Merry Christmas 2016

...and, 

warmest best wishes to you for a Happy New Year.

Close Up

Coombe Country Park

at the bird hide last Sunday.

Thank you, Mr Robin, for sitting so still.

Participating in Wild Bird Wednesday

Summer House

Coombe Country Park

Coombe Abbey Hotel is just out of view on the right.

The stone pavilion structure (in the middle of the top photo),

and known as a summer house, has recently been restored.  

 On some occasions, it will serve as a new wedding venue

 at Coombe Abbey Hotel.

I expect I will have to wait until a much

warmer day to actually see a wedding taking place here.

It was very frosty last Sunday :).

CDP Theme Day - Transitions

Transitions in Aviation

Sir Frank Whittle

Inventor of the Turbojet Engine

1907 - 1996

Sir Frank Whittle, a British Pilot, born in Coventry

designed and patented the first turbojet engine in 1930.

Millennium Place, Coventry

This statute of  Sir Frank Whittle was unveiled in Coventry

on what would have been the 100th birthday

of this great inventor from Coventry.

Above the statute is the 'Whittle Arch' -

described as a twin-arch tubular structure.

Below you can see more of the Whittle Arch.

The blue structure is a walkway, called 'The Glass Bridge'.

You can just make out the statute in front of the bus.

There is plenty of construction going on in Coventry too.

More university student accommodation, I am told.

Participating (a day late) in City Daily Photo

Theme Day.  For more 'Transitions' photographs,

please following the link HERE.

Changing Coventry

Trinity Lane (on the right)

I haven't seen the sun since Saturday,

so I thought I would share this photograph

taken right in the middle of Coventry on a 

sunny day last month.

The Tudor building is The Flying Standard pub.

The colorful building on the left is student accommodation

and the 2 cranes are at building sites for more student accommodation.

Hope the sun is shining wherever you are!

Growth Of The City

Sainsbury's, Trinity Street

Diagrammatic map - part painted on

Swedish Pearl Granite

by Artist, John Skelton in 1964.

You can see the words 'Cofas Tree' in the centre.

It is thought that Cofa's Tree is mostly likely the source of 

the name 'Coventry'.  The gold leaf buildings are the City Gates.

Please pardon the reflection.  This map shows the

growth of Coventry from 1748 to 1932.  

It is located by an emergency exit door of

 Sainsbury's grocery store

 and is not visible from outside.

Participating in Monday Mural

Happy Birthday, Richard!

Full Flaps

Coombe Country Park

Swans near Capability Brown Boathouse

My husband came up with the title.

I love watching the swans around Coombe.

Not long ago, I got a chance to see several land on the lake.

In the last shot you'll see one virtually glide onto the water

at 'full flaps'.

Participating in Wild Bird Wednesday

Time Capsule

Friargate

Under the plaque is a sealed canister. The canister contains a collection of

2016 Coventry memorabilia. The plan is to open the 'time capsule' in 2066.

The building under construction (below) will house Coventry City Council offices.

Friargate is a £100 million regeneration project 

between the Coventry Railway Station and the City Centre. 

We are told there will be new office buildings, hotels, residential and leisure space.

And, I see, there is a 'time capsule' too :).

PS:  The plaque is in the middle of the walkway.  

That couple have just walked by it.

Happy Birthday, Nadine xx

Say 'Cheese'

Coombe Country Park

Phone camera photo taken yesterday

Cold, crisp morning.   I couldn't resist

taking a photo of them 'taking a photo'.

Have a good week!

Verticle

Coombe Country Park

At the Bird Hide last week.

These two photographs were taken about

10 minutes apart.  I must say the squirrel

stayed a tad longer than the Great Tit.

Participating in Wild Bird Wednesday

CPD Theme Day - Out of Focus

Coombe Country Park

Messing around with my telephoto lens.

Participating in City Daily Photo Theme Day - Out of Focus

Autumn In Coventry

Coventry Cathedral Ruins

Today

So glad I had my phone with me :).

Hi all -

I am recovering from a rotten cold.

Feeling better now so off to see

what other photo bloggers have to share and

leave a comment or two, or three.....

No Apologies

Coombe Country Park

Taken from the Bird Hide

Amazing the quality of photograph you can get with

a mobile phone...and this one is a Moto G (3rd Gen) 

not my iPhone.  I have shown many images of this

view out the window.  No apologies - here is another one :).

Participating in Skywatch Friday

Jaguar Cars

Jaguar Drivers National Day

Coombe Country Park

August, 2016

Above - 1956 Jaguar D-Type 'Long Nose'.

Below - 1938 SS Jaguar 100 - 2 1/2 Litre

(with my favorite oak tree in the background).

Hundreds of Jaguar Cars were on display at this event

held in August, 2016.

Below is another look at the 1956 Jaguar D-Type 'Long Nose'.

 Winner of the Reims 12-hours race

driven by Duncan Hamilton and Ivor Bueb.

Jaguar Cars headquarters is in Coventry.

For more about the history of Jaguar, follow the

link HERE.

Thatched Roof Thursday #91/92 - Peatling Parva

Parva Cottage and Rose Cottage

Ashby Road

A pair of cottages (Grade II Listed)

built in mid 18th Century.

This style of building (two houses together)

is often seen in modern day houses here in England,  

called 'semi-detached'.  Fun to see an 18th Century version.

I am guessing these are one-bedroom homes. The addition of

a conservatory gives some extra space.

Parva Cottage is on the left and Rose Cottage is on the right.

Got It

Over Coombe Country Park

This is one of the young cygnets leaving home on Sunday.

Haven't seen it since.

Participating in Wild Bird Wednesday

Towers & Spires

Warwick

St Mary's Church Tower and

St Nicholas Church Spire

Below is the view from across St Nicholas Park in 

Warwick.  You will just make out one of Warwick Castle's towers

on the left and to the right is a distant view of the churches above.

It was a really nice, warm day today.  

Perfect for a 10 minute drive to Warwick

for a walk in St Nicholas Park.

After 40 years living in England, I still get a kick out

of  seeing a skyline like this with a real 'castle' in it.

The Oak Tree

Coombe Country Park

Yesterday

I have great fun photographing that big oak tree from time to time.  In July, it was used for a climbing event open to the public.  In August, it looked quite nice in the background of a Jaguar Cars event.  More about that red Jag soon.

Thatched Roof Thursday #90 - Peatling Parva

Long Folly Cottage

Main Street

This is the second of three thatched cottages

I photographed in the village of Peatling Parva. 

Almost missed it...it is set back from the road.

This village is just a few miles from the old 

RAF airbase at Bruntingthorpe which was used by
the American Air Force during and after WWII. 

 The airbase then became a vehicle testing

ground for Chrysler in the mid 1970/80's.

'Goo Stiddy, But Keep Going'

Gumley Village, Leicestershire

 See the message on this bench in 

'Leicestershire' speak, I think.

Appropriate for the hundreds of
narrowboats that venture
up and down Foxton Locks.

Foxton Locks, Leicestershire
The bench and view above is just beyond
the brick buildings pictured below.

(Below) is the approach to the top lock of 10.

Up and down the hill these narrowboats travel.
Happily there are pubs, restaurant,
coffee shop and ice cream kiosks nearby too.

If you would like to read more or visit
Foxton Locks, follow the link for more information HERE.

Near Foxton Locks

Gumley Bridge over

Grand Union Canal

About 40 minutes from Coventry.

Thatched Roof Thursday #89 - Peatling Parva

Rookery Nook

Main Street

Grade II Listed and thought to date back to the late 16th Century.

I found more than one thatched cottage in this

lovely Leicestershire village

located about 40 minutes from Coventry.

Diana, Princess of Wales & Althorp House

The Round Oval

Diana, Princess of Wales,

was buried on the 6th September, 1997

 on the island in the center of the lake (below).

Below is a closer look at the memorial

that stands along side the lake.

Diana's island resting place (below).

Below is Althorp House, built in 1508.

Home to the Spencer family for five centuries.

 We had a wonderful afternoon visiting Althorp House.  

Like many, we wanted to see the memorial dedicated to

Diana, Princess of Wales.  Before walking to the lake

we enjoyed a tour of the house and gardens.

Althorp House is about l hour from Coventry in Northamptonshire.

If you are interested, please follow the link HERE

for more information about visiting and the history.