Yesterday saw the weather change quite dramatically from a warm, humid morning to a rainy afternoon, and having been out twice for different purposes I have pictures showing both aspects. I also took some pictures of my new purchases (see post about the James and Sons auction on Saturday).
My social media role for the Great Centenary Charity Auction continues, with a landmark approaching in the near future on twitter since we are closing in on 200 followers there. We do also have a facebook page.
Enjoy some cracking photos…
Gull flies low over Great Ouse
Nar meets Ouse and sea birds meet freshwater birds
The Cormorant’s eye view across the Great Ouse
Arctic Tern lonely on a rock
Nine coins laid out in ten rows of three (yes, you read that right – see if you can identify each row)
Arriving at my aunt’s for Sunday lunch (it was, as usual, an excellent meal), I saw on the table planning documents for various new developments. After talking about them with my aunt, and enjoying the aforementioned lunch, we set off on a walk to visit the site of the most significant proposal (because it is on the doorstep of St Nicholas’ Chapel) and see the area for ourselves, having already formed opinions about the proposed development by Freebridge Community Housing.
My own view as someone who always considers plans on their own merit and has no time for knee-jerk negativity over change (and will cite both the new jetty on the Great Ouse and the alterations to the Tuesday Market Place as unequivocal successes) was that although I would have preferred larger windows and lighter brickwork (the latter not possible because it as conservation area and the dark brickwork is already there), and could not fail to notice that the proposed living quarters were going to be a trifle “compact” I was prepared to forgive these failings. There were two huge positives, first and most important that the plans included secure places for bicycles (and there is a cycle route almost on their doorstep), and second that although the new view would not be of picture postcard quality, at least the hideous modern monstrosity in the background of the feature image would be obscured.
I have some excellent pictures to share with you as usual…
Bug trapped in amber.
This square manhole cover sits inside a circle of cobbles – maybe an well?
This fine property is one of too many in central King’s Lynn that stands empty because the owners cannot be bothered to let them out.
This property is reached via a cunningly disguised public right of way (and the company responsible wondered why there was concern over their plans for Devils Alley?!)
On Saturday James and Sons had their September Auction in the Erpingham Room at the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich. The auction featured two lifetime stamp collections, a large amount of militaria, some interesting coin lots, three folders of Liebig Company Picture Cards and sundry other items.
In order to assist with setting things up, and to be ready for action at the 10AM start time it was necessary for me to catch the 6:00 bus from King’s Lynn, arriving at Norwich Bus Station just after 7:30. After a slightly slower than usual start (for the right reason – lots of bidding), the pace picked up in the later stages of the auction. On a whim I purchased a tub of thru’penny bits for £7, and a little later a made a more considered purchase of a set of Liebig Picture Cards featuring “Divers systemes de Chemins de Fer” for the same price.
Although the massive lot 83 (all 16 boxes of it) did sell, it went to an internet bidder, so it still had to be loaded back on the van. Overall it was a very successful sale, and in the end I got back to my flat a mere 13 hours after setting forth.
I have some pictures from before, during and after the sale, and you can expect pictures of thru’penny bits, and when the coin in question comes out juxtapositions of thru’penny bits and the new style of £1 coin to feature in future posts!
Swaffham Church early in the morningThe nearest place to this church is so insignificant that I have forgotten its name.
A light source doubling up as a hanger!
Most of this headgear did sell.The Auction Database ready for action (but revealing no confidential information) – all I will enter manually during the day are paddle numbers and hammer prices.This spiked helmet did not go due to having an overly high reserve.
This is part of the Norwich Cathedral complex.
Making use of a renewable resource the Norfolk is abundantly blessed with!
Once a very absorbing days play had ended between Lancashire and Middlesex I decided to go out for a walk and enhanced my photo collection. The two sides are scrapping to avoid relegation to the second division of the county championship, and with two days to go Middlesex are heavy favourites to do so. This is because owing to the bonus point system (5 batting and 3 bowling points available in the first 110 overs of each first innings) and their standings prior to the match starting, mere victory is not good enough for Lancashire, they also need to outscore Middlesex on bonus points. With six wickets currently down and some 40 runs needed to reach the next batting bonus point mark, Lancashires sole hope is to reach 300 for the loss of no more than two further wickets (a third, being the ninth in total would give Middlesex full bowling points and thereby condemn Lancashire) and then declare and bowl Middlesex out cheaply enough to have a manageable fourth innings run chase. I resume this having had to break off for a days work, and a check of www.cricinfo.com tells me that Lancashire did reach the magic 300 only 8 down and declared, so the relegation battle is still live. The final day tomorrow could see some fireworks as Lancashire have to go all out for whatever target they are left when they bowl Middlesex out, since a draw for them would be just as bad as a loss.
Taking an evening stroll yesterday I reached the lower Purfleet, near the end of my journey, and saw something being projected off the Custom House. I had arrived just as that show was ending, but moments later another started, and I watched transfixed from beginning to end. The photographs which follow reveal as much of the experience as I could capture…
The signal that the new show was getting under way.
My involvement with Learning Works came to a close today, two years and seven months after it started as a ten week work placement. The King’s Lynn centre is closing down, and it is purely for this reason that I shall no longer be attending. I have benefited hugely from my time at Learning Works, and without wishing to sound like the Hideous Hog, plenty of people who have passed through the King’s Lynn branch of Learning Works while I was there also benefited from my presence.
I have gained a new follower who by serendipity happens to live near Vancouver, British Columbia, so I have two sets of photos today, one my usual stuff, and the other a special “Vancouver Gallery” which I shall show first…
A close up of the plaque at the base of the Vancouver statue
The feature image – the statue of Captain Vancouver that stands alongside the lower Purfleet.This araucaria is a prominent feature of the Vancouver GardenThe other bridge that connects the Vancouver Garden to the rest of King’s Lynn
The rest of the images are my more usual fare for a non working day, although one other noted navigator features prominently, Nicholas of Lynn, who died in 1369, definitely sailed to Iceland and may have found his way to the Americas. Note: all claims of discovery of the Americas made on behalf of Europeans are bogus by definition – in human terms the Americas were discovered by the hardy folk who crossed to frozen Bering Strait from Asia into the Americas some 20,000 years ago – hence why I do not personally used discovered in the context of Friar Nicholas and has possible trip across the Atlantic.
Anyway, now for the rest of those photos…
Little brown jobbies – normally very difficult to photograph
I was attempting to capture something else, failed, but got this picture by way of compensation – the sort of thing that might happen more often if the Rueful Rabbit took up photography!But for the extra significance of Vancouver for this blog at this moment this would have been the feature image.
Given how much wind we get in King’s Lynn it makes sense to use it!
Nicholas of Lynn – her certainly DID NOT discover the Americas (see body text) – but he may just have been there over 120 years before Columbus.
Following a nice Sunday morning walk which yielded some fine pictures I called at my Aunt’s house, ready for the journey to East Rudham for Sunday lunch. Edward (her youngest), was there with his girlfriend Rachel, and owing to the necessity of waiting for the drying cycle to finish on the washing machine we had a little time to kill.
Helen showed the quilt she has been constructing for her middle son Charles in its full glory – it is mighty impressive.
Sunday lunch was as usual magificent, and afterwards my mother and I went apple picking at Sandringham before she dropped me back in King;s Lynn.
Enjoy some splendid pictures…
Probably the best moorhen picture I have yet takenTo get two moorhens in one shot is something of a rarity.Given the location of this footpath it was surprising and pleasing to note that this snail was undamaged.These birds were on the grass near Lynn Sport – evidently they have no problem with people.
It was windy down by the river.
I first came across these owls as lot 73 in James and Sons sale, and they now adorn a wooden bookself in my Aunt’s houseThis is the quilt mentioned in the body text – spectacular!This is a close up of one part of the quilt.This view arose after we had finished picking apples.
I am only putting this up because I have some cracking photos to share including some poppy pics that I will be putting on the Great Centenary Charity Auction’sfacebook and twitter, where we are on the verge of reaching 150 followers. Enjoy these pics…
Where do the Woodworm come in (other that is than getting me as close to an A-Z of photographs as is likely in the absence of my nephew!)? Answer: I was needed to photograph the evidence so that the good folk at Hampton Court (Hampton Court, King’s Lynn, not the one in Surrey!) could get someone in to deal with it!
No further words of wisdom come immediately to mind, so on with the photographs…
Not great, but a MASSIVE improvement on what it is replacing.
The most publicised woodworm since the one that stowed away on the ark at the beginning of “A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters”!
With the co-operation of the wind I was able to photograph these tea towels while they were drying
Pictures of this boat have already been featured on facebook and twitterThis is the view even on a less than clear day from the top of the “Dogotel Drop”
aspiblog 