In 1887 Theodore Mander who was a Wolverhampton paint and varnish manufacture bought part of the Wightwick estate which is situated in the country approximately 3 miles west of Wolverhampton. He and his wife Flora St Clair Paint renovated the 17th-century outbuildings and built a new house nearby which they named Wightwick Manor:
It was designed by Edward Ould, a specialist in timber framing, in the popular ‘Old English’ style of half-timbering, tile-hanging, stone and red brick around a battlemented tower. In 1893 Ould added the entirely half-timbered east wing, a re-creation of a late medieval manor house which more than doubled the size of the house.
Wightwick Manor is an outstanding example of late Victorian taste and craftsmanship. Theodore Mander was a man of artistic tastes, influenced by the ideas of the writer and critic John Ruskin, who had emphasised the importance of hand craftsmanship and looking to the past for inspiration. The house was designed to combine artistic effect with comfort: central heating and electric light were installed from the start.*
*From the guide book.
Tags: History, National Trust, Wightwick Manor
The walls are very black in contrast to the brightness of the stained glass windows.
For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.
Tags: Cathedral, Corel Painter Essentials, PhotoHunt, Rheims, Stained Glass Window
Whilst the three leaders were taking part in their third and final debate I took time out to attend our local hustings meeting which had been organised by the Shropshire Action Group on behalf of PCS. Prospective candidates for both Telford and The Wrekin were invited to attend. Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP candidates were all presant at the meeting.
The focus of the hustings was Public Services and several questions had been collated in advance of the meeting, although these had not been seen by the candidates beforehand. The questions included the PCS public service pledges as well as issues and plans that are affecting public services locally. After these questions, there was time for questions from the audience.
Each candidate had a chance to give their view on the question and the debate was quite lively at times with one or two of the candidates tending to interrupt when others were speaking. On occasions some of the candidates got a bit sidetracked or misunderstood the question and went off at a tangent so the independent chairman had his work cut out.
All in all the meeting was very interesting and worthwhile, although I will keep my opinions about the various candidates to myself.
Tags: Conservative, Hustings, Labour, Liberal Democrat, PCS, Public Sector, Shropshire Action Group, Trade Union, UKIP
For this story I need to start off with an incident that occurred last year.
One evening when I was visiting my parents I pressed the doorbell as usual and it played a completely different melody to usual. My Dad opened the door and we commented on it and he tried it out a few times but it had reverted back to it’s usual sound. Everyone else claimed we were hearing things and it never did it again until this morning… When I pressed the bell it took me by surprise by playing that same unusual melody. My Mum opened the door and said I don’t know why it did that! Things that make you go hmm…
The other unusual incident this week was the case of the missing shoe. Whilst on our travels sorting out bank details and various other legal bits and bobs Mum spotted a pair of shoes she liked. The only problem was, there was only one shoe, the other was missing. A shop assistant took her details and put it to one side and said that if they found the other one they would call her.
There had been no phone call and whilst we were walking through the store today she spotted that the shoe had been put back out onto the rack with her name and phone details still in it!!! She went to customer services to order a pair and the lady who served her said ‘I am sure I have seen one of those shoes on it’s own somewhere’. She went routing through some boxes behind the customer ordering point and there it was…
Tags: Life, Northumber- land, Vacation
My brother seems to have been quite taken with my recent sunset picture. As he was leaving my house last night he commented on how beautiful the moon was and suggest that I take a photograph of it.
It was rather late at night and I didn’t think it was quite the thing to be setting up a tripod in the middle of the street at that time. Hand held shots were never going to work but I did try a couple just in case. I resorted to plan B, Gorrillapod on the upstairs window ledge which gave me the challenge of taking a photo through glass. I managed to capture the clouds which had attracted my brother’s attention and also minimised the reflections. But then there is that rather unusual double moon effect!
Tags: Gorillapod, Life, Moon
We are slowly making progress sorting out finances and funeral arrangements. There have been one or two complications which have meant the process is a bit slower than usual. We still haven’t got the date of the funeral but hopefully that will be sorted tomorrow (fingers crossed). The bank holiday has also slowed things down, which means my brother will probably have to go home and come back later next week rather than us be able to do everything this week and early next week as we had hoped.
Tags: Arrangements, Corel Painter Essentials, Court House Garden, National Trust, Rose, Vacation
These pictures were taken in Hodnet Hall Gardens last May and remind me that the gardens are coming into bloom and I will soon be able to get out and enjoy them again.
Although there aren’t many flowers out yet I have seen rather a lot of bumble bees, especially in my garden. There have even been red-tailed bumble bees which I have never seen in my garden before. They all seem rather larger than in previous years so something in the garden must be doing them good.
Tags: Bee, Bees, Flowers, Hodnet Hall Gardens
