| You may think this is a picture of the other side of the same rock I snapped last trip. After all, when we crossed into Scotland last time, I took a picture of the rock that said "England." So, when we crossed back into England this time, you would think I would take a photo of the other side that says "Scotland." Ha, you're wrong! It's a different rock! This one is on the opposite side of the road. |  |
| The good people of the
Northumberland County Council offer the following tips: If you have handled cattle, sheep, goats or pigs in the last 7 days please do not access any other farmland. Do not go near and never touch, handle or feed livestock. Do not take dogs on land where there are cattle. Do not leave any waste food or litter. Stay on path and leave all gates as you find them. Use disinfectant where provided. Ensure equipment, footwear and clothing is clean at the start of each walk or ride. |
|
| Come on Brentford! Come on Brentford! Welcome to Griffin Park, home of the Bees of Brentford FC. The New Road Stand across the way aren't exactly packed, but the Braemar Stand (this side) and the Brook Road Stand (to the left) were more full. It was a great atmosphere. The club is looking to move to a different park, perhaps to share with another club while they build a new park somewhere. That would be a shame for the folks in the surrounding neighborhoods. It might look small and old to the sophisticated English football connoisseur, but it was just perfect in my eyes. |  |
| The Packhorse and Talbot, a pub named for a horse and hound. I hope there were neither in the steak and ale pie I ate. The name of this place reminds me of the pub the boys on The Young Ones visited (and Madness played) called the Kebab and Calculator. |  |
| The Royal Observatory at Greenwich. (For you Yanks, that's pronounced Grenn-itch). That red ball on the tower drops at 1:00 p.m. each day and was used by sailors on the Thames to set their chronometers. This is not dissimilar to the One O'clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle used by Edinburghers to set their timepieces. |  |
| You may be fond of your little meridian, but this one is truly prime. 0 degrees, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds, baby! |
|
| The Royal Maritime Museum from atop the observatory hill. Did you see the movie on A&E called Longitude? It was really good. It was about carpenter John Harrison's eventually successful attempt to win the £20,000 prize offered by the British Government to anyone who accurately measure longitude at sea. Anyway, they have some of Harrison's timepieces on display at the Royal Observatory. |  |
| Tower Bridge. I know I took a picture of it last time, but this was on the river so it's different. Isn't it? Yeah, sure it is. I didn't waste a photo on it. Did I? |  |
| That small white building is a pub called the Mayflower. It probably is of no concern except to those locals who frequent it for a pint. Oh, did I tell you that it was basically from this point that the pilgrim ship Mayflower set sail for the New World? There was an older pub on this spot called The Shippe at that time. Of course they were Puritans who came over on the Mayflower. I guess they probably didn't have one last pint at the pub before heading out. |  |
| A long time ago, there was a theatre across the river from the City of London. It was a round wooden building with a thatched roof and was built by William Shakespeare's troupe to perform their plays. The theatre shown right is...not that theatre. It's a fake! It is the replica Globe Theatre built not far from the original, which burned down in 1613 when during a performance of Henry VIII the roof was accidentally set alight by a cannon. It was rebuilt in 1614, but was pulled down in 1644, two years after the Puritans closed all theatres, to make way for tenement dwellings. There is an office building now on the site of the original. |  |
| Our motley crew on the Thames. If
you are paying attention, this is the only picture of me on this entire site other than
the little guy at the top of the home page. I just don't photograph well. Look at my neck.
Geez! I look like some sort of alien. And apparently I had left my shoulders back home.
The facial hair is an on again-off again kind of thing. It was on at this time. I also
have a thing about squinting. It's not terribly sunny (after all it is London), but it's
still too bright for me. I usually have to wear sunglasses. But enough about me, everyone else looks good. |
 |
| Piccadilly Circus. Look at the
pretty colors. (In a hypnotic voice) |
 |
