SEASONS GREETINGS.

RINGING THE BELL FOR CHRISTMAS

Seasons greetings to all my friends out there in the blogosphere.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.



 I will not be making any more postings until  the New Year as I want to spend as much time as possible with my family. I will be back again in 2011. Your comments will still be uploaded.

VIEWING THE WORLD THROUGH A WINDOW.

WINDOW AT OLD WARDOUR CASTLE

                       Rosiness is not a worse windowpane than
                       gloomy grey when viewing the world.

                                                                                            words - Grace Paley.                                                    

TRAIN SERVICE - DRIVING YOU UP THE WALL?

TRAIN SYSTEM DRIVING YOU UP THE WALL?

People often say that the British train service drives them up the wall. Late trains and cancelled services all seem to conspire to make the journey as difficult as possible. Well these two shots taken at Bournemouth Train Station prove that point.

Most passengers at the station never notice this pair of shoes half way up a wall on platform two. None of the staff at the station know when or why they were put there but I do know that they have been there for at least the past ten years.

Perhaps it was a passenger who just got fed up with waiting for her train - drives you up the wall doesn't it?

WORLD PEACE STATUE.

WORLD PEACE STATUE - NORMANDY

This is the World Peace Statue which is situated at Grandchamp Maisy in Normandy, France.
It is made from stainless steel - weighs 16 tons and is 10 metres tall.  It was designed by Yao Yuan and was shipped from Guangzhou the capital of South China's Guangdong Province.
It left China on April 15th 2010 and arrived in Normandy and was erected in time for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day on June 6th.
According to Yao Yuan "it represents the Chinese people's desire to safeguard and promote world peace".

NIGHT'S SWIFT DRAGONS..............

Night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
   And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger;
At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there,
   Troop home to churchyards.

William Shakespeare - 'A Midsummer Nights Dream'

THE WELCOMING SEAT.

THE WELCOMING SEAT

About six years ago I walked the Cleveland way over five days during the Spring. The Cleveland Way extends for 108 miles skirting the edge of the North York Moors National Park.
About a mile from Saltburn-by-the-Sea I came across this seat. I sat down intending to have a 5 minute break  and the next thing I knew I checked my watch and I must have fallen asleep for just over an hour.

The entry in the official guide book for the walk refers to this seat :-
'Towards the top of the lane there is a welcoming seat below a curved stone wall.'

The seat was very welcoming for me as I was obviously tired.

STYLISED HEAD - HENRY MOORE.

STYLISED HEAD

This stylised head is part of a sculpture called  'Reclining Figure:Angles' by Henry Moore. The face seems to have a fascinating calmness about it which appears more obvious the longer you observe it.

SCULPTURE IS AN ART OF THE OPEN AIR - Henry Moore.

JENNY BRADLEY.

JENNY BRADLEY AND TALLER COMPANION

Standing beside the ancient drovers road of Thurkilsti and Rutland Rigg ( on the Cleveland Way) can be found the stone known as Jenny Bradley. She stands at the side of the track with a taller companion.

Jenny is set into a medieval stone base and has a broken shaft. Her taller companion is a boundary stone which marks the beginning of the Ingleby Estate.

A ROMANTIC RELIC.

DOORWAY AND STEPS -WARDOUR CASTLE

 Old Wardour castle is situated near Tisbury not far from Salisbury in the county of Wiltshire.
These  magnificent remains of a doorway and steps at the castle stand as a romantic relic of a time long past.
The castle was built in the 14th century and was partially destroyed during the civil war suffering a major bombardment by the Parliamentarians.
Lady Blanche Arundell who's husband was in Oxford at the time the enemy forces arrived had to defend the castle with a small garrison of only 25 men. The force against her numbered 1300 but Lady Blanche refused to surrender holding out for a number of days before being overrun and finally being forced to give in.

It is said that the ghost of Lady Blanche can sometimes be seen walking down the steps and across the castle grounds towards the lake.

THE CROWN OF THORNS.

BRYN CADER FANER

There are lots of standing stones in the UK. There are various types and they appear as circles, lines or singly.
My favourite circle is the one shown here. It is Bryn Cader Faner and is situated in the county of Gwynedd in Wales. The nearest town is Portmadog.
This is a Bronze Age site and of the original 30 stones 15 remain standing. The stones are about 6ft in height and lean outwards.
It is best to approach the stones from the south and then you wll get this superb view which seems to resemble a Crown of Thorns.

THE NEW RELIGION.

THE NEW RELIGION

I have often heard it said that commercialism is the new religion. Tesco the supermarket chain has just opened  a new store at Westbourne Bournemouth in this old Methodist church. It is a beautiful building and no changes have been made to the exterior.The interior has been completely ripped out apart from the pillars and now it contains aisles of food instead of aisles between pews. It all seems a little bizarre.  

WOOD AND METAL.

WOOD AND METAL

      Colour or Black & White ?

IN MEMORY.

LEST WE FORGET

MERRIVALE STONE ROWS.

MERRIVALE-THE LARGEST STONE ROW

On Dartmoor there are over 60 known stone rows. They remain an enigma - no one knows for sure why they were built. At Merrivale  there are three rows, two double and one single. Both the double rows run from east to west but they are not parallel.
This photograph shows the largest of the three stone rows and is 264 metres (864ft) long and contains over 200 stones.
The closest town to Merrivale is Tavistock and the nearest village is Princetown.

CHURCH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW - BOW

BOW VILLAGE CHURCH

The church of St Bartholomew at the village of Bow is in the Diocese of Exeter in the county of Devon. The church is oddly distant from the main part of the village and is not easy to find.
It is thought to have been built in the year 1170 by Sir William de Tracey as a penance for his role in the martydom of St Thomas a Beckett.
The church has been expanded from the original building. It was first dedicated to St Martin and was changed
to St Bartholomew in the 19th century although the reasons were not recorded.

One point of interest is regarding the altar rails. Apparently these cost £5 in 1680 plus an additional fee of 3/- for the horse transport that brought them from Crediton.

Well that makes you reflect on inflation.......

A DOOR OF STYLE.

A DOOR OF STYLE

This door can be seen on one of the buildings surrounding the Cathedral in the city of Exeter.

SOME COTSWOLD CHARACTERS.

GARGOYLE AT WINCHCOMBE

GARGOYLE AT WINCHCOMBE

GARGOYLE AT WINCHCOMBE

A selection of Cotswold Gargoyles - Typical of Cotswold villages is Winchcombe where the church is decorated with numerous gargoyles which show an ancient stone-masons sense of humour.
These photographs were taken whilst walking the 'Cotswold Way' which stretches for 102 miles from the city of Bath at the southern end to Chipping Campden at the northern end. The route hugs the Cotswold Scarp and is well worth the effort.

TOP WITHENS-THE RUIN ON THE MOOR.

TOP WITHENS

Top Withens is the ruin on the moors near Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire that is reputed to have inspired 'Wuthering Heights' written by Emily Bronte. The novel was published in 1847 under the masculine pseudonym Ellis Bell.

RUST ON THE PIER.

 

MOORING RING - BERWICK-UPON-TWEED

This mooring ring was seen at the end of the stone built pier at the historical town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
I love the way that the wear from the mooring ropes can be seen on the ring, this and the rust just spells the passing of time to me.
Berwick-upon-Tweed is situated on the Northumbrian coast and is certainly worth a visit.

ALUM CHINE - DORSET.



ALUM CHINE SUSPENSION BRIDGE

Alum Chine near Westbourne at Bournemouth in Dorset derives it's name from an unsuccessful attempt to mine and manufacture Alum during the late 16th century. The deposits proved uneconomic and by the mid 17th century all mining had ceased.
In 1892 a young Winston Churchill fell from a bridge in the Chine nearly losing his life and it is often thought that the Suspension bridge was the bridge in question. In actual fact the bridge from which he fell was a Rustic bridge located further up the Chine. That bridge was replaced in 1922 with a Spandrel/Arched bridge.
The Suspension bridge was built by David Rowell & Company in 1903 at a cost of £480

St MARY'S CHURCH - SIXPENNY HANDLEY - DORSET

St Mary's Church - Sixpenny Handley - Dorset

A view of the embattled square tower of St Mary's Church at Sixpenny Handley in Dorset.
The belfry contains three bells.

The church is of mainly Gothic architecture and has a sturdy porch built of stone with a brick interior.
Inside the main area of the church you will see a splendid wooden beamed roof and a font from the early 12th century with straight supports on each corner.

The name Sixpenny Handley comes from SEXPENCE (Hill of the Saxons) and HEAN-LEAH (High wood clearing).

THE FERRYMAN'S END - BODHISATTVA

 VICTORIA'S WAY sculpture and philosophy park - Wicklow, Ireland.

All the sculptures at Victoria's Way are modelled and carved in Mahabalipuram, Madras, India by the Master Sculptor T. Baskaran and then shipped to Ireland.

This is one of the 'Forest Sculptures'. Each one symbolises a stage- a crossroad or impasse on the journey to the full realisation of one's true self. The individual who responds naturally and spontaneously to the world completes the journey easily and finds fulfilment and joy. However, the cultured or over-regulated individual, the one who has lost the capacity to act spontaneously, encounters many obstacles and much distress.

''The Ferryman's craft lies dead in the water unable to move, he can no longer reach the 'other' shore and touch it. Unable to touch he cannot become real and fully energised. Unmoving he sinks and dies''.

The sculpture of the Ferryman's End is a metaphor for the individual who is losing touch with the REAL world, personal or general.

Credit: Words of Philosophical interpratation by VICTORIA'S WAY.

HEADS - HEAD 9

HEADS - HEAD 8

HEADS - HEAD 7

HEADS - HEAD 6

HEADS - HEAD 5

HEADS - HEAD 4

HEADS - HEAD 3

HEADS - HEAD 2

HEADS - HEAD 1

THE NEXT FEW POSTINGS WILL SHOW A SELECTION OF 'HEADS' SEEN IN AND AROUND OXFORD.

WINDOWS ARE..............

Windows are a portal to a different world.

The inside looking out, or
The outside looking in.

Life looking at death, or
Death looking at life.

Heaven looking at hell, or
Hell looking at heaven.

Viewpoint is everything.


T.van der Kelf .

'TIS A FEARFUL THING'

'Tis a fearful thing to be no more,
Or if it be, to wander after death;
To walk, as spirits do, in brakes all day;
And when the darkness comes to glide in paths
That lead to graves; and, in the silent vault,
Where lies your own pale shroud,to hover o'er it,
Striving to enter your forbidden corpse.


JOHN DRYDEN

THE ARCHWAY.

The Archway at St Andrews Church ruin above Church Ope Cove on Portland Dorset.

Gravestones of victims of the Black Death can be seen in the graveyard.

It has been reported that a mysterious cowled figure has been seen passing under the archway.

THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS.

All the customers have left but the atmosphere remains. This is the essence of the aura of past shadows.

The Gardens of Moreton Tea Rooms- Dorset.

A PRESENCE.

For a moment of time he stood face to face there with a presence, that was neither man nor beast, neither the living nor the dead.........


From- The Great God Pan
By- Arthur Machen, 1894

YOUR OWN DEATH.

Look over your shoulder. You will notice a constant companion......Your Own Death. You can fear this visitor or use him for your personal gain.


Wayne W. Dyer

THE DARK WINDOW.

"When we were kids we often played in the grounds of the old Manor. Village gossip and rumour was that nobody had lived at the Manor for over thirty years. The gates were kept locked and there was a nine foot wall around the entire grounds but us kids found a way in by a large overhanging tree at the rear. We liked to play on a large open grass area at the front of the building and this was overlooked by a fancy style window. This window appeared dark and without any sign of life but sometimes we had an eerie feeling of being watched. On a few of these occasions we felt compelled to look up at the window only to see what appeared to be a grey face looking down on us all. The face then seemed to just fade into the dark window. As I said- the window appeared dark and without any sign of life..!!"


From: Reports of Hauntings.

A GRAVE, A CORPSE - NOTHING MORE.

How long have I been a slave to that
Limited person who must possess
All he desires?
All I own is a Skeleton,
In a Grave, A Corpse -
Nothing more.

From -
Awakening from the dream of me.
By David Manners.

THE STONE OF VENGEANCE.

This carved stone could be the remnant
of a medieval wayside pilgrims cross - however it is popularly believed to be a monument commemorating the assassination of Richard de Clare in the year 1135. This stone is known locally as The Stone of Vengenance or Dial Cerrig.

Richard de Clare and his party were attacked and slain by Morgan -ap -Owen and his supporters.

The killing was an act of revenge and some say that the Welsh had very good cause.

The stone can be found in the Black Mountains and is seen by hill walkers following the Beacons Way (Ffordd y Bannau).

Many people have reported a feeling of deep foreboding as they approached the stone..!

EGLWYS Y BEDD - CHURCH OF THE GRAVE.

This is his revenge
Hovering sombrely
Hovering sinisterly
Hovering dutifully
Hovering patiently
Calling the names
of those whose
time has ended-
So others can begin.'

From a poem by Amanda Vid.

Photograph of the Doom figure taken
at Partrishow Church.

THE LOCKED GATES

"The gates had remained locked for many years but the local people in the village reported that terrible sounds could be heard coming from the grounds on many a dark night.

Some described the sounds as being like the blood-curdling screams of the dead".

From: Reports of Hauntings.

LYDFORD CASTLE

Lydford castle is situated on the western edge of Dartmoor and has been described as 'one of the most heinous,contagious and detestable places within the realm'. There have been many reports of the castle being haunted by the ghost of Judge Jeffreys who was known as the 'Hanging Judge'.

THE GLOOMY PASSAGE

'As I entered the gloomy passage the temperature dropped rapidly. Something brushed past me. It appeared to be a damp mist in the shape of a cloaked figure. When it reached the far end it seemed to pass through, just leaving it's rough shape imprinted on the wall'.

FROM: Reports of Hauntings.

THE DEPARTED DEAD

While yet a boy I sought for ghosts,and sped
Through many a listening chamber,cave and ruin
And starlight wood,with fearful steps pursuing
Hopes of high talk with the departed dead.

Percy Bysshe Shelley