Fowering Shrubs

 

These are a few of the shrubs we have flowering at the moment which I thought you might like to see.

Lilac which my wife loves, it also gives off wonderful scent

We have a few different varieties

This dark purple one

Along with a white one

 

Some of the other shrubs lowering

Out the front is another lilac only a lighter purple, my wife found it growing in the garden and at first grew a standard out of it in a pot, in the end we planted it in the garden and it did its own thing

 

This is my clematis Montana which really got hit by the frost a few years ago, it did not help me having  to replace the post and birdhouse either but it is making good return now, next I intend to propitiate off it

 

Las the first roses, the Canary bird and Olivia

Take Care

St James the Great Fullbrook

 

 

This week the Church Explorer visits St James the Great Fullbook, a wonderful old church not far from Burford 

March Sunset

 

This sunset was taken in Wales on the 20th March when we were there for a few days out for a quick walk with our dog

The hillside behind the campsite glowed in the setting sun

 

It was the same further on along the hill

 

But nearer where we were it really glowed

 

Looking towards the sunset the hill looked as though it was on fire

 

Looking even more so when I zoomed in

 

A pinkish tinge but the fire was still there

 

It really glows in this photo

 You can just make out the sky below the glow in this view

Happy Skywatch

Window Shopping

 

I had to go to the local town the other day for a visit to the dentist so as I waled through the town I took photos of some of the newer shops that have popped up

Oddly enough I passed this graffiti on my way out of the car park, I thought it ironic as I was heading to the dentist

This shop called The Collective sells hand made clothes and gifts, the place has had various businesses operating out of it in the past one I remember an estate agent (real estate) the last was a cafe of sorts

ASPA upmarket furniture and stuff from what I can see, it was a secondhand book shop at one time

Like it says and sells all sorts of greetings cards and gifts, it used to be a shop called Jenkins which sold papers and magazines but best of all sold Toys so I spoent a lot of time in here as a kid drooling over Dinky toys and buying a fire few comics from the place

Second hand cloths so doing it's bit for the planet, the former shop was called Field & Hawkings and was a department store that closed many years ago. It was split up into various shops

 Last of all Feet First a really useful place and he repairs shoes, the shop has been here for years

Take Care

Wallingford Methodist Church

 

This week the Church Explorer visits Wallingford Methodist Church on which I have passed so many times I have lost count. This was the first occasion I managed to visit the church as I saw it open and also the first Methodist church I have been inside

Hospital Sky

 

 It's over 20 years ago since the mental hospital my parents worked in closed and just over ten since they started converting it into housing

The main entrance into the place, it has not chance since it was built in Victorian times

If you have been looking here when it was open you would have seen the kitchen

 

 

 This is looking towards where the boiler house was, my friends dad worked here and we used to visit quite a lot

 The yard of the boiler house now a carpark

There used to be a tree here you can see the stump, I have a photo of my dad stood in front of it, the area was the male airing court where the patients exercised

 

The cricket pavilion, not that old I suspect it was built in the late1940's but some famous cricketers have played here

Here we look over towards the old Rotherfield ward where my father also worked, it was demolished the building you see is about where the place used to be
 

 

 This pond is new it is where the excess rainwater runs to and has become quite a wildlife area

 

 Here we look back towards the old hospital, this view I doubt has changed

This used to be part of the old farmyard, the hospital used to have it's own farm where the patients worked

It was pretty much self sufficient as the grew their own food and had a dairy 

I'll leave you with the entrance off the main road with the gatehouse on the right. 
Take Care

Happy Skywatch

 

St Mary Swinbrook

 

This week the Church Explorer visits St Mary Swinbrook a church where you can see the effigies of the Fettiplace family along with some of the oldest headstones I have come across 

Easter Sky

 

To finish off Easter photos this week some flowers

 

After getting photos of the Easter egg tree

 

I walked on along the road and noticed the daffodils looked superb

 

They looked great with the cottages in the background

 

Or the Horse Chestnut tree

 Happy Skywatch

Happy Easter

 

I will let the photos speak for themselves 

 Happy Easter

St Nicholas Asthall

 

This week the Church Explorer visits St Nicholas Asthall  a rather nice church with some old headstones and Victorian wall paintings to view