Tag: Fountains

Downham Market

A photographic account of Downham Market, an old market town in Norfolk.

INTRODUCTION

As those of you who read the post I put up earlier today will know I spent part of Saturday in the town of Downham Market. These post showcases everything I saw there other than the Town Hall. 

THE STATION

This was my first visit to Downham Market, as opposed to passing through the station en route to further afield destinations. The pictures here were taken at two distinct periods, in the morning immediately post arrival, and in the afternoon when I had rather more time to kill than I would have wished. The only way across the tracks at Downham Market is by way of a level crossing, and the train from London to King’s Lynn arrives just before the one going the other way. The crossing gates close a couple of minutes before the King’s Lynn train arrives and stay closed until the London train has departed, which means that if you are looking to catch the King’s Lynn train, which departs from the far platform from the town centre and the crossing gates close you have missed it, and such was my fate on Saturday. For those affected this also explains both my later than usual arrival at the venue for Musical Keys and the fact that I was a tad breathless when I got there – I had stepped off a train at 15:20 at King’s Lynn and walked straight out to the Scout Hut in something of a hurry.

London ConnectionsRailway MapGNNGN

signal box
The signal box at Downham Market
Station building
The station building – very impressive, and I was to discover quite typical of 19th century Downham Market buildings in the use of Carr (the brown coloured stone).
Local Map
A handy little map for working out one’s route from the station.
Terrace
I reckon (though I am opne to correction) that this little terrace was built to accommodate railway workers.
Bennett & Son
This building is visible from the station platform.

Date stone

THE REST OF DOWNHAM MARKET

I start with two pictures to set the scene, a huge pictorial map which can be seen in the town centre and the information board about the railway:

Giant MapThe Railway 1

The ‘Downham’ part of Downham Market comes from Anglo-Saxon (afterall, we are in the lands of the North Folk of the East Angles) and literally means ‘homestead on a hill’, and indeed the market town that grew up around that homestead (it has been a market town since Anglo-Saxon times) is slightly elevated from the surrounding countryside, which in Norfolk constitutes being on a hill! These photos are presented in the order in which they were taken.Georgian housePedimentDoorShelley CottageSemi-detachedbirdStone shieldGarden CentreThe Railway 2Garden Centre 2Garden Centre 3sunclock 1sunclock 2The Railway close up 1Railway Close Up 2The Railway close up 37098Sculpture 1Sculpture 2Temple like buildingBlocked windowDate plaque 1Date plaque 2

Info signs
There will be more about Civray in the next section.

InfoGiant MapsignsShopClock 1FountainMP sculptedStone bird82 Bridge Street

CIVRAY

I realised that there could be only one explanation for a signpost in cengtral Downham Market giving the distance to the town of Civray, namely that the two towns are twinned. Civray for the record is pretty much exactly halfway between Poitiers and Angouleme, due east of La Rochelle. I include a map as well as a close up of the sign.

Civray 628Civray

 

Giving a Radio Interview

A post focussing on me giving a radio interview. Some mention of a roller-skating session and of the current test-match. And of course some photographs.

INTRODUCTION

The title part of this post refers to one of the things I did yesterday. I also have some pictures to share.

AN AUTISM CENTRED MORNING

Of course, as branch secretary of the National Autistic Society’s West Norfolk branch and an #actuallyautistic person there is a way in which autism is always at the heart of what I do. After three days carrying out my concatenation of roles at a James and Sons auction (operator of the system that enables us to take online bids, database administrator, query fielder, in-house ‘Gordianus’, occasional customer service person – see here for a full account) I had a day on which my only preset commitment was to supervise a roller-skating session at Lynnsport between 11 and 12. In the absence of direct confirmation of a time that would be convenient to speak to Ashleigh at KLFM 96.7 (our local radio station) about our upcoming 10th anniversary I decided that I would set off early for Lynnsport and see if I could speak to her on the way or as a fall-back arrange to call in on my way back.

Ashleigh was able to fit me in straight away, and the interview went well (she will be sending me both a recording and an online article that will accompany the actual broadcast), and I left for Lynnsport with my spirits high – I had helped myself, advertised our upcoming 10th anniversary event and due its connection with the foregoing also made mention of our gardening grant and the allotment on Ferry Lane + plans for a sensory garden in part of the plot. It is because of this gardening stuff that we gained the use of the magnificent garden where our 10th anniversary celebration will be held.

The roller-skating passed without incident and I was able to listen to some of the action from the third test-match (even assuming I had both the ability and the willingness to pay the Biased Bull****ting Conservatives £150 per year I would choose to follow cricket by listening to radio commentaries rather than watching on TV). Yesterday was truncated by rain, but England have had a good day today – first reaching 353 largely thanks to a magnificent innings from Stokes and now bagging a South African wicket before tea – debutant Toby Roland-Jones breaking through.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Pot
Being vertical sided these pots should not blow over in the wind (there were two of them).
BP1
The first of two shots showing James and Sons’ tray of Beatrix Potter coins

BP2

Victoria heads
I don;t know what the original purpose of this object was, but it has been a feature of James and Sons longer than I have!
Bee2
Wild marjoram is useful as a herb, as well playing a vital role as a plant that bees just love .

Bee1Bee3

Butterfly1
A huge butterfly

Butterfly2

Giant fly
A gargantuan fly.

FountainSquirrel

Public Libraries 150
My public libraries display.

@aspitweets One Year On – and Other Stuff

Marking my first year on twitter, also mentioning autism advocated Robyn Steward and Kevin Healey and livened up with plenty of pictures.

INTRODUCTION

As well as marking one year since I set up my personal twitter account I have a few other things to cover, and of course have some pictures to liven things up.

TWITTER ONE YEAR ON

A year ago (plus half an hour for the seriously pedantic among you) I set up a personal twitter account, @aspitweets. Here is a link to the first tweet I posted back then:

And here is a screen dump as well.
And here is a screen dump as well.

It has been an amazing year, as I am closing on 3,000 followers. It has also been very beneficial to this blog, reaching people that I would never have reached without twitter.

TWO AUTISM RELATED THINGS

On Thursday Robyn Steward, an internationally renowned autism advocate gave a talk at Churchill Park Complex Needs School, half a mile from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn which I was lucky enough to attend, having been invited by West Norfolk National Autistic Society branch chair Karan MacKerrow. The talk was exceedingly interesting, but rather than regurgitate it here I direct you to Robyn’s website so you can see it in her own words. Although one has to be careful about taking pictures in a school, I have some photos from the evening…

As stated in the body text I respect the need for care about taking pictures in a school, but I thought that this excellent display board deserved sharing and carried no risk of causing offence.
As stated in the body text I respect the need for care about taking pictures in a school, but I thought that this excellent display board deserved sharing and carried no risk of causing offence.
The first of two slides that I photographed before the talk started.
The first of two slides that I photographed before the talk started.

DSCN6701

Robyn herself. The hat and the pink shoes are tthere because she cannot recognise faces and therefore needs to wear something distinctive to recognise herself in photos.
Robyn herself. The hat and the pink shoes are tthere because she cannot recognise faces and therefore needs to wear something distinctive to recognise herself in photos.

My second Autism related piece is less happy. Kevin Healey recently contacted his MP, Paul Farrelly, about the bullying he was suffering. Unfortunately, rather than helping or offering any sort of support all this MuPpet came up with was a suggestion that Kevin should get off twitter, failing to note that for Kevin twitter is a vital communication tool. Kevin has responded by launching another petition, directed specifically at Mr Farrelly, which I urge to you to sign and share.

A BRIEF UPDATE FROM JAMES AND SONS

Yesterday was devoted to imaging for our sale on November 25th at Fakenham Racecourse. The last lots will be catalogued and ready for imaging by November 8th, and the plan is for the catalogue to be available by the 15th (i.e ten days before the auction). Assuming that the lotting is done promptly the imaging will be no problem…

300 304 307 313 503 504 505 531-a 531-b 531-c 531-d 556 559 594 595

I scanned the four prints that make up this lot individually and then assembled those scans to make this image - the next four are of the individual scans.
I scanned the four prints that make up this lot individually and then assembled those scans to make this image – the next four are of the individual scans.

A FEW FINAL PICTURES

Sunrise on Thursday morning.
Sunrise on Thursday morning.
A small side window, King's Lynn Museum.
A small side window, King’s Lynn Museum.
The same window with the entire surround in shot.
The same window with the entire surround in shot.
The fountain in the walks.
The fountain in the walks.
The plaque detailing the history of the fountain.
The plaque detailing the history of the fountain.

DSCN6735