16th Birthday

It was my son's 16th birthday today, and I'm posting a 'personal' photo from our meal out at the Rimjhim Indian Restautant in Winchester.

I am away for the weekend, so won't be posting for a couple of days. For my nearest location whilst away see Venice Daily Photo

Garden by the river

The photo doesn't capture it too well but there are a number of houses that back onto the River Itchen and have gardens down to the river bank.

Christmas is coming!

Yesterday I mentioned Halloween and now I'm already onto Christmas! I noticed that near the Cathedral the chalets have appeared for the Christmas market already. The market doesn't open until 24 November, so we have a while yet, but I guess the chalets have been dropped off early!

Halloween on its way!

I always think of Halloween as an American invention, or at least much more popular in the States! As a kid back in the early 80's I did go trick or treating once and a lot of people didn't know seem to know what we were doing! There are a few houses with pumpkins outside but around the corner from me I spotted this house really taking the Halloween theme seriously!

Winnal Moors

Footpath through the Winnal Moors

Entrance to Winnall Moors

I've been a bit busy with work recently, hence stock photos with not much info! I hope to get out more this weekend!

Itchen River

Winnal Moors

St Giles Hill

Optical illusion

This photo was taken at Winnal Moors, the more I look at it, the more it all seems to merge into one! Or maybe it's just me!

King Alfred

The back of our King Alfred statue with the tower of the Guildhall to the left and a lovely blue sky from yesterday morning.

Swans

A photo of some swans on the bank of the River Itchen on the Winnal Moors this morning

Exhibition

Another photo from the current exhibition of animal drawings at Winchester Discovery Centre.

****I am away at the moment, back later today****

Modern

Winchester is not all old buildings, these modern flats here overlook the rear of the Hambledon shop that I posted a couple of days ago.

****I am away at the moment - back Friday****

Still green

Although it's October you can see that most of the trees round here are still quite green and the weather this weekend the weather was very mild. On the other hand you can also see a fair few brown leaves on the ground.

****I am away with work at the moment. Back on Friday. I've scheduled these posts whilst away. For photos of where I am see Brussels (Gattina hope you don't mind me linking to your photos!)****

Hambledon

I have tried to get a photo of the back of this shop without any cars parked in front of it, but have decided it is not physically possible! This is the rear of The Hambledon, the front is on The Square. It sells clothes, homeware, furniture & cute things

****I am away at the moment with work, back on Friday evening, so have set up these scheduled posts. For my nearest location see This is Belgium****

Westgate

The Westgate & Great Hall yesterday. Not sure what the marquee was about!

Columns

I went on a Roman walking tour around Winchester a couple of years ago. In Roman times Winchester was called Venta Belgarum meaning marketplace of the Belgae (a local tribe). If you come to Winchester looking for Roman ruins you may be disappointed I'm afraid, but I do recall on the walk that they thought these pillars in the Cathedral Close might be of Roman origin.

Rugby

Over at the North Walls Recreation Park we have a rugby pitch for the Winchester Rugby Club. The club has many teams, senior, kids, teens, girls. The club was founded in 1929, initially based in Kings Worthy (a village just to the north of Winchester) until 1971 when they purchased their current 10 acre ground.

Football Ground

 

This is Winchester City Football Club's ground taken yesterday evening.The club was formed in 1884. The club's nickname is The Capitals and comes from Winchester being the ancient capital of Wessex and then England, before some place called London took over!

High Street

This is 141-142 High Street. Now a building society, it was built in 1921 for Sainsburys the supermarket. Until this building was erected probably 2 of the oldest medieval buildings in Winchester stood here.

Yummy!

This is watercress and cheese bread or loaf (can't remember exactly what they were called) that were on sale last week at the Hampshire Farmer's Market. They were absolutely delicious! This area of Hampshire is renowned for Watercress - we have a Watercress Line (a vintage trainline), a Watercress Tour & Watercress Festival and even Watercress itself! Although this bread was delicious when I think of watercress it always reminds me of school dinners when I was sure it was just some kind of clover they'd pulled out of the school playing field!

Curly

It's World Animal Day today and so I thought I'd post another of one of Robert Davies drawing's currently on show at the Discovery Centre, this time of a sheep called Curly. Many of the animals in his drawings are rescue animals being cared for at the Farm Animal Sanctuary.

Itchen Way

I've already posted a couple of photos from a recent walk along the Itchen Way, and here's another. The Itchen Way is a foothpath that follows the River Itchen from its source in the north near Hinton Ampner, through Winchester and down to the mouth of the river at Southampton Water

St Mary's Kings Worthy

Another church called St Marys, this time in Kings Worthy, which is a small village just to the north of Winchester. The church dates back to at least 1290, but was remodelled in the 1800s

Lost?

I saw this bus in the High Street, I don't think Winchester is part of its usual route! In fact I don't think these buses even operate in London anymore. I lived in London from 1985-88 and often caught these Routemaster buses which were so convenient because when they were stuck in traffic you could just jump on the back which is open. Of course this meant you had a driver and a ticket collector on the bus. Now there are just drivers, so there's no open back and I imagine you have to get on at the bus stop too, even if the bus is stuck in traffic! Although I am happy to be corrected by any Londoners!