Tag Archives: castle

Weekly Photo Challenge: My Neighbourhood

After posting some of the more “touristy” photos yesterday for the Weekly Photo Challenge, I thought I’d share pictures of the area a bit closer to home. My walk into town to purchase last minute items for mothers day tomorrow was rather gloomy, and the drizzle has returned. Well, they are even forecasting snow for Monday! I really hope not … but to counteract that, I’ve included a few pictures from spring/summer last year …

In April we were happy for the rain, as we were officially in a drought … if only we knew …
Trees bloom at the beginning of spring …
Pretty little side street …
Threatening rain …
More rain!!
Caught in heavy rain after the Olympic torch relay …
The view of “my neighbourhood” from Legoland …

… Oh wait, I forgot, 2012 was the wettest year on record for England!! Only difference between winter and summer was the amount of green! I really hope this year is a little brighter for us all here in the UK, or by July we’ll all have S.A.D!

Until next time …

Weekly Photo Challenge: My Neighbourhood

I’m sure by now you know where I live, right? I absolutely love my town, though I only realised these past 2 years just how much. And now that I love it, I will actually be sad to leave it next year. For those of you who have never been, here is a slice of what is on offer in my neighbourhood …

Old favourites …
Patriotism, whatever the weather …
The 1000 year old Windsor Castle …
Legoland – for the young and young at heart …
A taste of Europe …
(Imported) Roman ruins …
Need I explain … ?
Statues … lots of statues …
A glorious walk along the Thames …
The magnificent 5000 acre Windsor Great Park …

Until next time …

A hint of spring at Windsor Castle … (Day #034)

Beautifully crisp sunrise ...

Beautifully crisp sunrise …

Yesterday was a beautiful day, so beautiful in fact that I couldn’t resist getting out in it. February may only have just begun but I couldn’t help noticing the warmth in the late winter sun, how it is finally beginning to rise above the rooftops now, how I could actually go out without my coat … small things, but to someone who cannot stand the short winter days and average sunshine hours of 37.4 in December and 49.9 in January, it is a promise that I will hang on to.

I decided I would go for a walk along the Thames and up into Windsor town centre. Sure, it’s a longer route for me, but I knew it would have some beautiful opportunities for photographs – and it did!

My favourite spot to capture the castle!
The Thames is still quite high from the rain
The wind whips up the Thames
Must be rough at sea! The various shades of blue show the wind whistling over the surface – quite a sight!

When I arrived in Windsor, it was 10:30am. For anyone who doesn’t know, in Windsor we have a regular changing of the guard ceremony at 11am every other day (every day in the summer). It’s a parade of the guards band from the local barracks up into the castle, escorting the guards themselves. There is a changing ceremony within the castle, and then the band will parade out of the castle and back to the barracks. It’s a great attraction for tourists, and something I never get tired of! On a whim I decided it would be quite nice to see it from within the castle, as I hadn’t done that since last summer!

The guard were already waiting!

So, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead advantage card in hand (hurray, being a resident of Windsor, I can enter the castle year-round for free!), I queued up with everyone else, received my ticket, went through security, bypassed the audio tour stand, and headed straight for the area where the change took place. I arrived with only minutes to spare, and managed to find a nice spot where I knew I would get a good picture of the band and guard as they came into the castle. I had a fleeting thought about how I am usually with the crowd on the other side of the castle gate – it’s a good feeling being on the inside!

Waiting …
… Here come the band …
… Left turn …
… On into the castle grounds …
… Followed by the guard …
The crowd shuffles to the right to watch the ceremony

Figuring I was already in the castle, and not wanting to waste the last opportunity to visit before spring has fully sprung, I decided to stay and walk around. Taking the opportunity of less crowds as everyone stayed to watch the guard change, I wondered off up to the Round Tower …

The Round Tower
The moat garden … beautiful in spring and summer
A water feature adds a touch of pretty
Can you see the daffodils?

After the Round Tower, I came around to the entrance to the State Apartments. This part of the castle is a great favourite of mine – it just looks so castle-y!

No queue for once!
Beautiful view of Eton and beyond

Unfortunately, I cannot post any photos of the insides of the State Apartments because no photography is allowed inside whatsoever! But, I must agree, no photo could do justice to what is inside, and if EVER you are around the area (that includes London) I would most definitely recommend a visit. It is beautiful. No words could possibly describe what awaits every visitor.

So, onto St George’s Chapel. This is definitely my favourite part of the castle, by far! I absolutely love this building, and could admire the outside for hours. I especially love the beautiful blue sky in these pictures, and the sun is not as harsh as in the summer, I think it shows the true beauty of this building …

Until next time …

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unique

The Weekly Photo Challenge for this week is unique. Great challenge! Here are some things that are unique to me …

A lost glove in the snow …
Odd, we’re nowhere near Italy here in Windsor!
Some things are unique to a country, thus, a tourist attraction in their own right!
No two sunsets are the same …
The unique trust of a robin …
The unique feeling of flying …
No matter how many visits, this place will always be unique to me …

Just wish to add, it’s my mums birthday today! About to go and create some unique memories as we celebrate 🙂

Until next time …

Weekly Photo Challenge: Reflections

The Weekly Photo Challenge for this week is reflections.

A very simple challenge for this week. This time of year is always a time for reflection as the new year approaches and we reflect on the year just past, making our resolutions for the year ahead. I have a lot to think about for 2013, not least as Chris and I really have to get the ball rolling for my visa application and, of course, planning the wedding!

But, for this challenge, I will focus on a literal representation, and post just 2 photos (which is rare for me recently!), that were taken on a rather dismal day out in Windsor …

… But, just as I reached the spot to snap the castle, the setting sun broke through and cast a glorious glow on Windsor’s greatest attraction …

Until next time …

Weekly Photo Challenge: Everyday Life

The Weekly Photo Challenge for this week is Everyday Life.

As most of you know by now, I live in Windsor, which is a very popular spot with tourists, as we are home to Windsor Castle – weekend residency for the royal family. And so, as is suggested in the weekly photo challenge post, I see something pretty spectacular every day – Windsor Castle! I really am lucky to live with such a wonderful piece of history on my doorstep (quite literally!), and even more lucky that I can enter it for free – as I am a resident of Windsor – whenever I wish! But, I won’t be posting specifically about Windsor Castle today, though I am aware that a post is due about this wonderful place!

Instead, I will post some pictures from last weekend, when I was enjoying possibly the last burst of glorious summer weather. As I approached Windsor Great Park, for what is usually just an ordinary, everyday stroll, I noticed it was looking a lot busier than usual!

Indeed, a car show! There must have been around 40 cars lining the beginning of the long walk, as well as the more expensive (!) ones being inside the grounds of Windsor Castle – to enter, you needed to purchase a ticket, or be one of the many VIPs! It was actually a nice surprise, as I had simply expected the long walk to contain the usual people, and I instead found this interesting arrangement of beautiful, shiny, expensive cars!

So, here’s a small selection of photos of cars from what I had intended to be just an everyday walk in the park 🙂

Until next time …

Weekly Photo Challenge: Movement

The Weekly Photo Challenge for this week is Movement.

Now, I’ve never been good enough at photography in order to take those perfect shots of flying  birds which capture the essence of movement so perfectly. But I would still like to offer my humble photos which, to me, convey movement.

This first photo was taken during a walk around Windsor Great Park.

It has been a long time since I was here this late, and it was such a treat to see the shadows of the trees cast so wide over the golden-tinted grass that lines The Long Walk. The magnificent Windsor Castle in the background, along with the after-work joggers, add an extra effect, which makes this photo a recent favourite for me.

The vast difference in time, from the numerous and fleeting joggers to the continuous and ever-present shadows of the trees, constantly but slowly moving in time with the sun, is how I am showing movement in this photo.

This second photo was taken on the same evening, but further down The Long Walk.

This deer, though she was alone and far away from the distant herd, was so calm, and stayed so still as we paused our journey to capture the moment. For 10 minutes we stood watching each other, each perfectly aware of the others presence, though none of us moving more than a slow shifting and shuffling of legs. The sheer beauty of this creature, standing so still under the tree as the sun set, has made this picture another recent favourite of mine.

Until next time …