Earlier in the week around 500 Liverymen and Freemen of the City of London, many dressed in their royal blue robes and straw boaters, exercised their 11th century right to herd their sheep across London Bridge into the City without paying the bridge toll.
The procession was lead by Lord Mayor of the City of London, and part-time sheep farmer, David Lewis. He was accompanied by his official bodyguards, the Company of Pikemen and Musketeers, in their uniform which dates from the time of King Charles I.
While I was aware of this ancient right, I was not aware that it was ever exercised, and I’m delighted it is! It is these strange and ancient rights which add so much of the colour and eccentricity to English (British) life and sadly too many are being abandoned.
This is for the alternative meme made available for anyone who doesn’t have a car and so didn’t want to do this week’s main meme. Many of us have of course chosen to do both! I deceided to do this with two extra rules: (a) the pictures must come from the first two pages of results and (b) each would be a skyscape. The latter was surprisingly easy; number 10 being the biggest challenge. Enjoy!
The Questions & Answers: You’re given 2 words and choose the word that you associate with the most … your first thought: 1. black / white 2. ocean / river 3. desert / mountains 4. sun / moon 5. day / night 6. chocolate / vanilla 7. swim / ski 8. beach / pool 9. birds / butterflies 10. cat / dog 11. wine / beer 12. even / odd
As I don’t drive (I never have and probably now never will) a slightly wacky, fantasy-esque, contribution this week. 🙂
The Questions & Answers: 1. What make or model was your first car? Pale blue Alfa Romeo Formula 1, circa 1960 2. What would be your dream vehicle? Magic carpet 3. What is your favorite color for a car? Metallic blue 4. What is your favorite speed to drive? Supersonic 5. Where is the stupidest place you’ve ever parked your car? In the village of War Drobe 6. Stick or Automatic? Robot-drive 7. What has been your favorite vehicle that you’ve owned? Tandem 8. How old were you when you got your drivers license? 4018 9. What is your favorite feature on a car/vehicle? Rotor blades 10. You’re going on a road trip – what vehicle would you rent if anything was available for you? MGA; and yes they did exist, quite some while before the much more famous MGB 11. Does your car have a name, if so what is it? Pegasus, unless you can think of a better name for a magic carpet!! 12. What one feature is a deal breaker in buying a car, ie: if the car doesn’t have it you won’t buy it? Wings; to go with the rotor-blades of course!
Just for fun I took the scan I used for this week’s self-portrait and mucked about with it in Photoshop and PaintShop Pro. Result: one sea blue, dis-armed hand.
The concept: a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search. b. Using only the first page, pick an image. c. Copy and paste the html into your blog or Flickr stream (the easiest way is to copy the URLs and then head over to the fd’s flickr toys link above and use the mosaic maker).
The Questions & Answers: 1. What was your favorite summertime activity as a kid? Cricket 2. What was your first pet’s name? Sooty 3. What model car did you learn to drive on? I didn’t; yes that’s right, I never have learnt to drive and I don’t want to. 4. What’s your proudest moment as an adult? I’m sorry I haven’t a clue 5. What are your top 3 hobbies (other than photography)? cats, science, books 6. Where do you call home? Greenford 7. Where did you call home at age 11 (or any age)? Waltham Cross 8. What word do you love to say? C**t 9. Where do you go to relax? Lying in the sun 10. Who was your first kiss? Jill 11. Least favorite food? Egg custard 12. Least favorite subject in school? Latin although it’s a close finish with woodwork.
This week’s self-portrait: 52 Weeks 28/52 (2008 week 36).
Taken in the car by the light of the streetlamps on the way home after a day out. (And no, I wasn’t driving!)
In fact we’d been to Lowestoft for the day (long trip!) as Noreen wanted to meet up with one of her aunts and discuss family history. we met Noreen’s cousin and her husband for lunch (yummy!) and then the “girls” spent the afternoon with their aunt while Tim and I amused ourselves (separately). I spent most of the afternoon on the seafront (which was cool, dull, intermittently wet and windy; with a good swell running on the outgoing tide) taking equally dull photographs. I know I saw the less interesting bits of Lowestoft, and the weather was against us, but sorry guys, the place is a dive. But it was a good day out and blew away some of the cobwebs.
Is it my imagination, or is the wheat harvest about a month late this year? There still seem to be farmers bringing in the corn harvest whereas in recent years it seems to have been all over by the end of July. Is it that we’ve had an especially cool, wet summer. Or that previous tears have been particularly forward because of warmer summers? Have farmers suddenly started planting later-ripening varieties? If so, why? Or is it just me imagining things?
This week’s self-portrait: 52 Weeks 27/52 (2008 week 35).
This is the one of the windows of the pub at 7 Shepherd Street in London’s Mayfair district. Taken on a very wet August Sunday morning. With the photographer caught unawares on the right.
Eccentric looks at life through the thoughts of a retired working thinker
