Yes, this week’s photograph is late. That’s because I have been trying to recover, and tidy up from, the Anthony Powell Conference at Eton College over the weekend — just cashing up the takings and getting everything to reconcile took near a full day.
Anyway the conference swan song was to take a group of the delegates (about a quarter of them) to Dorney Court, near Eton. The house dates from the mid-16th-century and is about as unspoilt as it is possible for it to be and still be a family home. The first image is the obligatory group photo prior to our tour of the house.
And here is the whole of the front of the house.
And finally a panorama of the church, St James the Less, Dorney which is in the grounds of the house. This is a delightful little church with a stupendous Tudor period tomb (pictures later).
This week’s photo is another from the archives. It is a superb piece of medieval stone carving of a woven pattern at Rochester Cathedral. The stone is not only carved but painted as well. I took this so long ago that I now cannot remember where it is in the cathedral or even if it is in a wall or floor.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr Woven Stone September 2008, Rochester Cathedral
There’s no story to this week’s picture except that Noreen has ancestors who come from Chipping Norton. Coincidentally I have ancestors from just a handful of miles away at Churchill and Kingham.
This is the 17th century gateway to the almshouses, complete with wonky gate (which looks to be of the same sort of date as the stonework!). And as you can see the almhouses and gateway are on a really wicked hill down from the town to the church.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr Almshouse Gateway September 2011, Chipping Norton
This week’s photograph is an interesting piece of ecclesiastical architecture in Saint Augustine, Brookland, Kent.
This looks to be a decorated window on which a Tudor form has been superimposed, apparently as part of a chantry chapel. It is a real challenge to photograph as the sill is above head height, there is a big built-in cupboard in front of it, plus two disused box pews (used for storage of things like cleaning mops!). The only way you can get square-on is to invade one of the (raised) disused box pews. It’s a pity the glass is so dirty as the colours of the trees through the window were lovely and would themselves have made a good shot.
Click the image for larger views in Flickr
Tudor Window July 2009; Saint Augustine, Brookland
Here’s one from years ago (like 2008) when I went to London Zoo — and yes, for some unknown reason they let me out again!
No story to this, just a pretty picture!
As regular readers will have noticed we were in Oxford yesterday where I spotted this mega cup. It was in the window of Alice’s Shop in St Aldate’s, almost opposite Christ Church. It is absolutely magnificent and I reckon probably holds at least a gallon (4.5 litres) because, yes, that is a normal sized cake stand next to it!
Click the image for bigger views on Flickr Mega Cup 25 August 2013, Oxford
OK, so here’s another recent shot for this week’s photograph. We have a rampant passion flower just outside out back door which produces some glorious flowers. This is from a couple of weeks ago.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr Passion Flower Greenford, August 2013
Meet Tilly … the latest addition to the household. She arrived last Friday evening. She is about 12 weeks old, the last remaining kitten of one of our neighbour’s two cats’ recent litters. Although they aren’t brilliant pix, these are two of the first photos of her.
Needless to say Col. Harry H Katt RN(rtd), 86, of Tunbridge Wells is not at all impressed and is manning the barricades with his old Boer War musket and some rather unparliamentary language. Later today he will be auditioning for the next Victor Meldrew series.
Well you can’t blame the poor old by really; it must be the cat equivalent of giving grandfather a random 5-year-old girl to live with him. I’m sure some accommodation will be found in due time, with the assistance of the UN peacekeeping force.
Talking a few minutes ago to a friend at Eton I was reminded of this photograph. It is an old one, from 2001, and was in the foyer of the Farrer Theatre at Eton College — clearly a student piece! Everyone found it rather amusing and admirable. Enjoy!
Another instalment 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.
I’ve blogged this “yard” before in Buggered Britain #13.
As you can see, it doesn’t materially improve with keeping.
Eccentric looks at life through the thoughts of a retired working thinker
