Life Observed

I dig Wells, man.  I guess I've always dug it. What a lovely Cathedral city, small and beautifully formed, and a joy to behold on a sunny afternoon. We spent part of the day amongst the tourist excesses of Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole , so it was just the right decision to revisit Wells for afternoon tea. It never fails to please. We had a short walk around the Bishop's Palace (a three picture panorama shown above) which is a haven of calm and well mowed lawns. I recall there is a tea shop hidden in there somewhere.   Experienced Wells watchers will know that the Bishops Palace is surrounded by a large moat, as splendid as any you might find around a castle. However this is hidden from view, and if you stand and admire the Cathedral, you could easily miss this key feature of the city, pictured above and below. We were so seduced by the sunshine and the surroundings that we sat down with drinks in the recently remodelled courtyard of the Swan H

Well, after the fakes, here we have some genuine articles... This splendid stone Victorian  school used to stand just off Queens Rd in Halifax. It was still there thirteen years ago when I took this picture. I believe it has been demolished to make way for houses. Its interesting how many old and derelict buildings survive in Calderdale. Even when the roof falls in, tho old thick stone walls refuse to fall down. Stone is plentiful up on the Pennines, so no one wants the expense of demolishing the old buildings for the materials. Furthermore, I suspect the land value is not high, so they are left standing for decades. Down south the story goes like this. Lone pensioner dies in small detached bungalow. Bungalow vanishes together with all the trees and hedges. After 9 months of building, and jammed into the  site, a whole new street of tiny detached houses appear with no gardens. That's progress for you.   Here is something else old and genuine. The fantastic steps to