Dungeness R.S.P.B. Reserve

The power station in the distance

Something tells me we've had some rain recently

All you have to do is spot a bird...

Thne look it up on the board in the hide

Few more to go yet...

Canterbury 2

One of the entrances to Canterbury Cathedral

Interesting building we happened to pass

Final stop...

Canterbury

(Thank you for your patience while we recovered from losing Poppy)

 

During a recent visit to Canterbury, not too surprisingly, we went in to a pub.

It was The Shakespeare which sold excellent Shepherd Neame beer...

...and had this very interesting courtyard garden...

R.I.P. Poppy

POPPY 23-7-1996 to 25-2-2014

 

Sorry for the delay in postings but we had to have Poppy put to sleep on Tuesday.

She was a constant companion for us both for seventeen and a half years and for the last five years had been a "Retirement Advisor" for me.

 

To say that she will be missed is an understatement...

 

 

Normal service will be resumed shortly.

H.P.B. Sibton Park - The Long Room

This is the spectacular 'lounge' at Sibton Park where tea and scones are provided for you on arrival. It's also where the excellent bondholders dinners are held. These are a great way to enjoy a first class meal and meet fellow bondholders to share experiences - usually 'first class' - of H.P.B.

H.P.B. Sibton Park - Grounds 2

 Early snowdrops

Fascinating trees with fascinating bark?

H.P.B. Sibton Park - The House

Front of the house

Back of the house - our apartment was the two windows on the far right

Swimming pool in the leisure centre in the grounds

H.P.B. Sibton Park Grounds

As expected, all the grounds were extremely well maintained

Anyone for tennis? - on second thoughts...

H.P.B. Sibton Park

Just back from a very wet week in Kent at the Holiday Property Bond "Sibton Park"

Right by the entrance is Sibton Park Cricket Club and we knew we were in for a wet week when we saw their pitch. 

Lots more photos of our week to follow...

Lunchtime Stopover

Finally completed this 1000 piece jigsaw which was a lot harder than it looks!

It's called "Lunchtime Stopover" and we thought it quite appropriate.

We bought it in an Oxfam shop in Middlewich while we were cruising on our boat Stella

St Lawrence Church - Ayot St.Lawrence

One of our footpath walks - this time between Christmas and New Year from Ayot St.Lawrence.

Not many of us as quite a few were away.

Medieval Tiles At Redbourn Museum

Here are the tiles which were made by children at our summer 'Medieval Mayhem' event.

They have all been fired by our potter friend and are waiting for better weather before being mounted on a wall in the garden.

I think you will agree that they are very good indeed?

Luton to Dunstable Busway

We recently went on a six mile footpath walk from Caddington across Blows Downs to Dunstable. Part of the walk is alongside the new guided busway. The drivers like to wave at you with both arms to show it's all steering itself.

St.Albans Christmas Market

This is a bit late!

Here are some photos from the St.Albans Christmas Market which was held in Vintry Gardens near the cathedral.

We went twice - once during the day and once in the early evening - and there weren't many people there at all.

It was the first staging of the market and I'm sure it will become more and more popular.

The setting near the cathedral made it quite spectacular

Not sure if this photo really works?

It's the cathedral tower taken through tree branches - any thoughts?

Meanwhile...in the house

This is our Clivia Miniata. It has three flower stalks which I don't think it has ever had before.

And, there are two more flower spikes coming up close behind!

Meanwhile...out in the garden

Not sure if we've seen snowdrops in mid-January before?

Stella Back To Base

On our way from Birmingham back to Hockley Heath we came across some dredging going on.

Look at all this stuff...

Birmingham Waterstones

Waterstones bookshop had this sign on the end of one of their displays which I thought was worthy of a photo

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

In the evening we went to the new Birmingham Repertory Theatre to see Moliere's Tartuffe staring Mark Williams
 

Birmingham's New Library

Looking up from the ground floor level

A photographic exhibition about the building of the library

The 'travelator'

Glass lift to the top floor

Shakespeare Memorial Room

More city skyline views from the library next time...

Birmingham Town Hall - Organ Recital

The following day saw a bit of a change from Brit Floyd when we went to a lunchtime organ recital at Birmingham Town Hall.

The organist was Thomas Trotter.

Thomas Trotter is a British concert organist. He is Birmingham City Organist and organist of St. Margaret's, Westminster (along with the St Margarets choir) and visiting Professor of Organ at the Royal College of Music, London.

Here's the magnificent organ...

The ceiling was covered with lighting and loudspeakers

Interestingly, there were perspex shields above the lights which I presume was to prevent the heat from the lights damaging the plasterwork of the ceiling?

Brit Floyd at Symphony Hall - Video 4

As promised (threatened?) here's Brit Floyd video No.4

Early snippet of "One of these days" from the album "Meddle"

Next, we move to Birmingham Town Hall for something a little different...

New Year

 Youth is when you are allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve, middle age is when you are forced to, and old age is when you’re woken up by the fireworks!!

Happy New Year from JR

Welcome to Blogger post 832 dear readers.

Happy New Year to you all - and thank you for following me throughout 2013.

I don't feel quite so bad now about promising a fourth Brit Floyd video, as "Breathe" by Pink Floyd was used to accompany the New Year fireworks in London! What great taste?

So, fourth video next time and then we move on from Symphony Hall in Birmingham...