After my Tuesday blood-test (no call from clinic by 9pm so not disastrous) we went to Nottingham Castle to see the Photo Exhibition about Global Warming in UK. Sponsored by the National Trust who had given their chap Joe Cornish and a group of Magnum photographers free rein to demonstrate the effects. I won't list the photographers by name but Chris Steele-Perkins stood out in my opinion and Y was very taken with Joe Cornish. The quality, as you would expect, was exemplary.Before we started I couldn't resist this quick panorama from the top of Castle Rock looking over the West side of the city. I must try not to let these sort of pictures become compulsive. But they aren't difficult and I enjoy them. We split the exhibition into two and had lunch in-between and also did other things. It is easy to forget what we have in the city artwise so we had an excellent browse. Several paintings needed cleaning as a matter of urgency. Y left me in the restaurant with loads of reading matter
while she did a cave-tour which she loved. She took the Casio and Picture 2 is Mortimer's Hole which is justifiably famous. Under the castle is a labyrinth of man-made caves cut out of the accomodatingly soft sandstone. People lived in them and there were dungeons and at least one comes out into The Trip to Jerusalem a famous local hostelry from which, allegedly, crusaders set forth.The white light upper centre is not a lamp it is daylight where the cave emerges. I am assured that I couldn't have tackled it but Y absolutely loved it. Lunch was good but I won't bore you with the details. There was an excellent video of the history of the Castle narrated by Robert Stevens. All in all we had a super day.
To return to the global-warming exhibition, you can relax Jill - there wasn't anything so dramatic as to make me change my 'doubting Thomas' stance. It's just been a little hotter than usual for a few years is all. So has Mars apparently but they can't find any 4x4s to blame.
Welcome Nerval and thank you for your encouraging words. Nerval's signature on WUforums is a quote from the the French poet and Essayist - Gérard de Nerval
"The first moments of sleep are an image of death; a hazy torpor grips our thoughts and it becomes impossible for us to determine the exact instant when the "I," under another form, continues the task of existence."
Now that will give you all something to chew till bed-time. Yarnstorm was good again Jill - as you know I love brighty colours and it's such a relief to learn that you can still knit, elbow problems an' all. And Bungus - the Wildlife Book incident was even odder than you describe. I had bought the book in the morning, only to find in the afternoon, that Pete had recommended the same book via his blog-comment. It's a jolly good book too but I'm afraid the mystery flower doesn't look like Vipers Bugloss to me.
I'm going out with my Wednesday Group taking more pictures tomorrow morning. I've explained to Reg that I shan't be walking far, but I so love to be involved. Apparently they have had enough off green-fields and trees and are going to do something different. Sounds like fun................
I'm going out with my Wednesday Group taking more pictures tomorrow morning. I've explained to Reg that I shan't be walking far, but I so love to be involved. Apparently they have had enough off green-fields and trees and are going to do something different. Sounds like fun................
The Castle panorama doesn’t do much for me, I’m afraid, but that’s no reason for you not to enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThe caves (which were restored by the Projects Agency that was my last employer) were also work places, esp tanning – no doubt you saw the pits where the hides were immersed in an unpleasant mix of animal bodily fluids. One snippet in this context, which I find unforgettable, is that the highly valued and rather uncommon white variety of dog muck was known as ‘pure’ (I cannot confirm this in any of my dictionaries but am as sure as can be that one such was my source) and that people once earned a living from its collection.
I cannot think what the flower is if it isn’t Vipers Bugloss.
As the leaves cannot be distinguished it doesn’t help.
My wild flower book shows a mauvey very washed out version which is not a patch on the vibrant almost electric, blue (heading towards purple) of the real thing. It has a glowing colour to delight even the Gandys and Jills of this world - but I love it too, being in relatively small amounts. I will email some more of my photos to assist.
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PS
ReplyDeleteRe caves:
A landlord friend of mine once took me to a pub (I forget its name) on Clumber Street (?). The landlord there took us down to his cellar. Then down another storey. Then down again. At this third level below ground was a cockpit, in pristine condition with raked sand arena Perhaps 12' to 15' dia) and what appeared to be freshly painted barriers around it. One may assume that it had not been used for many years and that there was no reason for any deterioration in the decor.
I also knew a builder who was involved in major demolition in the Castle Gate area in the 60s. One of his men approached him one day, “We’ve found some caves boss. What shall we do?” “Get shot of ‘em and fill in as quick as you can or else we’ll never get the job done for bloody archaeologists.“ So much for heritage.