Walk Round Runnymeade

I’m lucky that I live close to Egham and Runnymeade, birth of democracy. an Island on the Thames, which runs through the flood plain, was the site on which the Magna Carta was signed. Since the 800th anniversary in 2015 additional installations have been made to commemorate this special place.

This weekend, enthused by the by the gorgeous weather, I parked at the Airforce Memorial on Coopers Hill. Perched overlooking the Thames this is a place of quiet. After exploring here in awe of the airman’s sacrifices I walked down through the winter woods to the meadow below. After 10-15 minutes a concrete circular building appears.  This is the new “Writ in Water” exhibition. To incomplete concentric concrete circles shield a circular pool underneath an oculus open to the element. The pool walls are inscribed in such a way that the the reflection forms the words of the Magna Carta. This space is so unusual; the design of the two circles make it almost silent and it is so peaceful.

On the far side of this is the main monument to the Magna Carta which also borders onto the JFK memorial.

 

I’ve included my favourite shots of the day, all from iPhone. Thanks for stopping by!

London Christmas Lights 2019

One of the advantages of commuting is the chance of wandering around our great capital city after work – this is never more so than in the build up to Christmas when the streets and shops are adorned with decorations and lights. This year strikes on South West Trains made this pleasure a necessity rather than a choice. This dampened the enjoyment not one bit.

As I set off on a new adventure in February this may be the last time I indulge in this after-work tourism and I tried to take in as much of the ambience as possible. I’ve captured a few (not enough) shots and shared them below.

 

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and enjoy my photos! Thanks for stopping by!

New York At Night

I was lucky enough to visit New York at the end of November. It is such an amazing city and our hotel was just of Times Square making it easy to venture to all the attractions. There was so much to see that every journey prompted a new discovery. NYC famously never sleeps and I enjoyed the bustling vibe that wandering round at night had. Our first journey out was as night fell on our arrival and from then on I was hooked, right up to one of the highlights, a trip up the Rockerfellar by night.

I’ve attached a few of my favourite shots – I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did!

 

Klis Fortress

Just outside the city of Split is the impressive Kliss Fortress. After short car ride we arrived to explore – here are some of my favourite pictures. Thanks for stopping by!

Trogir

Wedged between the mainland and the larger island of Čiovo is the tiny island town of Trogir. Just a short car journey from split I spent an enjoyable day exploring on my recent Croatian holiday. Below are some of my favourite photos.

Thanks for stopping by – I hope you enjoyed!

 

Split & Diocletian’s Place by Night

I’ve just got back from an amazing holiday in Croatia. The Dalmatian coastline is gorgeous, the people are so friendly and everything is so clean. I stayed on the outskirts of the small coastal town of Split, home of Diocletian’s Baths – his retirement home. The Roman architecture has been repurposed many times since its origin. Over the course of our stay we ventured down the steep hill everyday and it is at night that the city comes alive. I’ve included some of my favourite evening shots here.

Thanks for stopping by – hope you enjoy!

Hastings

I love the seaside. I spent most of my formative years either within spitting distance of the sea or audible range of the foghorns. When I found myself only 10 miles away from Hastings the other weekend I couldn’t resist to venture south. I braved the (much more aggressive) seagulls and enjoyed some fish ‘n’ chips, a walk on the promenade a trip on the funicular and the walk back through the old town. I’ve shared a few of my favourites shots. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy!

Bodiam Castle

This weekend I visited the National Trusts Bodiam Castle. It is ‘proper’ castle just as my childhood imagined. I’ve shared some of my favourite shots.

Wimbledon 2019

As a small boy I may have been unusual as, in the last week in June and the first week in July, I was excited when the evening cartoons were replaced with Wimbledon. These two weeks every year were the first the drama and the excitement of sport caught my attention and afterwards I spent countless hours in the long summer evenings knocking a ball against a wall.

Last week I was unexpectedly ask to attend the mens quarter finals and jumped at the chance. Our group had tickets to both Court one and Centre Court so I was able to experience both arenas. I was especially excited to see Federer claim his 100th Wimbledon Victory.

Hydra

After an action packed couple of days in Athens and Southern Greece I boarded a ferry bound for Hydra. Voted by Timeout as one of the top most unspoilt islands in the world (and the top Greek one) its most frequently commented feature is the lack of vehicles, instead relying on teams of donkeys (in reality mainly mules) to carry cargo about. It also has a rich naval history and Hydra’s involvement in the Greek war of Independence is well known and still symbolised by the original cannons guarding it’s port.

I had a throughly enjoyable few days on this paradise and have included some of my favourite pictures below. Thanks for stopping by.