digital audio device with a tour guide. The first one they gave me was in Dutch, the second in French, third time lucky got me the English version. I wondered, do I sound as if English isn't my first language?
The recorded guide was very informative and polite. "When you are ready, go left and through the next door, and push the green button to continue this commentary."
It must cost squillions to keep the place warm, some of the staircases are in the turrets - with open arrow slots, many of the windows seem to fit poorly, letting in frigid draughts.
Oh, and the other thing about Edinburgh, it was cold. Icy in fact when the breeze hit. My long walk day was sunny so hardy souls, equating sun with warmth, poor things, were out with bare arms. I noted that many of them were the types who sport tattoos, must be a sign of manliness to freeze your ... off.
I am rather crowd averse, and even more averse to packs of tourists - you know: Take a photograph of everything and if possible take a photo of every member of your party in front of everything, I don't know what is achieved but it looks as if they are enjoying it.
St Giles Church: has memorials, furnishings and the usual amazingly carved decorations on the ceiling and decorating much of the walls etc. A number of touching epitaphs on the memorials. There was a lovely carving of a very human John Knox, standing with other city notables flanking the main entrance (just about 60 cm high, I'll post the photo shortly).
As you walk down the Royal Mile, views are revealed down the alleys that connect to other streets, and the backyards of the many shops and pubs. Tourist trap heaven, I can't imagine why one would want to take up a special offer of 5 tartan scarves for £20.00, well, perhaps I can, very easy gift buying.
My visit to Holyrood House started out with a giggle. For your £10.75, you receive a digital audio device with a tour guide. The first one they gave me was in Dutch, the second in French, third time lucky got me the English version. I wondered, do I sound as if English isn't my first language?
The recorded guide was very informative and polite. "When you are ready, go left and through the next door, and push the green button to continue this commentary."
It must cost squillions to keep the place warm, some of the staircases are in the turrets - with open arrow slots, many of the windows seem to fit poorly, letting in frigid draughts.
Oh, and the other thing about Edinburgh, it was cold. Icy in fact when the breeze hit. My long walk day was sunny so hardy souls, equating sun with warmth, poor things, were out with bare arms. I noted that many of them were the types who sport tattoos, must be a sign of manliness to freeze your ... off.
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