Buildings and a Petition

Some more pictures of buildings in and around King’s Lynn, plus a link to an important petition.

INTRODUCTION

This post can be seen as a sequel to “Buildings of Kings Lynn” and “More Buildings of King’s Lynn”. However, as you will see, this one has a slightly wider focus.

IN KING’S LYNN

Our first building of the day is sadly not being used for anything. It used, in the days when such things existed to be our main Post Office (we now have the services of a few cashiers at WHSmith instead), and no subsequent use has been found for it.

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Now we have some buildings near the train station…

Portland Street

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The first of the two pictures I combined to make the ‘juxtaposition image’

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The Fenman Pub – there is lots of railway memorabilia inside (it is directly opposite the station)
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St John’s Vicarage

From here, since we are at the start of St John’s Walk, we enter the parkland area…

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The Guanock Gate

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The South Gate.

On our way from the South Gate to the Great Ouse we get a glimpse of the Baptist Church.

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Looking across the river, we get a glimpse of West Lynn Church (one can use the ferry if one wishes to get closer, or walk down to the road bridge and cross there)

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Near Marriott’s Warehouse one can see the Rathskellar wine bar…

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The Rathskeller, with a side wall of Marriott’s in the background.

We finish this section with a few quirky images from the town centre.

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In spite of the size of this poster the map is next to useless – I know the Hardwick Sainsbury’s well, but could not find it using that map.
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The side of Boot’s .
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Close up of the metalwork.
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The top of the guildhall. The green structure projects the light show on to King’s Lynn Minster at night.

GAYWOOD AND PLANNING PERMISSION

My aunt had noticed a cause for concern in a planning application for something in Gaywood, and as we were heading for Sunday lunch with my parents in East Rudham anyway we went via Gaywood. We actually saw no evidence there of the planning application that had caused the concern, but did see another, for an extension of the pub. The original planning application that had been brought to my aunt’s attention was for a small new build, and these photos from the area in question show, a plain concrete box which is what apparently was on the table would have been very inappropriate.

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The planning application that was on display in Gaywood
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Two brick houses with distinctive features.

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Trees that may i danger of being knocked down.
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Not brick and flint, but (like the library) brick and Carr.

A PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT HEDGEHOGS

Dedicated followers of this blog will know that yesterday I put up a post supporting a team4nature thunderclap. I am finishing this post by linking to an official petition to the UK government to give hedgehogs better protection. The petition can be viewed here (note and apology to my international followers – you have to be a British citizen to sign petitions on this site).

Please Support @Team4Nature300 Thunderclap

Support for the tem4nature thunderclap.

I will use @team4nature300’s own quote:

“The number of wild animals on earth has halved in just 40 years! Please share this message: let’s #StandByNature!http://thndr.me/7Wn7Jc”

Three links for you:

The Team For Nature website – still under construction but worth a look.

The well established team4nature blog

And, of course, the full link to the thunderclap: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/37948-standbynature?locale=en

Please support this campaign!

The London Energy Company

An extended signpost to a very detailed article about London mayoral candidate Sian Berry’s latest excellent idea.

INTRODUCTION

This is yet another excellent proposal from London mayoral candidate Sian Berry. For the rest of this post I will give you the introductory paragraphs of the article from http://www.power-technology.com, the picture that appears at the top of the article, and a link to the full article.

THE ARTICLE

The article, which appears under the heading “Green Party’s mayoral candidate proposes new clean energy company for London” starts as follows:

The Green Party’s mayoral candidate Sian Berry has announced plans to set up a new renewable energy company that will operate as a subsidiary of the UK’s Transport for London (TfL).

The proposal, which is part of the party’s 2015 London Mayor campaign, aims to reverse government attacks on solar power by setting out clear plans for a major expansion of renewable technology across London.

The London Energy Company would help the city to source 20% of its electricity needs from solar power alone.

By investing in other renewable technologies, the company is expected to deliver at least 30% of London’s energy needs from zero or low-carbon sources by 2030.

Sian Berry said: “There is huge potential in London for a wide range of low and zero-carbon technologies to be used to generate heat and electricity from the sun, wind, ground and air using heat pumps, gas created from waste, and from London’s tides and river flows.”

The clean electricity generated will be used to power Crossrails operations.

Here is the picture:

LEC

Please read the full article here.

Bronza Age Wheel Found in Cambridgeshire

Links and a picture relating to a very interesting piece in the Guardian.

This comes courtesy of the Guardian, to whose piece I link below. The site of the discovery is near Peterborough, approximately one and a half hours bus ride from my home in King’s Lynn. To draw you in further, here is the picture together with link:

Wheel

Acknolwegdements to the Guardian and Joe Giddens of PA for the photograph: https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/504b9161dfed899dcf1705869127939a832a7581/0_78_3500_2099/master/3500.jpg?w=620&q=85&auto=format&sharp=10&s=58b1f7b9358dac7b73b4bba211cc3400

To read the Guardian article please click here.

LagnöBo i Trosa

News of an interesting and impressive scheme in Sweden…

Here is a direct link to the short video: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1113121812/turning-the-first-sod-forsta-spadtaget-lagno-bo/widget/video.html

Anna's avatarAnnas Art - FärgaregårdsAnna

For English version, see below Swedish text.

I Trosa kommun pågår ett spännande byggprojekt med småskalighet,delaktighet och miljömedvetenhet som ledord.

Ni kan läsa mer här:

Lagnö Bo kooperativ hyresrättsförening – Ett gemenskapsboende byggt på småskalighet, delaktighet och miljömedvetenhet
https://lagnobo.wordpress.com/

De står i begrepp att ta första spadtaget inom kort och berättar om det här:

Turning the First Sod / Första spadtaget – Lagnö Bo – Lagnö Bo kooperativ hyresrättsförening
https://lagnobo.wordpress.com/2016/02/13/turning-the-first-sod-forsta-spadtaget-lagno-bo/

Så här berättar de själva om det första spadtaget i sitt infobrev:

“Du har säkert redan hört talas om Lagnö Bo, som bygger 19 kollektiv-lägenheter vid havet utanför Trosa. Detaljplan, ritningar och bygglov är klart. Nu behöver vi din hjälp med första spadtaget. Gå in på https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1113121812/turning-the-first-sod-forsta-spadtaget-lagno-bo). Där kan du läsa mer om projektet, och stötta med valfritt belopp. Som du ser, utlovas fina belöningar! Och du, gör det bums! Ju fler som stöttar, desto fler följer efter!
Sprid…

View original post 282 more words

A Grab Bag

A pot-pourri of a post, featuring my website, mental health, public transport, a new find in the blogging world (for me), human evolution and a few pictures.

INTRODUCTION

I have spent a good part of today working on my website, www.londontu.be, and I also have some pictures that I have not previously shared, plus a few other things.

THE LATEST FROM LONDONTU.BE

I have recently created three new posts that I choose to share here:

 

THE MENTAL HEALTH TASKFORCE

Mind, the mental health charity, have produced this about the Mental Health Task Force:

Mind

MUSICAL KEYS

On Monday evening, Musical Keys had another session for autistic people. As well as my usual i-pad generated strings (cello only on this occasion), the session ended with something new – generating sounds by constructing lines on the i-pad screen for balls to bounce off (for those with long memories the approach is bit like reverse “bat and ball”). Here some photos relating to that event:

The Custom House viewed from Queen Street
The Mart.
This is exactly the sort of ride that I hate!
The Pilot Place development
A Rainbow while I was waiting outside (there was a session for youngsters going on, so I felt it best to stay outside although it was cold.
The Scout “Hut”
I-pad screen.
The lines and dots program.

A NEW FIND

To give credit where it is definitely due, it was a post by Mike Sivier at Vox Political that introduced me to anewnatureblog, which I am now following. The particular post that Mike shared and that I followed up on was this one. I subsequently also read this one. I highly recommend this blog.

BETTER TRANSPORT MAPS

It was also courtesy of Mike that I found the Guardian piece that led to my discovery of the better transport campaign. One thing they are doing is producing maps which show how transport services across the UK are being endangered. Just one example: in Norfolk, where I live the county council’s transport budget was £4m in 2010 and £2.67m in 2015 – a cut of 33% in five years (and as a regular user I defy anyone to suggest that Norfolk’s transport provision is not in need of improvement!).

A GIF ABOUT HUMAN EVOLUTION

This little GIF, which WEIT picked up via twitter, started life in Carl Sagan’s Cosmos TV series. I have two links for you:

  1. The original post in which I saw this GIF
  2. The GIF on its own.

SOME FINAL PHOTOS

This is the vehicle that Charlie Ross and Christina Trevanion are using in Antiques Road Trip
A squirrel darting up a leafless tree
close up of the squirrel
A blanket knitted by my mother for their camper van.

 

Links and Coins

INTRODUCTION

I have a lot of interesting links to share, and some pictures from today at work.

LOTS OF LINKS

These links cover a wide range of stories. Each link will be preceded by some accompanying text.

First up, a really good story featuring Pizza Express. Please visit samedifference and read the full story.

Next, courtesy of the canary comes this story about the UN warning the Tories that their Trade Union Bill could be in breach of international law. It certainly sinks of double standards – OK to form a government on 37% of a 66% turn out but to go on strike you need 40% all those entitled to vote to vote yes.

My third selection comes courtesy of Tax Research UK and refers to the possible nationalisation of banks, arguing that unlike in 2008 it must be a proper nationalisation this time, and the bankers cannot be left in control again.

SOME POTENTIAL IDEAS FOR MY WEBSITE

The last two links and one picture are all stuff that could soon be featuring on my London transport themed website:

From visitlondon comes this listing of “31 free things to do with kids” which has lots of potential.

The folks at disabledgo have provided their top 10 of places to visit in the London Borough of Havering.

As a segue, here is a poster advertising skating at Cheshunt, which could be a nucleus of a post on the website…

Cheshunt

SOME PICTURES FROM TODAY AT WORK