And then it rained - and rained....

There have been numerous occasions in the last few months of torrential downpours and flooding in various parts of the uk. Most of these have been on the western and northern side of the UK, and have resulted in massive damage and horrendous experiences for huge numbers of people. The last few days we, on the eastern side, had some of the rain, but not on the scale (thank goodness) of the western side of the UK.

We live by the River Brett, and fortunately the ground slopes away from the river, on the opposite side so we don't have to worry too much! However, the local area had its fair share of water for several hours.

Looking toward Hadleigh, the small river Brett is in there somewhere! However, today it has disappeared.

The seat, normally overlooking the river, is now isolated amongst the flood waters. I don't  think I shall sit here for a few days.

The remains of the Conservation area.

The football pitch and toddlers slide.

The Granary house isolated for several hours by the rush of flood water. It's only a stream that passes to the left, but fed today by the torrent off the playing field etc.

View on the way into Hadleigh. Normally a grazing meadow for the horses, but today completely submerged.

The riverside walk - well normally it is!

Toppesfield Bridge having a struggle to let the river all through.

The road leading to the rugby / football area. Houses cut of completely. Thankfully, within 24 hours the worst of the road floods had subsided, although it will be several days before the fields drain I am sure.

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The `Ark` arrives in Ipswich

Having seen the news items and listened to the superlatives as people described it, I thought I must visit the half sized replica of Noah`s Ark which arrived in Ipswich. Although the brain behind the Ark said it was a non Christian floating museum, I fail to see how a 70 m long floating museum, full of bible stores, can be construed as anything else!.

The Ark was the brainchild of Dutchman,  Aad Peters who said the ship was an "emotional and cultural" experience for visitors, not religious.

From the stern end

It is certainly impressive as it sits in the Neptune dock, in Ipswich. It is around half-size to the Ark described in the Bible. As far as I know, the largest wooden vessel ever built (about the size of the Biblical Ark) was Wyoming, a wooden six-masted schooner built and completed in 1909 by the firm of Percy & Small in Bath, Maine. With a length of 450 ft (140 m) from jib-boom tip to spanker boom tip.

Because of her extreme length and wood construction, Wyoming tended to flex in heavy seas, which would cause the long planks to twist and buckle, thereby allowing sea water to intrude into the hold. Wyoming had to use pumps to keep her hold relatively free of water. In March 1924, she foundered in heavy seas and sank with the loss of all hands.

Now considering that the Wyoming had access to steel to keep the shape, I am not sure how Noah managed with no steel / iron etc - and just using this strange Gopher wood! 

How much wood? And here we run into a big problem: simply gathering enough wood to build the boat. When another notoriously large ship (that was purportedly only a fraction of the Ark's size), the Great Michael, was built in 1511, it was said to have taken "all the woods of Fife" (a county in Scotland famous for its shipbuilding), as well as having to import wood from France, other areas in the Baltic sea, and cargo ships scrapped for use in its construction. The Wyoming used 3100 tons wood and 300 tons metal. A ship of Noah's size would have required tens of thousands of trees (and on top of that, high quality timber trees) to be cut for its construction, something that is not exactly feasible considering the Ark was probably built somewhere in what is modern day Iraq, which as anyone can tell you has never exactly been known for its thick abundant forests. 

The day I visited, there was a group representing the `Extinction Rebellion`, had a banner from the Ark, and a small demonstration outside. I believe they were allowed 2 or 3 hours. 

A view from the bow end

There are numerous problems surrounding the flood and the Ark. Also with Noah living several hundred years!. However, it makes a great story. So does Harry Potter.

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Sherwood with Hayley and Izobelle

We had visited the Sherwood Pine cabins before, and enjoyed ourselves greatly. So this time we asked Hayley and Izobelle to share a cabin with us and it proved a good choice - enjoyed by all! This site is just a mile or so from the real Sherwood forest which was a place to visit during the week.

This was our cabin set among the pines.

To keep Izobelle amused, we had a choice of onsite activities. `Let's try archery` we thought. Obviously the smaller archers` had to use a smaller bow etc, but Izobelle quickly showed us all up with her accuracy, seeming not to be daunted by the whole process.

Putting the bow back on the rack. The bow being nearly as big she is!

Sculpture of Robin Hood and Little John fighting at Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre

The Major Oak. 

Whilst no one knows an exact age, we do know it’s been standing for anywhere between 800 – 1100 years. If we go by the earliest estimate, it has stood through the Vikings, the Battle of Hastings, Agincourt, Waterloo, the births and deaths of Shakespeare, Henry VII, Dickens, Darwin, Newton, Chaucer, Cromwell, the two world wars, over 50 monarchs… it’s seen a lot! 

During that time, it’s survived fire, raging winds, heavy snowstorms and hundreds of years of deforestation. It has watched as millions of people from all over the world have gathered around it to stare up at its branches. The Major Oak is the biggest oak tree in Britain, with a canopy spread of 28 metres, a trunk circumference of 11 metres and an estimated weight of 23 tonnes. It’s not clear whether the Major Oak is one tree or multiple saplings that have fused together. The soil below is also relatively poor and acidic, meaning the oak has had to take things steady, slowly growing over a long time to reach this size. It seems to have grown up in a clearing for most of its life, being able to grow outwards without having to compete against other trees. This is what allowed the Major Oak to spread its great boughs and fill as much space as possible. 

Although it’s undeniably big, it’s not called the Major Oak because of its size. In 1790, the Major Heyman Rooke wrote a book detailing the oak trees of the area and people began to refer to it as the Major Oak in his honour. 

While Rosey and I went for a walk, Izobelle went to the visitor Center at the site to do some painting. She seemed to be enjoying it, along with her marshmallows.

Hayley and Izobelle having a pose for the camera.

Mum and daughter having a pamper.

Izobelle carving her pumpkin, which turned out rather well.

Queen Rosey on her throne.

Shaggy Scalycap seen on a forest walk.

There were less fungi about than we hoped, but nonetheless, we manage a few photos.

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Photo Walk with Gill Moon at Upper Hollesley Common

Today we tried something that we had not done before, and that was to attend a Photographic walk with local photographer, Gillian Moon. (Gill)  This was a free walk, and about 8 to 10 of us  set off with Gill for an amble through the forest.

Look Down and look Up  and find Textures said Gill and these are some of my results offered here!

Looking down - a carpet of Pine cones.

Violet Webcap - looking down

Common Puffball - looking down

Fungi unknown - looking down.

Straight up the tree - looking up 

Sawfly caterpillar on birch - looking up

Textures on tree bark - Textures.

These walks are a good idea for (a) Bringing like minded people together, and (b) having some useful tuition from Gill. Gill has a great website which is here. As you will quickly see, she loves Suffolk and Norfolk!

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King Charles the Martyr - Shelland Church

It is only in recent times that I came across an article about a nearby Church of `King Charles the Martyr`. I must confess that this was quite a surprise as I had never heard of one before, and this one was reasonable close to where we live. Having done some research, I paid a visit to get some photos of course, but also to see this quaint 18c Parish Church, having never heard of the village of Shelland where this church is situated. But first some background information surrounding the unusual name.

Charles I, head of the House of Stuart, was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his death on 30 January 1649. He believed in a sacramental version of the Church of England, called High Anglicanism, with a theology based upon Arminianism, a belief shared by his main political advisor, Archbishop William Laud. Laud was appointed by Charles as the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633 and started a series of reforms in the Church to make it more ceremonial. This was actively hostile to the Reformist tendencies of many of his English and Scottish subjects. He rejected the Calvinism of the Presbyterians, insisted on an episcopal (hierarchical) form of church government as opposed to presbyterian or congregational forms, and required that the Church of England's liturgy be celebrated with all of the ceremony and vestments called for by the 1604 Book of Common Prayer. Many of his subjects thought these policies brought the Church of England too close to Roman Catholicism. The Parliament of England objected both to Charles's religious policies and to his Personal Rule from 1629 to 1640, during which he never summoned Parliament. These disputes led to the English Civil Wars.

So to the little church in Shelland, Suffolk. The following comes from that excellent website `www.suffolkchurches.co.uk and encapsulates the church beautifully. 

`This is a most unusual church, in several ways the most unusual in all of Suffolk. For a start, there is that dedication. King Charles I, as any schoolboy will tell you, was the monarch beheaded by the State in 1649. After the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, his memory, especially among Anglicans, was imbued with the status of a Martyr, and, although those deeply protestant times precluded this being sanctified or otherwise formalised in any way, several churches were erected in his name. Five in all England survive, and this is one of them. 

The church is unusual in another way, for it is what is known as a donative, a church building erected by a landowner, under his patronage, and with the living in his gift. As such, it is on private land, so a semi-detached Anglican church, if you like. A third unusual thing is simply that 18th century churches are few and far between in East Anglia - there are less than a handful. But the most delightful curiosity is something inside, as we will see. 

The church was erected in 1767, on the site of a predecessor, from which the font survives. Otherwise, this is a largely typical prayerbook interior, with chancel gates and a triple-decker pulpit rising above box pews. Mortlock argues that a combination of the church's newness and remoteness saved it from the Victorian restorers, although of course neither of these dissuaded them elsewhere. But it may be simply that it was actually approved of by them, since its beautiful interior decoration does not wholly conform to the pattern of the more spartan prayer book churches which the sacramentally-minded Victorians were keen to do away with. 

The Victorians are certainly responsible for the east window, but the two glories of the church are actually from earlier in the 19th century. These are the 1820 barrel organ, which plays 36 different tunes, and is the only one left in Suffolk, and the gorgeous gothic interior decoration, the walls pastel shades, the roof beams salmon pink, and the chancel roof blue and stars. It is all delightful.` 

I couldn't have put it better myself! 

The village of Shelland has its own village sign, as villages usually do of course. 

The top of the notice board proclaiming its patronage. 

The pulpit has unique features in that it is a triple-decker, consisting of a pulpit, reading desk and clerk's pew. The congregation's seating is in plain box pews, which date back to the 18th century. 

Facing East and showing the beautiful box pews. 

Then facing west toward the font and unique Barrel Organ. 

The Bryceson Barrel Organ at the west end of the church has three cylinders. 

It plays 36 different tunes, and was until the 1970s the only surviving instrument to have been regularly played every week in England. Built by Bryceson Bros., ca. 1810. There are three barrels, each of twelve tunes. Overhauled 1956 by Noel Mander. There are 6 stops of 31 notes. Unusually it has a tierce. What is one of those you say? Well, an organ stop sounding two octaves and a major third above the pitch of the diapason. So there you have it - clear as mud to a non-musician. It is believed that the parishioners have ordered a fourth barrel, with more up-to-date dunes and harmonies. 

A really interesting place to visit and fascinating to learn of the history surrounding these small place tucked away in the English countryside. 

So, back to the name of this small church - Charles is regarded by many members of the Church of England as a martyr because, it is said, he was offered his life if he would abandon the historic episcopacy in the Church of England. It is said he refused, however, believing that the Church of England was truly "Catholic" and should maintain the Catholic episcopate. His designation in the Church of England's calendar is "Charles, King and Martyr, 1649". Mandell Creighton, Bishop of London, wrote "Had Charles been willing to abandon the Church and give up episcopacy, he might have saved his throne and his life. But on this point Charles stood firm: for this he died, and by dying saved it for the future." In fact, Both high church Anglicans and royalists fashioned an image of martyrdom, and after the Restoration of the monarchy the Church of England was added to the Church of England liturgical calendar, in the Convocations of Canterbury and York of 1660. 

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Autumn stroll in Marks Hall gardens and Arboretum

Marks Hall Arboretum and walled gardens are well worth a visit at any time of the year. We had visited at least twice this year already as they had 230 or so sculptures arranged around the site and it took us two visits to see them all. Plus it's just a great place to wander. Complete with great cafe - what's not to like!

In 1163 the manor house and estate of Markshall were granted to the Markshall family after being confiscated from Hugh de Essex. It descended in the Markshall family until the estate was sold to John Cole, who renovated parts of the house. It was then sold to Edward Deraugh in 1581. In 1605 Robert Honywood purchased Marks Hall from Deraugh's grandson, William, pulled down part of the old timber-framed house and built a new brick building in 1609. 

Decades passed, until Thomas Phillips Price (1844-1932), a Welsh landowner, mine owner, and Liberal politician, purchased Marks Hall, then a mansion and deer park, at auction in 1898. He made provision in his Will to leave the Marks Hall estate to the nation in the interest of agriculture, arboriculture and forestry. During the Second World War, Earls Colne Airfield was built on the edge of the deer park and much of the property requisitioned for used as the headquarters for a number of local airfields. The 97th Bombardment Wing headquarters was initially located at the manor. By 1949, the mansion was neglected and said to be in a dangerous state, and was demolished in 1950. 

So, what we have left today, is a great venue for weddings, and a beautiful Arboretum and gardens. 

Autumn colours - well slightly!

Looking across one of the lakes (full of carp) toward the walled gardens. As you can see the autumn colours have not yet taken hold.

Pampas grass in all its glory. Very popular in the 70`s but appears to have fallen out of favour since

Autumn crocus (naked Lady)

Shaggy Parasol

Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus)

Mosaic Puffball

Just a few of the fungi in the Arboretum. There were others which I didn't get very good images of, and still others which looked a bit `worse for wear`. 

Kniphofia - Colourful and exotic-looking, red-hot pokers flower over many months and make spectacular garden plants. They do well in coastal gardens and can be very long-lived. They were dotted in unexpected places around the gardens and wooded areas.

Operation Varsity, the Allied airborne assault over the Rhine River at Wesel, Germany was the largest single lift of airborne forces ever undertaken. A daring collaboration between British and American Airborne Divisions it played a vital role in the final assault on Germany. Their contribution towards the invasion of Germany was to capture and hold the town of Hamminkeln, along with 3 vital bridges over the River Issel.

Marks Hall was the headquarters of the RAF’s 296 and 297 Squadrons, who were based at nearby Earls Colne Airfield and took part in the assault. Early on March 24th 1945, Horsa gliders carrying troops were towed into action. 

The casualties were devastating due to the concentrated anti-aircraft defences and the drift of smoke screen laid to cover the land offensive nearby. Many of the gliders failed to reach their allocated landing zones. The Glider Pilot Regiment had 98 pilots killed and 77 wounded during the operation. 

In remembrance, Marks Hall Estate created a memorial site within the Arboretum, which includes an obelisk and 1/10 scale replica of the runway layout of the old airfield. This provides a fitting focal point for the annual remembrance service, a poignant occasion for the survivors, their families and all who attend. 

A couple of the plaques on the side of the memorial.

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The Willis Towers Watson building in Ipswich

This landmark building was designed by Lord Norman Foster, the same world-renowned architect behind the UK headquarters of Willis Towers Watson, a 28 storey skyscraper situated at 51 Lime Street, London. In 1991 it building became the first modern design to receive Grade 1 listing. 

Willis Towers Watson is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has 45,000 employees in more than 140 countries.

Friar Street, Ipswich is one of the Group`s largest and most established location with over 1,400 employees. 

The Friar Street building in all its glory. The building is divided into three floors, each approximately 67,000 square feet with a rooftop restaurant and coffee shop.

If you want some good reflection images then this is the building. 

More reflections

The glass wall contains 890 panels plus a further 190 around the rooftop restaurant. Each pane of glass is approximately 3m by 2m and none of the glass panes open as the building is air conditioned throughout.

A bright colour scheme of yellow and green is used because of the depth of the space and is reflected in the aluminium ceiling strips which, if put end to end, would reach nearly 100 miles. To encourage teamwork and transparency, the entire building is open plan. There are various partially enclosed work stations dotted about for those who need some time on their own to work, but mainly you can work anywhere you want, just unplug your laptop and plug in at another station! There is a display showing workstation vacant so you move when the mood takes you.

You can see the three floors from this point as you stand facing the escalators.

The rooftop is lawned to provide insulation and a change from the working environment. I found it a bit strange initially to walk about on a lawn, surrounded by hedges, and look down over the rooftops of Ipswich.!

I visited the Willis Building on the Heritage weekend when numerous interesting buildings were open to the public. Ones that you normally have no access to. 

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