Tag: England

Birthday Weekend Day 2, Respect

Posted on Posted in EnglandTagged , , , , 11 Comments

Exeter Respect is my town’s yearly celebration of diversity. It’s a gathering where the performers and creative artists get together with the community to say a big fat NO to racism and all forms of prejudice.

Respect has been around for about 15 years and gets bigger every year. Running for two days, about 20,000 people come to chill and play in the sunshine of this festival that is run by volunteers and is free for all.

‘ The Respect ethos is a simple one: racism and prejudice often spring from fear, and fear is often based on ignorance, so lets’ overcome ignorance by getting to know one another and sharing not shunning our cultures. One of the best ways to get to know someone is to enjoy yourself with them, hence our celebratory event and adoption of the old Commission for Racial Equality slogan: All Different, All Equal!’

This year Number One Son, Number One Daughter in Law and my Lush Grandbabies came to enjoy the day with me.

 

Birthday Weekend, Friday flowers

Posted on Posted in Flowers, PhotographyTagged , , , , , , 32 Comments

Today is my birthday and I’ve had a three day weekend of fun with family and friends. On friday I went to Cockington Court and Dartington and I thought I’d show you some of the flowers I saw, enjoy!

Perhaps you can help name the mystery flowers?

Buckland and Drake

Posted on Posted in England, History, Travel, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , 14 Comments

A few weeks ago I did a series of posts about Buckland Abbey , but I left out it’s most famous owner, Sir Francis Drake.

Buckland was paid for with Drake’s earnings – or plundering on his early voyages. The treasures he brought home to Queen Elizabeth 1 provided him with wealth and his title. Even though he had no children his heirs lived at Buckland for eight generations, until the 1940’s.

The most famous anecdote is of how he supposedly continued a game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe, saying that their was plenty of time to deal with the approaching Spanish Armada afterwards.

Artifacts relating to his journeys can be seen at Buckland, the most important being a late 16th century drum, decorated with Drake’s coat of arms, one of the oldest surviving in Europe, and possibly one of thirteen bought in 1595 for his last voyage. The drum is said to beat if England is in danger, most recently during the Second World War just before Dunkirk was evacuated, spooky eh?

In 1596, as he lay dying of dysentery, he is reputed to have asked to be dressed in his full armor. He was buried at sea in a lead coffin, near Portobelo. Here are a few of Bucklands Drake treasures.

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Sir Francis is the knight in this chess set.

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Plotting his course.

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Across the oceans.

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A beautiful golden miniature.

2013 Apr 06_3961 copyThe drum, lets hope it doesn’t sound.

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A scaled replica. 2013 Apr 06_4027 copy

The man himself.

2013 Apr 06_4037 copyDrakes Coat of Arms.

Weekly Photo Challenge

Posted on Posted in England, Photography, Travel, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , 27 Comments

Funny, poignant, symbolic, incorrect, informative, foreshadowing…there are so many signs in the world.

That’s what Sara Rosso has to say about signs, the theme for this weeks Photo Challenge.

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This is a sign on a waymarked path through the New Forest.

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Still in the New Forest, this sign tells us that the Queen planted an oak tree in April 1979 to mark the 9th centenary of the forest founded by William 1 in 1079.

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Keeping to a royal theme, this one should be clear enough to read if you click on it. Taken in my local area, Heavitree, Exeter.

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Now look, you must go to the regatta, church, and an art exhibition at Salcombe. But, don’t even think about drinking there or cleaning your fish!

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Let’s sing and play for World Peace!

As usual join in  at http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/weekly-photo-challenge-the-sign-says/

Jakes Sunday Post: Perspective

Posted on Posted in England, PhotographyTagged , , , 15 Comments

This is what Jake has to say about perspective.
The way in which objects appear to the eye, Representing the effects of visual perspective in graphic arts,
Perspective photography distortion is determined by the relative distances at which the image is captured and viewed, and is due to the angle
of view of the image (as captured) being either wider or narrower than the angle of view at which the image is viewed, hence the apparent
relative distances differing from what is expected. Related to this concept is axial magnification the perceived depth of objects at a given magnification.

And this is my photo.
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To join in visit http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/sunday-post-perspective/

Travel Theme: Pathways

Posted on Posted in England, Photography, TravelTagged , , , , 17 Comments

Dartmoor National Park has over 450 miles of permitted access footpaths. You will find gentle strolls with fabulous views and rugged long distance hikes for the intrepid. Wildlife is abundant, there are quaint villages, old stannary towns, bronze age burial sites and lots of legends. I have explored many areas but there are a few places that I will always go back to, Scorhill and Houndtor are top of my list.
The paths in my photos, are narrow tracks worn into the grass that have been walked for centuries. Houndtors rocks are a climbers paradise and you will find someone dangling from a rope on most days! Once you reach to top the view opens out towards Haytor, Dartmoors most visited site, and in the valley below are remain of a medieval village. It must have been a bleak place to live back then.

I have posted quite a few times about Dartmoor, see my tag cloud for more and join in with Ailsa’s theme at http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/05/24/travel-theme-pathways/