15th post for 2013: Warwick Castle

I’ve overlooked the visit to Warwick Castle with Mark, Briana and the boys – which was an excellent craic.

“The mighty trebuchet” to hurl huge projectiles at castle walls.  It took a long time to “wind” it up and if you blinked you missed it.

We felt under-dressed

and even Rowan Atkinson was there

White tailed eagle

and jousting

13th post for 2013: Beamish, Durham

On my way up to Scotland for a few days I stopped off at Beamish Open Air Museum.  It had changed a little since I last visited in 1975.

There is now a pit village, a “town”, a farm, a railway and a tramway – other than the farm all reconstructed there.  It was a bit quiet on a November day, midweek.

The pit village

A school trip

  A netty ….

and the means of emptying it.

On the platform

The town

The Co-op

Overhead cash handling

Different types of collar

Compact bathroom

Motor repair shop

The Bank – bank rate of 4.5%!

Poshest building – Masonic Hall

And the dentist was the richest person in the town because of the fashion of people having all their teeth out and having false teeth to show how well off they were.

Dentist’s bathroom

Dentist’s favourite ex-pet

The farm had a lovely collection of buildings but the best thing was Molly, the pig