Category Archives: Building

V&A East storehouse

Posted on by
Reply

There’s a new V&A museum that’s due to open in East London. Nearby they have opened to the public, their storehouse, a building that houses all the art pieces that are not officially on display. It’s right by where I work so I went to have a look. It has three floors with a wide range of beautiful and interesting art works.

V&A East storehouse, showing 3 floors of items

They also have a huge mosaic ceiling saved from a church which is definitely worth a look.

Mosaic ceiling

The store house is free to visit and I like that what it holds will change as the displays in the main museums update theirs.

Knole house

Posted on by
Reply

I recently visited Knole house. It is said to be a calendar house, having 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards. The house was built by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, between 1456 and 1486. We didn’t have time to look in many the rooms but we did climb up steep spiral staircase in the tower up to the roof which gave us great views.

Knole house

Knole house also has medieval deer park, with deer roaming the grounds for 500 years. The deer we encountered were quite timid and let us get fairly close, which was amazing.

Deer

With large grounds to walk in and with the deer and nearby stream Knole house is a lovely place to visit.

Local Street Art

Posted on by
2

Some street art has been commissioned by the local government to brighten up our streets. It was great to see the artwork coming into shape and the end results I think are brilliant. The artists are very talented and I will enjoy looking at their pieces when I pass them by.

Best of 2024

Posted on by
Reply

We’ve come to the end of 2024. It has been an eventful year for me personally and on the world stage. I was lucky enough to travel to lots of different countries as well as spend time with family and friends and doing my part in calling for peace and justice in the world.
Wars also still continue, in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and other parts of the world. They have taken a toll on me and many others and I pray that an end to these come swiftly and permanently.

Here are some of my best and favourite photos of this year, as I prepare for the next. Happy New Year to everyone and may it be one that is calmer, more peaceful and positive one for us all, with plenty of adventure.

Trip to Europe part 4: Amsterdam

Posted on by
2

On our last full day of our Europe trip we decided to visit Amsterdam. It’s about 2 and a half hours from Brussels, so again not too far to drive which was great.

We first went to the area where the museums were, we sadly missed out on getting tickets to the Van Gogh museum, so we went in to the Stedelijk museum instead, which turned out to be a poor substitute. We then went to get some lunch and after turned towards the famous canals.

We visited Anne Frank’s house which is now a museum, We didn’t go inside but just paused to reflect. We then walked around the main streets, passing shops and restaurants. After stopping for ice cream we decided the best way to see the canals was via a boat ride. Out guide pointed out one resident and his pet egret on a canal boat who never flew away.

We passed the well known Seven Bridges canal passing under all of them.

Seven Bridges canal with bicycle

We then headed out towards the IJ waterway, known for being Amsterdam’s waterfront, where the Nemo Science and the National Maritime museums were located. I thought the Replica of the Dutch East Indiaman ship Amsterdam docked nearby was pretty cool. The guide said it had been used in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. There were also swimming areas here which was very busy on what was a very hot day.

After our canal ride we visited some shops to get some souvenirs and then headed home. On the way back we spotted a few windmills which I loved seeing. I managed to get a slightly closer look at this one. A nice way to end our trip, I thought.

Windmill at dusk

Trip to Europe part 3: Bruges

Posted on by
Reply

On our third day we wanted to explore more of Belgium so we decided to spend the day in Bruges. It’s only an hour and half from Brussels so we got there in good time.

We went to Markt square where there are museums and a cathedral. You can also get rides on horse drawn carriages. The buildings were gothic looking and dramatic but quite beautiful I thought.

We decided to go on a canal boat ride after looking around. It was nice to hear some history of the town and feel the breeze and relax. I heard about Bruges from the film In Bruges that came out a few years ago. The brown wooden front building is featured in the film, which was cool to see. The Belfry of Bruges with it’s tall viewing tower is not too far either.

After our boat ride we looked around some shops on the main street before heading home. I really enjoyed our day trip, there were lots of shops, beautiful buildings and it looked well kept. Would certainly recommend a visit.

Trip to Europe part 2: Luxemburg City

Posted on by
Reply

It’s really great how you can drive to from one country to another in a few hours in Europe. On our second day of our Europe trip we drove to Luxemburg City (only 2.5 hours from Brussels) and had a look around.

One of the first things we spotted was the Adolphe bridge surrounded by greenery. I thought the gardens nearby was also pretty. Close to the garden was a gilded statue on a towering obelisk called the Golden Lady.
There were lots of viewpoints around the city to look out from, the district aptly named ‘High City’.

The best viewpoint that I liked was from the Sky lift. The end of the walkway has a glass panel around so you can get a panoramic view. There’s a lift that takes you down to the ground too where there is a play area and some fun statues.

Later on we looked around the city square shops and had lunch and then went to the funfair that the city holds every summer. Transport is free so you can take the tram to the location. We had a ride on the huge Ferris wheel and brought some tasty snacks. I really liked the grand looking buildings which seemed to shine in the sun.

I enjoyed my day trip to Luxemburg, not really having any expectations. It was an affluent city and well looked after and it felt safe which is always good too.

Trip to Europe part 1: Brussels

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t get to travel abroad very much and haven’t for most of my life, but I recently joined a trip with my sister and her family to Europe. I say ‘Europe’ as we decided to visit different countries. We drove to Dover and took the ferry to Calais before making our way to the Belgium capital Brussels where we were staying.

We looked around Brussels and the typical tourist locations such as manneken pis and Grand Place but we also managed to find some quirky activities like a flea market that had everything from African style masks to jewellery and paintings.

One of the activities I really enjoyed was the Comic strip trail, where there are scenes in comic book style dotted around the city for you to find. There was also lots of other street art and murals that decorated the city that I enjoyed. And there was also, of course, lots of waffle and chocolate shops that we went into to try some samples.

In the evening we visited the Atomium, we didn’t go inside but the structure itself was quite surreal (centrepiece of the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair).

huge structure in the shape of a body-centered cubic iron crystal

We also looked around some shops, and got some souvenirs. There was also museums in the city but we didn’t go into any.

London Central Mosque

Posted on by
2

On the edge of Regent’s Park is the London Central Mosque. I have glimpsed the golden dome many times from the park but I never ventured in, until recently that is.

Mosque with pillars and a golden dome

The interior of the mosque was beautiful as many mosques are. I loved the colour of the blue carpet and the intricate detail of the Arabic scripture written around the base of the dome.

A blue carpet with worshippers and a golden chandelier

The mosque is open to everyone, regardless of faith and I found a diverse range of people taking in the building and the prayers. It was a very peaceful visit I hope to come back to again soon.

York

Posted on by
Reply

I visited the city of York for the day. York is one of the oldest cities in the country and is known for it’s cathedral.

We looked around the shops and the markets in an area called The Shambles – one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in Europe. It has cobbled streets and was very busy. I came across the York Chocolate shop where a well known brand started up. And yes I did buy some.

We then visited the Cathedral. We didn’t go inside but the exterior was quite beautiful.

Next we decided to take a boat ride down the River Ouse. The weather was lovely and we took in the nature and the sights. The emblems on this bridge caught my notice.

After stopping for a quick lunch we finished the day with what I thought was my favourite part of York – the city wall walk. Walls were erected around a city to protect it and the ones that remain intact around York are longer than any other city in England. We found a set of steps and made our way along the wall.

Some wall sections ended quickly, others went on for much longer. It was quite interesting to see the old stone walls were right above modern day houses and gardens with some residents waving hello as we walked by.

We spent an hour or so walking and then made our way back to the car and home. The whole walk takes about 2 hours and I’d like to do it again in full one day
I enjoyed my visit to York but there’s lots more to do and explore and I hope I can come back one day to do just that.