Photography – Page 185

Heritage Open Day 8: The South Gate – a Medieval TARDIS

After thoroughly enjoying myself learning about fisheries research I headed along the Great Ouse as far as Hardings Pits, through Hardings Pits to ultimately join the main road just beyond the South Gate – not the quickest, but the most scenic route, and well within the compass of Shanks’ Pony.

Obviously, living where I do, I have seen this building from the outside some thousands of times, but I had never previously been inside it. I was amazed at just how much is contained within the building – perhaps liking it to the TARDIS in this regard is excessive but not unduly so.

The ground and first floors merely contained artefacts relating to the building and some display boards, but the top floor, which spanned the width of entire building also had scale models, a very old painting, and some brass rubbing plates (I could not get a shot of these latter as they were in use throughout).

This building opens between 12 and 3PM Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays in the summer months and I recommend if you in west Norfolk in summertime that you pay it a call.

Look out for my next post, about the Red Mount Chapel and enjoy these photos from the medieval TARDIS….

The Southgate approaching the town — This external view reveals a handsome old gateway but gives no clue as to how much there is inside (hence the title of this post)

Iron roof supports joining together in the middle

I thought this brickwork pattern deserved close attention.

Chest Niches Old iron Fireplace Second Floor info board Renovation Scale Model 2

Table The first floor Fireplace Description board The ground floor from the entrance

Heritage Open Day 7: Fisheries Research

The Great Ouse, the western boundary of King’s Lynn (on the other bank is West Lynn), is a commercial river, and the area has a long history of fishing. It was therefore both appropriate and very welcome that there was some exceedingly interesting and educational stuff provided by fisheries research people.

Not only did they lay on a full tour of their research vessel, in addition they had an exhibit featuring marine wildlife. Some of the younger folk were allowed to handle these creatures in carefully controlled circumstances. The featured image was also available to be taken away – a copy now adorns my outside table (and has survived a night’s rain).

One of the things that fisheries research does is monitor, and where necessary take preventive action, the proportion of juveniles that are being caught. Obviously, creatures caught while still juvenile are denied the opportunity to breed, whereas if they are only caught once they have already had the opportunity to breed future generations are protected.

What are the possible consequences of neglect? Well, when John Cabot first set eyes on the Grand Bank he had never seen such a preponderance of fish in a single location. Yet in 1997, 500 years (in natural history terms not even an eyeblink) after this, the Grand Banks Fishery closed for good – there were no fish left.

This was one of the most interesting and beyond a shadow of a doubt THE most important element of the day. My next post will feature another boundary marker, the Southgates, meantime enjoy a selection of photographs…

Info screen 2 More maps Sideways view Lobster close up Red Crab

Lobster 1 Good map

miniature submarine — This is a miniature remote controlled submarine, used in fisheries research.

Observation computer Map

Metal Pyramid — This pyramid (25cm each side at base – meaning that a cool 175,616,000 of these would make a pyramid to match Khufu’s! at Giza!) is used to take sea floor samples and check them for population density

A net

Heritage Open Day 7: Fisheries Research

Info screen 2 More maps Sideways view Lobster close up Red Crab

Lobster 1 Good map

Observation computer Map

A net

Heritage Open Day 6: The Bank Hotel

The Bank Hotel is a very plush establishment, but it is not the place itself, but what lies beneath that is of true interest – a perfectly preserved and very spacious cellar area.

It is appropriate that this should be my smallest post, because it will be followed by my largest, relating to fisheries research. Meanwhile enjoy a photographic tour (none of it using flash) of the cellars of the Bank Hotel…

The Hotel itself Well showing water not far down Well

Pipe — This pipe took a lot of effort to picture

This is the longest straight section of cellar.

Well Exhibition cellar

Heritage Open Day 5: Out and about in Lynn on the big day

The combination of the fact that King’s Lynn is not huge and that I live plumb in the centre of it meant that for me at least my sole method of locomotion would be Shanks’ Pony. Some of the things that I saw while walking between official sites could have been seen on any day, others only this day but the picture of the day (pardon the pun) would be incomplete without reference to the in-between bits as the whole town was decked out for the day – and the weather gods lent their support by providing a lovely warm day for the occasion.

In terms of distances of greater than a few yards my itinerary was planned (with scenic routes taking priority at every turn) as follows: Flat – Tuesday Market Place – Great Ouse – Southgates via Hardings Pits – Red Mount Chapel via parkland – Flat and with the addition at the end of a couple of places on King Street which looked interesting that is the route I followed. Not many others opted for scenic routes – I was all but alone for the walk to Southgates.

My next post takes you underground once more, to the cellars of the Bank Hotel, before resurfacing for the rest of the journey – meantime enjoy an eclectic collection of pictures…

No - I did not drink from this barrel! — No – I did not drink from this barrel!

This plaque is on a stretch of road I do not usually walk down

These birds are not among the kinds I usually see here at the Nar Outflow

Sea Scouts building

Bus — I travel in so many buses that not even a free ride tempted me to actually board this one!

To adapt a Sherlock Holmes line seeing the Lynn Ferry travel in this direction is like seeing a tram on a country lane!

Boats of this sort are not common on the Great Ouse

Heritage Open Day 4: Ferry Lane

The house on Ferry Lane that was opened for the occasion featured a wonderful garden and many interesting features inside. It was well worth making a tiny diversion from my route down to the Great Ouse to take in this fine old building (Ferry Lane does precisely what its name suggests that it should – leads to a ferry pick up point – hence as stands it to reason it is pretty close to the river)

The rest of the story of this part of my day is I believe well told by photographs, while my next post will not be about a specific site, but being out and about in King’s Lynn on the day.

The house viewed from outside

Fireplace Gallery

Getting a straight on shot of this was impossible due to lack of space

Flower head — Anyone familiar with this blog will know that I like to get close ups of interesting flower heads

Heritage Open Day 3: Masonic Temple

The Masonic Temple, at the heart of Philanthropic Lodge 107, is quite remarkable, all the more so for being housed within another building that serves an altogether different purpose – The Dukes Head which faces the Tuesday Market Place in King’s Lynn.

Masonic regalia frequently goes under the hammer at James and Sons auctions and has been known to do well, but this collection was astonishing.

There are rumours that Mozart joined a Masonic Lodge, while Sherlockians will recall that Jabez Wilson in “The Adventure of the Red Headed League” is a freemason. For fans of more modern literature, Matthew Reilly’s Jack West series features freemasonry.

The next installment of this series features a house on Ferry Lane and in the meantime here are my attempts to do photographic justice to Philanthropic Lodge 107…

Philanthropic 107 — The door mat tells you what you are entering.

Grandmasters

Even the ceiling had points of interest!

Throne Sword Flags

Globes — I particularly liked this display

Atc and Compass — The famed arc and compass

Heritage Open Day 1: Start of Play

Yesterday was Heritage Open Day, and King’s Lynn was magnificently en fete for the occasion. It is unfortunate that almost every mode of arrival into King’s Lynn exposes one to ghastly rubbish because once you get beyond the products of 1960s architectural vandalism King’s Lynn still has more historic and interesting sites than almost any other town of comparable size that I can think of.

There were so many wonderful things to see that a) I barely scratched the surface and b) I have so many fine photographs that the only way to present this is as a series of posts.

I arrived at the Tuesday Market Place just about dead on 10AM start time, and took some photos of classic cars which were on display there as part of the occasion before and during queueing for my first target of the day, a World War II air raid shelter directly beneath the market place.

My nest post will feature the air-raid shelter as captured by Nikon P520 Coolpix but meantime to get an early feel for the kind of day it was enjoy these photos…

Racing Car Cooper

Later in the day music would blare forth from this shelter

Twin Atlantas — These two Atlantas made a fine photo

Cooper Poster — This poster explains the significance of the Cooper

This vehicle gives an idea of why cars were once termed "horseless carriages" — This vehicle gives an idea of why cars were once termed “horseless carriages”

Tuesday Market Place Mascot - close up

King’s Lynn, Apple Picking and Brownies

The Jetty on the Great Ouse was in use yesterday morning, by research vessels relating to fishing. With the river at high tide there were plenty of opportunities for good photographs. In the afternoon I went apple picking in the orchards at Sandringham. The apples were comfortably up to their usual amazing standard – and they were Cox’s. A hand-picked Cox is the finest of all apples.

Before heading home to King’s Lynn I enjoyed a fine supper at my parents house in East Rudham. After some excellent lamb chops there were raspberry brownies for pudding. My mother had reduced the amount of sugar from the 225g stated in the recipe to 150g so that the pudding while rich was not particularly sweet – and was all the better for this.

Today is Heritage Open Day, so stand by for some good posts about historic buildings and meanwhile enjoy a selection of cracking photos…

Fisheries Research Boat moored at the jetty

Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority Nar meets Ouse Arctic Tern Black backed gull

Sycamore seed pod that resembles a propeller

$\Moorhens 1$ Moorhens 2 Moorhens 3 Station Flag Apple Tree Apple

Flitcham War Memorial

Fresh peas - just podded by yours truly — Fresh peas – just podded by yours truly

Old Chapel

Auction Imaging and the Birdman of King’s Lynn

I have had a very hectic week imaging for James and Sons, but it is now nearly all done for this auction. On Wednesday evening I got several excellent shots of a hang-glider and I have various other pictures to share with you…

This was one of ten album pages of penny reds being sold as single lots

There were ten of these giant military maps to image.

In our August auction some of these picture cards sold, so some more are in the September auction.

Hollywood Central Cinema aka thye Fakenham Fleapit

Birdman 1 Birdman 2

Red sky at night - shepherd's delight! I ate supper outside again — Red sky at night – shepherd’s delight! I ate supper outside again

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