May 2022 Archives

I absolutely love bluebell season. Bluebell season in England typically starts in late April and concludes in mid-May, although this will depend on the weather. In mid-May, we had some lovely weather, so I made my way to enjoy the spring at Hinton Ampner. It was my second visit to the National Trust property after a late summer visit a couple of years ago. Hinton Ampner is located in Hampshire, and the house dates from the late-1700s. In addition to visiting the house (open during selected days and times in the spring and summer months), visitors can enjoy the formal gardens, walled garden, a church, and estate walks. The bluebells are located on the grounds of the longest estate walk: Dutton Estate Walk. This is a four-mile loop walk that borders along upper fields and crosses into forest.

I started the route in the correct direction according to the map, bearing left and then continuing clockwise. The first stretch of the walk, which was a quite sizable portion, bordered the open fields on the left and right with some small slivers of woodland bordering some field.

One of these slivers of woodland lay on the top of the ridge of the hillside between the sloping pastures. In a small section of this sliver of woodland were hundreds of bluebells.

The small section of bluebells did not expand the full portion of the woodland between the fields, so I found my way out and back on the main pathway bordering the fields. Bear in mind to follow the National Trust gold trail markers. There are some additional yellow markers for other walks in the countryside. Some of the markers are also a bit tricky to notice, particularly as they are in a natural gold colour and do not really stand out much.

The pathway winded around, down a hill bordering a couple of farms, and then across a small road where it went uphill. By now, I had walked approximately half an hour or slightly longer. The entrance to ancient woodland, Joan's Acre Wood, was here. I noticed the bluebells straight away. They were on both sides of the path, and they smelled beautiful. This was the only spot on my loop walk where I smelled the bluebells, although I saw just as many in one or two other spots. The bluebells seemed to go on for miles carpeting the forest floor.

The bright sunshine did make taking photographs slightly difficult in the woods. Of course, it looked much more beautiful in real life when surrounded by the aroma, birdsong, rustling leaves, and colour...the dancing shadow and light amongst the purples and greens.

The footpath winded around further, each section a continuous display of bluebells. I saw few others. In most places, I had the woods to myself. I snapped some photographs and went on my way.

The trail winded around and eventually led down to another road. Following this road a little bit led out of the woodland and then to a gate on the left where there were warnings about forestry work taking place. I nearly missed off part of the walk due to these signs and continued to follow the road until I realised. 

The gate (in the photograaph below) had a couple of cars parked out in the front and a wide footpath or track uphill. I spotted a small dead deer or fawn on the track. This was the entrance to Broom Wood. 

There were a few bluebells here and there, but it wasn't until descending down a hill after a couple of turns that I discovered a field of them in a little dip.

It was mainly small clusters along one side of the trail or the other or parts of the trail without any at all.

Broom Wood's trail then gradually descended downhill where the trail was wider, and bluebells were along the majority of this part. 

At the end of the trail, I came to a gate and then a small road where I turned to walk the remaining way part of the trail back to where I started. This led back to Hinton Ampner, back up a gradual hillside. The grounds are gated off until arrival at the start of the trail, on the opposite side of the church. 

The loop walk was four miles, and I espected this to take me just over an hour. It took me nearly two hours, and I didn't stop to rest and did not linger too much with the bluebells. It was a warm day, and it was lovely. I used to spend so much time walking in the woodlands and fields when I was growing up, and I realised how much I miss it.

More posts about National Trust's Hinton Ampner can be seen on this blog. See below:

Hinton Ampner (Hampshire National Trust): Lockdown Edition
Hinton Ampner Spring Visit

This year's Chelsea in Bloom took place during this week and finished today, May 28th. The theme for this year's Chelsea in Bloom festival, which coincides with the Chelsea Flower Show, is "British Icons". Chelsea in Bloom is a free exhibition that visitors can walk, and it is largely concentrated down a mile of King's Road from Sloane Square and then up Sloane Street from Sloane Square to Knightsbridge tube station. Due to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in a few days, many of the exhibitions pay tribute to the queen and royalty symbols as well as the red, white, and blue colours of the flag. There are nearly ten of the official larger displays and close to a hundred shops, cafes, and restaurants participating for coveted awards and publicity. This year, there are also seven egg sculptures to spot, which I covered previously, but I still did not find one of the elusive eggs: Eggs of an Era Platinum Jubilee Sculpture Trail.

Chelsea in Bloom is only held across five days, so it does get busy. I attended on Friday after work as I was working all week. Arriving early in the morning is the best chance to see the exhibits without the crowds, as the area is so busy during the day. Of course, most people are visiting with friends and family and try to get a lot of selfies and photographs of themselves with the different displays. This does become annoying when you have to contend with so many people, especially the ones who are determined to take two dozen different poses to get a perfect photo or the mothers with herds of children running up to the displays. I watched as one child tore apart one of the displays, and the mother did not say a word. 

I will cover the large official displays first, or what they call "Central Displays" on the official map. These displays were created by different florists or artists for Cadogan estates and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Central Displays:

Clarence the Corgi is a royal corgi with a crown, a nod to the queen's favourite breed of dog. The corgi sits on a bed of flowers in the Union Jack pattern. 

Royal Coat of Arms.

Mad Hatter's Tea Party, inspired by "Alice in Wonderland".

Floral Mini. The MINI, decorated in Union Jack, is an icon.

The Queen's Guard. 

Floral Vintage post boxes. Each of the post boxes, a British icon in their own right, are from a different era. Visitors who wish to send a letter to the queen to wish her well for the Platinum Jubilee can post a letter (no stamp required) in the middle post box.

The Queen's Head.

Jubilee Street Party. This is inspired by the queen jubilee street parties that have taken place in the past and will take place again next week. This display is inspired by Vivienne Westwood.

Down the Rabbit Hole. This is another "Alice in Wonderland" display.

To follow are the private displays placed by different businesses, cafes, restaurants, and shops. 

The British telephone box was invented in 1926, the same year that the queen was born. 

Another tribute to the queen, and this one got a lot of interest. It shows the queen's head with an iconic telephone box, post box, and a display that creates the Union Jack. It was located near the Sloane Club.

The underground symbol and an iconic British red bus feature as two of the icons on Dermaolica in Duke of York Square.

The TFL underground roundel (symbol) is on display in Duke of York Square.

The British classic MINI car makes a floral appearance at Duke of York Square next to the restaurants.

The Beatles feature at Duke of York Square.

Partridges has a very British display with red, white, and blue and Union Jacks.

Some exhibitions feature Britain's Olympic medals, such as this one at Nike.

One of the most popular displays, this royal guard holding a corgi's lead is situatied at a restaurant Sticks 'n' Sushi on King's Road.

The shop "Rabbit" features the iconic storybook and illustrated rabbit, "Peter Rabbit".

Astrid and Miyu's shop front display received the People's Vote.

Clothing shop Jigsaw used a slightly different approach with the floral display and used yellow and orange umbrellas that appear to rain down onto flower beds.

Crowns feature a lot this year, and Peggy Porschen's cafe has one with their display. This cute cafe always have a flower display all year.

This flower shop had the most impressive crown.

Timothy Oulton's approach was a range of musical instruments, a Union Jack couch, and red riding jackets.

This corgi in a shop window was very difficult to photograph, but it looked so impressive.

Cadogan Arms has a beautiful display that spells out "PUB" in yellow and purple flowers.

One of my favourite displays was on the front of a restaurant just off King's Road, and it's a little off the track. This display throws out so many British icons from gardening to music with the lips from "Rolling Stones" cover.

Tea and kettles were also a popular theme, and some of the businesses that had this theme also went down the "Alice in Wonderland" aspect, and this one features a rabbit, mushrooms, and other magical elements.

David Bowie is featured in illustration form surrounded by a rainbow of colours.

The queen's head, which appears to look like her image on the stamp, was also a common sight made of flowers.

Horse racing with a horse made from moss was also used as an iconic British pastime.

Books and famous characters, such as "Winnie the Pooh" also featured.

Peter Jones department store used purple and yellow flowers along with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee image.

This was a great display, again featuring "Alice in Wonderland", in front of a shop at Sloane Square.

The Beatles made another feature.

I think this one was Elton John.

The corgis were also popular, and these ones in front of a perfume shop had attracted a large crowd.

One of the largest displays is the "Love letter to the queen", featuring Royal Mail and parcels and letters being put into a post box. It is such a large display and very popular but also hard to photograph.

Savills used the opportunity to advertise.

I loved the flower walls on Cartier and Tiffany.

Two displays of kettles are side-by-side near the bottom of Pavillion Road.

An afternoon tea party is laid out, and this got a lot of interest.

The above was called "Shakespeare's Garden" and featured many books.

Another "Alice in Wonderland" theme...

I loved the Spitfire. It was one of my favourites.

This hotel had an impressive display of primarily red, white, and blue.

Another display featuring the queen.

The following installation or display was at The Ivy Chelsea Garden. They do great displays here at the different times of the year, and this one "Return to the Wild", has a lot of photo opportunities.

This was my first ever official visit to Chelsea in Bloom, although I have walked by some of the displays in previous years. As it is only on for a few days and ends on the Saturday, it's always a little tough for me to visit it. 

I did attend the Chelsea Flower Show in 2016, and you can read about it here:

• RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016

Hinton Ampner is an estate with a mansion and picturesque gardens managed by the National Trust and located in Hampshire. This was my second visit to the estate, and I got to experience the lovely gardens in mid-spring and see inside the house for the first time. The house dates from the late-1700s, and at the moment, it is only open during selected days and times. Visitors can enjoy the gardens and estate walks in addition to the mansion.

The land here has been settled for centuries, and there was an earlier medieval manor house, but it was replaced in the 1700s. The house needed a lot of repair in the 1960s, and it was set up to appear as it would have done in the 1930s. It contains a lot of possessions from the Dutton family. He was really interested in stone, so there's a lot of crafted stone tables and a lot of vases made from Blue John.

The entrance to the estate is through the walled garden, which was fairly empty but showing some promising signs of life and plants. One of the borders had beautiful pink and white tulips in their full bloom and glory. There are also good glimpses down the garden to the church, which was impressive in my last visit in the late summer. There are so many excellent views to be enjoyed around the estate.

I visited the mansion first and was told about the previous owner's love of stones and gems, and the Blue John stone vases were in nearly every room. As mentioned, the mansion is set up as it would have been in the 1930s. We got to tour the parlour, sitting room, library, dining room, and bathroom. Part of the upstairs was blocked off, and the mansion will be closed for essential maintenance later in the year.

And yes, those flowers on the table in the dining room were real! I thought they were fake, and there was an even larger similar bouquet in one of the other rooms.

One of my other favourite places for photographs is the side of the mansion at the end of the pool in the garden here. It is a lovely view that shows off the house.

Wisteria was climbing up the side of the house with the formal gardens.

There was an abundance of tulips here in beautiful purple colours, and these were surrounded by white or cream daffodils, which were sadly over. I will have to see next year's display, but the daffodils looked lovely on their own.

The other part of the gardens included some circular beds with cream and red two-tone tulips.

I saw the popular Hinton Ampner scarecrow on the way out. The garden is looking a little empty, but the forget-me-nots in front of her made a nice touch.

While I was visiting Hinton Amper, I went to walk on the Dutton Estate walk to see the bluebells! Keep checking back for my post about them.

More posts about National Trust's Hinton Ampner can be seen on this blog. See below:

Hinton Ampner (Hampshire National Trust): Lockdown Edition

Eggs of an Era is an exhibition designed to honor the queen's Platinum Jubilee early next month. Seven large-scale eggs, which have been painted by various London artists, have been placed in the area around Sloane Square and Duke of York's Square. The eggs will be on display until the 12th of June, and each one represents a different decade of Elizabeth II's 70 decades as the queen. This exhibition is brought to us by Elephant Parade and Clarence Court Eggs, who orchestrated the Big Egg Hunt in 2012 and 2013 in London, a large sculpture trail across London and in Covent Garden. You can see some of my photographs and write-ups in links at the end of this post.

70 by Simon Emery

In addition to celebrating the seven decades of Queen Elizabeth II, the sculptures hope to raise awareness of egg poaching and conservation of rare species of bird that have been harmed by egg collectors. The eggs will be auctioned off after being on display, and there are plans for a large Big Egg Hunt next year, so keep watching this space.

Garden of Joy by Ozlem Thompson

This egg represents the 1990s when the queen wore a striking dress for the Royal Variety Performance in 1999. The colours represent her style, the Tudor Rose, and Royal Parks. Both sides of the egg are slightly different in style and in design.

70 by Simon Emery

The egg represents the 1970s and the Silver Jubilee of that year. The Union Jack flag and colours were displayed everywhere in clothing and flying on the streets. The type is very punk rock.

The Turquoise Egg by Tatiana Alida

This egg represents the 2010s and is inspired by the queen's determination and care. It is also inspired by the tranquil ocean and memories as well as hope. 

Queen of Happiness by Emily Powell

Inspired by the 1950s, this egg has the queen's corgi and a handbag. 

The Queen and Her Kings by Sasha Compton

This blue egg is depicted in traditional style, but it represents our current decade, the 2020s. The egg shows the names of future kings in royal blue with family heirs and tradition at its heart. 

Flower Power by Rebecca Campbell 

The 1960s are represented in this floral egg. It was a time of peace and love with bold fashion statements. 

We only were given a small illustration of a map to locate the eggs, and some of them were not in the correct place according to that illustration. I could not locate one of the eggs at all, and I assume that it just had not been placed.

This final egg was Cocktail Hour by Patricia Mitchell. It depicts the 1980s with pop music and butterflies that signify hope. 

For more information about the Big Egg Hunt in 2012 and 2013, see the below posts:

• Hunting Eggs in London: Fabergé Big Egg Hunt
• London's Big Egg Hunt Grand Finale at Covent Garden
• Big Egg Hunt in Covent Garden
• Big Egg Hunt 2013 Begins in London

On the way back to London after a visit to southern Wales, I stopped at Dyrham Park with the bloke. He was in a bit of a rush to get home, and as the walk down to the house was fifteen minutes with a long thirty minute wait to see inside the house, I did not get to explore the property as much as I would have liked. In retrospect, I should have just stuck with visiting the gardens as the house (unknown to me at the time) only had a couple of rooms open and is in major renovation. The renovations should be finished toward the end of the summer. 

Dyrham Park is a 17th century estate made from the fortune of the British Empire. It's a hilly landscape with beautiful views in the parkland and a beautiful garden with ponds and flower borders. The highlight for me was a brief visit to the wildflower orchard, which was filled with tulips and other spring flowers during my visit. 

The estate is a recent acquisition of the National Trust, and it underwent restoration in 2015.

I made my way down the long walk, which started off through a grove of trees and then went downhill. There are some nice views of the mansion at the bottom of the hill. My main problem was five days of intense walking meant that my legs were shattered.

After coming to the house, we had to wait awhile in the orangery to get inside. 

There were only a couple of rooms to see due to restoration, so I did not get much of a sense of the house. The creator of the estate, William Blathwayt, has a large collection of fine art and Dutch Delftware due to his work as a diplomat in Europe.

After the visit to the house, I had a wander in the gardens quickly. The orchard with the tulips and daffodils was very impressive.

Around the back of the house are some beautiful beds and a nice church. I'll leave this and a longer exploration for my next visit.

Due to the rushed visit and the renovation, I will be visiting this property again. It does look beautiful in the spring. The only downside is the long walk, particularly on the return visit. 

A few years ago, I'd purchased a gin-tasting and tour cruise from Poole Harbour, and I only just got to use this a couple of weeks ago due to events that took place in the past two years. The bloke and I arrived in Poole where we embarked upon the Dorset Queen at Poole Quay, a yacht that was built in 1938 and was thought to have been used in the Dunkirk rescue mission. 

The cruise was meant to include a guest distiller and a mini gin masterclass and discussion about gin, gin tastings, canapes, and two gin and tonics to enjoy while cruising around Poole harbour, Brownsea island, and Millionaire's Row (Sandbanks). Unfortunately, I would consider this to be a "booze cruise". There was no tour nor gin discussion/tasting nor masterclass, and we only received two canapes during the entire cruise. So, I would call this a "gin booze cruise" instead of a tour. I was left disappointed that we did not have the experience advertised to us, which was not to our expectation. We were just left to our own devices while the boat sailed, and we were not informed about anything...only hurried staff attempting to make our gin and tonics at a quick pace and having to wait in queue in order to use our token. 

We had a clear evening, and it was not too cool. A lot of the time was spent below deck to enjoy the gin and tonics, and we expected that we'd have the tour and gin masterclass here, but it never happened. We got to Swanage, past the car ferry link and past Old Harry's Rocks, before we started to head back. The sun set when we left Brownsea island, so we enjoyed that and went up on the top deck after the boat turned around just before reaching Brownsea. We ended up staying on the top deck for the remainder of the journey, viewing the dark harbour and the glistening lights. 

I tried the Twisted Nose gin for my first glass of gin and tonic, and the bloke had Conker Port Barrel. I liked the Twisted Nose gin, but I was not keen on the Conker Port Barrel. 

The second gin I had was Gloriette (Corfe Castle), and the bloke had Wessex Sicilian Lemon. I did not care for Gloriette at all as it had a strong and slightly bitter taste, but the Wessex Sicilian Lemon was a smooth and easy-drinking gin.

Sandbanks and Millionaire's Row came into view with Browsea island opposite.

Brownsea island has its own little harbour with some stone buildings and castle.

We received two canapes. The first one was a vegetarian one with cheese and chutney in a pastry. The second was also vegetarian with mushroom slices on a brown toast crouton.

We cruised past Old Harry's Rocks on the Jurassic coast. They are striking white cliffs and sea stacks. The rock was formed over 100 million years ago when over 35 million years, dead skeletons of plankton built up. Some of the cliffs had doors and small caves.

We turned around at Swanage, and we headed back past Brownsea island and the expensive houses at Sandbanks. It was a clear day with pleasant weather and perfect for the cruise.

Poole Harbour came into view soon enough.

The tours for the cruise are held in the evening, but I would not consider this a "tour" or "gin tasting and masterclass". It is simply a "booze cruise". There's no tour nor discussion. Be prepared to enjoy the cruise at your own leisure and have drinks, but be prepared to wait awhile to get your drink too. 

Much Wenlock's religious community began in 680 by Anglo-Saxon nobles, and the daughter Milburga became an abbess and was later a saint. In 1044, the community was associated with French monastary of Cluny with the saint Milburga and St. Michael. It became a place of pilgrimage due to the location of bones thought to be of the saint Milburga. The success of the monastary was hindered due to its connection with France after years of conflict between England and France. High taxes were imposed at Wenlock, and they struggled. Today, the ruins can be visited, and they are managed by English Heritage. The stones were used in other buildings after the dissolution of the monastaries, although the infirmary and prior's house was turned into a private residence and can be viewed from the grounds.

Much of the site can be viewed from the western side near where I am standing below. This is where the audio tour started.

There is a collection of sculptued topiary on the opposite side: birds, squirrels, beavers, and hens. This would have been the cloisters. It marks some peaceful gardens with some flower beds today.

The lavabo is probably the most unique feature of the site as it contains carvings on the sides. The lavabo is a basin where the monks washed their hands. It is in the cloisters. 

The chapter house is located off of the cloisters with three large sculpted arched doors.

The chapter house interior is located below and contains some sculptured stonework.

The private residence, which was the prior's home and infirmary, can be glimpsed next door.

Back outside the three sculptured arches and to the side is a small room that is fenced off but can be peered inside. This is where the books would have been stored.

Next to this is the church itself, spanning a large area. Only a section remains, but visitors can see where the columns used to stand to get an idea of the layout.

The end of the site in the distance is where the bones were located and is said to have been the site of miracles.

From the far end of the location where this chapel used to stand, I looked back at the site.

Off to the right was a wonderful patch of primroses in different colours growing on the bank. 

The remains of a crypt could be seen next to the ruins, but it's only a small area below the ground and open to the elements. 

I really enjoyed my visit to Wenlock Priory and appreciated that the beauty of the ruins had been kept in the gardens and with the unique features of the site.

London-based Mr. Cenz has painted hundreds of murals across London, and his work primarily features portraits in a grafitti style, and a lot of his work appears to be futuristic. There are a couple of walls in east London that continuously contain Mr. Cenz' murals, and these are updated now and then. The most recent ones that I discovered by the artist were painted earlier this year in Camden.

The above wall on Fashion Street off Brick Lane always contains a mural by Mr. Cenz.

Another wall that keeps being reused by the artist is at Hoxton Square, and the following murals were in Camden.

One of the sections of walls at Hoxton Square has been a canvas for several of Fanakapan's work for the past two or three years now. Fanakapan is known for his work of foil balloons and chrome items, and he has perfected this technique over the past few years. (He previously painted colourful liquorish animals and balloon animals.) The chrome balloons often depict faces, and they always reflect an element of the scenery that they are painted in. The most recent mural is a tribute due to the war in Ukraine, and it is titled "No Words". The balloon faces appear to cry with a yellow and blue background, the colours on the Ukraine flag.

More artwork featuring Fanakapan can be discovered on my blog here:

Fanakapan Street Art Around East London
Fanakapan "Up Yours" Mural on Heneage Street
Fanakapan "BITER" Street Art on Pedley Street
Fanakapan Street Art Smiling Balloons
Fanakapan Paints "Hah" Laughing Gas on Pedley Street
Halloween Street Art by Fanakapan
Fanakapan Street Art on Mornington Crescent and Star Yard
Fanakapan Paints PacMan Pizza on Brick Lane and Other Street Art
Fanakapan Star Yard MagnaDonuts Mural
"Follow the Leader" by Fanakapan
Peace for Manchester
Fanakapan Paints Shoreditch Clowns
Chrome Balloon Dog in Star Yard
Fanakapan Paints "Power Tools" on Village Underground Wall
Fanakapan Paints "Drunk Glass Elephants"
Fanakapan, Horror Crew, & Jerry Rugg
Louis Masai and Fanakapan: "Freedom?"
New Chrome Street Art Mask by Fanakapan
Balloon Animal Street Art
Cranio & Fanakapan
Fanakapan and Horror Crew
Camden Street Art Self-Guided Trail
Halloween Street Art (2018 and 2019)
Cranio Returns to London in 2020 and Paints Brick Lane

Skeleton Cardboard has been on the London street art scene for many years now. The artist is unknown, but they have been creating skeletons around the walls of London and also on discarded pieces of cardboard placed around. I first noticed some of the skeletons on cardboard in east London at the beginning of 2013. The artist has been busiest recently and has created some murals adding colour; traditionally, their work was black and white only. Note that these are some that I have seen over the past few years, and not all of these exist now.

More of Skeleton Cardboard's artwork on this blog can be seen in the posts below.

Donk and Cardboard Skeleton Pitifield Street Collaboration
Street Art by JimmyC, Boe & Irony, Trust Icon, and Others on Paradise Row
Leake Street Recent Street Art
New Street Art from Horror Crew, Swoon, Otto Schade, HIN, and others
Street Art Round-Up to July 2015
Recent Street Art in Early 2014
The Final Days - Leonard Street and Blackall Street (Street Art)
Street Art Round-up in East London
Street Art Update

Nineteen stone boulders arranged in a circle near Wigtown in Galloway, Scotland, form a stone circle amongst the rolling hills along a busy road. The stone circle, known as Torhouse Stone Circle, is located in Bladnoch Valley and was once an important place. Three boulders mark the centre of the stone circle, and they are known as "King Gauldus' Tomb" (a mythical Scottish king) in writing from the 1600s. Some burial tombs (cairns) were located near the stone circle, but their stones were removed long ago to use on the farms.

Torhouse Stone Circle has not been archaeologically excavated, but it probably dates from the Neolithic period. 

The three stones in the middle of the circle may have pre-dated the stone circle and may have been a burial place. There are other stones nearby; three stones lie to the east, and a single stone lies to the south. This was surely an important place.

The pasture next to the stone circles had a herd of cattle, and some of them seemed to be interested in what I was doing. I found it to be a pleasant place with good views surrounded by hillside.

Gilnockie Tower in Dumfries and Galloway (southern Scotland) is home to the Armstrong Clan, but there are many reasons to visit the tower. The tower dates from the 16th century and was a fortified home and thought to be owned by the Armstrongs, a family who were border raiders. The northern part of England and the southern part of Scotland were areas of conflict rife with outlaws and with rival families conducting raids. Visitors can learn about the border raiding family, see this re-constructed fortified home, and see an exhibition for astronaut Neil Armstrong, who visited the site.

The name "Gilnockie" comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "little white hill". The tower was built around 1520 by Johnnie Armstrong, and was burned not long after. Johnnie and fifty of his followers were tricked into joining a hunting party and killed by James V, and there is a ballad named "Johnnie Armstrong" that details this event. The tower was rebuilt in the 1540s. It was reconstructed in 1978 and repairs completed in 2018.

The Armstrongs were a raiding clan. The raiding season took place from spring to autumn when the nights were longer. 

The ground floor of Gilnockie Tower contains the shop; this is where the animals were traditionally kept. Up the stairs are reconstructed rooms of the Great Hall and a bedroom. A further exhibition area is on the top floor before the stairs can be climbed again to go to the rooftop level. The Great Hall and bedroom contain some information about the tower and additional information about the clan and other clans.

The top floor is an exhibition area with items discovered at or near the tower and other Armstrong items, such as bottles with different brands of the name "Armstrong". A corner of the room and one wall is dedicated to Neil Armstrong. When Neil Armstrong visited the tower in 1972, he climbed to the top. There is a photograph of him at the tower.

There is also the story of a bull who decided to climb the stairs of the tower to have a look around. The tower did not have floors at this time, and by the time the bull got to the top, there was no way for it to turn around and go back to the bottom. It ended up either jumping or falling off the tower.

At the top of the tower before the exit onto the roottop is a stone on display called "the weeping stone", and this stone had to be removed as it was causing the building to decay. The stone is porous and let water inside the building.

Visitors to Gilnockie Tower can see the reconstructed tower and learn about Neil Armstrong and the history of raiders; those whose surname is "Armstrong" will get an additional family ancestoral history from it, but the tower can be enjoyed by anyone.

Attingham Park is a National Trust-owned sprawling 8,000 acres of parkland and woodland with a mansion, walled garden, orchard, deer park, and walking trails in Shropshire. I got to explore Attingham Park for the first time at the start of spring (end of March) this year. The mansion was not open for the season during my visit, but I was able to have a walk around some of the parkland before heading back to London. This is one of the National Trust's most popular homes; it ranks fourth in the number of visitors.

Attingham Park was built toward the end of the 1700s by Lord Berwick, MP for Shropshire, who helped with the reorganisation of the East India Company. In 1947, 650 acres of the estate was given to the National Trust as there was no heir.

Attingham Park is known for its trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. There is a 650-year old oak on the land, and other signage around the estate marks some of the more notable trees. The dead and decaying trees are perfect homes to insects and other creatures. One of the more notable trees is the chestnut pictured above.

There are also the old stables to look into, and this area includes the cafe and shop.

The daffodils are amazing in the spring. There are so many planted around the back of the mansion and additional ones lining the paths along the river. It is an amazing place to enjoy the daffodils as spring begins to emerge and the landsape begins to show signs of waking. I love daffodils. They are my favourite spring flowers.

I took a loop walk around the Pleasure Grounds trail, which is focused around the mansion, walled gardens, and courtyard. This followed the river on one side with views over the parkland. First, I headed off in the direction of the mansion to have a look around. 

After that, I headed down to the bridge to have a wander around the river and then walked the circular trail.

There were some beautiful views over the parkland.

The orchard was my next stop. Some of the trees were marked with signage as to the different varieties of apple. Many of the apples were older varieties. There are over 100 different apple trees, walnut, and damson.

There were some working buildings on the signs, and each of these had its own purpose.

The walled garden was the next stop, and it is a large one to explore, but it's all fairly open inside. Not much was out, but I saw some spring flowers.

After the walled garden, I headed back to the car. The yew tree was one of the other old trees, and it dates from the 1770s.

I must return to Attingham Park in the summer months to visit the mansion, and the park is also nice to explore in the autumn and the winter with snowdrops.

On a sunny afternoon at the end of March, I found myself exploring the beautiful Powis Castle and gardens in Powys, Wales. Powis Castle is probably one of the most recognised National Trust properties because of the beautiful layered gardens. Powis Castle was a medieval fortress, and it was built in the 13th century by a Welsh prince (instead of my English invaders). After grabbing a quick lunch in the cafe and sitting in the sun in the beautiful castle courtyard, I had a wander around the castle. 

The bloosoms of magnolia were out in full bloom and looked beautiful.

The rooms of the castle look stunning and are beautifully-furnished.

Powis Castle's gardens are one of the few remaining Baroque-style gardens in the UK. It is thought that they date from the late-1600s. The layered terrace design was common in Italian gardens, and the designer was William Winde. Winde worked on Cliveden gardens in Buckinghamshire. (You can read about Cliveden during one of my previous visits here.) The gardens did have a water garden, but this was removed in a later phase.

Four of the original terraces remain, but the last two have reverted to earthen banks. The terraces are 150 meters long, and the top of the terraces is covered with yew trees, and these add to the distinctive feature of the gardens. The yews were originally in the shape of obelisks, but they are now trimmed to organic shapes.

The orangery is located on the third level, and there is a beautiful terrace here with a few statues and amazing views.

I walked to the bottom of the terraces and to the rest of the gardens below the castle.

Here there are some views and lovely fountains.

The daffodils were in bloom during my visit, and I loved seeing the sunny blooms. The ones with the orange centres have always been my favourite.

In very early spring, the full glory of the gardens have yet to be realised, but the castle with the sculpted yew trees and terraces is the important overall feature.

I walked part of the wilderness walk to get these views and to see all of the beautiful daffodils in bloom. There were also a few primroses. 

This walk led past the pond and then back up to the terraces.

Now that I have seen Powis Castle in the spring, I would love to re-visit it in the summer months when the gardens will be at their best. 

The very first street art that I discovered in London was the Fitzrovia Mural. When I moved to London to complete an internship through university, I ended up on Store Street around the corner from the mural. The mural is located on Tottenham Court Road, set back from the road on the side of a building. I've noticed it looking tired and tagged over by other grafitti over the years, but it's recently been restored.

The mural depicts the local community in 1980. Camden council got Mick Jones and Simon Barber to paint the council-owned building. Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre allowed local people to discuss items to put on the mural, and scenes of local life and portraits of local people were some of the items included. It took six months to complete the work.

Street artist David Speed is one of the busiest in London having been painting bright pink neon portraits of people and animals across London (primarily east London) over the past four years. The artist's style is neon, and he likes to paint light and shadow to create a mood in the artwork. Speed was training as a primary school teacher between his graffiti work, and he realised that he could use art to mentor and help others. I have included a small collection of the artist's work over the past few years, but the artist has produced many more that I have not photographed (or have been able to get a good photograph of). 

Visitors who wish to see his work will know of a few areas that he usually paints. Try Ebor Street, the rooftop of the building in front of Shoreditch tube station, and walls on Shoreditch High Street near the station and Redchurch street, and Curtain Road.

His work looks best when it's days old as the sun and light has a tendancy to quickly fade his work, though the placement is also critical. The neon pink paint fades. However, he has usually placed a new mural before then.

I have always been fascinated with rocks. I remember keeping a "rock collection" in my earlier years, and it was in a large tin bucket where I kept some fascinating rocks, fossils, flint, and pieces of arrowheads. My first science fair project was also on the subject of rocks and minerals. I knew that I would be spending a lot of time at the Gem Rock Museum in the village of Creetown in Galloway, Scotland. There is a little bit of everything here from fossils to gemstones to meteorites to man-made stones to stones carved into artwork.

The collection was started by Bill "Maverick" Wilson and includes many rare British stones as well as minerals and gemstones found all over the world. Highlights include a 4.5 billion year old 3 kilogram meteorite, gold nugget, fossilized dinosaur egg and dinosaur dung, and cut replicas of famous diamonds to the correct size and displayed next to each other. Another attraction here is the crystal cave where visitors can walk around and see lit-up crystals and flourescent light shining on other rocks that then glow a range of bright colours in the dark. There is also a gift shop and a cafe.

Near the entrance to the museum, there is also a bear skeleton in the museum. The bear was discovered in a cave, and it is thousands of years old. It is now extinct in Europe, but the closest relative is the brown bear. It is 30% larger than the brown bear.

Each display cabinet in the museum contained information about the rock or mineral, and this included its uses or properties as well as location discovered. 

One of my favourites was the faceted flourite, the blue green stones. This mineral is used as a gemstone, and there are many different types of it, such as Blue John stone. The mineral has many uses. It is used in steel making, glass making, cosmetics, and it has helped to mass-produce aluminum. It is used for the human body to make teeth and bones stronger and used for some cancer treatments. The mineral was also used to treat the water in the Great Lakes as it was found to remove lampreys and not affect the game fish. Other uses are for lenses of binoculars to remove glare and in high octane fuels. The mineral is too soft to be used as jewellery.

Different types of marble, including a piece of stone used in Salisbury Cathedral, were on display and cut to form beads.

Soapstone is a soft stone that is used to create carvings. It is very easy to carve. There were many carved items of other stones. There were many items carved from jade, which is a popular stone to use in carvings in Asia.

Some of the items are dedicated to the memory of Bill "Maverick" Wilson, who lived until 2003.

There is a rare garnet discovered in Nigeria, and it is called the "Scottish Garnet".

There is also a gold nugget found in California.

There is a fairly large collection of interesting fossils that are rare.

Shells are often used as a mineral. Some of them are used ground up into pigments, and others are used in trinket boxes. The above shells have been carved.

Malachite is a bright green stone that was used in ancient times by the Egyptians. It's also been used to decorate whole rooms in Russia and trinkets. The blue stone is lapis lazuli, and it was used for ancient jewellery and as blue pigment for paints. It is associated for royalty only. The chess piece created from malachite is beautiful.

There were some examples of agate carved into beautiful pieces.

There was even a display for petrified wood.

Before going to the cave, there is a small room called the "professor's room" that you can sit down and relax in. There's also a workshop for the stones, but no one was working any stones during the visit. The cave is a small area designed to look like a cave with some stones placed over lights to show them off.

Overall, this was a great museum. There's so much to see, and I could see families enjoying their visit and learning about all of the different types of stone and the fossils. 

The Silverstone Interactive Museum opened its doors to the public in 2019 to allow visitors to learn about the history of Silverstone and British motor sport. The museum is located on two floors and has an interactive element to appeal to different audiences. The exhibition is located alongside the famous racing track with views over the track. I visited the museum at the end of 2021.

The exhibition starts on the top floor with a small interactive video showcasing some of the historical cars and motorcycles that have raced on the track. 

From there, the exhibition starts out with the origins of Silverstone with an ode to the names of the turns in the track. The location of Silverstone made up of the Stowe estate, which is a large country park owned by the National Trust that I have previously visited (Autumn Colour at Stowe Landscape Gardens). In the 1000s, Silverstone was home to a priory and monastary. Some of the buildings of this were used as a farm in later years. The farmers lent out the land for informal races before World War II. During World War II, Silverstone was used as an airbase. Part of the exhibition details its use as an airbase and then as a racetrack again after the war. 

Some of the oldest cars to have raced at Silverstone were on the upper floor.

From here, the exhibition continued to the lower floor where there are the different decades of racing at Silverstone from the 1940s until the modern day. Information about the years and some of the cars or motorcycles are included in the exhibition.

One of Lewis Hamilton's outfits and helmets was on display.

Further exhibitions inclued the technical aspects of racing and car design with interactive and informative elements. Other aspects are also detailed, such as the pit crew, volunteers, doctors, media, afety concerns, and others who help the sport to make it what it is. There is an element of interactivity in most of the exhibits around the museum. 

At the end of the museum exhibit is a final interactive aspect for visitors to pretend that they are racing around the track. This is depicted on full screen surround with a video that showcases various elements of Silerstone. Overall, it is worth a visit if you're interested in motor sports.

A couple weeks ago, I joined the bloke and a few of his work colleagues after work to visit Platform in Shoreditch. Platform is a gaming experience venue that allows visitors to enjoy sessions of games with food and themed cocktails. They also have bottomless brunch and board games, arcades, and vintage games available to play. This is a great venue for socialising with work colleagues or team events.

As I had worked earlier in the day myself, I hadn't had any lunch or dinner by the time I got to Shoreditch, so I was famished. The pizza tasted delicious, and I had a couple of cocktails to wash it down with. We opted on playing Yoshi's Island, but we are spoiled for choice on multi-player games.

The cocktails are all named according to gaming themes with "Bloody Mario", "Goldstar Martini", "The Boss", "The Devil's Cartel", and others. I had "Rainbow Road", which was a layered colourful rainbow cocktail served with a slice of candy on top. The "Goldstar Martini" was also good, and I tried the "Ice Queen" and "Crystal Coconut" too. My favourites were "Crystal Coconut" and "Rainbow Road". Of course, there are beer and wine options for those who do not wish to have a fancy cocktail. 

Ninty minutes went quickly, and we had just finished the game on time. 

Only four people can play a game in a session, but not everyone wanted to play, so do bear in mind to possibly book additional areas for anyone who wishes to play if there's more than four. 

Overall, it was a fun evening and is a good after-work social event.

Italian street artist RUN, whose name is Giacomo Bufarini, painted in Cardiff in 2013 as part of the Empty Walls project, which was led by local street artists. I discovered the mural on a recent visit to Cardiff. The mural shows body parts and pieces of machinery connected by wires and cables.

When I visited the piece, the bottom half of it had been painted over, but the original full mural can be seen below.

Only the top half of the mural remains as the wall has been repainted below.

For more murals from RUN on this blog, see:

RUN "Human Touch" Street Art Murals in Cambridge
New Street Art by RUN and the Rolling People
Street Art: RUN

Street artist Colour Doomed is known for large-scale murals around the city of Cardiff. The artist was from Chichester and graduated with a degree in art at Cardiff University before taking to the streets with his artwork, although he and his family have always had an interest in grafitti and tagging. He helped to work on the Empty Walls street art festival in Cardiff, and his work can be seen around the city. However, the majority of these murals are several years old now and have been tagged over.

On Northcote Lane, this mural "Making War" is by Colour Doomed in collaboration with Helen Bur. The mural depicts two men playing a game with various miniature figures.

Helen Bur and Colour Doomed also collaborated on the colourful mural that shows a caravan, balloons, greyhounds, and a woman riding a bicycle with a skeleton.

Further down this road is a lot of grafitti, and one of the pieces poking out over a wall is a man reading a book by Colour Doomed.

There was another piece by Colour Doomed that was obscured by a wall and also grafitti.

I am not sure who the artist is of the final piece below, which shows multiple colourful birds in abstract form.

I am not aware of Colour Doomed's artwork beyond Cardiff, but there are a few pieces to see here.

Street artist My Dog Sighs recently painted in a Cardiff on Northcote Lane, a small corner of the city where there is some grafitti to be seen. In total, there are three murals to be seen here from the artist, who is noted for painting faces on cans and on walls, eyes with reflections, colourful stick figures and melancholic figures.

The first mural was painted as a response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia at the end of February. It shows the yellow and blue of the Ukraine flag and an eye reflecting landmarks. A single tear falls from the eye.

The other two murals feature the melancholic figures that the artist paints. One of them has been painted on a brick wall and is dressed like a bird wearing a beak and feather wings. The other three of these characters are painted across a larger wall with doors and a lot of tagged grafitti.

Previous work from My Dog Sighs on this blog is located on the below links:

Street Art in London from My Dog Sighs
My Dog Sighs on Rivington Street
My Dog Sighs 
My Dog Sighs
Mural in a hidden alley in Blackall Street
Collaborated with street artist Midge
Manchester Street Art
My Dog Sighs @ Bristol Upfest 2015
Artist My Dog Sighs' Hug Mural in Bedminster, Bristol

Welcome to the next installment of my empties - products that I have used up over the winter. I am still primarily working from home, so I don't wear a lot of make-up or perfume, and I am slowly making my way through it. I wanted to post these products that I used up to help me remember which ones I would purchase again, and it may help others with deciding which products to purchase too.

The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Scrub: The Body Shop sells different products in their fragrances, and I loved the scent of this pink grapefruit body scrub. I use it in the bath primarily, and it helps remove dead skin cells and keeps my skin feeling moisturised and perfumed. Would I buy it again? Yes, but I have a couple of others to use up at the moment.

The Body Shop perfume in 'Glazed Apple': The Body Shop sell a different festive season perfume each year, and I bought them a few years in a row. This scent is a sickly sweet apple scent. Would I buy it again? I have a mixed review here; it's very sweet, and outside of the festive season, it's a scent that is hard to wear. It's also very sweet. The product did not have a longevity and seemed to wear off quickly.

Estee Lauder All-Day Lipstick in 'Pink Toffee': This lip-stick glides on lips and promises to last all day. The shade is a rich brown colour, which does complement well. Would I buy it again? I would buy this brand again.

Elemis Re-vitalise Me Bath and Shower Gel: This is a travel-sized product of bath and shower gel with a nice scent that picks you up and lathers up well. Would I buy it again? There are so many nice similar products; I would use it again, but I would not buy it for myself as it's more expensive than other products.

Neals Yard Remedies Hand Cream in 'Geranium and Orange': This hand cream is absorbant into the skin without feeling too clumpy, though a little bit goes a long way and needs to be rubbed into skin. I loved the scent of this product. Would I buy it again? I love the scent of this product, so I would purchase it again if I needed a hand cream.

Lord & Berry Crayon Lipstick in 'brown': Unfortunately, I don't have the colour name of this product anymore. The product was clumpy with a poorly-designed application device that had come apart, rendering the lipstick useless. I had to put it on with a brush as the applicator was broken. I didn't like the colour, nor did I like the product as it was clumpy on my lips. Would I buy it again? No, it was a big disappointment that the actual application and packaging ruined the use of the product.

The White Company candle in 'Midnight': I like the scents from The White Company, and this candle is in the 'Midnight' scent, which I would describe as soothing and sophisticated. It's the perfect candle to wind down with. Would I buy it again? Yes.

Eden body wash: I picked this up at a hotel that I stayed in, and it's a refreshing and zesty product that lathers up well and was just the treat for my skin when I was away. Would I buy it again? I liked the product, but I prefer other brands.

Cetaphil Daily Defense Moisturiser: This thick moisturiser contains sun cream, and it absorbs into skin and gives and extra dose of moisturiser to help with the dry winter days. Would I buy it again? Yes, my skin had been dry all winter, and this product actually did work where other face moisturisers failed. I loved that it didn't feel thick on the skin too.

Maddi Alexander Bath Oil in 'Rose': This bath oil smells beautiful like roses, and it was a nice pick-me-up for the dark winter days. Would I buy it again? No, I don't like how bath oils feel on my skin, and they are a pain to clean off the bath. I'm just not a fan, although the product is not to blame for that.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream: This facial cream absorbs into the skin and promises to moisturise. Would I buy it again? I actually do not know. This product might work for the spring and summer months when my skin is not so dry. It did not work for me in the winter.

Markwins Intl eye cream in muted purple and muted pink shades: I received these products with a make-up kit, and these are creamy eye colours that glide onto the skin. The shades were okay, but these had a tendancy to easily smear and run, so I could only use this product for a quick application where I was near home and not expected to work up into a sweat. Would I buy it again? No.

Penhaligon's Perfume in 'Quercus': I enjoy Penhaligon's perfumes, and 'Quercus' is a natural scent named after the oak tree. It is fragrant with jasmine but has woody and earthy tones. Would I buy it again? I enjoyed the scent, but it's not one that I would wear all of the time, so I wouldn't buy it again.

Cover Girl blush: The colour of this shade is long gone as the sticker on the back had come off. This was a deep red shade of blush and came with its own brush. Would I buy it again? No. The product was okay to use, but I prefer other brands.

NATorigin creme mains et ongles: This hand and nail cream is hydrating and uses protective oils, perfect for dry and sensitive skin. Would I buy it again? Yes, this was perfect for the winter months with cracked dry hands. It relieved them right away, and the product was absorbant into the skin and worked quickly.

Aurelia Day Moisturiser: This day moisturiser has won awards and uses probiotics to help repair skin that has been treated harshly by the environment. Would I buy it again? Yes, it did seem to help my skin. I only had a two-day sample to try, so that was not really enough time to see the benefits.

Per Una (Marks & Spencers) face palette: This little compact case contains several shades of eye shadow and lip glosses. Would I buy it again? Yes and no. I loved the eye shadows, particularly a couple of shades that really went well with some of my outfits and "popped" on my skin. I didn't like the lip glosses at all. They were too sticky and attracted the loose powder from the eye shadow, and the lip glosses had to be applied with a little brush, which also felt sticky and took on the loose powder.

Laura Mercier foundation primer: This foundation primer helps prepare the skin for make-up. Would I buy it again? Yes.

Clinique rinse-off foaming cleanser: This foaming cleanser promises to remove make-up and help clean skin. Would I buy it again? No, the product felt harsh on my skin and hurt if accidentally got in the eyes.

Bayliss and Harding hand wash in 'Wild Rose and Raspberry': This hand wash smelled beautiful like roses, and I used it up in the winter to help me think about summer days that would be approaching soon. Would I buy it again? Yes.

Bath & Body Works hand soap in 'Cranberry Peach': I love this brand for their scented soaps, and I love the festive scents. I managed to use this one up after the festive season, and it was a frosty and fruity cranberry scent. Would I buy it again? I love the brand, so I would purchase again.