Birthday Cake

Mmmm

 

Yum Yum

 

Mapledurham Mill

Thought I would show a few more photos of my when my wife & I visited Mapledurham. Mainly the mill which was used in the film The Eagle Has Landed, it was also on the cover of the Black Sabbath Album

The mill has changed little in century's and still produces flour. It used to have two water wheels turning mills. One has been taken out of service and you can see where it used to turn the mills

 And the chute that took the milled flour into the sacks underneath

 Opposite you can see the gears turning the mills above at a terrifying rate

There are two mill wheels turning inside the covers and fed by the small hopper on top

Nearby you can see some of mill wheels

And if you go outside you can see what took the water wheels place, and Archimedes screw  that makes electicity for the house and village. At the time of the visit it was turned off as the Thames was low. The mill sells gifts and you can also get some of the local flour to make you own bread with.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour, I'll leave you with a view of the mill from the island it sands on.

Taking Part in Our World Tuesday

A New Hibiscus Seedling...

Francine was so very excited to find a small seedling growing in some gravel beside the path. 
She diligently checked on it daily until finally she could gently prise it from the surrounding stone & plant it in a small pot. 
How exciting. 
Now she will have to be extremely patient to discover what colour the flower will be...

A few years ago Francine did the same with another hibiscus.

After a very long wait this was finally the first year Francine's hibiscus bloomed. Imagine her delight when it turned out to be the perfect match for the flower on her dress...

  

 

Francine's friend Prunella is not so keen on pink as her favourite colour is blue...

 The girls cannot decide on what colour the freshly planted seedling will be...

Of course Francine would like pink & obviously Prunella's first choice is blue...

Would you like to guess?

Blue or Pink...

Only time will tell...

Thank you for your visit.

Have a great day.

x

Tapistry Mural

Took this a few weeks ago in a house I visited 

 Taking Part in Monday Mural

Sunset on the Hillside

Sundown in the Hillside by Fforest Fields campsite last weekend

 Stitch view of the whole hillside

Love is the Key

Picnic by the Mine

On Friday I showed this photo of a valley where we had a roadside picnic. Well I thought you might like to see where we had been to start with.

One of the first places we stopped was for me to get a photo of this new bridge over the Afon Elan

It replaces this old bridge which had become unsafe so it was fenced off and people used a bailey bridge to cross the river

The Bailey bridge had been there as long as I had been coming to the area, the last two photos were taken in 2008. I don't think I will miss the noise of driving across the old Bailey Bridge

While I was there getting mu photo's I noticed these guys photographing things. I'll comeback again sometime when they are not around

The first photo I took was near here, an old lead mine. I'll show more in my other blog

 I stopped off on the way back to get a photo of the source of the Afon Elan which I thinks here

and while I was walking back this came rumbling past empty (his mate was behind) they were the reason the old bridge was blocked off. Imagine them trundling past full up with tree trunks. I might add it is not uncommon to me them on the roads which are single track round here

I'll leave you with this Stitch photo showing the Elan source it flows off to the left. 

Taking part in Our World Tuesday

Tesco Mural

 

 

Tesco is a local Supermarket in Didcot and ran a art competition for local Kids from the various schools in the area , the winning painting was placed in the Didcot store for all to see. It has all the local features to the store. In the background you can see the remains of the power station that dominates the town. The Railway which put the town to the map, the nearby housing estate and Tesco itself with the delivery lorry. One thing to note is the steam train, Didcot has a big steam preservation museum  which is famous and the intercity train as Didcot is on the line between Bristol & London

A well thought out mural with some of the info on it below.

 

Taking Part in Monday Mural

 

Cwm Ystwyth Valley

Stopped for a roadside picnic and took this photo up the Cwm Ystwyth Valley

Cat in the Hedge

Highgate Fox

Urban foxes are becoming a common sight in our city's & towns though being some one from out in the country I don't come across them very often. Unlike their country cousins they tend to be a bit manky and covered in Mange. I have only ever seen one before while up  in one of the London suburbs and after walking round Highgate Cemetery on Monday was surprised to see this Vixen

She had just grabbed some food thrown out for her turned out the staff looked after her treating the poor thing for mange but in doing so it became rather tame and used to people around

 Chewing quickly while watching the people nearby who were only a few meters away. Try that out in the country all you would see was a tail where it ran away

Heard a noise, the staff were chasing off the hungry magpies which steel the food

Need some more food. We left after this photo not wanting to frighten the poor thing more that it was already. 

Taking Part in Our World Tuesday

Cycle Mural

Last one from Landod as it is known locally. I only noticed it of late and it looks quite new to me. It is is on some safety fencing cordoning off some empty land that has been that way as long as I have been visiting Llandrindod Wells.

 It sits beside this magnificent building which used to be among other things and Aircraft showroom 

 The building is now home to he National Cycle Collection which explains the mural

 Taking Part in Monday Mural

Thames at Mapledurham

Back to Mapledurham this week and a look along the Thames towards Pangbourne

 

Taking Part in Skywatch Friday