Thursday 28 August 2014

Balloon Watch Friday


What better way to celebrate Skywatch Friday than a Balloon in the sky floating by



 I'm still waiting to get the chance to fly in one of these.
Happy Skywatch



Monday 25 August 2014

A Welsh View


A couple of weeks ago I was in Wales with my wife and we went out for a short drive, after seeing a sign pointing to what looked an interesting place we ended up in a carpark of sorts on top of a hill. This was the view I saw when I got out of the car.

The village you see here is called Llandegley

The Hill here is Llandegley Rocks you can see the whole view of the area we saw from the hill in the photo below

Taking Part in Our World Tuesday


Thursday 21 August 2014

The Gallops





These are the Gallops on Woollie Down near Wantage where they train racehorses on a beautiful Sunday Afternoon


It's right next door to the Memorial there









Monday 18 August 2014

The Ridgeway


The Rigdeway path is one of those ancient paths that was used around 5000 years ago. Now many people walk it from the start at Overton Hill near Avebury to Ivingho Beacon. I have walked some of it from time to time as It's not that far from me and even nearer to where I work.Which is why my wife met me one lunchtime for a little picnic there.






Nice map of the Ridgeway showing the main poits to look for and Didcot Powerstation, remember the post of them coming down a few weeks ago









 The Ridgeway path heading away from the carmark towards the Hendred Downs






Walk along the footpath a little way and you get a good view of Pluto & Dido the first nuclear reactors in the UK, which are part of the Atomic Energy Reseach Establishment  they are now being decomissioned.
 The new boy in town Diamond Light Source







Rutherford Laboratory 




This is what is left of the Atomic Energy Establishment at Harwell, it's still quite high security there.
 The Ridgeway again here looking towards  Hendred Down & Wantage, keep walking that way to get to Overton Hill
Here we look from the carpark towards the other side of the Ridgeway walk that way towards Ivingho Beacon. I'll post some more parts of in in the future.
Taking Part in Our World Tuesday

Hatchment at St Mary


Something a bit different today, this is an Hatchment or heraldic achievement and they can be seen in a lot of churches throughout the UK. This one is in St Mary the Virgin Silchester, I 'll be showing more in the future

Taking Part in Monday Mural

Thursday 14 August 2014

The Woollie memorial



Drove past this many times, its a memorial to
"Philip Musgrave Neeld Wroughton. Major Berks Yeomanery. Killed in Action  at Gaza Palestine April 29th 1917 age 29"
The memorial is on Wollie Down near Wantage






Tuesday 12 August 2014

Gilfach Nature Reserve


Today I thought I'd share something a bit different a nature reserve called Gilfach. I came across it a few years ago when my Wife & I  had a  little drive around after visiting the Elan Valley.  I found then the Crambrian Railway ran by the valley you can some of the walks and more views in the link










Plenty of information boards like this around to read




Sculptures like this are new to me

















well though of picnic areas
 The old railway bridge  now takes a trail across to walk on
 Road through the valley
 Worth stopping to look at







Heather abounds





Dog roses too











Taking Part in Our World Tuesday

Monday 11 August 2014

From the 17th Century


Not quite as old as some of the murals I have shown but still very old. This one I think dates back to the 17th century and was on the wall of a Church I visited in Wales.

The first one you see is only a partial and the rest may have been damaged at some stage
 The next is behind the altar and shows a bit more though I am not sure what it is meant to be.

 But this I think is a go at the painting Royal Crest painting, the unicorn and crown are shown on this. The church dates from the 17th century so backs this up, least that is what I am surmising.

If you wist to see what a treasure this church is then check back on Sunday to my blog called 
Taking Part in Monday Mural

Thursday 7 August 2014

Tree on the Bank


This tree used to be in the middle of a field till they put a road though now it stands on a bank near a layby overlooking the main road.

And if you wondered why I stopped to take the photo it was because I saw the sculpture of the otter chasing the salmon
Happy SkyWatch Friday