Month: September 2015

Emails and Cameras

An account of a day at James and Sons, including my first public mention of a new project, some important links and some photographs from in and around King’s Lynn.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to this post about yesterday at James and Sons. I also have some pictures from King’s Lynn and a few links to share.

EMAILS

Today there were two bulk emails to dispatch., The first was a straight forward email to everyone living within a sensible distance of the locations concerned about the two fairs that James and Sons take part in every month. The second, following instructions relayed by a colleague was a targeted email about our auction for buyers of Medals and Militaria. I chose as well as altering the strapline of the email to create a new graphic featuring military themed items only , and as a matter of necessity I very carefully made sure that the list of recipients for this email did not include any of those who had received the one I sent out on Friday. Here are the images involved…

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This was the image I decided to use.
This was the image I decided to use.

Militaria IMG2 Militaria IMG 499 451 448 447 440

CAMERAS

As well as my usual duties connected with an auction, and my role running the database, and my role doing press releases and my unofficial role as in-house “Gordianus” (Gordianus is Stephen Saylor’s central character in his Roma Sub Rosa series and has the nickname “the finder”) I have yet another area os responsibility relating to our 28th October auction – we have received a car load of vintage cameras, and I will be responsible for catalogiuing them, as well as for producing the images. I have made a start on this new project, and the images will give you an idea of my approach…

This lot are just about worth listing as a boxful.
This lot are just about worth listing as a boxful.
A close up of the Thornton Pickard name.
A close up of the Thornton Pickard name.
Camera open and ready for action.
Camera open and ready for action.
Closed case - ready for carrying
Closed case – ready for carrying
This is the star item of the collection thus far (and likely to remain so - I have given it a deliberately conservative estimate of £60-80 - there is one without the case, instructions and accessories on the net at 119.99) This is one of four images I took of this item.
This is the star item of the collection thus far (and likely to remain so – I have given it a deliberately conservative estimate of £60-80 – there is one without the case, instructions and accessories on the net at 119.99) This is one of four images I took of this item.

point and click Kodak Mixed EKF EKF -b

A genuine antique, should attract some inetrest.
A genuine antique, should attract some inetrest.

EFV

Interesting again, but not worth a huge amount.
Interesting again, but not worth a huge amount.

Coronet Rapide

This is of an interesting type, and comes in its original carrying case.
This is of an interesting type, and comes in its original carrying case.

boxed mixed BN2b BN2a

This image and the next two are all of a camera that is worth selling singly only because of its antiquity and the fact that it is still in its original box.
This image and the previous two are all of a camera that is worth selling singly only because of its antiquity and the fact that it is still in its original box.

LINKS

I have three things to share in this section, starting with…

WARWICK’S WOBBLY WEEK

The title of this subsection refers to the actions of the Student’s Union at Warwick University. An ex-Muslim named Maryam Namazie had been invited to speak at the university about why she had abandoned her religious faith and other related matters. Some idiot within the Students Union then decided that there was “a danger of her inciting hatred” and barred her from coming. A petition was quickly organised on change.org to get the S.U to reverse this appalling decision, and with strong international support, notably from the team at whyevolutionisttrue it has duly been overturned. I have three links for you to gain further information…

  1. The original petition
  2. The official declaration of victory.
  3. A final word on the case from whyevolutionistrue.

VOTING REFORM

This is an update on a long running campaign. Apparently many MPs who have been contacted about this (and I did not deem it worth my while to contact my own MP given how obvious it is where he will stand) have been sending form replies about the vote in favour of retaining FPTP at the last referendum. This is calculatedly dishonest, since at that referendum FPTP was not being tested against PR, but against a system called AV (although I made a point of voting for the latter so that my opposition to FPTP was a matter of record). Thus, I have two links and, courtesy of George Aylett on twitter, a splendid infographic to share with you:

VR

A MUST-SEE VIDEO

This is a three-and-a-half minute you-tube video created by Autism-Mom and her son, the Navigator (it is more hearing than seeing, as neither are ever actually in shot, but there is some good text accompaniment to the voices). Please view this video by clicking here.

KING’S LYNN

I finish this post by sharing some of my recent pictures from around King’s Lynn…

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These pics from here until the second to last are from yesterday morning before work.
These pics from here until the second to last are from yesterday morning before work.

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This pumpkin field is near Knight's Hill, just beyond comfortable walking distance from the town centre - I took this from the top deck of an X8 bus.
This pumpkin field is near Knight’s Hill, just beyond comfortable walking distance from the town centre – I took this from the top deck of an X8 bus.
From yesterday evening, part of the light show at King's Lynn Minster.
From yesterday evening, part of the light show at King’s Lynn Minster.

IDS Lies to Tory Party – Time for him to GO?

Please read this splendid post in full (be warned there is some strong language in there that you would not normally see on aspiblog), share it and also sign and share the petition to which it links.

jaynelinney

Warning – The post below contains swearing

Just what the Fuck has Iain Duncan Smith on fellow members of the Conservative Party? Thanks to John Pring at Disability News Service, we know this excuse for a man in charge of the DWP has LIED AGAIN.  This time not only to us the people and the media, but also to his own Party!

This round of Lies is regarding the ‘success’ of the Disability Confident Campaign which, claims” the government is working with employers to remove barriers, increase understanding and ensure that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.” John, via freedom of information requests has revealed, contrary to IDS claims at last years Tory Party Conference that more than 1,000 employers” had ‘signed up’ to the campaign, the reality is fewer than 400 actually joined, and only 68, are currently “active partners”!! The article is…

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Better Late Than Never

An account of working on various things in connection with James and Sons’ next auction (Tuesday October 6th, action starts at 10AM).

INTRODUCTION

This brief post is about James and Sons next live auction. Regular readers of this blog will recall that it was scheduled for September 30. Events intervened, and the date was changed to Tuesday October 6th, but all is now back in order.

THE PREPARATIONS

We thought that all the gremlins had been dealth with when the first batch of catalogues arrived back from the printers until someone glancing at the inside of the catalogue just after they had arrived in the shop noted that something was amiss in about a nanosecond and had put a finger on the problem in not much longer. Unbelievably, although the cover was right the listing was the August listing reproduced in its entirety. Fortunately, the printers did not argue over whose mistake it was (the evidence against them being absolute) and set about rectifying the mistake. Even more fortunately the speed with which a certain individual (one of those advantages of autism mentioned in this post) had spotted the problem meant that none of the faulty catalogues had even been put in envelopes, much less posted. The catalogue is also available for viewing online.

A MAMMOTH EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE

Most of Thursday at work was taken up with dealing queries about the upcoming auction. There was one individual who had sent requests for images of every banknote in lots 590-8 inclusive, each of which was a whole album full of said items. Here is a sample image which just happened to be the last note of the last lot in this list…

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FILLING IN THE GAPS

Also in the last fewf days I have been filling in the remaining gaps in the imaging (in most cases gaps that were there because the lots had not actually been assembled – they were bulk coin lots in the main). Here a few highlights…

567 - a

With this lot, the box merited attention at leats as much as the coins within.
With this lot, the box merited attention at leats as much as the coins within.

567

Not a bulk coin lot - a late description change.
Not a bulk coin lot – a late description change.

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This also necessitated a late change of description on the online catalogue.
This also necessitated a late change of description on the online catalogue.

GETTING THE WORD OUT

Principal among yesterday’s tasks was getting an email out to our online customers about the auction. I prepared the text part of the email using word, assembled a montage of a few of the better images and once I got the go ahead sent it out. I conclude this post by sharing the images and the text with you.

52bc 395bc 421 501 502 533

This is how I assembled the six foregoing images into a montage.
This is how I assembled the six foregoing images into a montage.
A JPG of the original word document, created by screendumping and cropping.
A JPG of the original word document, created by screendumping and cropping.

JAMES AUCTION ALERT

Liberal Democrat Party Divorce From Reality

An account of developments in Lib-Dem world since I published my “Open Letter To Tim Farron”

INTRODUCTION

This can be thought of as a follow-up to my “Open Letter to Tim Farron”. Yesterday and today have seen some further developments that I believe warrant commenting on.

THE WIDENING REALITY GAP

Both Tim Farron and Sir Vince Cable have spoken of large scale defections from Labour to the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, IRL the first defection has happened – Councillor Jennifer Churchill switching allegiance from the Liberal Democrats to Labour. I have two versions of the story for you to check out:

  1. The original story in the Richmond & Twickenham Times
  2. This, courtesy of Huffington Post

Meanwhile, also IRL, the number of people who have joined the Labour Party since the result of their leadership election was confirmed now exceeds the total membership of the Liberal Democrats. For more on this and other numbers associated with the Labour leadership election check out this piece from labourlist.

I also note, courtesy of Politics Home, that Mr Farron, who previously awarded the Liberal Democrats 2 out of 10 for their performance in the coalition (a mark that to me seemed generous) has backtracked on that. I also note, courtesy of The Guardian, that Mr Farron would apparently go back into coalition with the Tories in 2020 should that possibility arise. This latter practically beggars belief given that being in coalition with them from 2010-15 well-nigh destroyed the Liberal democrats as a party. In the 2015 General Election people who actually wanted Tory policies voted for the real thing rather than a poor imitation, and people who did not want Tory policies were not going to trust the Liberal Democrats, so voted for other parties. To even be considering another Con-Dem coalition as a possibility in these circumstances seems to me to allow only two possibilities:

  1. Mr Farron has taken leave of his senses.
  2. Mr Farron is in actuality a saboteur trying to complete the job of destroying the Liberal Democrat party that five years of being handmaidens to the Tories started.

What is emerging from the Liberal Democrat conference is proof positive, from the horses mouth, that they cannot be considered in any sense of the word to represent any sort of opposition to the Tories. For that people must look elsewhere.

AN IMPORTANT PETITION

Jeremy Corbyn has been under constant fire from the right, including supposed party colleagues of his for some time. It is time that the media, and more especially right-wing Labour politicians recognised the triumph of a man who garnered more than three times as many votes as any of their chosen candidates could muster and stopped seeking to do him down. Please sign and share the petition.

I conclude thIS part of this post by sharing this, just in from politicalsift.

PHOTOGRAPHS

For those who have read this post through, here are some pictures from the last couple of days to enjoy…

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Heritage Open Day 5: A Retrospective

The final post in my series on Heritage Open Day.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the fifth and final post in my series on Heritage Open Day, which was a week ago yesterday. The previous four posts give a personal perspective on  the places that I and my two companions for the day visited. This one is there to tie things together and sum up the whole experience.

KING’S LYNN AND PUBLIC FESTIVITIES

This day provided further proof of how good King’s Lynn is at putting on  a public show. Whether it is water-skiing on the Great Ouse, the Lynn Festival, The Hanseatic Festival or the “Fawkes in the Walks” public firework display (which attracted 15,000 last year)  the event seems to work splendidly.

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THE DAY AS A  WHOLE

By the end of the day I was thoroughly exhausted, but I had greatly enjoyed myself. My cousin Edward and his partner Rachael were excellent company, the weather stayed decent throughout, and it was a joy to see so many people enjoying what King’s Lynn had to offer.

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This is the regular tourist map of Lynn, which can be picked up at the bus station among other places.
This is the regular tourist map of Lynn, which can be picked up at the bus station among other places.
This is what casual visitors can find out about Hampton Court any day of the year.
This is what casual visitors can find out about Hampton Court any day of the year.

IFCA

If you are anywhere close to King’s Lynn for Heritage Open Day 2016 don’t miss it – it is a wonderful thing to be part of!

Heritage Open Day 4: The Remainder of the Day

The fourth in my series of posts about Heritage Open Day, featuring the Red Mount Chapel, The Guildhall, “Cormorant Platform”, the South Gate and the Bandstand.

INTRODUCTION

This is the fourth post in my Heritage Open Day series (there will be one more small post to finish the series) and features several classic sites, starting with…

THE RED MOUNT CHAPEL

I have shown pictures of the outside of this building in many previous posts, so therefore I am concentrating my attentions on the inside, which a little like that of the South Gate contains more than you would believe from looking at the outside. The only windows most of the building possesses are tiny slits, while the uppermost level has fleur-de-lys windows which are not visible from the ground. At various stages of this buildings history its true purpose had to be concealed, because it was not safe to be known to be a centre of Catholic worship (n.b. the danger was never from unbelievers such as me, who also could not declare themselves at the time I am writing about – it was from those whose interpretation of Christianity differed from that of the Catholics). Now for some pictures…

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A prettied up fleur-de-lus window
A prettied up fleur-de-lus window
An original fleur-de-lys window
An original fleur-de-lys window

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After this we spent a bit of time outside waiting for signs of the spitfire fly past but none materialised, and we had to buy bread as a contribution to lunch, which thanks to my aunt was a feast. After lunch we started by paying a visit to the…

GUILDHALL

This is the second most iconic building in Lynn (behind the Custom House), due to its possessing this frontage…

This pic was taken yesterday - i got none of the outside on the day itself.
This pic was taken yesterday – i got none of the outside on the day itself.

Heritage Open Day however represented an opportunity to check out the inside of the building, including a ceiling that definitely dates from at the latest the early 1420s…

Decorative stonework in the Guildhall.
Decorative stonework in the Guildhall.

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The 1420s ceiling (maybe even older)
The 1420s ceiling (maybe even older)

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The plan was to visit the South Gate, and then go back to the park to catch some of the live music at the bandstand. A special tour bus (think routemasters of yesteryear!) caught our eyes but it was full, and it definitely was not worth waiting 20 minutes for the next. The walk to the South Gate needed little tweaking to take in one of my favourite minor attractions, which I have dubbed…

CORMORANT PLATFORM

Thankfully, the cormorants did me proud, and I was not required to provide any explanation as to my name for the structure…

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There were no further diversions before arriving at the…

SOUTH GATE

No external picture of this – I have shown many in the past, and on this day it was all about the inside of such buildings. Suffice to say that my companions for the day, my cousin Edward and his partner Rachael endorsed my earlier description of this building as a ‘medieval TARDIS’ – there is much more inside than you would believe possible from the outside…

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Following a short cut well-known to me to not to that many others (at least when it comes it King’s Lynn I can say echoing Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings that “My cuts, short or long, don’t go wrong”) we arrived in the parkland area via the Seven Sisters gate, walking past the Walks Stadium (home of the mighty Linnets, a.k.a King’s Lynn Town FC – just another five promotions would see them in the premier league!) and the Guanock Gate to arrive at our last attraction of the day…

THE BANDSTAND

The Bandstand dates from 1904 and regularly hosts live music. For Heritage Open Day we had a brass band who produced some excellent music for us…

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An Open Letter to Tim Farron

I received an email from Tim Farron inviting me to join the Liberal Democrats. This post is my response.

INTRODUCTION

I have today received an email from Tim Farron suggesting that I might be interested in joining his party, the Liberal Democrats. What follows is my response…

THE OPEN LETTER

Dear Mr Farron,

I am responding to your email of this lunchtime inviting me to consider joining your party.

While it is true that I voted Liberal Democrat in the 2010 General Election this was for a very specific reason: The Labour Party candidate had made himself impossible to vote for by making as virtually his opening remark of the campaign a comment about Gordon Brown being Britain’s worst ever Prime Minister – which as a candidate standing on behalf of Mr Brown’s party was clearly unacceptable. I did not believe that anyone other than your party’s candidate had a chance of challenging the sitting MP Mr Bellingham (Con), so I voted Liberal Democrat as a desperate tactical measure.

A lot has happened since that General Election, including five years of your party acting as handmaidens to the Tories. In the General Election of earlier this year I was proud to vote for the Labour Party candidate, Jo Rust, and if she is the candidate again in 2020 I will vote for her again. At the same time of the same day I voted for both the Green Party candidates in the local elections.

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While I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the Labour Party performance over the Welfare Bill, there has been a new leader elected since then, and I am liking what I see so far. I will refer to two recent happenings here:

On Friday, Mr Corbyn missed a rugby match to which he could have had free tickets because he was busy helping his constituents (a surgery that ended up running for seven hours). As far as I am concerned someone who puts his constituents ahead of a rugby match deserves applause. The second thing I wish to refer to is that Mr Corbyn has now revealed plans to renationalise the railways (these were mentioned in his manifesto in the leadership contest, which I read in detail). I offer you this infographic that I picked up on twitter:

Railways

On the question of how credible Mr Corbyn is: I do not think that the leader of a party who crashed from 62 MPs down to 8 or an ex-MP (Sir Vince Cable) are in the strongest position to raise such a question!

There is one other reason you might have thought I would be willing to join your party, which is that one of the many petitions which I have signed happens to have been created by a Liberal Democrat (it was calling for a worldwide ban on FGM). I signed the petition in question because I am in full agreement with its aims, not because of who created it.

To conclude, not only am I not remotely interested in joining your party, I am unable to see any circumstance in which I will ever again vote for them – reputations are hard earned and easily lost.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Sutcliffe

Heritage Open Day 3: The River Front and The Secret Garden

The third post in my series dedicated to heritage Open Day 2015 in King’s Lynn. This takes in a Napoleonic era militia, a 15th century construction and the present day work of the Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to this, the third post in my series on Heritage Open Day, which took place a week ago today. We are covering a lot of ground today, starting with…

A NAPOLEONIC ERA MILITIA STRUTTING THEIR STUFF

As part of the efforts to protect Britain against invasion by Napoleon, militias were organised everywhere coastal ready to act if necessary. Norfolk had two, the West and East Norfolk militias, and although King’s Lynn is on the western edge of Norfolk, it was the East Norfolk Militia we saw in action. There was also someone dressed as a captured Frenchman – note the dark blue jacket. It would be fair to describe this particular militia unit as not being the best drilled you would ever see (actually I would not have been that surprised to see Baldrick or hear someone shouting “Don’t tell him Pike”).

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Once we had seen this, we crossed the lower Purfleet on the bridge you can see in the picture above (after a brief diversion so I could show the others the Navigators display) and headed across King’s Staithe Square to the…

BANK HOUSE HOTEL

Who had opened up their cellars for the occasion…

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This map was on display in the hotel itself.
This map was on display in the hotel itself.

Then it was down to the banks of the Great Ouse, not at ultra high tide, but neither with vast areas of mudflat on display, and a chance to learn about the work of the…

EASTERN INSHORE FISHERIES AND CONSERVATION AUTHORITY

and to look around one of their research vessels, which also meant a chance to get down on to the pontoon/jetty where visiting boats have mooring space…

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This camera will function at depths of up to 80 metres, comfortably enough for investigating inshore waters around the Norfolk coast.
This camera will function at depths of up to 80 metres, comfortably enough for investigating inshore waters around the Norfolk coast.

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After finishing here we decided it was time to see how my mother and aunt were faring at the…

SECRET GARDEN

This is the communal back garden of Hampton Court, and unlike the courtyard itself which anyone can look in on at any time it is rarely possible for ordinary members of the public to look at it. By the time we got there my aunt had been temporarily relieved by my mother, and clearly lots of folk had already visited. Part of the garden had been blocked off at the request of one particular resident, but not being able to venture there did not lessen the experience…

Turning the requirement to restrict access one part of the garden into a benefit.
Turning the requirement to restrict access one part of the garden into a benefit.

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This map and the next picture, even on that day, was not viewable by ordinary members of the public - they adorn the walls of my aunt's house.
This map and the next picture, even on that day, was not viewable by ordinary members of the public – they adorn the walls of my aunt’s house.

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His diabetic mother was found dead in her home after being sanctioned for being in hospital with heart problems.

It is a fair while since last reblogged anything, but this post needs to be shared as widely as possible!

Benefit tales

This was posted on Facebook today.

Peter Urbacz

My mother Ruby Urbacz age 59 was found dead at her home on the 6th September as a result of a heart attack. She had been admitted to hospital a 01/08/15 for chest pains where they found she had had three minor heart attacks. Even though my mother had poor mobility , type 2 diabetes, very basic numeracy and literacy skills and mental health problems including depression, she was deemed “fit for work” by the DWP. She was put on JSA and hounded to show evidence of looking for a job she struggled to write a shopping list and thus constantly worried about money and if her benefits would be stopped.

Her benefits were stopped without without any investigation as she missed her jsa appointment whilst in hospital, after her discharge she had received no money for five consecutive weeks of the…

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Heritage Open Day 2: King Street

The second post in my series devoted to Heritage Open Day – this one covers King Street, starting from the Tuesday Market Place end and finishing at the Custom House.

INTRODUCTION

This is the second post in my Heritage Open Day series, and takes in King Street, virtually every building alon which had opened its doors for the occasion.

BEHIND THE ARTS CENTRE

There was some remarkable stuff on display between King Street and the river, accessible from two directions.

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Rachael, one of my companions for the day looking closely at this curio.
Rachael, one of my companions for the day looking closely at this curio.

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WHEN TWO BECAME ONE

The premises of Kenneth Bush solicitors does indeed consist of two buildings that were joined together to become one. It also had fine garden, in which stall selling homemade cakes and biscuits.

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A CONCEALED TREASURE

When you first appoach them, the premises of Metcalfe, Copeman & Pettefar don’t look like they are going to be massively impressive, but you soon discover that on the inside you are looking at a Norman building…

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The attic, not accessible, but those beams are very impressive from below.
The attic, not accessible, but those beams are very impressive from below.

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This mirror was working rather too effectively - you get the photographer as well the photograph!
This mirror was working rather too effectively – you get the photographer as well the photograph!
This view is not pretty - I include only because it is Baker Lane car park, and just out of sight to the top right as you look is a set of iron stairs which lead up to an intermediate level outside space up from which a spiral iron staircase leads to my own outside space.
This view is not pretty – I include only because it is Baker Lane car park, and just out of sight to the top right as you look is a set of iron stairs which lead up to an intermediate level outside space up from which a spiral iron staircase leads to my own outside space.

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INSIDE THE ICON

The ground floor of the Custom House serves as King’s Lynn’s principal tourist information office, but beyond that there is a mini museum, which was accessible that day, and as our next planned activity was watching a Napoleonic era militia in action nearby we decided to have a look to fill the last few moments before that started. Custom House marks the end of King Street, after crossing the lower Purfleet the road bifurcates, one fork becoming King Staithe Square and then the quayside and the other Queen Street which feeds in to the Saturday Market Place. Here are some final pics from the Custom House…

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I had to darken this considerably to get the text to stand out.
I had to darken this considerably to get the text to stand out.

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It isn't only Lord's that has a Long Room! (I concede that this one is not quite so impressive as theirs!)
It isn’t only Lord’s that has a Long Room! (I concede that this one is not quite so impressive as theirs!)

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Walter Dexter's painting of the Custom House in his day. Later for comparison there is a photograph taken by me on September 6th 2015.
Walter Dexter’s painting of the Custom House in his day. Later for comparison there is a photograph taken by me on September 6th 2015.

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