Nigel's Photo Blog

    Changing of the Guard, Buckingham Palace This evening,  am focusing on what has become a major London tourist attraction, namely the Changing of the Queen's Life Guard which is a daily event. As the name suggests, this ceremony entails replacing one set of ceremonial guards with a relief. At Buckingham Palace guard duty is usually provided by a battalion of the Household Division of the British Army. These are professional soldiers forming part of the Foot Guards of the British Army and are usually drawn from the Scots Guards, Irish Guards, Welsh Guards, Grenadier Guards and the Coldstream Guards. An impressive ceremony which usually attracts large numbers of tourists.  Here is a video clip of a marching band.   Buckingham Palace      Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace For visitors planning to watch the event early arrival is recommended.

    Steam Yacht 'Gondola', Lake Coniston This evening, I am posting information on Steam Yacht 'Gondola' which provides passenger trips on Coniston Water ( lake) in the English Lake District. Ownership of the vessel rests with Britain's leading heritage charity, the National Trust. The yacht was originally launched in 1859 to accommodate the emerging tourist market due to opening up of the area by building of rail links. Between 1860 and 1936 the yacht was in operation under ownership of railway companies. Subsequently, the vessel: became a house boat for a period; was beached and left derelict after a storm in the 1960s; was deliberately sunk to preserve the iron plates: was lifted in 1978 and subjected to a restoration programme; and re-launched in 1980. The shiny green boiler is of the Ffestiniog standard , narrow gauge locomotive design and powered by compressed sawdust. The engine has two cylinders in v-shape formation. The vessel can carry up to 86 passengers.

  This evening, I am posting information on the Roman Fort at Hardknott , Eskdale in the English Lake District. This was known as Mediobodgdum . Location is NW England near the town of Ravenglass or about sixty-two miles south of Carlisle . This is an elevated and remote spot accessible today via a winding back-road which does offer excellent landscape views. See video clip below for type of road journey. Key facts and information: Established in 2nd century AD ( between 117 and 138) when garrisoned by the Fourth Cohort of Dalmatians from the Balkans (S.E.Europe). These dates are more-or-less contemporaneous with the building of Hadrian's Wall . A cohort usually consisted of 480 soldiers. Demilitarised in late 140s then re-garrisoned in 160s. This re-occupation coincides with the abandonment of the Antonine Wall (in modern-day Scotland) and re-establishment of Hadrian's Wall as the northern frontier. Hardknott was abandoned in early 3rd century. A Roman Bath House is located n

  View from Pompeii Pompeii, a Roman city from the 1st century AD, has achieved fame worldwide as a consequence  of being buried under layers of lava pebbles, three types of pumice, and various types of ash in all about 4m/12 ft in depth due to a massive explosion of nearby Mount Vesuvius at around midday on or about October 24th., AD79. This entombed about 2000 people in the city, more in the nearby town of Herculaneum , with countless thousands of others dying in the surrounding countryside. This was the most catastrophic natural disaster ever recorded in European history. After the explosion, the town was forgotten until rediscovered in the 18th century. In 1860 the Italian government appointed a professional archaeologist to oversee excavations which are still in process today. To sum up the horrific deaths to thousands of the city's occupants caused by searing heat and suffocation is offset by the unique window this event has provided into a snapshot in time of

INTRODUCTION Recently I had time to spare whilst in Carlisle , NW England and in course of a 'walkabout' came across a most delightful Anglican church which dates from 1778.. The core of the information herein has been sourced from the 'Explore Churches' website.  Church interior looking west OVERVIEW A fine example of a Georgian church, complete with balcony as well as interesting stained glass windows depicting the life of St Cuthbert and a moving pulpit, the only one of its type in the country. Church interior looking east   PARTICULAR FEATURES Believed to have been dedicated by St Cuthbert, this is the fourth church on this site. The city has seen siege, rebellion, Border Reivers, but the church has remained as a quiet sanctuary for the people of Carlisle. When Oliver Cromwell closed the Cathedral Church in 1645, the Mayor and Corporation made St Cuthberts the Civic Church, and so it remains. Despite its city centre location, the church, open every day except Ch

]   Alnwick Tower This evening, I am focusing on the (now ruined) Bishops' Palace in Lincoln, England. Location is about 160 miles north of London. This building dates back to construction by Bishop Robert de Chesney in the 12th century and a re-build shortly afterwards by Hugh of Avalon (appointed 1186) as a  function of a serious earthquake. Summary chronology thereafter as follows: 1329: Fortifications under Bishop Henry Burghersh including a new gate-house. 1436-49: Refurbishment and updates under Bishop William Alnwick 1536: Damaged during the Lincolnshire Rising but repairs probably effected by time of visit of Henry VIII and Queen Catherine Howard in 1541. 1625-28: Repairs by Bishop John Williams. 1643: During English Civil War the Palace was used as a prison and materials such as lead taken from structure for munitions. 1648: Building fired during Civil War conflict. Demolition thereafter. 1652: Site acquired by Col. James Berry who converted the remains into a house. 1726:

   West Coast Railways staff from steam drawn charter train at Carlisle. Yesterday, I had an opportunistic encounter with a steam pulled charter train at Carlisle station in NW England.  Steam pulled trains are very popular with enthusiasts in the U.K. and this one was no exception with seats seemingly around 100pct occupied.  Many of the working engines are around 100 years old having been rescued from scrapyards and rebuilt. However, research has shown that the particular engine pulling the charter was 'special' in that it was the first steam engine to have been built from scratch (in U.K.) since 1960, having been completed in 2008.Name of the engine is 'Tornado'. Here is more information: TORNADO LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive built by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Completed in 2008 at the cost of around £3 million, it is the first newly built main line steam locomotive in the UK since Evening Star in 1960.  View of the Tornado a

  Carlisle Cross and Old Town Hall Tonight I am reporting on Carlisle a city of 101,000 persons in NW England. The city is famous for it's castle and being located close to the western end of Hadrian's Wall , a Roman period fortification. Close to the city flows the River Eden which has caused significant flooding damage in the past.To the east are the hills of the North Pennines whilst to the SW is the Lake District with it's scenic fells (hills)| and lakes.  Carlisle Castle Carlisle is connected to the British rail network. In this context the Settle to Carlisle Railway offers travellers a spectacular scenic route.    A recent development has been the discovery of a Roman baths complex near the River Eden which is deemed to be very significant find. Carlisle also offers extensive shopping facilities, hotels and accommodation plus a wide range of eateries. A connection with the U.S.A. exists in the form of the mother of President Thomas Woodrow Wilson who was born in the