Twenty years of a garden fence - Good Fences 47

Our garden fence has appeared on many photos in the last 20 years or so.

Interwoven with wooden posts c.1992

Back then it even had an old greenhouse to keep it company.

But time and wind and weather put paid to both.

Concrete posts replaced the wood

When a new neighbour arrived he changed the fence. Out went the interwoven to be replaced by

Wooden planks with a curved top and a concrete slab bottom

Who owns the fence?

Robin - of course.

This has been a 

post linked to Teresa at Good-fences-47.

Rubbery - Thematic Photography

My legs went all rubbery at the thought of possibly having to explain the difference between a rubber and an eraser. However as I had neither to photograph I could not include them in Carmi's 'Rubbery' theme this week.

I managed to come up with a toy or two.

Or is it three?

There is a difference, apart from colour, between the three.

Yellow looks down on them; Red knows his place

A carpet isn't where you usually find them so perhaps this will give you a clue.

The Driver's point of view

Sometimes when you take shots like that you don't see what is before your eye(s).

Rubber viewfinder

If one isn't enough perhaps you need two to find that distant theme.

One for each eye

Before you set the zoom.

If you are not prepared to get your hands dirty then try - 

A pair of rubber gloves

Just grab a pair with both hands

Rubber balls

Set your mind at rest 

Just de-stress -

And get a grip.

Don't cheat

Have one in each hand and squeeze while you find more rubbery delights at Carmi's thematic-photographic-325.

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.

Outside Looking In - Good Fences 46

"Stone walls do not a prison make,

nor iron bars a cage; ..."

(Richard Lovelace - To Althea, From Prison - 1649)

Earlier in Good Fences I showed a metal fence beside a road and said that it belonged to a prison. 

Here it is again.

Prison Service
Property Trespassers
Strictly Forbidden

Despite that warning notice there is a public footpath through the woods.

Jo commented earlier that the fence did not seem adequate to keep the prisoners in.

Further along however you can see how it's done.

Fences within the metal fence

From the outside looking in

You would need to be a pole vault champion to avoid being inside looking out.

This is a post linked with Good-fences-46.

Edible - Thematic Photography

Although it's cold enough for a winter coat and there is a dusting of snow, thank goodness for something edible.

The grass not the horse!

"Nothing is more pleasant to the eye than green grass kept finely shorn."  - Francis Bacon (what an edible name!)

However I like to raid

The fruit bowl

even if somebody has beaten me to it.

It must have been someone needing the zest for life.

I'll just have to make do with bread and jam.

Lunch plate

I'm sure it's not a case of sour grapes.

For more edible favourites stroll over to Carmi at Thematic-photographic-324.

Haunted Castles - The Grey Man of Bellister

Bellister Castle is on the A69, 16 miles west of Hexham in Northumberland .

Bellister Castle
(By Anthony Parkes, 20June 2011 - CC BY-SA 2.0)

A Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument the castle is now a private residence owned by the National Trust.  Although the castle may not be visited, the public may use the footpaths through its woods.

Bellister's series of fortifications on the south bank of the River Tyne date from the 11th century. The mound on which the property stands may have been the motte of an early motte and bailey castle.

In the 14th century a substantial tower was added to a moated half house which had existed on the site in the 13th century. A rebuild in the 19th century created the impressive castellated east front. Following fire damage early in the 20th century the older parts of the property were allowed to fall into decay and remain in ruins.

1541 survey records show the tower house was then occupied by Lord Blenkinsop.

The legend of the Grey Man of Bellister arises from that time; a wandering minstrel was given food and lodgings for the night in return for some tales and songs. However Lord Blenkinsop decided the minstrel was up to no good and could even be a spy.

When the minstrel slipped outside instead of retiring for the night, this only confirmed the lord's fears. Pursued by the servants and the lord's hounds the minstrel ran for his life. The dogs caught up with him on the banks of the river and tore him to pieces.

The ghost of the minstrel, The Grey Man of Bellister, haunted lord Blenkinsop for the rest of his life.

Bellister Castle
(By Mike Quinn - 14 September 201 - CC BY-SA 2.0)

Locals insist they hear the baying of hounds at night - and the shrieks of an old man!

Water - Sunday Stamps II

I found three waterfalls to show you this week from different parts of the world.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is in the eastern end of the island of San Domingo in the West Indies. The 60m high Salto Jimenoa Uno is one of three waterfalls round Jarabacoa in the province of Vera.

Jimenoa Waterfall

In Europe between France and Switzerland the 27m high Le Saut du Doubs is on the River Doubs.

France - Le Saut du Doubs

The Waikato River in the North Island is New Zealand's longest river. The Huka Falls on the river drain Lake Taupo.

New Zealand - Huka Falls

Upstream from the falls the river narrows from c100m into a narrow canyon only 15m across.

Now if I had a stamp for Niagara it would make a impressive set indeed.

For more water scenes float over to Sunday-stamps-ii-7.