I Was There Now I'm Here

I'm in Glasgow.  I drove up from CJ and Jo's today.  This evening I played a few games of croquet.  I've not forgotten how.  Now it's time for bed.  Perhaps I'll manage a more interesting post tomorrow.

Thankful Thursday: Neighbours

I have many times in blogs and so on mentioned how wonderful it is to have good neighbours.  Well I'm lucky because I don't just have good neighbours, I have wonderful neighbours.  So what's brought this to mind in particular?  Quite a few things really.  Pat and Dave, friends who do so much for me, are neighbours albeit they are first and foremost friends. I could not wish for better and the list of their goodnesses is too long to catalogue.

My immediate neighbours are also friends and true Christians.  I say that because aside from professing their devout beliefs their actions demonstrate those beliefs.  

A few tangible examples.  During last winter when I was away and Lewis experienced much colder weather than is normal (it rarely goes below freezing at my house on the coast but last winter it managed nearly -10℃ (14℉)).  My outside tap connection burst.  My neighbour put a temporary sealing cap on it despite being unable to find the stop tap and turn off the water whilst he worked on it!  He then proceeded later to put new piping in.  That's just one of many kindnesses I've experienced.

In fact another neighbour several years ago saw that one of the windows in my garage had been broken in a severe gale (presumably something was blown into it) and came out in the gale and put a temporary boarding over the window.  I came home and decided that it was much safer with the new arrangement and it's still like that!

I could go on but I just wanted everyone to know how thankful I am for my neighbours.  I could not have better.

An Afternoon in Durham

Last Friday I spent the afternoon in Durham.  I've probably told you that already.  If you know Durham then you will know that I made a bee-line for the Cathedral which is by the Castle and the old part of the University on a hill in a u-bend in the River (I'm not sure whether it qualifies as an ox-bow, I suspect not) not more than 10 minutes walk from the hotel.  

I had been in the Cathedral several times before but had absolutely no memory of it.  As I tend to recall things by their emotional effect or things I have translated into words it had obviously not left a significant mark.  It did this time but for the wrong reasons.  Firstly I felt absolutely no emotion when I entered and it left me cold.  Secondly it is plastered everywhere with 'don't do' notices.  Don't take photos.  Don't have your phone on.  Don't..... I can't even recall the rest.  It didn't have a single positive message:  no suggestion that one might take time out and think (or pray - it is, after all, a church), nothing.  Actually that's not true.  It did ask for a positive financial contribution towards the £3m annual upkeep.  I shall not be returning in a hurry.  Having said all that I did keep a promise (the person concerned understands).  I also received a completely opposite view to mine from Pat.  So nothing's ever the same for everyone.

As I walked out of the hotel I had to cross this bridge over the River Wear to get to the City Centre

From the bridge I looked South towards the U bend in the river with the Cathedral on the left this was my view:

and as I looked North with the hotel on my left I saw:

The Green outside the Cathedral was absolutely crowded with students and tourists but I managed to get these photos of University buildings on one side of the Green and make it look as though it was deserted:

From The Elvett Bridge looking North there was plenty of activity on the river

and in the hostelries on the river bank.

A Visit to Chester's Grosvenor Gallery

CJ and I went to Chester today.   After parking in the City Centre multi-storey car park (I had to use my bank card to get out - I'm not used to these city prices) we found ourselves a superb coffee stop at the Tudor House Café in Lower Bridge Street, did our cross-word and set off for the Grosvenor Museum.  Our expectations were not that great so imagine our surprise when after several hours we pronounced ourselves very well pleased with the experience.

There was a lot for the dozens of school children who were there to do and see and it is clearly a very popular educational venue.  For me the art galleries were the most enjoyable although, oddly, I learned two things: that the Romans had quite ingenious locks and how to use an abacus with Roman numerals.  I had hoped to blog about the locks but I couldn't get decent photos so I shall store that away for another time.

I was fascinated to discover that Corncrakes (which are rare in the UK now although I can hear but never see them from the house in Eagleton) are smaller than I had imagined although the following photo doesn't give a good idea of their size (27 to 30 cm long):

Of the minerals on display I had never heard of Bornite which is also known as Peacock Ore because of its beautiful colour cause by copper content:

Our first encounter with 'fine' art was in the lecture theatre where, for me, the highlight was a huge (several metres high) oil painting: For God So Loved The World:

You have to stand on the opposite side of the lecture theatre to appreciate it though.

There was also a complete gallery devoted to the works of Louise Rayner (1832 to 1934) whose water colour with gouache pictures of Chester were exquisite.  I shall blog separately about them.

There was a gallery of works for sale and some of them were excellent too although the majority were not to my taste I confess.

I should also mention the Chester Silverware collection and the Victorian house although these were not of particular interest to me.

All in all a very worthwhile visit.