Thursday, September 21, 2006

Windsor

Windsor. Royal Windsor. As loyal subjects to the crown, it seemed only natural to pay our respects to dear old Liz.

Getting there was never going to be easy. Someone got wind of this trip and lit a trackside fire to put us off. No chance.

To get to Windsor, first go to Slough - of 'The Office' fame. The reality is just as grim as the fiction. Here we see hi-tech cheek by jowl with the Sad Old Trainspotter's Club. Time to leave - quick.

There's an old steam train at Windsor station - thankfully not working the polluting piece of junk.

The castle, of course, dominates the town.

And, if you look the right way, the town doesn't look all that bad.

I feel really sorry for these buggers. I'm sure they would rather be in the Middle-East torturing beardy-weirdies.

Bloke on a horse.

Noice garden - too good for us, there's no way to get in.

Eton and a power station. The closest the kids will ever get to one except the ones that become Minister for Energy.

A big gun - sadly with no way of firing it.

The tower - good for locking your enemies in. The castle was started by the Normans in 1070 and then added to over the years.

Not forgetting that this is one of the Royal Family's homes, here's a mural of the kids. You can make out Charlie and Anne, here.

Another garden that's too good for us.

When I am monarch, this is what I'll think of youse colonials.

Kim, at this point would like to point out that this gesture is, in fact, a satirical comment on the Govenor General's action when blah, blah, blah.

Me to cop: 'So, is this a good gig for you guys or would you rather be out breaking heads somewhere?'
Cop to me: 'Actually, I would rather be off my face on dope in front of 5,000 clubbers being a DJ.'
Blimey!

Mock Tudor or the real thing? You decide.

The closest they let me to churches these days.

St George's chapel.

This might be a chinese restaurant now but there was a time when Charles II used this place to give Nell Gwyn a right old seeing to.

Which is pretty good considering that right next door someone has nailed up a copy of his dad's death warrant. Now THAT's pressure. Kids today, etc, etc.

Common sight in many old English towns - the Chamber of Commerce with a covered market.

A crooked house - which isn't much of an advert, really.

Bit of the high street.

Aha, a pub.

The Thames runs right through the town.

The swans like it 'cos the tourists feed them.

Sir Christopher Wren liked the town so much that, between building stuff for other people, he knocked up a place for himself.

That's it. Sayonara, Windsor.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

London Wetland Centre

The London Wetland Centre, despite it's name, is not where pre-Thatcherites go to play.

There is a statue to Sir Peter Scott at the entrance. He was distantly related to this loser and went from shooting stuff to building places were stuff can go - and then painting it. His Slimbridge place is just brilliant but, when you live in London, you need something a little closer.

This was built to attract birds. Some stay all year but many use it as a staging-post during migration. So as to attract the critters, everything is in natural colours.

There's plenty of plant-life around, too.

And insects. This might not look like much to you but it's the first time I've managed to photograph a dragonfly in flight. They're jumpy little buggers.

Some flowers, and one of my favorites; bullrushes.

It's THIS close to the city - actually it's within the London built-up area.

There's one of the hides where the twitchers go.

A smaller hide overlooking the lake.

Dicky-birds.

Here's what this one thinks of you.

A water-level controller thingy. Locked, sadly.

Baby Moorhen not falling through the water-lillies.

Flying ants ready for take-off. All the wingy ones are pregnant females who will go off to try and start a new nest. Bloody typical - as soon as life ain't chocolates and roses, she takes off with the kids.

Lots of insent attracting plants.

Couple of Kiwi-magnets that somehow escaped from the New Zealand enclosure. Wales, thankfully, was not represented.

Serbia, or something.

Swans having a clean-up.

Choo looking at me?

Good eating?

Couple of swans having a kip.

Heron waiting for fish. Don't fish-pond owners just love 'em.

Indonesian Swans, apparently. Looks like they got the bottom half of an English swan and stuck the top half of an Australian one on it. I leave the debate as to whether it would have better the other way around to the reader.

Blimey!

More good eating.

Tropical stuff. You don't see that in London every day.

The New Zealand enclosure. It weren't all waterfalls and rock-pool in the bit I went to, I can tell you.

Ducks.