Through a glass darkly
I was delighted to see the news that Liverpool's Philharmonic Dining Rooms, more usually known as the Philharmonic pub or even just "the Phil", has been awarded Grade I Listing for architectural and historic merit. Although I grew up near Liverpool and went to university there, I've only ever been inside the building once. My... Continue Reading →
There's a nice article about art and design in the 1920s in this month's (February) Period Living magazine. For anyone who loves their Art Deco it's a great introduction to the subject, covering what influenced the style (nature and Egyptian motifs from the newly-discovered Tutankhamen's tomb, amongst other things), why it appeared in the 1920s... Continue Reading →
There's a wonderful gallery of photographs in the Guardian today, showcasing the winners of the Art in Building photography contest run by the Chartered Institute of Building. The results show buildings, or bits of buildings, or views from buildings, from right around the world. Some are incredible because of the buildings themselves, others because of... Continue Reading →
Wray Castle is a huge lump of a castle which squats on a hilltop overlooking Windermere and manages to look both Arthurian and menacing. Although roughly Medieval in form it was built in the mid 19th century by wealthy Liverpool surgeon Dr James Lawson as a "retirement home" for him and his wife, although the... Continue Reading →
It's a strange thought. On the one hand, a quaint old northern market town huddled in the Kent valley. On the other, the Caped Crusader. And yet there are two separate links between the two. The first is a bit more distant. Every year for the last six years, Kendal has run the Comic Art... Continue Reading →
The castle at Dartmouth is situated at the mouth of the River Dart, a short walk out of the town centre. It's a great place to put a castle, looking out across the river to Kingswear, and out to sea - and the people who lived here clearly thought so too because there's a medieval... Continue Reading →
Last week we spent a few days away in the south Devon town of Dartmouth, for our first holiday for over a year. We last stayed in the town nearly twenty years ago, so it was interesting to see what had changed - and what hadn't. Obviously there are a few new things, but overall... Continue Reading →
Last time we visited the Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry in Kendal, we came across an old map of the shores of (Lake) Windermere between Windermere (town) and Ambleside. It dated from sometime in the 18th or early 19th century, I think - well before the area started to become more developed after the... Continue Reading →
Sorry about the pun - I couldn't resist. It's true though - there's a new museum right here in Windermere that is both beautiful and full of boats! This is Windermere Jetty (full name Windermere Jetty: Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories), which has appeared on the site of the old Steamboat Museum like a... Continue Reading →
