Tuesday 29 September 2015

Beware of the Horse

Sign seen in Hagg Woods, Holmfirth....

As Seen at George Best Airport


Bog Mantle.....Tartan Trews


Bog Mantle (Cloak)
This is part of the bog outfit dug up in the 1950s, which I saw in the Ulster museum in Belfast. I was strangely fascinated by this shredded, matted piece of material- a traditional Irish cloak, the wearing of which was outlawed by Henry the eighth. 

Bog Clothes

More old clothes, found in an Irish  bog (Ulster Museum)
In 1956, this doublet / jacket was found by a farm worker in bog land at Dungiven, near Derry/ Londonderry,  with tartan trews (trousers) a mantle (cloak) and a leather belt. There was no sign of a body....the costume was dated to 1560- 1650, when the land lay in the Gaelic O'Cahan Lordship...

Not That Sort of Bog

Hmmmm!

Tuesday 22 September 2015

Bog Butter

So Good, it's Got To Be Bog Butter

Now why would anyone trek across a bog with a big vat of butter and bury it in the peat? Strange things have been found in the bogs of Ireland (this was at the Ulster museum, Belfast), including "bog butter", offering to the gods, or mediaeval fridge?

Friday 18 September 2015

Unlike

Shouldn't that be "dislike"? (Facebook to add thumbs down button)

Happy 307th Birthday, Dr Johnson



"Dictionaries are like watches: the worst is better than none, the best cannot be expected to go quite true" (Dr Johnson, born 18th September 1709, Lichfield). So saying, some of his prejudices got into his dictionary, the most famous one being: "Oats: a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports people"

Wednesday 16 September 2015

Another World


 Glass etching near the Narnia carpet in the C.S. Lewis Reading Room, Queens's University, Belfast. You entered through a wooden wardrobe door......surely every library should have one?

Ulster Angel


Stone angel bearing the red hand of Ulster, outside Queen's University, Belfast...

Spanish Pipes

Old tobacco pipes in Xabia Museum.....

Shonky Wheelbarrow

Shonky Spanish Wheelbarrow, Xabia Museum

Greek Jugs

Some Greek jugs from the bottom of a Spanish harbour 

Thursday 10 September 2015

Hunting Dog Knocker

This one is a dog biting a weasel, I think, which is fighting back. More Spanish knockers....

Wednesday 9 September 2015

Saturday 5 September 2015

Jesus Knocker

Knocking On Heaven's Door? Brass Spanish Knocker and  Jesus above

Thursday 3 September 2015

Wierdy Beardy Knocker


Next Knocker up is this curly , twisted one , with funny goggly-eyed beardy man at the business end. (Xabia Church door, with eroded lead and  rusty studs)

Wednesday 2 September 2015

Lion Door Knocker


This summer I 'ave been mostly been noticing knockers- the lion was in Portsmouth, the hand in Spain

Tuesday 1 September 2015

Franco's Eagle


Came across this stone eagle in Xabia Museum, Spain...I've just  looked up the Spanish and it turns out to be Franco's coat of arms-  a nationalist slogan "One great and free" and "further, beyond".
 The eagle & slogan have gone, but the other bits are still on the Spanish flag....