Buildings of King’s Lynn

Some of King’s Lynn’s most prominent buildings.

INTRODUCTION

This post was inspired by a comment posted on my ‘about aspiblog’ page by faradayscandle. I will be returning to this theme in future posts.

A SELECTION OF BUILDINGS

We will start with the most iconic building in King’s Lynn…

THE CUSTOM HOUSE

For more about the inside of the building visit this post. Here are two outside pictures both taken recently (the second of them today)…

KING’S LYNN MINSTER

This 12th century church, formlery known as St Margarets, has its own website where you can find out lots of information about it. Here a couple of pictures…

The frontage of this colossal edifice.

A closeup of the tide clock

THE OLD GAOL HOUSE

Still on the Saturday Market Place, this handsome building possesses one very interesting external feature. The building is currently closed, but will reopen as Stories of Lynn around Easter time. Meantime, here are two external pictures…

An interesting outdoor timepiece.

THE GUILDHALL

This remarkable building, right next door to the Old Gaol House, is chiefly known for its checkerboard frontage, but as this post shows, the inside is not too shabby either! Here are some pictures of the outside…

The remainder of the buildings will feature only single pictures. Having finished with the Saturday Market Place, we head towards the Tuesday Market Place, by way of King Street where we feature the Arts Centre…

Frequently when featuring the Tuesday Market Place the Corn Exchange dominates, but I am featuring just one building, The Dukes Head Hotel, home to Philanthropic Lodge 107. Of greater significance at the moment, this building will be hosting a Positive Autism Awareness Conference, organised by NAS West Norfolk. Here is the outside of the building…

ST ANN’S STREET

I am saving St Nicholas’ Chapel for another post, so I offer you St Ann’s House and the upstairs of the barber shop…

Our next brief port of call is…

THE RED MOUNT CHAPEL

This chapel, which is entirely surrounded by beautiful parkland always repays attention. here is a recent picture…

From here we head down the Broad Walk to…

THE LIBRARY

This is the only building in this part of the post of which I am posting more than one image, and both were taken recently. This is one of three libraries that I use on a regular basis, the others being Fakenham and The Millennium Library, Norwich.

The whole building

The frontage

HILLINGTON SQUARE

On our way down to the river, where we will finish, we pass Hillington Square, where improvement work has stopped since the £10 million that was allowed for this project has all been spent. Here is a glimpse of one of the new blocks…

SOMERFELD AND THOMAS

A disused warehouse, in need of renovation. The building is still fundamentally very attractive, and could be turned into something very good.

Before heading towards Lower Purfleet and the end of this post, a little look upriver to…

PALM PAPER

The direction in which the smoke is travelling in this picture (straight towards town) provides one reason as to why we objected to the building of an incinerator there. What we knew of the company who would have built it had we not put a stop to the idea was all bad (no contracts for anything in their native land since 1995, banned outright from operating in 29 of the 5o states of that native land). Also, incinerators are not a good idea anyway (I, and I suspect a majority of the 65,000 of us who said no, did not think it should be built anywhere). The fact that we prevented this should provide encouragement to others faced with greedy politicians trying to force hare-brained schemes on them (see here for a classic example).

MARRIOTT’S WAREHOUSE

A warehouse that has been given the necessary attention. As well as good cafe and restaurant this building houses a small exhibition of models of King’s Lynn buildings. From the outside this is what you see…

THE BANK HOUSE

This hotel his some interesting stuff inside it, and from the outside looks like this:

THE LOWER PURFLEET

We finish the post with a glimpse across the Lower Purfleet from The Bank House, where these buildings can be seen (a stone’s throw away is the Custom House where we started).

Images, Queries and Other Stuff

An account of my day at James and Sons, some important links and some splendid infographics.

INTRODUCTION

My title piece, complete with images, is about today at James and Sons, but I also have some important links and some quality inforgaphics to share…

IMAGES AND QUERIES

I started today by imaging the last handful of lots that were not already done for the August auction, one of which was needed to resolve a query. I also made a start on the imaging for the September auction (30th, Fakenham Racecourse) and did a lot of work on the database.

AUGUST IMAGES

There were as mentioned a very few of these, but they were items of interest…

200a 253 294 294a 294b 360 360a

This was the item that had a query on it - resolved to the customer's satisfaction. — This was the item that had a query on it – resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

SEPTEMBER IMAGES

The September lots that were ready for imaging included some very fine items…

Lot 1 was a challenge to image, but between all the shots I took I think I have done it justice.

A close up of the support ring for the inkwell.

This will undoubtedly go for far more than I could afford - unfortunately. — This will undoubtedly go for far more than I could afford – unfortunately.

A hallmark shot just to confirm, that these are the real deal.

LINKS

I have a cluster of important links to share starting with…

ROOSH V

The Mirror, who are on good form at the moment, have given some excellent coverage to the petition to stop Amazon from selling his books. The petition itself can be seen here.

DRACONIAN DRESS CODE DEVELOPMENTS

Another petition, which is just starting to gather serious momentum – almost 6,000 signatures at the time of writing. I covered this in detail in my last post, so I settle for this gentle reminder.

IDIOTIC DELUSIONAL SOCIOPATH

Two links in this little section aimed at the current boss of the DWP. This arises from the DWPs sanction success stories, of which there were two, and it has now been revealed that neither client (and the stories are told as if they were about real people) existed. The two pieces are:

This article in today’s Mirror.
And courtesy of Vox Political, this superb piece.

SCIENCE AND NATURE

Again two links for you, one about each half of the section title…

Fargaregardsanna has this about the threat to her locality from greedy politicians.
From Cosmos Up this about whether we can figure out how the universe will end.

AUTISM

Two links and a segue in this section:

JUSTICE FOR KAYLEB

Confirmation this morning that the petition at the heart of this campaign will be delivered in all its 152,000+ signature glory. Here is a link to this important petition.

THE LAST LINKS

This piece on theatlantic is of great importance – it reveals how some vital autism related reserach was suppressed for a long period of time.

Finally, my segue – the URL for Dr Lisa Sulsenti’s platinum quality infographic that starts the next and final section of the post.

INFOGRAPHICS

Galaxies

This enclousre would OK (although oddly shaped) for a municipal swimming pool but... ORCAS NEED OCEANS!! — This enclousre would OK (although oddly shaped) for a municipal swimming pool but… ORCAS NEED OCEANS!!

This is a fabulous detailed accounting of all that is wrong with TTIP.

Sunday Snippets

An account of yesterday, with some good pictures. Also some high quality links and infographics.

INTRODUCTION

Although some of the links I have were located this morning, this blog post is really, as the title suggests, about yesterday.

A MORNING WALK

My walk started with the parkland. There is always plenty to see there, and although it was to elusive to capture on camera, I even got a glimpse of a water vole before it darted under cover. Still I did get some good photos…

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I left the parkland via the Seven Sisters gate and headed past the South Gate and thence to the river via Hardings Pits, which at this time of year means one thing to a photographer…

BUTTERFLIES

There were many of these creatures in evidence, and I was able to get several good photos…

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The river although not at particularly high tide was looking splendid…

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Of course no walk along the Great Ouse would be complete without…

CORMORANT PLATFORM

This structure, which I have named for the birds that are its most distinctive users was once again proving popular…

DSCN4418 DSCN4419 DSCN4423 DSCN4424 DSCN4426 Back in the heart of the town, there were many boats in evidence. One was a small family owned boat using the jetty, and there were various research vessels, at least one of which was owned by company called Gardline…

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EAST RUDHAM

A Sunday lunch in East Rudham and afternoon spent sat out in the sun were both very enjoyable, and the latter yielded some good pictures…

I had noted a while previously that this £2 coin had a special picture on its reverse (the obverse was the usual prrofile of a ludicrously over privileged woman) and so I picked a suitable moment at which to photograph it.

Wild marjoram, freshly harvested for use in cooking.

Wild marjoram serving its principle function as a bee magnet.

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BACK TO KING’S LYNN

Arriviing back in King’s Lynn I bagged a few photos on the way home. A quick check on the computer revealed the Australia had emerged from their tour match at Northampton with a draw – cause for celebration on their part given recent events!

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LINKS

I have a variety of links to share with you, starting with several about…

AUTISM

This section opens with a link to today’s issue of The Sparks of Autism. From that splendid online compilation I have singled out one piece for special mention, which started life as a blog post by gymbunnymummy entitled “20 things not to say to a parent of a child with autism“. My next autism related piece is a story about a Russian supermodel standing up for her autistic sister after the latter was refused service at a cafe. I end this little section with a link to a campaign on change.org to get “Avonte’s Law” passed.

COUNTERING SEXISM

I take the opportunity of having this section to once again remind people of the project to create a museum that really is about the women of East London. My next two links belong together:

A story on Patheos about a draconian school dress code that is being applied in a blatantly discriminatory manner.
And a petition on change.org organised by students at the affected school.

My final link in this section is to a petition calling on Amazon to stop selling books by Roosh V

SCIENCE

My science related links are four in total:

A piece by fargaregardsanna which features a humorous use of one of Maurits Escher’s most famous pictures – I realize that some may quibble of me classing this as science, but I believe that since the explanation of how such optical illusions work is scientific that this is justified – and also it makes this section of my post neater!
A piece from Cosmos Up about an ancient lake on Mars that could once have sustained life.
Cosmos Up again, this time on the discovery of a young “Jupiter” 97 light years away.
My final piece comes courtesy of a source I do not believe I have previously cited in this blog – the Charlotte Observer, and it is a piece about Oliver Sacks (author of “Uncle Tungsten” among other things).

POLITICS

My final three links are all political in nature. Firstly, from disclaimermag comes this piece entitled “The Loathsome Linguistic Wriggles of Officer Involved Shootings”. My next link comes courtesy of Vox Political and is entitled “Browns Speech Unintentionally in Support of Corbyn”. Finally, courtesy of primepolitics comes this piece entitled “time to bring politics into the 21st century” which also serves as a useful to segue to my final section containing…

INFOGRAPHICS

MSMV NHS Cuts UAF Triumph

On Appreciating Nature

This post may be considered my personal response to the death of Cecil the lion.

INTRODUCTION

This post can be considered as my response to the tragedy involving Cecil the lion. Before getting into the main body of it I am once again going to share details (as I did in my previous post) of The Art of Autism’s calendar for 2016, currently being sold for $12. Full details can be seen on their own post on the subject, but I offer you this picture as extra inducement…

A picture to show you why as well as wishing to support the activity I am genuinely enthused by this calendar.

ON APPRECIATING NATURE

We are now in the main part of the post, which as well as what I am writing on my account will feature some photographic highlights relating to nature from the last few months, a variety of important links, and leading from here into the rest of the post my first essay in the craft of infographic creation…

CECIL THE LION

Cecil, a 13 year-old lion who jointly controlled his pride with another lion called Jericho, was shot by a wealthy American who had paid $50,000 to have him lured out of the reserve in which he lived. Walter Palmer, the shooter, has a long and bloody history of such activities, including at least one felony conviction involving poaching. Cecil was a huge tourist attraction, and even from the purely monetary angle (not a viewpoint with which I identify) his death has cost far than the $50,000 that was paid to bring it about. Before moving on from this introduction I have a bunch of Cecil related links to share with you:

A public response from World Animal Protection
Two links to the petition site:
1)The original petition
2)The current state of play
Sumofus calling on airlines to refuse to carry the “trophies” of such activities
Take Part have produced this splendid article by way of response
Patheos have offered this interesting view
Finally, mashable have produced their own petition relating to this issue

There seems little doubt that Mr Palmer’s activities, and those activities that were paid for with his blood money were in breach of Zimbabwean law, and as a staunch internationalist I would say that the American government has a duty to ensure that Mr Palmer gets appropriately punished, either by putting him on the next plane to Zimbabwe to be punished in the country where he committed the crime or by arranging for him to be tried, convicted and punished in America.

I would also like to see a blanket ban on “trophy hunting”, enforced with stringent penalties for those who breach it. Also, I have concentrated on the American, rather than the two Zimbabweans involved in the atrocity because it is the American who bears full responsibility – without his money the two Zimbabweans would have had no motive for their nefarious contact – Mr Palmer is guilty on his own account and has made criminals of the other two involved.

SOME PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS

This subsection is devoted the only kind of shooting I am interested in performing – that done with my trusty Nikon Coolpix P530. Yes I have recently acquired a set of five obsidian arrowheads – but that was purchased as on object of interest, not with any intention of using them as weapons!

The first two pictures are of an insect that was crawling on the window of an X8 bus in which I happened to be a passenger.

These two robins, enjoying the local park, formed the basis of my second ever pictorial thank you message.

This lone robin was by the bandstand in the local park.

A squirrel preparing for the main ascent!

A swimming gull, reflected back by the smooth water.

This one was standing on a submerged log

A cormorant - the first of many. — A cormorant – the first of many.

A cormorant on the structure that I named Cormorant Platform because they make so much use of it.

Swans in the parkland off Littleport Street

One of my ornithological alter egos - a magpie. — One of my ornithological alter egos – a magpie.

The only time I have ever got a really got shot of one of these white butterflies - they move seriously fast — The only time I have ever got a really got shot of one of these white butterflies – they move seriously fast

A cormorant and black backed gull together.

These were the first ducklings I saw in 2015.

This crafty duckling had realised that it could use the lily pad as a kind of boat.

These three shots were gold from my point of view - usually if a cormorant is swimming it is looking for food and therefore dives regularly, making it tough to capture on camera. — These three shots were gold from my point of view – usually if a cormorant is swimming it is looking for food and therefore dives regularly, making it tough to capture on camera.

Mallard drake and moorhen being companionable on the edge of the upper Millfleet.

I had seen swans on various rivers, but until July 2015 never on the Great Ouse which is tidal and flows seriously fast.

These birds like marshy land best, but mud flats when the Great Ouse is at low tide are clearly also acceptable to them.

The base of my current pictorial thank you message.

Every single photo in this subsection was bagged within walking distance of my “compact” town centre flat – if you truly appreciate nature you do not have go very far to find glorious sights, and nothing need be harmed.

A FEW NATURE RELATED LINKS

These two links are both to petitions that anyone who takes an interest i nature should sign and share:

1)This from 38Degrees is an emergeny petition about bees

2)Take Part are running this petition against unsafe drilling in the Arctic Ocean.

A FINAL REMINDER

To finish the main section of this blog I have another infographic, which gives the same message as the one I opened the section with – the fundamental message of this post…

GENERAL LINKS

Just a handful of links today:

Richard Murphy of Tax Research UK on the “power of capital well used”.
An update on the change.org petition launched by the Sweets Way Campaign.
Two from Vox Political:
1)A splendid attack on the despicable Jeremy Hunt.
2)A scathing indictment of Tory plans that would amount to legalising bribery and corruption.
Finally, to end the post, a link to a new find that came by way of Fargaregardsanna, Harsh Reality, who are offering the opportunity to share a blog post, which I shall by accepting!

Autism Related Meeting in Norwich

An account of an autism related meeting in Norwich, loads of links, some quality dragon pictures, some infographics and some other pictures.

INTRODUCTION

Although this post is based around my attending a meeting to do with Autism at the Charing Cross Centre in Norwich I have lots of other stuff to share as well, in the form of photos, infographics from various sources and a plentiful supply of links.

THE MEETING

The purpose of the meeting was to contribute towards a wide scale report on improving Mental Health services across the board. The speaker, who has been travelling around the country listening to ideas from people emphasized that one of the things his report would contain was a statement that it must be shared with contributors.

One of the (many) disastrous things that has been happening over the last few years has been a removal of investment from preventative care in favour of crisis management.

One of the commissioners for the Norfolk and Suffolk PCT actually told the manager of Asperger East Anglia that she should tell staff “to stop working with people after three months”, which demonstrates a scandalous lack of understanding of Autistic Spectrum Conditions.

As the only person in attendance to be actually autistic rather than either a professional working in the field or a parent/ carer of someone with an Autistic Spectrum Condition I made several contributions.

The final report should be complete by the start of October, and if we have not heard anything by the start of November we have been given a green light to contact Jane Sayer at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

HERE BE DRAGONS: A PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERLUDE

I have already dedicated a whole blog post to the dragons that can be seen in and around Norwich at the moment, but yesterday I was in parts of Norwich not covered in that post, so I have some more dragons for you…

The first four pictures are of McFly, who sits just outside the City Hall

An educational dragon "The rise and demise of the dinosaurs" — An educational dragon “The rise and demise of the dinosaurs”

This is Mr Wing, who resides just outside The Forum

"Dragofly", one of two full size dragons (plus a clutch of babies) to be found inside The Forum — “Dragofly”, one of two full size dragons (plus a clutch of babies) to be found inside The Forum

Luda, the other dragon to found inside the forum.

Norwich Twilight, looking out over the marketplace.

Morgan, in one of the streets that feeds into the marketplace.

"Eye Spy Cecil", near Castle Mall. — “Eye Spy Cecil”, near Castle Mall.

I did not get this one's name, but s/he guards the castle itself — I did not get this one’s name, but s/he guards the castle itself

LINKS

My first two links are both related and come courtesy of Dr Marquis Grant. They are both to do with a survey for autistic people:

1)A blog post advertising the survey

2)A link to the survey itself

THREE IMPORTANT PETITIONS

.Firstly, two links relating to the campaign to get Jason Rezaians released:

1)The current state of play according to petition hosts change.org

2)An article about this campaign in the Washington Post.

A petition that I have referred to several times previously in this blog is Fiona Paddon’s petition calling on the NHS to provide free tests from Group B Strep, which now has over 180,000 signatures. The next step is to pile on the pressure bby writing to MPs, to which end I have two links for you…

1)The site for locating MPs to write to.

2)A short cut for those of you who are like me) in Mr Bellingham’s constituency.

Finally in this subsection, a petition calling for the mayor of London to get dangerous lorries off the roads (so far this year lorries are responsible for the deaths of eight cyclists in the capital).

BLOGS AND BLOG POSTS

In this subsection are links to the some of the best blogs and blogposts I have found recently…

First up, Caroline Lucas standing up for the welfare state.

Next, the website and blog of one of my recent twitter followers, Mr Nobody:

1)Website

2)Blog

A recent wordpress acquaintance is fargaregardsanna whose offerings include this on the work of Max Tegmark.

Having just mentioned the extraordinary Max Tegmark, this seemed a natural place to mention a book devoted to the strangest aspects of science, which it so happens that I read on the bus to Norwich yesterday.

Faraday’s Candle are regular producers of marvellous science and nature related stuff, and this piece on The Arches National Park is comfortably up to their usual high standard.

INFOGRAPHICS

Four infographics to share today. First, by way of Abby Tomlinson on twitter this on abstaining in the face of oppression:

Next up, this on Austerity:

This on energy is probably the most important of the four:

Finally, this on the Great Gathering for Voting Reform:

AFTERWORD AND SOME FINAL PHOTOS

I hope that you enjoy this blog post as much as I have enjoyed creating it, and that some at least of you will be inspired to share it. I finish with some non-dragon related photos from Norwich…

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