UP NORTH on tour with Sue and Winnie #4 Lincoln Cathedral

Hi folks,
still in the cathedral looking at the rest if the interior.

Looking aloft at the splendour.

Thanks for looking mike

UP NORTH on tour with Sue and Winnie #3 Lincoln Glass

Hi all,
now we go inside to marvel at the fantastic stained glass windows of the Cathedral.

Entrance door to the Cathedral and today it's stained glass, enjoy......................

There you are hope you enjoyed the stained glass of Lincoln Cathedral, next time is a journey through the Cathedral itself. Thanks for looking, Mike

UP NORTH on tour with Sue and Winnie #2

Hi again folks,
the following morning we upsticks and got the bus into the City of Lincoln, the main reason was to look around the Cathedral and a bit of retail therapy in the City

What a fantastic Cathedral, view of the East Window and the Chapter House to the right.

The Cathedral has three towers and is the third largest in the country.

The Bishop's Eye window on the South side, more on this when we enter the Cathedral.

Very interesting main door.

Ornate vertical columns on each side.

Close up of one of the decorated columns.

Originally the Cathedral had spires on top of the towers but over time they came down.

Lastly before we entered, a look at the city gate.

 Hope you enjoyed the exterior, next blog we delve inside. Thanks for looking Mike

UP NORTH on tour with Sue and Winnie, #1

Hi folks,

This is the start of our tour up north the see our friends in Carlisle, fly a kite of two and generally tour around the north and a bit of Scotland. The trip started with the grand city of Lincoln, this was a stopping point for the night and a trip in to Lincoln Cathedral and the town the next day.

This is us on the right with the small table and the small van,(Winnie) is her name, we parked at Hartsholme Country Park on the outskirts of the city so we could get a bus in the next day.

The site had wonderful woods to walk in and large lakes scattered about.

Sue sitting by the water relaxing after the drive and setting up the van which is unique as the front seats both revolve and become become part of the bed at night. (more on this later)

Wildlife on the lake, got any food mister?

Smashing place to sit with lovely railings.

On another part of the park was a boat house and a bridge giving you access to the road on the other side.  

Looking through the slats in the boat house with the lake beyond.

Rotten tree trunk with carving.

Sue in pose mode on the bridge

Lastly a Heron standing there posing, well you have to take a shot don't you.

Thanks for looking, don't forget to click in the images to expand and press the cross in the top right hand corner to return, simples. All the best, Mike

Remembering Aberfan 1966

Hi folks,
Sorry for not being around but with one thing and another plus a computer meltdown and holidays time has not been on my side, anyway I'M BACK.

This week is the 50th Anniversary of the Aberfan school disaster and as I have been there I thought it would be fitting to do a blog in their memory.
It was a rainy May day when my dear friends Ken and Heather took Sue and I to this tragic spot in the Welsh valleys. We were amazed how green it was, I even changed the cameras white balance to cut it down but it really was that green with all the rain

As you can see it was still raining when we arrived but it did't dampen our quest to go there.

The beautiful gardens were laid out where the school classrooms had stood.

Still with the rain falling we carried on around the area with tears in our eyes as we remembered the black and white images on our old televisions that day. Sue and I had been married only two months.

Very fitting was this tree planted by the Queen in 1997 to grow were so many innocent lives were tragically lost.

Looking out over the valleys with the grey mist and the brightness of the garden.

In memory of those who died a playground was built for the new school build next to the site.

Plaque in the garden wall.

Lastly the school playground gates erected for the living and remembering the dead.

Sorry to return this way but the news will be full of programmes about the tragedy and I ask you to remember those poor children and adults on Friday 21st of October, now 50 years on.

Thanks for looking Mike