This will probably be the last of the photographs here from our early April trip to York — but there are quite a few more on my Flickr photostream. This is a montage of 5 or 6 shots of York Minster from the SW.
It is well known, at least around here, that Britain has more than its fair share of eccentrics. And we have had for a very long time. Think back to John Aubrey, John Evelyn and even Samuel Pepys. Then there are the eccentric Victorian clergyman, with too much time on their hands, who investigated everything from stone circles to the propagation of primulas and photography.
This week another photo from our recent trip to York.
Another doggie picture this week. Well, this one isn’t so much a dog as a bear. I certainly wouldn’t like to have to keep the animal in meat! Spotted at Castle Howard a few weeks ago.
This week’s photograph is for Sue … One very mucky small terrier seen a couple of weeks ago on York station. Heaven knows where it had been as it wasn’t exactly a wet day.
As many of you know we were in York last weekend for as conference. And on the Sunday we had an outing to see the glories of Castle Howard. So here’s a panorama of the rear of the house.
Over the weekend I’ve been running the Anthony Powell Society Conference in York. Thanks to University of York we were able to use the magnificent King’s Manor, the university’s city centre base.
King’s Manor was originally built to house the abbots of St Mary’s Abbey, York and the Abbot’s house probably occupied the site since the eleventh century. However the earliest extant remains date from the 15th century. Following the abbey’s dissolution in 1539, Henry VIII instructed that King’s Manor be the seat of the Council of the North, a role it fulfilled until 1641. Following the Restoration the building was for some years the residence of the Governor of York. But since the late 17th century King’s Manor has been leased to various institutions until acquired by York City Council in the late 1950s and subsequently leased to University of York. It now houses the university’s Archaeology and Medieval Studies Departments.
Much of the original structure remains, and as you would expect is Grade I listed. This is photograph is the main entrance door and (although heavily restored) gives a good idea of the magnificence within.
This week a shot from way back in the archives. I took this on a visit to London Zoo back in 2008. Because it was a nice day the people watching was as good as seeing the animals. I couldn’t decide which were the better “inmates”.
Sorry, we’ve not had a photograph for a couple of weeks; there’s just been too much going on and I’ve not been doing any photography.
Over Easter weekend I’ve seen a Jackdaw in our garden on two occasions. We’ve been here nearly 35 years and this is a first for our suburban west London garden, although I have once in a while seen the odd jackdaw around. Whether they are just passing through, or whether there is a colony establishing somewhere near-ish, I have no idea; although as an area we don’t have any significant number of jackdaw-friendly buildings/chimneys for nesting. These aren’t brilliant photos — they’re grab shots taken with my point-and-shoot through the study window — but (at least for me) they are an interesting record.
Another from the archives this week — a montage, inspired by David Hockney’s techniques.
