A-Z Challenge 2018 - British Rivers: Quin, Quaggy

After the River Piddle we come to two more quaint names for small English rivers, this time beginning with 'Q'.

The River Quin in Hertfordshire has had the charm of its riverside described, even where the river is little more than a brook as one which  "idles its sluggish life away in lazy liberty, without turning a solitary spindle, or affording even water power enough to grind the corn that grows upon its banks."  (Highways & Byways of Hertfordshire 1910)

River Quin near Braughing

This shot was taken c 300m upstream from where it joins the River Rib. The area is prone to severe flooding and in 1922 a donkey and cart were swept away at Sheep's Lane Ford.

In Braughing itself, a former Roman settlement, another ford crosses the road.

Ford at Braughing

It's hard to imagine floods here!

If you should ever visit the village make sure you try the pork sausages which it is famous for.

The River Quaggy is only 11 miles long and runs through the London Boroughs of Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham. It joins the River Ravensbourne near Lewisham Station.

River Quaggy - London

The river has been extensively re-engineered in Chinbrook Meadows and Sutcliffe Park to create a meandering flood plain. The river may look tame in photos but on occasions it turns nasty - flooding after prolonged rains.

River Quaggy in Manor House Gardens, Lee

The Quaggy name - probably derives from 'quagmire'. Sounds appropriate to me.

Photo attributions:

• River Quinn near Braughing: 25 November 2007 ex geograph.org.uk by Nigel Cox - CC BY-SA 2.0 licence
• Ford at Braughing: 4 May 2013, ex geograph.org.uk by Bikeboy - CC BY-SA 2.0 licence
• River Quaggy - London: 24 March 2008 by Paultoff - Free Art Licence - Public Domain
• River Quaggy in Manor House Gardens, Lee: 15 September 2008 ex geograph.org.uk by Dr Neil Clifton - CC BY-SA 2.0 licence

British Ships - Sunday Stamps II

Violet's theme this week of 'ships.boats' enables me to show a favourite set including some ships that were/are world famous.

Great Britain - British Ships,  15 January 1969

Did you know that the Cutty Sark has a figurehead of a witch's hand holding the tail of a horse? 

This is derived from the Robert Burns poem Tam O'Shanter  where Tam is chased by a witch wearing a short shirt (a cutty sark). Witches cannot cross running water and as Tam rode over the Brig of Doon the witch pulled off the horse's tail and was left with it in her hand as Tam and his horse Meg escaped.

If you don't believe me you can always visit the restored Clipper Ship at Greenwich to see for yourself.

These 9d stamps were arranged in horizontal strips of three across the page.

The 1/- stamps below were in horizontal strips of two.

Great Britain - British Ships

You may visit Isambard Kingdom Brunel's famous steamship the SS Great Britain in Bristol's Great Western Dockyard; the place where it was built - and restored  for us to marvel at.

The SS Mauretania was a Cunard Line ocean liner, launched in 1906, which held the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing for 20 years from 1909.

For other maritime stamps cross over to Sunday-stamps-ii-8.