Architecture and Morality

 For years we have been coming to Lincoln, mostly to go to the cinema and in recent months with the new house we have spent more time shopping for furniture and the likes.  What we have never really done is the "tourist" thing and visit the cathedral that sits above the city.

On a beautiful October Sunday, we decided to remedy that.  The first thing you should be aware of is that if you don't like steep climbs or you aren't good on your feet I suggest you make use of the car park near the castle.

The Jews House

The Bomber Command memorial in the distance

At the stop of the steep climb, if you turn left you see the walls of Lincoln Castle.

Turn right and the Cathedral awaits.

Inside, is equally impressive with the incredible stone work, vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows.

I would love to be able to tell you what the various parts, windows and tombs are but I would be lying.  If you visit the Cathedral on a Sunday entry if free and there is a gift shop that will no doubt provide a lot more information about this impressive structure and it's ancient history. Even if you aren't remotely interested in religion (like myself) the scale of the place and the craftmanship are well worth seeing. 

The Collingham Show

The Village of Collingham in Nottinghamshire has been holding a show in some form for 164 years.  It's always held on the third Saturday in September.  The fine weather had brought people out in their thousands to attend.  There was plenty to keep the crowds occupied, from eventing in the main arena to displays and dog shows in a smaller ring.

It's been a long day

 

Where I come from in the north east of England, Leek Shows are a fixture in the calendars of many towns and villages.  Despite the name, all vegetables are displayed, with owners obsessing over their produce and even mounting security patrols of gardens and allotments to prevent sabotage.  There is usually copious amounts of beer to be consumed as most shows seemed to be held in working men's clubs.

The Collingham show equivalent is a much more genteel affair.

 No show is complete without a giant vegetable of some description.

The cutest animals at the show were hands down the Alpacas.

Peek-a-boo

Over in the main arena, the horses and riders where busy competing.

 If there was one disappointment to the day, was the cancellation of the RAF Memorial Flight which we hoped would make a flypast.  I overheard one of the stall holders telling someone that it had been cancelled because the Lancaster needed repairs and the other planes where at different locations across the country.

We were treated with an acrobatic display by a single plane which was quite impressive.

I don't think it was part of the show, but on the way into the show I spotted an AWACS Sentry plane in the distance.

Of course, if it's a country show, then a display of birds of prey can usually be found.  I'm a sucker for birds of prey.

A not so Bald Eagle

Small World

 Having a smaller garden does have its advantages.  There is of course the obvious reduction in gardening chores (it still feels a novelty not to be cutting grass every week!), but the closer proximity of the plants and flowers show you just how much life is present in such a compact space.  Insect and pollinators abound.  We are certain that under one plant there is a bee hive of some description.  They ignore us even when we are sat in close proximity.

We've been very lucky in buying a house that has had been planned and planted by a talented gardener.  The planting in the garden is such that when one flower display is ending the next is springing into life.  Thanks to this the garden has been thriving with smaller critters.

The pictures below were actually taken at night.  The web was virtually invisible during daylight.  The camera flash managed to show the web and its occupant.

Strolling and Sailing

Apologies for the lack of updates.  Shortage of time, a housewarming and a myriad of other tasks has meant that the blog has had to take a bit of a back seat.  I also like to try, whenever possible to post photos from recent history and not rely on the back catalogue.  I'll endeavour to try and update every two weeks.

At the weekend we made a concious effort to get out for a couple of hours and enjoy a warm August afternoon,  A few miles out of Retford are Daneshill Lakes which had been recommended by a colleague of mine.

The site used to be used for gravel extraction, but it has been turned into a wildlife reserve under the watchful eye of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.  It was a surprise to see small sail boats on the calm waters. The Daneshill Sailing Club is based here.  The peace and quiet is frequently punctuated by the sound of trains on the nearby East Coast mainline but you quickly learn to ignore it.

There are the usual suspects of water fowl, with Canada Goose seemingly the dominant species.  They will quickly head for the shore if it looks as though bread is being thrown.

I was pleased to see a small family of Grebes, that did of good job of being as far away as possible from my camera, but I've managed to get a shot of them.