Curly's Capers

Visited Avebury Manor last week. This was the subject of a BBC programme " To the Manor Reborn" manor. Entry was by timed ticket. D. and I made it for the first time 11:00am. The party of cf.20 met for a briefing in the dove-cot. Here we were told about the experience of having the programme made here by the BBC. It fitted the requirements because: 1     Location - conveniently  close to London and the South. 2     House in use for the past 500 years. Each room was decorated in the style of a period from those 500 years; with appropriate fittings and furniture. Before we left the dove-cot, our guide used  a little reverse-psychology, by telling us that we were welcome to stay inside the Manor, for as long as we liked, knowing that 'hive' behaviour would move each group smoothly  onwards. Furthermore we were told to handle any of the objects, use  the furniture and take any photographs that we wanted. Now to the rooms themselves. T...

IMG-20120311-00064.jpg , a photo by kurlypics on Flickr. This rather murky photograph (too much light exposure) is a shot of Cheltenham Race Course; taken last Sunday (11/3 ) , prior to the start of the Cheltenham  Festival on the Tuesday. Everything looked in good order and they were watering the course. Today Friday (16/3), was the last day and was the occasion of the Gold Cup. This famous race was won by Synchronised, ridden by A.P. McCoy. The horse was trained by Jonjo O'Neill at nearby " Jackdaws Castle" at Ford. The path by his gallops,  forms part of the Gloucestershire Way ; which D. and I will be walking again in a few week's time, as we make our way from Stow on the Wold to Tewkesbury. The above picture shows part of those very gallops; the all-weather track is on the left hand side. Yesterday (15/3 ) we completed the leg of the Gloucestershire Way  from Lower Slaughter to Stow on The Wold. Previously we had walked f...

photo.JPG , a photo by kurlypics on Flickr. Rather like this Apple Photo, I was sent. Who would have thought when in '03,  I started waffling about Apple products, that today Apple are the biggest company in the world. Amazing. It proves that design and quality will win in the end. ************************ Visited two National Trust Properties this week: Chedworth Roman Villa and Avebury Manor. More of the later in the next post. Chedworth has had a three million face lift with the mosaic floor being in cased in a building. More info. here: Chedworth. When D. and I arrived, we were given hand-sets which allowed us to listen  to snippets of Roman lore as we walked the site. At least that was the idea , but unfortunately technology got in the way as the system required only a very brief touch on the icons; while we pressed on regardless and after refreshing the sets, back at the entry point, I finally gave up the unequal struggle when ...

Westminster-20120305-00056.jpg , a photo by kurlypics on Flickr. This is another splendid example of  an London Easter Egg ( see last week's blog). This one is situated in St James's Park. During my short stay in the capital last week, I visited, for the first time the small town of Dulwich. It is famous for its Picture Gallery, which at this time has an exhibition of Van Dyck In Sicily (1624 - 1625 ). Here are two views of the imposing entrance to the Gallery. Dulwich, also has a fine park; one of the last of the Victorian Great Parks Above are two views of the Lake. It boasts an American Garden, which will look lovely in te late Spring when the rhododendrons are in full bloom. Dulwich Park,  has of course many old and splendid trees. All in all a very pleasant green oasis indeed. Lastly in this whistle stop tour of Dulwich, I espied these rather grand finger sign posts. Do you like them? O...

This is a picture that I found on the occasion of the Waterley Bottom Mummers  forty years anniversary. I was a member in the late 70s and performed their Christmas play around the pubs and some invited places in Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge Gloucestershire. Mummer's Ahoy , a photo by kurlypics on Flickr. In this special performance I am playing the Doctor, wearing the black topper. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   What weighs approx 170 grams and can hold over 1400 books? The answer is a Kindle Ebook Reader. I was lucky enough to get one as a Christmas present and so having used it regularly for the last two months, I feel able to justify giving an opinion upon it. First up, what are its Disadvantages? 1 It can never replace the touch and feel of a 'real' book. It lacks the visceral  sense of the pages. It has no discernible smell or odour and always has the same text, whatever subject you are reading. 2 It can be sometimes ...

GW , a set on Flickr. Views On The Gloucestershire Way. As you can see I am experimenting with Flickr, A way of sharing photographs. Tapping  on each Thumbnail will bring up a bigger picture from The Flickr site. At this Site, you will be see more examples; many of which have been published on this blog. D. and I have walked the road into Salperton, passing the Manor House with sheep grazing on the meadowland and then by bridleway into the outskirts of Notgrove. Down into the village with its Saxon Church and Cross, to emerge through fields into a wonderful grove of beech trees, bringing us to Cold Aston. This led us by way of edged  field pathways to Little Aston Mill, crossing the River Windrush on our way across to Saxon Buckle Street, with nearby what looked like burial chambers. This was our end-point on our last walk here. We continued along the track, to meet a small crossroads, which we went across to walk down into a steep lane, taking us i...