Deans Garden

On Saturday the Dean of Winchester opened his usually private gardens to the public. The gardens are lovely and so is the building itself.

Faces and Arms

Here is a closer view of the Westgate, one of Winchester's 2 remaining city gates. The gargoyles heads that you can see on each side are above the former portcullis, out of their mouths would have come the chains which were used to raise and lower the drawbridge. The shields, to the left are the coat of arms of the United Kingdom and to the right the city of Winchester

Southampton University Band

There always seems to be something happening in Winchester, and yesterday the Southampton University Concert Band were playing in front of the Cathedral. The students playing aren't necessarily studying music at the university, the band is more of a society within the university. They played a couple of Vaughan Williams pieces whilst I was there and were very good.

Clarendon Way

Clarendon Way passes through Winchester, it is a 24 mile walk joining the two Wessex cities of Winchester and Salisbury. This is near the start of the walk in the St Cross area of Winchester. Clarendon Way is named from Clarendon Park on the eastern edge of Salisbury.

Queen Inn

This is the Queen Inn in the St Cross area of Winchester. It always looks lovely to sit in the garden at the front - though I haven't done it myself yet! The pub has been in existence since before 1860.

Ice Cream van

Summer is on its way, I'll have a 99 please

In the UK these ice creams with a flake are often called '99s' - according to the Internet they are called this because many ice cream sellers in the fifties were Italian. In the days of the monarchy in Italy the King had an elite guard consisting of 99 soldiers. Subsequently anything really special or first class was known as "99".

Cathedral buildings

This is Church House in the Cathedral Close. It's a 17 th Century  3-storey, three-gabled stone building with an old tile roof. The building is currently used as the Cathedral's Diocesan offices