Cherie's Place » Kent January 2011

Cherie’s Place – Thought for the Week

CherryPie — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:28:57 +0000

Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done, and why. Then do it.

Robert A. Heinlein

The Royal Observatory…

CherryPie — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:28:57 +0000

…from the outside.

Maybe next time I will get to see it from the inside

Around the Museum

CherryPie — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:05:30 +0000

Figurehead from the Ship Implacable

CherryPie — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:20:18 +0000

This figurehead (Medusa) was taken from the ship implacable. This ship was originally named Duguay-Trouin which was a French ship that fought in the Battle of Trafalgar. Later it was captured by the British and renamed.*

*Information taken from museum literature.

Optic from the Tarbat Ness Lighthouse

CherryPie — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:21:08 +0000

Information on the Tarbat Ness lighthouse displayed at the museum:

Designed and installed in the lighthouse by David Stevenson, 1892.

The Tarbat Ness lighthouse was built in 1830 on the site of an ancient Roman fort at the mouth of the Moray Firth in north-east Scotland. It overlooks a wild and windy coast that, in local folklore, was danced on and flown over by witches.

Robert Stevenson designed the lighthouse at Tarbat Ness. His grandson (cousin of author Robert Louis Stevenson), produced the design for the optic which was installed in 1892. It was in use until the automation of the lighthouse in 1985. Tarbat Ness became the first coastal lighthouse to have flashing lights which could be seen as far as 24 miles (38.64km) out to sea.

Lighthouses were originally lit by naked flames. This was very hazardous and they often burnt down. Oil and gas lamps were safer but were replaced soon after electric light was introduced in 1862.

100 Photos 66 :: Misty Mornings

CherryPie — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:14:09 +0000

100 Photos 65 :: Warm Clothing

CherryPie — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:01:20 +0000

Due to the cold weather this type of headgear was necessary on my visit to Leeds Castle.

I didn’t take the original photo, but I created a little bit of magic on it to convert it to black and white with soft edges

100 Photos 64 :: Waterfalls

CherryPie — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:59:04 +0000

Leeds Castle – Maze

CherryPie — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:30:01 +0000

After the detour round the aviary we took our chances and walked into the Maze. The puzzle was quite challenging and we thought we had tried all avenues to get to the centre, but we were still lost within the Maze. I decided we should test out plan B, a tested way to reach the centre of the labyrinth, it worked (it always has done in the past). One of my party members divulged what we had done to the ‘guardian of the labyrinth’ who advised that the thinking was erroneous and that, my strategy would only work from a certain point in the Maze…

I need to go back and test out the theory!!

Once in the centre of the labyrinth the only way out is via the underground grotto containing the elements of earth, air, fire and water; not to mention a legendary giant.

From the guide book:

Planted in 1988 with 2400 yew tree, the Leeds Castle maze leads to a spiralling path up to a raised viewpoint overlooking the park. Reminiscent of the traditional geometric style of planting, the maze takes the form of a topiary castle. The pattern includes a chalice and a queens crown, which can only be seen only once the puzzle has been solved. The only way out of the maze is through the underground grotto, where the elementals of earth, air, fire and water are joined by the legendary giant Typhoeus, who tried to overpower the Greed gods but was vanquished by Zeus and placed under a volcano, where he became the source of fire.

Leeds Castle – The Aviary

CherryPie — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 23:09:53 +0000

After the tour of the castle it was time for lunch which gave me a chance to peruse the guidebook and see what else was in the grounds. I noticed that there was a Maze and Grotto which looked interesting. It made me smile that the frequent visitors didn’t realise it was there

So after lunch we duly headed in that direction, taking in the aviary on the way. The aviaries were opened in 1988 and currently house over 100 species from around the world. Whilst looking round the aviary there was the sudden loud roaring noise of a low flying aircraft which scared most of the visitors and the birds too. The poor parrot I was observing at the time jumped up from it’s daily activities and paced backwards and forwards along a branch in the cage, with sideways glances at me. When I made to walk off, it said ‘Hello!’, which made the other people nearby do a double take. I guess the parrot didn’t want me to leave just yet.

The goose in the second photograph is quite elderly and was very vocal if anyone stood right behind her where she couldn’t see them. I can’t blame her really, I hate people standing right behind me.

The third photograph shows a statue that is just outside the aviary, it is the work of Malcolm Murduck and is entitled ‘Le Chateaux des Oiseaux’.