The Beach

The Great British Pub

Nothing finer than sitting by a roaring fire, while you sip a pint of your favourite beer....

According to the Campaign for Real Ale, 21 of our finest pubs are closing every week.  Shocking.  A pub is like a church, the heart of the community, with barstools instead of pews. 

Long Live The Local!

Chateau de La Ferte Saint-Aubin. Part 1.

My favourite castle of all time.  A magical place, a place of remembrance and a lively place!  A truly pleasurable moment.  Numerous different families lived here until the late 16th century, when the castle and surrounding gardens were inherited by the Saint Nectaires, who later changed their name to La Ferte Senectere.  Henri II de la Ferte Senectere was marshal of France.  Though he didn't finish building the castle, he had the two magnificent stables built in 1681.  In 1746, the castle was sold to Woldemar, Count of Lowendal.  The castle was owned by many different people, until the O'Gorman family brought it in 1911.  The castle was passed on and inherited until 1987, when it came to its present owner, Mr Jacques Guyot, who opened it to the public.

Pomperols Festival, South Of France. Festivals is about the eclectic range of weird and wonderful activities.

Every year me and my family go to The South Of France.  In August every year the local villages hold their own festivals.  Two years running now Pomerols, village in South Of France, didn't have their own festival.  A pity as the festival is entertaining and enjoyable to watch.  However I was able to take images of the Festival Des Animaux Toteniques 2019!

Even in the heart of a city there can be a place of calm. Doors shut and curtains closed, a light against the dark, wrapped round in dear, accustomed things we can withdraw and find ourselves again.

Pam Brown, B. 1928

… there’s the real danger of overlooking a very important day… today. For this is the place and the time for living. Let us live each day abundantly and beautifully while it is here.

Esther Baldwin York

(via sparklemiranda)

Frosty Mornings

The winter garden has striking shapes and textures.  Frost has a magical effect on objects, producing sparkling highlights and striking patterns.

Are We Kissing Goodbye To The Local?

Another one bites the dust. The Jester pub, Cockfosters being demolished.  3 pubs a day close their doors for good.  Pub closures have an impact on communities.  Pubs have been at the heart of our culture for generations and remain one of our most valuable assets. 1 in 4 of us fall in love in a pub!

Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn.  Elizabeth Lawrence

Cite de l'Automobile National Museum, Mulhouse, France.It contains the largest and most comprehensive collection of Bugatti motor vehicles in the world.  Brothers Hans and Fritz Schlumpf built the Bugatti collection obsessively and quickly. During the summer of 1960, they acquired ten Bugattis, including two Type 57s and one Type 46 5-litre model. In addition the pair found three Rolls-Royces, two Hispano-Suizas and one Tatra. By the end of the summer, they had purchased 40 cars.  An impressive collection of cars!