Dunstabelle

Monday, 9 July 2012

The Olympic Torch

The Olympic Torch left Luton at 6.45am with Lewis Hamilton carrying the Torch. Here are some pictures from the North end of Dunstable as it makes it's way to Milton Keynes and on it's way to Aylesbury. The crowds got there early, and in the centre of Dunstable it was packed. Kevin and I watched it on the live stream till it got to MacDonald's on the A505, then we got our coats and strolled down to the High Street.

The final torch bearer was Penelope Green who has worked for 20 years fund raising for Down's Syndrome. She arrived wearing a pair of Golden Slippers, for her short stint to French's Avenue, before the flame goes by car, on to Milton Keynes and through Bletchley, Buckingham and Aylesbury to Oxford. Well that was early enough for my day off back to bed.

Thursday, 5 July 2012

Bridgnorth Re-Visited

As I lost my camera after the last trip to Bridgnorth, I only had a few pics that I had taken with an old camera, while I was charging the battery of my new camera, and Kev, gave me some of his. So when we decided to go up a second time I thought now's my chance to post some really nice pictures. I took loads as usual and some are on Flickr so take a look. The journey down wasn't as eventful as last time, and we had a pleasant journey. Unfortunately we couldn't get the same hotel as last time so we stayed in the Croft Hotel, it is a lovely old hotel, where the passages where narrow and you seemed as though you are constantly turning corners. Lots of creaks and groans, (from the hotel not the guests) and floorboards that moved beneath you. The room was lovely and clean, if a little cramped, and the bathroom was tiny only as wide as the shower unit at one end and narrowing to the width of the sink at the other. The staff where very friendly, and not overly chatty and the rooms where cleaned daily, with clean towels and a top up of any tea's and coffee's used. I have stayed in places where once you have booked in you don't see the cleaners again until the day you leave. Breakfast was of the all you can eat variety with a selection of fruit, cereals and juices, followed by your 'Full English' or any variation. The only problem Kev and I have with most B and B's or small hotel's is the times of breakfast, I know they have work men staying, I know the staff have other things to do,sometimes they have other jobs to go to, but seven through to half past eight, in the morning is too early, after all I am on holiday. On Tuesday we had a good look around Bridgnorth and spent a long time at the Railway Station taking lots of pictures and video's of steam and diesel, they are having two historic weekend's and unfortunately we arrived mid-week so will miss them both but there was plenty of engines getting ready, and the coaches where ready for their 'evacuee's' which where local school children dressed ready to do their bit. On the Wednesday Chris came to see us for the day, and we went to Much Wenlock, there is an old ruined abbey there and lots of lovely old buildings, and much to my pleasure the post office stocks doll's house furniture, so I spent a happy hour looking at all the goodies while Kevin and Chris went into the bookshop. We then spent an hour or two in the abbey grounds it is hard when your in a place like that, to gauge time, as no matter where it is situated, everything is peaceful and tranquil and time seems to just stop. It is opened by English Heritage and is opened daily, well worth a visit if your in the area. Much Wenlock and the Abbey is worth another blog and so is the Severn Valley Railway. We then went onto Shrewsbury, which had a lot of nice shops and lovely buildings, we walked over the Welsh Bridge,and then to get back to the car park we crossed the English bridge didn't get to many pictures because it was a very busy town. On the Thursday we had a thunderstorm, we had planned to spend the day on the railway, and take some pictures and video's of the trains, somewhere else other than Bridgnorth, but it wasn't to be, but never mind maybe next time. Kevin went off to take pictures and I had a snooze, by 2pm it had brightened up and we spent the afternoon going around the antique shops and taking pictures down on the Station.

Steps f

Antique shop in Bridgnorth unfortunately it was rained
out and we never got to see around it.

The Shakespeare Public House

Low Town

The Boatyard

Cock of the Bridgnorth looking for food.

Base of drinking fountain

Victorian Drinking Fountain

The Leaning Castle Ruins

War Memorial in Castle Garden

a little rockery in the Castle Grounds

Ice Cream Parlour

Friday, 11 May 2012

Bridgnorth

Well I did go away for a few days to Bridgnorth in Shropshire, and on occasion I did get wet. We went on the train to Birmingham, when a young woman got on dressed up, with her veil and other adornments, she and her 'hens', then proceeded to entertain us for the next hour or so. The bride-to-be was Laura, they drank a lot, shouted a lot, and played a confessions game, where they take it in turns to say what they haven't done, and if one of the others have done it, they have a drink. All I can say with some of the comments being made, Laura does not know her friends as much as she thought she did! They got off in Birmingham, and I hope by now they have all recovered, and Laura is safely married, and the rest are back at work.

We then got a train to Wolverhampton, which was fairly quiet, took some pics before getting a bus to Bridgnorth. Well worth the journey, it is a really beautiful place. It is an old market town that dates back to the 12th century, it has an old castle ruin, is home to the Severn Valley Railway, and straddles the River Severn. We stayed in a wonderful little guest house which also dated back to the 17th century. It was right next door to The Cliff Railway, which separates High Town and Low Town. Unfortunately it rained for most of the weekend, but never mind. Met up with the family on Saturday, went shopping and visited the Bridgnorth museum. All good stuff, Kev and I explored in the evening, and on the Sunday, as we were expecting more rain, we decided to spend the day getting on and off the trains.

I have always loved steam trains there is something majestic about them especially at full steam. Some of the carriages that we rode on, if you are into railway's, are from the LNER Teak Set and I have put internal photo's of the carriages up on Flickr. At Highley The Severn Valley Railway have a museum, with the old engines and carriages, that they have used in the past, and that they have saved from becoming scrap. One of their exhibits, is The Kings Carriage, built for George V1. A humble affair we were told, due to the fact that with a war on it wouldn't be done for the king to be travelling around, in a fancy carriage. ( I would of thought the safety of the King would be a bigger reason.) however it is armoured, so he was perfectly safe. He traveled around Britain on it meeting important people, the rail staff being told only half an hour before he was due through a station, as secrecy was paramount. After the death of King George V1, it became the Duke of Edinburgh's official carriage. It stayed in use until 1977. The Queens Carriage is in York. Loving history as I do, I was listening to every word, while Kev took a few pics for me. We then went on to Kidderminister, while I sat and had afternoon tea, Kevin went off into town to take more pictures in the rain, and came back with some wall art for me. He is good to me!!

On the way home we spent a couple of hours in Wolverhampton, taking pics. Unfortunately, on the last leg of the journey I lost my camera and was gutted, however I have a spare camera, I carry for emergencies, so I did have a few photo's on that, and of course a lot of what I had taken, Kevin had also.

Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth castle Ruin

Bridgnorth Cliff Railway

The Kings Carriage

Highley

LNER Teak Set

GNR 3rd Class

The Royal London Buildings Wolverhampton

Attwood Motors- now derelict

Kidderminister

Friday, 27 April 2012

'The wettest drought on record'

Having read some tweet and blogs, the government are getting some stick over the fact that despite all the rain we are having, we will still have a drought come the summer. "The wettest drought on record" and others.

Well basic science will answer the question. Mud, when dried out becomes hard and compacted, (try digging the garden.) In the old days, and even now in some area's; path's even huts where made out of compacted mud allowed to dry out; when it rained the water would then roll off and away.

That is what is happening now, our ground has become compacted, due to lack of consistent rainfall, so a drought has been declared for the summer month's. Any rain we have now, even a downfall will just cause flooding, and then dry away, when the sun comes out.

Now the science bit, take a wet sponge, put it in a dry hot place, (airing cupboard etc) till it becomes rock hard, rummage a round in the bathroom you may find some. Then take the hard sponge and a soft damp sponge rung out, put them in two bowls of equal size, then add your 'flood water'. The results, the dry sponge, will need less water as it will slide off and fill the bowl, the damp sponge will soak up the water, and it will be stored in the sponge, until you squeeze it out. I remember doing that in science class at about 8-10 years of age, and doing with the kids. Have a go and have some fun. I am going away for a few days with Kevin, to visit family, and to get wet. bye for now.

Wednesday, 4 April 2012

Arlesey Bedfordshire

We went to Arlesey last weekend to visit family, it is a very pretty little place. It is a small town that runs for 3 miles along the river Hiz. It dates back to 1086, with it's parish church St Peter's being built in 1180 by the Monk's of Waltham Abbey. In 1805 The White Horse Pub opened in the High Street. We have eaten there quite regularly over the last few years, it has changed hands 3 times, but luckily the food and the staff have always been very pleasant. In 1840 The Lamb Hotel opened, followed in 1845 by The Three Tons, which has since closed and the land has been sold off as a housing development. The actually building has been turned into a house, but still has it's thatched roof. There is a large fence around the other half. In 1850 The Great Northern Railway opened linking London to the North via York. The Old Oak opened, at the time it was a thatched roof, hence the tall chimney. All so the Brick Ground Hotel, opened it's doors, changing it's name to the Mallard it is now a childrens nursery. Brick making was a growing industry in Arlesey and in 1852 brickworks opened by Robert Beart, of Godmanchester. By the late 1860's 3 other brickworks had joined Bearts ranged alongside the railway. In 1857 The True Briton Public House opened and also a tramway from the Arlesey and Shefford Road Railway Station to The Three Counties Asylum, to carry construction material and later goods and passengers to the Asylum, when it opened in 1860. The track was lifted in 1953. On the 1st of April 1866 Arlesey Sidings Station opened, in 1886 it was renamed Three Counties Station. Although I do not have an exact date for The Steam Engine,it is mentioned in the 1881 census, it also has a date stone on the front of the building unfortunately, the view is side on and the numbers are in the corners. The name was later changed to The Vicar's Inn. We had the Great War 1914-1918 and like all towns and villages, Arlesey built a war memorial, to commerate the young men of the parish, that went to war and did not return. The Asylum was dropped and renamed hospital in 1927. In 1922 Arlesey and Shefford Road Station renamed to Arlesey and Henlow Station. It was closed to passenger traffic in January 1959, and for goods traffic on 28th November 1960. 1960 also saw the renaming of the hospital to Fairfield Hospital. In 1988 Arlesey Station re-opened on the site of Arlesey and Henlow Station. In 1992 Butterley Brick Ltd suspended production at its Arlesey plant from the 1st of October. In 1999 after a 139 years Fairfield Hospital closed and the site sold for housing. Work began in 2004, and the new community will be known as Fairfield Park. This has now finished, and the brick work of the hospital has been cleaned and repaired, and sits alongside the new housing development. The Hospital building it self is a Banantyne Health Club. This is just a brief history based on the photo's I have. more information click here. or here.