Yesterday, along with my son-in-law and grandson, I spent a fabulous day at the Goodwood Road Racing Club, 81st Members Meet.
The weather was kind, remained dry, and we even had a little sunshine.
This is just a taster of some photos. These taken on my phone.
Most of my shots were taken on my Canon 7D camera and are yet to be offloaded onto my laptop.
So, stay tuned. Be prepared to be bored. There will be a full post in the next couple of days.
Yesterday, we met up with my sisters for lunch and culture. This irregular event is something we do as we live about 90 miles apart. We choose a venue around the midpoint between us, meet up for lunch, and have a good old chinwag. Sometimes, like yesterday, we manage to fit in some fresh air and exercise too.
So lunch first. Our chosen meeting point was The Wheatsheaf at Woodmancote, Henfield, where the food was very tasty, with a Brazilian twist. Needless to say, I couldn’t resist the Moqueca, a Brazilian fish and Tiger Prawn stew. It was delicious 😋
Lunch over, we headed, just a few hundred yards along the road to The Sussex Prairie Garden.
In their own words …
We are Britain’s largest “Prairie,” or “Naturalistic,” garden, with eight acres of stunning garden to roam around. Unlike most gardens of a comparable size, we have no castle or stately home! We designed and planted the garden ourselves, on Pauline’s family farm in West Sussex. Instead of armies of servants and gardeners, we planted all 35 000 plants with help of amazing friends and family!
Our garden encourages exploration using a network of small wood chip paths which snake through the huge borders. Come and visit, please do walk on the grass and in the borders! Sussex Prairies-an extraordinary garden created by ordinary people!
On entry, the winding path leads you past “Audrey II” the banana tree, standing guard.
Past a glass encampment. All that was missing was some lighting.
And on to a pair of very friendly pigs. We soon discovered they like their backs scratched
But we were conscious of the many signs informing us that “Pigs Bite”
Moving on we entered the gardens proper where we were presented with this view.
The tea shop was ignored at this time as we set off to explore. Here are a “few” snaps that I took to give you a taste for what this garden offers.
Although there are formal paths and open lawn areas, you are encouraged to go “off-piste” and wander amongst the plants to better enjoy the scents and textures.
Throughout the garden, there are many sculptures. Many featuring stained or painted glass.
The changeable weather, sunny then cloudy, meant that they were constantly changing with the light
The beauty of these gardens is the huge variety of colours and scents. Also, the textures of the grasses. Chris, my sister, spent a great deal of time fondling the grasses, commenting on the softness or coarseness.
The gardens are laid out in such a way that, typically, you can’t see everything from a single vantage point.
Rather, you catch glimpses from one area to the next. The paths gently curving, leading from one area to the next.
I don’t know if the kids being at school has any real bearing on things, but it was really peaceful here.
There were times when I was truly on my own. No others in view or earshot.
Just the occasional face peering out between the plants
To be honest, before starting out from home, I was fully prepared to be disappointed. Any doubts I had were soon dispelled. This place is lovely. We actually spent around two and a half hours here, but the time flew by.
So, at almost five o’clock, we slipped into the tea shop to grab cups of tea, ice creams and flapjacks.
Then, sadly, it was time to wend our way home. A lovely day, good food, good company, and an agreement to return to the Sussex Prairie Garden later in the season.
Before all this Covid craziness began, my sisters and I used to get together, two or three times a year. Thursday, a fortnight ago was just such a day. The difference being that this was the first time since mid 2019.
As we live around ninety miles apart our normal routine is to select some historic pile, at roughly the halfway point between our homes.
Most times we will select a location known to us. Not this time. Thursdays choice, St. Mary’s House at Bramber in Sussex, was unknown to any of us. A true mystery house.
St. Mary’s is an historic pilgrim inn (c1450) featuring approximately five acres of beautiful gardens including animal topiary, the ‘Secret’ Garden with original Victorian fruit wall and pineapple pits, a rose garden, King’s Garden, circular English Poetry Garden, Landscape Water Garden and Rural Museum.
Not sure what this curved ladder could have been used for.
The weed on this pond gives the illusion of solidity. I turned down the opportunity to test it out.
This path was not suitable for my wife’s wheelchair.
I have been trawling through my old photo’s. This one does not exhibit anything special, photographically. But it does contain some interesting buildings/structures, demonstrating how Portsmouth has changed through the years.
Starting at the lower left, the white building, is Quebec House which was built c1754 by public subscription as a bathing house !!! It apparently contains baths which were replenished by harbour water.
I’m not sure I would have wanted to bathe in waters from the harbour, in times past. It would be dubious even in todays era with our modern sewer systems.
Up, and to the right of Quebec House, the tallest building at 560 feet, is The Spinnaker Tower. Conceived as a Millenium project it was given the go ahead in 1995. One of three designs which the local people could vote for, the Spinnaker won 60% of the votes. Various obstacles delayed the start of construction which commenced in November of 2001. The project was completed and finally opened in 2005. Named The Spinnaker, it represents a sail billowing in the wind. The tower is visible from over 23 miles away and its three viewing platforms give fabulous views overlooking the harbour, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the Isle of Wight and all the surrounding towns and suburbs.
Back down at sea level and running left to right is the Round Tower and The Hot Walls. Part of the ports old fortifications the Round Tower overlooks the entrance to the Harbour. Although a tower, built of wood, existed in the mid 1400’s, a stone tower was constructed in the 1490’s. A series of ramparts were later added, connecting with the Square Tower (just out of shot). The small section of beach below these ramparts, to the right, is called the “Hot Walls” by locals, as it acts as a sun trap heating up the walls.
Yet another change of architectural style, the tall blue tower, above the Hot Walls. Officially known as East Side Plaza Tower, it is commonly referred to as The Lipstick Tower because of its shape. This residential tower is 331 feet tall and was completed in 2008.
I hope this was of interest to you. I’ll see if I can dig out some more photos.
Viewed in the Rock Gardens at Southsea
Spent a glorious afternoon at Dunham Massey, here in the North of England. By the time we arrived back at our base, Moreton, nobody wanted to prepare a meal. So we took off down to West Kirby, where we picked up some Fish n Chips. Then headed down to the promenade to eat them. What could be better on a warm evening than taking in the views, looking towards North Wales over marine lake and the Dee estuary.
There were many sail boats on the lake, which was about as flat as a mill pond.
And with little wind it made for a very tranquil scene.
Sadly the Welsh coastline was obscured by mist with just a few twinkling lights managing to break through the murk.
As for the Fish n Chips, they were superb. We got them from Marigolds in West Kirby
Mothering Sunday and my wife was inundated with flowers. Four separate, mixed, bouquets and 100 Daffodils.
Gorgeous
Who doesn’t like the flamboyant, exuberance of a Daffy ?
In June of 2010 we were holidaying on the island of Menorca. The island has much to offer and although we have visited the island many times, we had never visited La Mola, a fortress situated just outside of Mahon.
The fortress of Isabel II, La Mola, is one of the major European fortresses built in the 19th Century.
Built during the period 1848 to 1875 it was largely out of date before construction was complete.
The fort became a victim of technological advances, the change from muzzle loading artillery to the more powerful breech loading variety, complete with rifled bores. Instead of grouping the guns within the fortress, a series of coastal batteries were introduced.
This gallery, 390 meters long, is formed by 48 arches that house 48 casemates, in each of which there are two loopholes for riflemen. This defensive front served to defend the moat.
In this small inlet, ships would anchor, during the 18th and 19th centuries.
This is the first line of defense against a land attack and where the main artillery pieces were placed.
Hopefully, these few pictures give you some idea of La Mola. The place is huge and you need to allow a good couple of hours to do it justice,
Langstone Mill dates from the 1700’s when the windmill was built. Subsequently, in the 1800’s, the mill and the mill store were built. The windmills distinctive black colour is due to the tarred outer skin which is resilient to the effects of coastal weather.
WrAnTz 