Back and Forth Across the Pond

Developers are building fourteen new homes in the Clayton le Woods area of Preston. To do so, they must demolish a subterranean reservoir that has been there for over 100 years. They opened the site up to the public for two weeks, so people could get a last look at a chunk of the area's history. The reservoir, the largest brick vault type still in existence, was built in 1883 and held 300,000 gallons. It supplied the area with fresh water until it was decommissioned in 1992. When the property went up for sale earlier this year, the local historical society unsuccessfully tried to raise the £400,000 needed to rescue the reservoir. Efforts to have the structure listed as an historical site also failed. Authorities felt that the reservoir was simply not interesting enough.  My sister-in-law, Janet, and I toured the reservoir during its last week of life.  The entrance was a bit off-putting. The scaffolding steps were wobbly. You can just make out the arch of bricks through the di...

I went to lunch with Tony, Jean, and Janet (Steve's parents and sister, respectively) at an old inn up in the Lakes District. It was a lovely afternoon out. The Lakes are a popular vacation destination. This is the view from the car park at the Farmer's Arms, near Ulverston, where we had lunch. The Farmer's Arms dates back to the 14th Century. Some of it is younger, though. This fireplace is in the oldest section of the inn, which was the original stable. I'm annoyed that the photo is blurry. My garbage camera would not trigger the flash. Another seating area in the old stable section. Look at those beams . . . and the low ceiling. Straight walls obviously weren't a priority back in the 1300s. And look how thick the wall is. After lunch, we went for a stroll in the little village of Hawkshead. That's the parish church up on a hill behind the houses and shops. A pretty little pub. Hawkshead had a lot of pubs. It was a quaint village. I rather wish the street had ...

On Steve's last day with me in Maidstone, we visited Leeds Castle. It was quite close by. Luckily, I picked up a pamphlet at Blenheim Palace that had a 2-for-1 admission for Leeds Castle because admission was close to £20. The weather was gorgeous as we headed out after breakfast. I snagged this aerial shot of Leeds Castle from the internet. It is such a majestic building. I loved how part of it was built in the water. I was really looking forward to visiting it. It was a very, very long walk through the beautifully maintained grounds to the castle. One of the first things we saw was this fellow. I don't know what happened to his tail. Steve opined that maybe it got damaged, so the games keeper trimmed it. We had already been walking for 10 or 15 minutes before the castle even hove into view. But I didn't mind. It was a truly enjoyable walk. This lovely black swan poofed up his feathers and shook his wings at us. I guess it was some kind of threatening display. He stopped a...