Tag Archives: nature

Colour and Vision at NHM

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A great thing about living in London is having access to some of the top museums in the world. One of the best and most popular is the Natural History Museum. This year they had an interesting exhibition on called Colour and Vision and seeing as it had been a few years since my last visit I thought it was a good opportunity to go back.
The building is beautiful with lots of exquisite detail. The tall arched doorways and the intricately designed pillars make for a grand view.

Natural History Museum

Inside there’s lots to see, such as the dinosaurs and sea animals but I headed straight for the Colour and Vision exhibition before it got busy. The exhibition was about how animals view and display colour in nature. The entrance was aptly marked by a brightly lit colour spectrum and cues to help keep an open mind.

As I walked through the exhibition there were lots of interesting animals and displays, some that made me slightly squeamish at times, like the animal eyeballs in jars. Others were stunning such as the exotic birds with colourful feathers and butterflies with vibrant, standout wings.

The exhibition was insightful and interesting with some truly beautiful displays and facts that make you wonder about the amazing animals that share our world. (sadly my camera couldn’t capture this very well due to the dim lighting). It was a good visit overall, and I would definitely recommend a trip.

Ramsgate, Kent

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I’ve really wanted to go to the coast this Summer; I find that being by the sea relaxes and refreshes me and as we had a few hot days ahead I thought I’d take my chance. I decided on going to Ramsgate in Kent as it had a sandy beach instead of pebbly and I was curious as to what else was in the area as I’d never been before. On the day it turned out to be the hottest day of the year which made for an amazing, bright view.

On arrival I came across yachts and other boats in the harbour, sitting in the sparkling blue sea.

Nearby was the Maritime Museum, which housed lots of artifacts from the area as well as objects from World War Two. I wanted to go down into the well known Ramsgate war tunnels but unfortunately they were closed for the day.

I had some lunch (chips, and an ice slushi obviously) then headed to the beach. The view really was beautiful and calming, and blues like the sea, endless.

After paddling in the cold water and watching the waves for a while I brushed off the sand and headed back to the train station. On route I came across some colourful artwork.

I also passed a computer games museum which was closed, but walked around the courtyard of a church and a park which had these creative wood statues.

It was a really hot, sunny and relaxing day out and although there wasn’t loads to do, it was enough for a day trip. And the coast as always was soothing for my heart and soul as well as my eyes. It gave me time to think and to just switch off, and on the train home I visualised the beautiful sky and sea, hoping it isn’t too long before I see such a view again.

Sea view

Hewitts Farm

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As we head into late summer here in the UK my family and I went down to Hewitts ‘pick your own’ farm in Kent. I haven’t been for a number of years but its a trip we made every summer when my siblings and I were kids. There are rows and rows of apple and plum trees, and acres of various vegetables. Back then there was also a tractor with haybales to tow you around from one end of the farm to the other.

Hewitts Farm

This time there were several vegetables and fruits ripe and ready to be picked.

A trip to the farm usually means lots of walking, bending and stretching which can be exhausting but taking in the view and clean air as you go is just what you need. Also what could be more rewarding than being able to sample what you picked yourself, which we did and really enjoyed.

Kite festival

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Last weekend I went to a kite festival in Dunstable Downs with the family for a day out. On arrival we could see it was quite busy and there were dozen of kites soaring in the air with the brisk breeze keeping them aloft. There was a great selection in varying shapes and sizes, and we brought some of our own along to join in. As well as the public flying kites there were professional kite flyers doing some great shows and making it look so easy.

We also brought along a picnic with some great food, with a passerby declaring that ours was the best one he’d seen, much to our amusement. After we’d eaten, my smaller nieces enjoyed pony rides whilst the adults wondered off to see what the craft stalls had to offer.

After our kite was flying on its own we all sat down to relax and enjoy cold ice creams and the wonderful view that Dunstable Downs is known for, until it was time to head home.

Dunstable Downs

Hungry birds

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Cherry tree and thrushes

I was happily relaxing one afternoon when suddenly I heard a loud chirping and trilling, so I jumped up to investigate. I followed the noise to the kitchen and looking out into the garden I saw dozens of birds flying in and out of the neighbour’s big cherry tree. The birds (If you look closely you can see a dozen or so which I think are thrushes), were swooping down pecking off big, red, ripe cherries. I raced upstairs to have a better look and capture the moment. It was amazing to see so many birds in one place and I was surprised by just how much noise they could create in their excitement. I hope they enjoyed their delicious lunch!