Travel Photo no 4

Brian at Bushboy’s World invited me to join him and other bloggers posting a travel photo a day for ten days.

The deal is I also invite someone else each day to join in, and ping-back to my post.

I know how busy many of your blog schedules are, so I am always a bit loathe to nominate people.

But … many of you have travelled much more than me and have wonderful archives to dip in to …and I do really enjoy seeing the world through your eyes.

So Jude (Travel Words and Cornwall in Colours), if you feel like it and have time, I’m inviting you today.

DP Photo Challenge: bridge

Old stone bridge, Tyringham, Bucks, England. Image: Su Leslie, 2013

Just off the road between Newport Pagnell and Northampton, this old stone bridge designed by Sir John Soane in 1793, has a Grade I Historic Places listing. Obviously never designed for cars, it is used for motor traffic. A bridge between past and present?

Daily Post Photo Challenge | bridge

Wordless Wednesday: dreaming of escape

“There’s a boat here with your name on it.” With too much work to do and a sinus infection slowing me down, this is where I’d like to be today. Photo: Boats moored on River Wear, Durham.  © Su Leslie, 2013.

Wordless Wednesday is a prompt used by bloggers to sum up their day. Here are some that I’ve enjoyed recently:

Wordless Wednesday – reflection

http://curlygirlpress.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-90/

http://miradordesign.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-magnolias/

http://mamacarriemakes.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-102/

http://plaridel.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-street-artist/

http://passionatelybored.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-4/

http://behindthedashgenealogy.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/image-jpg/

Wordless Wednesday: Hello April!

Wordless Wednesday: 4-2-14

http://iammyownisland.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/almost-wordless-wednesday/

http://nefb.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-promoting-good-will-between-farm-and-city-communities/

Mom’s Birthday

http://thesarcasticmommyblog.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday/

http://redstuffdan.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-gallety/

Wordless Wednesday — 18 Years of Awesome

http://iamlostinthot.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-34/

http://thatmontrealgirl.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-28/

http://throughalaywomanslens.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-retro/

http://williamsdavid.me/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-04-02-14-chetzemoka/

http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-29/

http://davidoakesimages.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesdayjust-another-favourite-place-2/

http://gardeningjules.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-daffodils-luton-hoo/

http://imagesbytdashfield.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/wordless-wednesday-what-is-it/

 

 

Travel theme: short

Not so much short as teeny against The Angel of the North. Photo: Su Leslie 2013

I’d wanted to see the Angel of the North for such a long time that it was a reason in itself to spend a couple of nights in Gateshead.

My hotel experience there was less than wonderful (10 Things Tuesday: little things that I’ll remember about being in the UK) so I was short in temper by the time I got to the Angel. Despite this, and the overcast weather, I couldn’t help but be awestruck and cheered by this wonderful sculpture. It’s location is so mundane – on the edge of a housing estate in a layby off the A167 – and so magnificently appropriate.

Along the fence marking the Angel’s site off from surrounding land, people have placed balloons, cards, flowers and other tributes of dead friends and relatives. I’ve seen similar things at the site of road crashes, but I really loved the way these seemed to be asking that The Angel watch over their loved ones.

I only spent a short time at The Angel of the North; but it was time well-spent.

This post was written for the Travel Theme at Where’s my backpack? You can see Ailsa’s original post here, or click on some of the other “short” posts I’ve enjoyed:

http://mrscarmichael.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/travel-theme-short/

Travel Theme: Short

http://pathsunwritten.com/2013/11/15/travel-theme-short/

http://ilargia64.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/lifes-too-short/

http://esengasvoice.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/travel-theme-short/

Travel Theme: Short

http://vosperdruiter.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/short-ailsas-wtt/

Amazing what you see on the neighbour’s roof

The view from my bedroom window. Gayhurst House, Buckinghamshire, 1998.

Sue’s Word of the Week is roof, and – well I just couldn’t resist. This really was the view from the flat I lived in in Gayhurst House, near Newport Pagnell in England.

I’ve blogged about Gayhurst elsewhere, so I’ll be brief here. The building in the picture was originally a servant’s toilet block, constructed in the 1840s by a former tenant of Gayhurst, Lord Carrington. Somewhat eccentric, Carrington was apparently obsessed with plumbing. This led to the installation of an unexpectedly large (for the time) number of toilets around the house including this –  highly unusual one for his male servants. A History of Gayhurst describes it thus:

… the male servants were provided with a remarkable five-seater lavatory in a circular building which still stands behind the house, surmounted by a carved figure of Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades.

 

This building is now fully attached to the main house and is the living room of one of the apartments.

Thanks to Sue Llewellyn at A  Word in your Ear.

Here are a few other roofs I like:

http://esengasvoice.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/a-word-a-week-photo-challenge-roof/

http://tehicho.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/a-word-a-week-challenge-roof/

http://mholloway63.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/a-word-a-week-challenge-roofs-of-nyc/

http://nosteptooloose.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/word-a-week-challenge-roof/

Weekly Photo Challenge: I know what the sign says, but …

Er, sorry but I think the key word here is secret!

You can find out more about this tourist attraction by visiting their website.

You can see more photos of signs that might make you smile, chortle, laugh out loud, or engage in sober reflection even by visiting the Daily Post’s Weekly Challenge.