St Nicholas Chippingham

 

This week the Church Explorer visits St Nicholas Chippingham, the Georgian church that was the place where the young Francis Kilvert grew up

Fun with 50

 

Now if your wondering what I am talking about it's a lens. The other week I spent the gift token my son gave me for Christmas and but it towards a Canon 50mm 1.8 lens. I had considered a long zoom but thought it was not what I needed and I hear a lot of good things about the 50mm which is about that amount you see with the naked eye. If your seeing these Malcolm enjoy

The new Pavilion, replaced the one which got burned down, it's always busy

 Daffodils growing

The Forty, the cottages sell for quite  a bit now adays

The bus shelter, I used to hang out here as a kid along with my friends

The path leads to the recreation ground but is very muddy now with the people going to football and walking their dogs, I give it a miss

The brook, its getting higher with the rain we have had

This little angel you see as you come in the churchyard, someone makes shire she hold something, the flower and a teddy bear are the latest

Snowdrops

Close up of a snowdrop

Weathered head by the church door

More shondrops

The angel is the monument to the first superintendent of the old asylum he wanted to be buried with the patients he looked after, the angel held a trumpet once but it's long gone, all that is left is the lead that held it and the mouth piece  

The church from near the angel 

The church from near the entrance

Finally in the school nature reserve I spotted a couple of ducks on a stump 

Happy SkyWatch 

Take care

St Peter Langley Burrell

 

This week the church Explorer visits  St Peter Langley Burrell, the church where Francis Kilvert spent some of his time and where his father was vicar 

 

Some photos round Oxford

 

As I went to visit Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford last week I thought I should show a few place I know and have been to 

West gate shopping center, the new version, the original was built back in the 1960/70's 

Behind me was Bonn Square once the place you would find all the wino's and homeless people now its cleaned up

This is where I was heading, Christ Church Cathedral  

Going along the broad walk to get there

Tom Tower from the quad

 

The crown court, I had to go here for Jury duty, luck I never got called 

Been here as well, St Aldates police station, had to give a statement after knocking a cyclist off his bike when I opened a car door on Hyth Bridge street. That was back in the 1970's, no action was taken

Th e Head of the River pub, When I stated working in Oxford back in 1972 this place was just a derelict riverside building by the late 1970's it was converted to this. I think the collage barges were built here.

Castle mound, I'm sure public hangings too place here till they moved then into the prison in 1868

Last place is the Said Business center in St Frideswide Square. when I went to work in 1972 you drove through the area and the Business center was an old railway station called the Rewley road station. I preferred the old building to this one

Take care 

Happy SkyWatch 

St Andrews West Hagbourn

 

First church of the year though I admit I visited it last year so now caching up with a few outstanding ones before this years visits. St Andrews is one I have been to before but wanted to revisit 

 

January First

 New years day

Woke up to seeing this sky first thing in the morning

 A bit greyer over the brook at Little Lollingdon

 But it cleared to see this at night the laser over at Diamond Light Source

Happy SkyWatch 

50 years ago Agatha Christie passed away

  

50 years ago we lost Agatha Christie  She is the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

People leave books and flowers on her grave

 

 

And come from all around the world

RIP Agatha 

 

The Church Explorer review 2025 pt2

 

This week the Church Explorer published the second part of his review or 2025 

 

Christmas Sky

 

Even on Christmas day the dog wanted to go for a walk so no piece for me 

The Christmas Tree in the village looking pretty in the morning

The churchyard was brightened by the blue sky

The church standing out

 

The cottages on the Forty

Some one forgot to tell the Prunus tree it was winter 

Happy SkyWatch 

Snow on the ground

 

We did get some snow today, not much but enough to show it had been 

My back garden

The skateboard park 

 

Well trod path

 

 Well trodden footpath people take when out walking or taking the dog for one, it's also used by visitors to  Agatha Christies Grave which you can see over by the wall who died 50 years ago this month.

Church Explorer Review

 

 

This week the Church Explorer publishes the first of two reviews of 2025 

 

Nativity Scene

  

The Nativity scene here is outside the Lawrence Hall in Cholsey, when I went past on Christmas day the baby Jesus had not been placed in the manger, now someone seems to have done so

Diamond Light

 

 The Laser beam you see reaching into the sky here is in Celebration of 80 years of Harwell Campus and is shining 8 km into the sky from Diamond Light Source in the courtyard near were my stores were. The beam is nearly 11 km from house. The photo was the highlight of New years day after capturing the dawn

 

Happy SkyWatch