Ice at Cheddar Gorge

After leaving Wookey Hole on 23 February 1996 we drove to Cheddar and down the famous gorge.

Come on, keep up... what do you want? All these memories in order???

Anyway Cheddar Gorge was absolutely deserted. No cars. Nobody on foot. Not even a car park attendant wanting money for parking in one of the many deserted lay-bys.

The temperature had dipped considerably and even with the heater on in the car we were concious of the cold.

We stopped near a cave and got out to peer in and to stretch our legs. Phew! It was cold!

In fact it was so cold that water running down the cliff face had frozen and there were huge patches of ice clinging to the sides of the gorge.

We drove down further towards the tourist attractions but they were all shut. Even the shops were shut.

Had been, in fact for some time perhaps, because one of them had a string of bells hung outside with all the rest of the Christmas decorations and the bells were electronically ringing out Good King Wencelas the sound carrying all the way up and down the deserted street giving a quite eerie rather than cheery effect.

It was our last call of the holiday. A holiday that had taken us in order to:

Portsmouth
The Isle of Wight
Poole
Corfe Castle
Wookey Hole Caves and Museum

We had also been to Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Brighton and Bournmouth during the holiday - a measure of how cold it was and therefore much better to be in the car than outside!

Large Versions of the Photos: car at the cave, ice on the cliffs

Down To The Depths

Friday 23 September 1996

After leaving Corfe Castle on the previous day we decided to head northwards a little so as to have a more leisurely journey home.

We broke our journey on Friday to visit Wookey Hole Caves, sharing our visit with a crowd of children who were on a school trip. One little girl decided as soon as we were inside that she didn't like it and a teacher, sounding quite relieved herself, immediately offered to take her back out and wait for the others!

Wookey is one of England's great show caves. They make a big thing about the witch, but I've never been able to see that to any satisfaction - perhaps it's more wishful thinking, I'm not sure!

The floodlit pool - really the River Axe - is splendidly atmospheric, with its tethered boat or coracle. The river flows through the cavern, flooding several other caves that can only be reached by divers. Yet more caves in the system wait to be discovered.

I've never understood why caves have the fascination for me - as my one phobia would be about getting stuck and unable to move. You wouldn't find me doing any so-called "adventure caving". I'll stick to the easy lit pathways thanks!

Once out of the caves, Wookey has much more to offer. A paper mill still making quality paper is the first thing you come to followed by a display of fairground memorabilia and carvings.

Then there is an Edwardian Penny Slots arcade, with the vast majority of exhibits in working order and just waiting for you to swap your modern money for some old big heavy copper pennies so you can have a go!

Many of the coin slot entries to be found on this blog have photos that were taken at Wookey.

Large Versions of the Photos: the cave, carousel lion

A Cottage Industry

Thursday 22 February 1996

Corfe Castle. Somewhere I'd always wanted to go to having seen so many beautiful photographs, but when we got there the weather had decided to do the nasty on us and we had to wander around in the rain. Still, without a doubt it was a lovely place to visit.

Not only the castle was of architectural interest. Almost every building was unique and we found the smallest Town Hall in England, a village pump encased in a blue-painted wooden casing and a gorgeous view of the ruined castle on its high mound, towering over the main street.

Fran was interested in finding the inspiration behind one of her Lilliput Lane cottages, Purbeck Stores.

We decided that the shop shown above was the closest contender.

February is probably not the best time to see England, though it gives a different perspective to some of the picture postcard views that you see on chocolate boxes, jigsaws and cards.

We vowed to return in better weather. All we've actually managed to do since then is visit in summer... which is not quite the same thing!

Large Versions of the Photos: Corfe Castle shop, Purbeck Stores model

Where's The Gents?

From the same holiday as the Isle of Wight photos in the previous post, I couldn't resist taking a photograph of the stunningly tiled gable end of the Poole Arms at Poole in Dorset.

How many slightly inebriated folks have staggered out of the pub and then thought they were in the Gents, I wonder...?

Sorry for the short post - I'll think of another in a couple of shakes...

Large Version of the Photo: Poole Arms

Snow at The Needles

If you can remember as far back as May, you may remember a post with a photograph of Lord Nelson's flagship The Victory which lies in permanent dry dock in Portsmouth.

We were on holiday at the time in February 1996 and despite the cold weather it was quite a good holiday that we spent moving from place to place.

One morning we had got up in Southsea to find snow on the ground and seeing the ferry in the background gave us the idea of going over to the Isle of Wight.

We braved the cold weather on the deck of the ferry and then drove around the coast of the island stopping here and there when we felt brave enough to leave the warmth of the car.

We had to stop at The Needles of course, though my feet got cold and wet from tramping through the snow to take a couple of photos.

We definitely did not do the Isle of Wight justice! Though on that particular day it was a mite inhospitable. I have a tape recording of the wind whistling like a banshee through the rigging of yachts moored at the side of the pier at Yarmouth and we got soaked in a downpour on our brief charge from the car into a large pearl centre where Fran talked me into buying her a string of pearls!

Someday, hopefully someday in the nearer rather than distant future, we will have to return on a warmer day and enjoy what the Isle of Wight has to offer!

Larger Versions of the Photos: ferry at Southsea, The Needles

HMS Victory and Sketches

My God, it's like buses! No blog entries for ages and now three at once! So, I'm just in the mood I guess.

If I've not been writing the blog what have I been doing?

Well those of you who keep an eye on the Flickr account will have seen a few
sketches appear recently. That was prompted by a posting on the Billy Fury website.

Also on that site, it's my month to be included in the Hall of Fame. You'll find my musical biography there linked from the main index linked above. My entry in the Hall of Fame also includes two songs, both from Creeping Bentgrass albums, although one (Great Balls of Fire) is one of my solo pieces and the other one (Up Around The Bend) features David and Bob also.

Our entry in the Billy Fury Sounds Special feature this month is a live recording of Johnny B Goode and a few of the residents and holiday makers at Larbreck Hall Caravan Park may recognise their whoops and hollers and general joining in of the chorus!

I've also gone back to scanning the still massive pile of negatives from pre-digital days that still need to be scanned. This example was taken (despite the blue sky and sunshine) in February(!) 1996 and shows the famous warship, HMS Victory.

Not Nelson's ship, as Captain Hardy should have that honour, but it was on this ship that Nelson received a musket ball in his shoulder that passed down through his lung and broke his spine. He was taken below where he knew full well that he must die from his injuries.

"Not the side, Hardy," he said, forbidding Captain Hardy to perform the traditional ceremony of burial at sea. With the problem of how to keep the body from rotting and smelling, the ship's surgeon had the body placed in a large barrel which was then filled with port wine.

The spot where he died, in the ship's orlop below the waterline is as close to a shrine as the Royal Navy has. A ceremony is held there every year on the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar at which Nelson was killed.

Oh yes... and the Sally Geeson photo has gone on to new levels of fascination for the Internet public as it has now reached a viewing count of 1473, racing for the 2000 target and achieving daily viewings that peaked with an amazing 66 views on the 3rd of May. All of this without a single comment on it!