Nigel's Photo Blog

  This evening, I am reprising a tour which commenced in eastern Scotland and concluded near Holy Island in N.E. England. First, we departed our lodgings in North Berwick , Scotland and the followed the east coast round, calling first at St. Abbs and then Eyemouth . Eyemouth is part seaside resort and part working fishing harbour. It is located in a natural harbour where the River Eye flows into the North Sea. We saw lots of fishing boats plus a couple of curious seals. Next, we went to our main target of the day, namely Holy Island which is located off the Northumbrian coast in England.  We reached the island about 12.00 noon and were then ‘trapped’ there for six hours until the tide receded thus allowing us to drive back across the causeway to the mainland. Holy Island has much to offer the visitor. There are hiking trails, flora and bird life, scenic views,beaches tourist orientated shops, a mead producer, heritage centre, church, castle and priory.     Lindi

  Angel of the North This afternoon I am featuring the famous Angel of the North, a public sculpture in Gateshead,  near Newcastle upon Tyne in N.E. England.  This stunning piece of public sculpture dominates the local skyline. Key facts are: The work of Antony Gormley. Sir Antony Mark David Gormley   OBE   RA   (born 30 August 1950) is a British sculptor. His works include the   Angel of the North which was commissioned in 1994 and erected in February 1998;   Another Place   on   Crosby Beach   near   Liverpool ; and   Event Horizon , a multipart site installation which premiered in London in 2007, then subsequently in   Madison Square   in New York City (2010),   São Paulo , Brazil (2012), and Hong Kong (2015–16). 200m (656 ft) high 54m (177 ft) span Construction used 200 tonnes of steel. Cost GBP1.0m in 1998. Mainly sourced from lottery fiunds and grants. Side elevation   Rear elevation.    

  The Shard at night This evening, I am providing information and images on one of London’s iconic pieces of architecture, namely the Shard, also referred to as the Shard of Glass, Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower. This is a 95-story supertall skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London , that forms part of the Shard Quarter development. More information: Located at  32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG Height:  309.6 metres, or 1,016 feet, high and as such ranks as Western Europe’s tallest building. Floors:  95 Architect:  Renzo Piano. Facilities include a 5 star hotel, business offices and restaurants. Visitors can purchase a ticket to reach the viewing platforms which provide an unrivalled 360 degree view of the City of London. The Shard in context of London skyline The Shard viewed through Tower Bridge

  Head of Roman God, Sulis Minerva This evening, I am reprising a one-day tour of Bath, in S.W. England.This city is best known for it's Roman origin and bath plus extensive Georgian architecture from the 18th/19th centuries. Bath Abbey First visit was Bath Abbey which is correctly known as the Abbey Church of St Peter and St Paul, an Anglican Parish Church. Inside Bath Abbey History of the Abbey site can be summarised as follows: There was an Abbey Church in Bath dating from around 757 AD which was part of a Benedictine monastery. This may have existed alongside the earlier convent founded by Abbess Bertana. The first King of all England, King Edgar was crowned on this site in 973 . The service set the precedent for the coronation of all future Kings and Queens of England. A massive Norman cathedral replaced the earlier Saxon building in the 11th/12th centuries. After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 by order of King Henry VIII, the Abbey lay in ruins for m

   Surfer in action This morning, I am focusing on Fistral, one of Britain’s pre-eminent surfing beaches. Fistral Beach is in Newquay , Cornwall , S.W. England, about 165 miles from Bristol and 280 miles from London . Newquay has a population of 20,000 and is primarily a tourist destination. The town can be accessed by road, rail and air. Fistral Beach faces the Atlantic Ocean and is about 750m/2460 feet long. Although suitable for a wide range of family beach activities, main emphasis is on surfing: Venue for various surfing events and championships. Supporting infrastructure includes surfing equipment rental, accommodation, cafes, showers and associated facilities. Unofficially split into two sections: North section suitable for surfing at all tides; South section best at mid-high tides. Located about 20 minute walk from town centre (5 minute drive). Surfer at Fistral Beach Aspect of Fistral Beach Surfers at, Fistral Beach Fistral Beach in roug

    This evening, I am posting information on Viking Ireland with emphasis on Waterford. Waterford is a historic port located on the south coast of Ireland with population of about 50,000. The city is perhaps best known for the manufacture of Waterford Crystal. The Vikings became established in Ireland’s capital city of Dublin around AD 841 and ruled there for three centuries with emphasis on commercial and trading activities, including slave trading.Viking power in Dublin ended in 1171 when the city was captured by the King of Leinster. In Waterford can be found Ireland’s oldest civic building which has a lineage dating back to the Vikings. The first tower on the site was built by Vikings after 914 and formed the apex of a triangular settlement known as the Viking Triangle. The tower was re-built by the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century with two additional floors added in the 15th century. Until around 1700 the tower was an integral part of Waterford’s medieval wall de

 This evening, I am reprising a one day section of a small group, private tour of Ireland.     Cork Waterfront First, we departed our lodgings at Anderson’s Quay, Cork and proceeded as follows: To the historic town of Waterford in the S.E. of Ireland. First stop was the House of Waterford Crystal where we toured the factory and showroom.Here we were able to view work in progress including the Blowing and Furnace Room, Finishing,, Cutting Room, Sculpting and Engraving and the Exhibition & Retail Store. This was an excellent experience. It was pleasing to see that Waterford Glass was again being manufactured on site after a gap of time due to financial problems.  Here is a video clip of the Furnace Room     Blower   Stem Chair Finishing Waterford Crystal Retail Next we visited the waterfront and Reginald’s Tower. This is circular in construction and was originally built as part of the town’s defences dating back to the 13th century, albeit on a much older Viking era site. Th

  West Front of Winchester Cathedral This evening, I am focusing on historic, Winchester Cathedral in England.  Winchester is located about seventy miles SW of London. The actual site as a place of Christian worship dates back to the 7th century with the current building dating from the 11th century supplemented by changes and embellishments to the structure in succeeding centuries through to the 16th. Side Elevation   Key features of the history and building: The original Anglo-Saxon church was on the same site. It was built on orders of King Cenwalh around AD 645. The current building dates from Norman times and was opened in 1093. The bones of patron saint, St. Swithun, were transferred from the old cathedral to the new as a symbol of continuity. The nave was radically remodelled in Perpendicular Gothic style during the 14th century under bishops Edington and Wykeham. The Holy Sepulchre Chapel dates from around 1107 AD. Here can be found fine wall paintings from the 1170s.

  Winchester Cathedral This evening, I am reprising a one-day section of an extended tour of medieval England. First, we departed lodgings in Alton and then drove to nearby Winchester where we focused on the following: Striking bronze statue of King Alfred the Great which dominates the Broadway. King Alfred Statue The Great Hall, which is the only surviving part of Winchester Castle inside which is the 700 year old Round Table, closely associated with the legendary King Arthur. Great Hall, Winchester Arthurian Round Table Queen Eleanor’s Garden at the Great Hall, a recreation of a medieval garden. Queen Eleanor’s Garden Ruins of Winchester Castle. Winchester Castle Ruins Jewry Street, associated with the medieval Marshall family. Jewry Street, Winchester Winchester’s  historic Cathedral, a follow-up to yesterday’s visit. Here we located the very unusual gravestone of one Thomas Thetcher who died of alcohol excess. Winchester Cathedral After lunch at Winchester we drove