Architecture

Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk

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Oxburgh Hall (all images Padre’s Ramblings)

Our latest National Trust visit was to Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk. The house was built in 1482, though it has gone through renovations. It is a moated house, and has links to Mary, Queen of Scots. The house is approached from the car parks through a gate near the kitchen gardens. There are several disabled parking spaces and the gate in the garden wall is suitable for wheelchair passage, though there is a slight lip. The path leading though the orchard to an inner wall into the formal gardens is made of shallow gravel with a kind of lattice work under it, which is fairly easy to navigate with a chair. Once into the formal grounds the path opens up, though continues to be of the same construction. The grounds have a formal garden, and tree lined parkland. The best feature though is the house, surrounded by its moat. The entry gate is in an impressive tower which is accessed via a brick bridge. The brickwork deck of the bridge is easy to manage with a wheelchair if you keep to the centre of the bridge avoiding the slightly dropped drain channels at the sides. Once the gatehouse is passed through there is a very pretty courtyard with entrances to the cafe, shop, and the main house.

There is a ramp into the house with a slight drop over the threshold lip once inside. The hallways are relatively narrow and if using a mobility walker or chair you may need to wait is others ahead of you have stopped to look at exhibits. The initial doorways into what are now galleries are wide, but once you get to the library area the exhibit ropes and door angles make further passage difficult. Exit is however available by retracing your path.

There are several works of art to admire and a very striking Antwerp Cabinet. I found the leather wallpaper (in very rich colours) and the decorated ceilings to be very beautiful.

A key part of the Trust’s collection is the needlepoint work don my Mary, Queen of Scots while in captivity. These unfortunately were off of display on the day for conservation work. The staff did offer us a book with photos of the embroidery to view. Their are two cafes at the property, one with quick snack and drinks near the car park, and another in the main building. We had tea and very nice baguettes for lunch. There is an accessible toilet available as well. Once again, The National Trust has done a great job of preserving England’s past, and made for an enjoyable day out.

Padre

The Little House

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A modified (female only) field latrine set up at Camp New Jersey, Kuwait, during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM - U.S. National Archives Public Domain Image
Public Domain

Some called it “the little house on the prairie,” and others the latrine or head.  But that little corrugated steel shack was the prime real estate in camp.  Yes, the “head-shed” or battalion headquarters might’ve been more prestigious, and the CP tent that served as the chapel might have been more revered.  Many would tell you that the chow hall was the most important structure in camp, or the dugouts and bunkers if there was a mortar attack going down.  But, truth be told, when several days of backed up C-rations called, no place else was going to compare.

Padre

Flash Fiction Challenge: Toilet

Pantheon: A Clogyrnach

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Pantheon, History, Monument, Architecture

Pantheon by Jacques GAIMARD from Pixabay 

 

Pillars rise to the gods on high
Farbic of faith reaching the sky
Worship’s erection
Place of reflection –
Affection –
Amplify

 

Clogyrnach

A clogyrnach is poem. This Welsh poetic form is typically a six-line syllabic stanza with an ab rhyme scheme:

Line 1: 8 syllables with an a rhyme
Line 2: 8 syllables with an a rhyme
Line 3: 5 syllables with a b rhyme
Line 4: 5 syllables with a b rhyme
Line 5: 3 syllables with a b rhyme
Line 6: 3 syllables with an a rhyme

 

Padre

 

Saturday Mix – Clogyrnach (pronounced: clog-IR-nach)

Under Construction

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imageedit__4563685149 (1).jpg

Sagrada Família

Maria Antonia’s Photography Challenge for 2020 includes a prompts for “Under Construction.”  Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia fits the phrase perfectly.  The Basilica was originally the brain-child of Josep Maria Bocabella i Verdaguer who, in 1866, wanted to create a religious site to honour the Holy Family, and especially Joseph.  Construction began in 1882.   Since then the project has been linked to Antoni Gaudí who took over as architect in 1883.   The construction has had several setbacks, not least being damage during the Spanish Civil War, and a fire in 2011.  But, the work continues and plans are now in place to finish the project in 2026.

Under construction

It seems always to be

Since Gaudi took over in ’83

It’s had some problems

With wars and some flames

But the project goes on-wards

With scaffold and cranes

The site is beautiful –

Though its style’s a big mix –

I can’t wait till it’s finished –

In twenty -twenty and six

 

Padre

 

 

 

Modern Times: A pseudo-Haibun

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Image result for london barricades

image: The Sun

It is a sad reflection on our modern times when iconic landmarks cannot be clearly viewed.  Be it Buckingham Palace, The White House, or hundreds of other key tourist destinations, they are enclosed in cordons of concrete bollards and barricades.

While one might appreciate the security concerns about the safety of heads of state, these obstacles (and often eyesores) also surround many museums as well.  Holocaust museums, okay, but art galleries?  How have we come to this point that society is so broken that everyplace where the public might gather is in need of fortification?

 

Historic places, monuments all

Museums, palaces, national malls

Our heritage is there for all to see

But photos come with difficulty

Try as you may, and try as you might

It’s hard to keep the barricades

Out of your camera’s sights
Padre

Weekend Writing Prompt #135 – Barricade in 136 words