Tag

England

Ideas and Activities

Kings Lynn Hanse Festival

Now despite growing up in Norfolk, I have to admit I had not heard of the Hanse Festival last weekend! The festival celebrates Kings Lynn history with ‘Die Hanse’ a mediaeval league of towns around the Baltic and North Sea with trading links, formed when German merchants from the Baltic and Hamburg secured trading privileges with Kings Lynn in 1271. We did not get to see all of the Hanse festival at the weekend, but I was fascinated with the actors celebrating the medieval traders, their knowledge of their trades and... Read More

Ideas and Activities

Bath Abbey

I decided to be a tourist myself in Bath recently, rather than just dashing into town, doing my shopping and escaping quickly before the street are full of visitors, which is my normal mode! I spent a fascinating visit to Bath Abbey absorbing the atmosphere and just realising how lucky I am to live near such a beautiful building.  The fan roof is especially stunning, and certainly got me looking up!   The roof was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott who carried out a number of repairs to the Abbey... Read More

Cycling, Ideas and Activities, Maps, Walking

Don’t live life on the edge!

One of the blogs I personally enjoy following is that of Rev’d Claire Maxim, the blog has nothing to do with my working life, but does appeal to my spiritual life.  However, for me the two coincided in a recent post, when Rev’d Claire mentioned a map that had been given to her by one or her new parishioners of her local area.  If you should want a similar map, we can oblige, creating OS 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 of your chosen location in England, Scotland or Wales, where for once... Read More

Ideas and Activities

The Great Goodbye

Mapsareus, was fortunate recently to find himself in the north of England, at the time of the Great Goodbye event at Shildon, National Railway Museum, when the remaining six A4 class engines came together for the last time.  The Mallard and Sir Nigel Gressley were joined by Bittern, Union of South Africa, Dominion of Canada, and Dwight D Eisenhower.  The latter two locomotives were brought over the Atlantic especially for the event, and can be seen at Shildon until just after Easter. Did you get a chance to see these... Read More

Maps

Historic Maps

We have had a lot of interest recently in the ‘new’ historic map of our home town of Melksham! Alan Godfrey who publishes these maps clearly loves local history and virtually every map is accompanied by text on the reverse describing the history of the area, or a local directory of businesses of the time of the map.  We are constantly updating our website to keep up with the range produced by Alan Godfrey Maps, so if you can’t see your local area now, please check with us, and it... Read More

Ideas and Activities

Lake District

I have been editing our website recently and got to the section on the Lake District; i could not help remembering the great holiday K and I enjoyed there a few years ago.  We were there in July, but true to form, it was cloudy and rainy on several days.  However, the weather enhanced the beauty of this iconic area, with the fells playing ‘hide and seek’ in the mist.  Yet on other days we had brilliant sunshine and I remember on one occasion sitting by Buttermere in complete isolation... Read More

Maps

What to do with old maps!

I have now found out why my desk was covered with glue and scraps of paper earlier this week!  A ‘crafty’ friend is currently making this beautiful map chair covered with old British road maps!   When it is complete the chair will be sold to raise funds for the Wiltshire Scrap Store, who have already sold similar chairs covered with scraps of comics and wall paper. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Ideas and Activities

Lindisfarne

While staying up north recently Mapsareus made a visit to Lindisfarne or Holy Island, just off the Northumberland coast.  This tiny island which can only be reached by crossing the tidal causeway, has many attractions for those who like the quieter life.  Mapsareus particularly enjoyed the bird watching and he took this photo of a Puffin with a mouth full of sand eels. The Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve is the winter home for many wildfowl and wading birds, making it a haven for the bird watchers among you.  The island... Read More

Ideas and Activities

More ‘room with a view’

My sister is currently having to stay in temporary accommodation while re-building work slowly progresses on her house.  However there are compensations when your temporarily accommodation comes with a view like this one.  Similar views can be had from the chalets and other holiday lets available at Pentney Lakes, near Kings Lynn.  What is your best view?