Another in my occasional series documenting some of the underbelly of Britain. Britain which we wouldn’t like visitors to see and which we wish wasn’t there. The trash, abused, decaying, destitute and otherwise buggered parts of our environment. Those parts which symbolise the current economic malaise; parts which, were the country flourishing, wouldn’t be there, would be better cared for, or made less inconvenient.
This delight is near Harrow town centre and, as you’ll see, is part of the grounds of a primary school! And it has been in this state for quite some years.
Another from the archives this week — a wonderful tympanum over the door of Great Rollright church in Oxfordshire. Isn’t this just an amazing piece of Norman carving? I love the fish: is it supposed to be Jonah and the whale?
Great Rollright South Door Tympanum May 2014
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This week I’m going to cheat a bit for my weekly photograph. What I give you is a scan of one of my mother’s watercolours: one painted during the war when she was Warden of Leatherhead YHA. It’s interesting to compare this with her later work, as shown in my earlier post about Dora’s funeral, and see how her technique and style changed over the years.
Dora Marshall, Bedroom Window, YHA Leatherhead (The Old Rising Sun)
Watercolour, 30×22.5cm, ca. 1944
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Our house is currently awash with orchids in bloom, and in fact many have been in bloom for several weeks. This week’s photograph is of a gorgeous creamy-yellow Dendrobium which is on my study windowsill. While I never seem to be able to get the wonderful display of blooms the plants have when you buy them (well they won’t be getting optimum light, water etc.) orchids are not that hard to get back into flower — so if you have one, don’t throw it out when it finishes flowering.
Dendrobium Greenford; June 2015
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This week’s photograph is a wild flower, Red Campion, which was growing in the woodland burial site where we interred my mother last week. It is just a small taste of how delightful a place this is.
Red Campion Colney, Norwich; June 2015
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This week’s photograph is a view which it isn’t so easy to get: the spire of Norwich cathedral from the SW. It was taken from the back window of my mother’s solicitors reception area. What a stunning view to have out of your office window!
Norwich Cathedral May 2015
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Noreen found these two feathers in the garden yesterday afternoon. They are from a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. The top one, a secondary wing feather, is about 8.5cm in total length. The lower is a primary feather. Note the feathers come from different wings, as they curve in opposite directions.
GSW Feather Greenford, June 2015
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I spotted this on the menu of a Taylor Walker pub in central London — Mayfair, forsooth! — on Saturday. It raised quite a giggle amongst the assembled company.
This week’s photograph is one I took on Saturday. It shows the commemorative plaque to General Sikorski who was leader of the exiled Polish forces in WWII. The plaque is on the (astonishingly expensive) Rubens Hotel, right opposite the entrance to Buckingham Palace Mews, which was the Polish forces GHQ for most of the War. This is not just a piece of history for it will resonate with Anthony Powell fans. Powell spent most of his war years as Military Intelligence (Liaison) and for much of that time was the officer responsible for liason with the Polish Allies — so he would have known the Rubens Hotel well.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr to read the lettering Rubens Hotel, Polish Plaque London, 2 May 2015
I’m sorry the image isn’t brilliant, but the hotel’s display board is at comfortable reading height, so the plaque is a couple of feet above my head height and I’ve had to correct the verticals in the image.
Eccentric looks at life through the thoughts of a retired working thinker
