Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Darlington town, the yards and alleys

Sorry once again for the lack of posts. As usual I have no excuse other than I have been up to other things. The following set of pics shows some of the little alleys in the town which connect the more major shopping streets as well as a few of some of the sights of the town and stuff that goes on there.
The pictures were taken a few weeks ago when the Food Festival came to town which to be honest was a bit of a letdown. Local producers sold their homemade produce but I felt that they had priced themselves out of the market and were far too expensive.
Most weekends there is some sort of activity taking place and the week I was in town the local group of Morris dancers showed off there talents, it was nice to see but didnt draw my attention for too long but the colours of the costumes made for some nice photographs.

The town library, built in 1884 by Edward Pease.

For over 3 centuries this pump marks the spot where most of the people of Darlington would get there drinking water from the well beneath. It was covered over in 1886 and rediscovered in 1992 during repaving works.

This circle can be found outside the Boot and Shoe pub and reads "The remains of 32 residents of medieval Darlington excavated from the market square during an archaeological dig that was carried out in 1994 are laid to rest beneath this wheel. This wheel is a replica of the 'odd' driving wheel of Locomotion No.1 and sponsored by Cummins of Darlington.

The town clock and old style telephone boxes

Taken at the Food Festival, all of the flowers and carvings have been made from various fruit and vegetables.

The following are of various yards which are basically alleys which link the main shopping streets.



Post house wynd which once again links the main shopping streets.

Morris dancers performing in the town. I didnt realise when I took this picture that my brother is in the background.

A back lane behind my brothers house, typical of terraced streets.

Darlington indoor market and town clock.

A juggler at the Food Festival

Monday, October 12, 2009

Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle

Purpose built as a museum in the 19th century by John and Josephine Bowes, the museum is a fantastice place to visit. You are free to roam around the 3 floors and photography is allowed but the use of flash is restricted.
The foundation stone was laid in 1869 and the project opened its doors to the public in 1892.
Between the years of 1862 and 1874 over 15,000 objects were purchased by the Bowes family. At every turn you can see important and precious works from all over Europe, and each piece has its own story to tell. However it is the 230 year-old Silver Swan that is the best-loved object in the museum. The Silver Swan is an English silver automaton, a unique attraction that was bought by the Bowes in 1872. The life size model is still in working order and is operated at the museum on a daily basis.











The following video is of the Silver Swan as mine was spoilt by inconsiderate people standing so that nobody else could see. The swan performs just once a day now and the performance last 30 seconds. When I inquired about the value of the swan the reply was one word........Priceless.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Raby, A Medieval Castle.






Built for the mighty dynasty of the Nevills, this great fortress stands proud and defiant, its history rolling back almost a thousand years.
King Cnut (also known as Canute II the Great) owned the Estate, then known as 'Rabi' (derived from 'Ra', Danish for a boundary, and 'Bi', a settlement or dwelling) in the early 11th Century.
The Viking King and self appointed 'Emperor of the North' may well have built a manor house here, but it was the Nevills who built the 14th century castle which still stands today.
Every room in Raby Castle, from the magnificent Barons' Hall, where 700 knights gathered to plot the 'Rising of the North', to the Mediaeval Kitchen which was used until 1954, gives an insight to life throughout the ages.
Despite its powerful exterior of towers and fortifications, Raby houses a fabulous art collection and splendid interiors. Treasures include an important collection of Meissen porcelain, tapestries, furnishings and paintings by leading artists such as Munnings, De Hooch, Teniers, Van Dyck and Reynolds.

I visited this place last weekend and once again had a good day out. Its difficult to imagine the wealth that the people had and to be honest once or twice I muttered the words "is there any need ?"
Photography was not allowed in the castle which I thought was shocking considering the admission price. Pictures of the interior can be found at the raby Castle website by clicking HERE