Category: History

An Irish scene

Such beautiful, peaceful scenery. Trees upon trees, fields upon fields, mountain upon mountains – and yes, houses, farms, villages. What a lovely place to live!

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Image 123 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

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At the beginning of August, on our way north for our family holiday, we went for a walk at Slieve Gullion Forest Park, and I took this photo. Such beautiful, peaceful scenery. Trees upon trees, fields upon fields, mountain upon mountains – and yes, houses, farms, villages. What a lovely place to live!

We also drove round the ring of Gullion, and that was another amazing experience. A long climb up a narrow road glorious views from the parking spots, and no problems passing other vehicles as it’s a one-way system. It would also make a fine, long walk if you have enough time.

When: 1st August 2024
Where: Belfast, Northern Ireland

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Titanic

The Titanic Experience begins even before you reach the ticket office. The building itself is shaped as if the bow of the ship is bearing down on you, and immediately inside we were surrounded by steel structures.

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Image 122 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

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While we were on holiday, we visited the Titanic museum in Belfast. It really was an amazing exhibition, very well designed and executed. There were several immersive video experiences, using a real set but with virtual, projected characters in period costume having conversations that were informative and compelling. In the photo, a lady, first-class passenger is talking with one of the cabin staff.

The Titanic Experience begins even before you reach the ticket office. The building itself is shaped as if the bow of the ship is bearing down on you, and immediately inside we were surrounded by steel structures that made us feel as if we were entering a shipbuilding business. The static displays were informative, and the history of Belfast as a shipbuilding city, the work of Harland and Wolf in the early part of the twentieth century, the building of Titanic and her sister ships, the launch, fitting out, sea trials, and the fateful first (and only) voyage, the rescues at sea, and the aftermath were all brought to life.

I can recommend the experience; if you ever get the chance, go and see it.

When: 6th August 2024
Where: Belfast, Northern Ireland

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If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Firethorn berries

The fruit are pomes with the same structure as very tiny apples (they make excellent ‘apples’ for the fruit bowl in a dolls house).

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Image 120 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

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Firethorn (botanical name Pyracantha) is a widely-grown garden shrub with small white flowers in the spring and glorious, usually red or orange fruit that often persist into January or later. They are eaten by birds however, and in a hard winter the fruit may all be consumed before Christmas. The fruit are pomes with the same structure as very tiny apples (they make excellent ‘apples’ for the fruit bowl in a dolls house). The flesh is edible but is mealy and bland, the seeds are slightly poisonous though a small number are very unlikely to be harmful.

The example in the photo was growing in Waitrose car park in Cirencester, pretty much on the line of the Roman City wall. As you walk into the car park from Sheep Street, look to your right as you pass the outdoor seating and tables and you’ll spot a low, stone wall. This was built directly above the Roman wall to show where it was and its alignment, there’s a piece of Roman stone on top of it and an explanatory sign, with further historical information on the wall of the supermarket nearby.

The road to Aquae Sulis (Roman Bath) left Corinium through a gateway nearby and later became the old Tetbury Road for a couple of miles. The Roman route continues across what is now Cotswold Airport.

When: 25th October 2023
Where: Sheep Street, Cirencester

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Castle Street

The fine, Palladian facade on the right is currently Lloyds Bank, but was once the private town house of a wealthy merchant.

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Image 119 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

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Castle Street is one of the busy streets in the town centre of Cirencester; it has a good mix of coffee shops, restaurants, clothes shops and so forth. Leading west from the Market Place, it becomes the old main road to Tetbury and Stroud, and eventually to Bristol and Bath. The fine, Palladian facade on the right is currently Lloyds Bank, but was once the private town house of a wealthy merchant.

There’s no castle in Cirencester today, but there was a Norman castle here many years ago (though little is known about it). Some sources suggest that it stood where Cirencester House is today, hidden behind the wall and famous yew hedge on nearby Park Street. But it may have been a little further east on adjacent ground bounded today by Castle Street, Park Street, Black Jack Street and the Market Place.

The castle (if that is not too grand a term) was constructed of timber and probably surrounded by a moat. It may have lasted just 35 years before being destroyed by King Stephen, or it might have been rebuilt in stone and lasted rather longer. Evidence is in short supply.

When: 26th October 2023
Where: Castle Street, Cirencester

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Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

A417 roadworks, Advent Market, Bishops Walk, Baunton, Canal 1, 2, Castle Street, Christmas lights 1, 2, Church 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Churn flood, Countryside, Fallen tree, Fleece, Gasworks, Gloucester Street, Hare 1, 2, Hospital, Market Place 1, Phoenix Fest, Riverside Walk, Stone plaque, Stratton Meadow, Tank traps, View, Wonky 1, 2, Yellow Iris

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Chastleton window

The panes of old glass are held in place with lead, reinforced by a horizontal iron bar for additional strength and rigidity.

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Image 108 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

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I wonder what past events might have been witnessed by this lovely, old window at Chastleton House in Oxfordshire? Windows are not made like this any longer, the window frame is stone-built as part of the structure of the house. The panes of old glass are held in place with lead, reinforced by a horizontal iron bar for additional strength and rigidity.

Chastleton is on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds, between Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton. It’s famous for its amazing plaster ceilings but it would still be an architectural gem without those. It’s managed by the National Trust these days.

The house was built in the Jacobean period between 1607 and 1612; it was owned by the same family for almost 400 years until the National Trust took over in 1991.

When: 15th December 2023
Where: Chastleton House, Oxfordshire

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If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!