Amelia's photos

O come, O come, Emmanuel - (Piano/Cello) - The Piano Guys

Throughout the Nature Reserve there are old balance beams from locks which are decorated on 4 sides with ceramic plaques, along with poetry by local children. There are 2 hides, neither of which have yet opened to the public presumably because of the latest surge in Covid numbers. My favourite poem is the one by Viviana

This is a new sculpture positioned at the dipping pond area.

The Wakeman Trail features beautiful installations inspired by Shrewsbury's famed architecture - comprising thousands of low-relief, ceramic tiles of windows, doorways and door-knockers from across the town - created by generations of Wakeman Students. The aim of the displays is to encourage visitors and residents, young and old, to ‘look up’ and recognise and appreciate the town’s rich heritage. Mike Griffiths, former Director of Arts at The Wakeman School and Arts College, said the inspiration for the trail came from a conversation with his pupils in the 1980s. “Talking to pupils in my first lesson, I asked what they had seen on their way to school,” he said, “and the answer I got was ‘nothing’. The Wakeman collection includes "at least" 1,000 stoneware tablets made by pupils over 30 years, and the artwork can be seen around the town. This panel can be found on the riverside near the English Bridge. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-20725813

Pulteney Bridge is a bridge over the River Avon in Bath, England. It was completed by 1774. it is highly unusual in that it has shops built across its full span on both sides. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building. The bridge was designed by Robert Adam and named after William Jonestone and Frances Pulteney. They secured the funding from Parliament, so they named the bridge after themselves. Pulteney Weir (or just “the Weir” for short) was built in the late Middle Ages to prevent the river from flooding the town of Bath. It is a low barrier built across a river in order to control water level and regulate flow—was completely rebuilt in the early 1970s and given a more effective and now iconic V-shape design. A sluice and controlled flood gates were also added in the upgrade. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulteney_Bridge

Projected art on a wall in the Roman Bath House.

Part of an archway in the Roman Baths. The lower half of the photo shows that the brickwork was made using hollow bricks, thus conserving materials and reducing weight. Throughout the tour of the baths there were video images projected onto walls. The PiP shows one of the most interesting ones.

This week's Sunday Challenge is: Stillness. The Roman Baths are a well-preserved thermae in the city of Bath in Somerset. A temple was constructed on the site between 60-70AD in the first few decades of Roman Britain. Its presence led to the development of the small Roman urban settlement known as Aquae Sulis around the site. The Roman baths—designed for public bathing—were used until the end of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th Century AD. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the original Roman baths were in ruins a century later. The area around the natural springs was redeveloped several times during the Early and Late Middle Ages. The Roman Baths are preserved in four main features: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House, and a museum which holds artefacts from Aquae Sulis. However, all buildings at street level date from the 19th century. It is a major tourist attraction in the UK, and together with the Grand Pump Room, receives more than 1.3 million visitors annually. Visitors can tour the baths and museum but cannot enter the water, which is warm and smells of sulphur. The water is sourced from rainfall on the nearby Mendip Hills, which then percolates down through limestone aquifers to a depth of between 2,700 and 4,300 metres (8,900 and 14,100 ft). Geothermal energy raises the water temperature here to between 69 and 96 °C (156.2 and 204.8 °F). Under pressure, the heated water rises along fissures and faults in the limestone, until it bubbles up from the ground into the baths. This process is similar to an enhanced geothermal system, which also makes use of the high pressures and temperatures below the earth's crust. Hot water at a temperature of 46 °C (114.8 °F) rises here at the rate of 1,170,000 litres (257,364 imp gal) every day, from a geological fault.. In 1982 a new spa water bore-hole was sunk, providing a clean and safe supply of spa water for drinking in the Pump Room. We visited the Pump Room for breakfast, but it was not possible to taste the water as the facility was closed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Baths_%28Bath%29 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Spa_Towns_of_Europe

The whole city is a World heritage Site. The video shows The Circus and The Royal Crescent. whc.unesco.org/en/list/428/video en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Spa_Towns_of_Europe

The Sunday Challenge this week is: Something ODD. This could be something peculiar or an odd number. I spotted something suitable for an odd number. In this swan family there were 2 adults and 3 cygnets.

Museum of the Moon is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring seven metres in diameter, the moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface*. The Museum of the Moon was in Durham Cathedral from Monday 13 September – Thursday 11 November. The seven-metre diameter moon installation, the high vaulted ceiling and colossal carved columns made for a breathtaking scene.

Museum of the Moon is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring seven metres in diameter, the moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface*. Over its lifetime, the Museum of the Moon will be presented in a number of different ways both indoors and outdoors, so altering the experience and interpretation of the artwork. As it travels from place to place, it gathers new musical compositions and an ongoing collection of personal responses, stories and mythologies, as well as highlighting the latest moon science. The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert is a cathedral in the city of Durham. Construction of the cathedral began in 1093, at the eastern end. In 1986, the cathedral, together with the nearby Castle, became a World Heritage Site. The UNESCO committee classified the cathedral under criteria C (ii) (iv) (vi), reporting, "Durham Cathedral is the largest and most perfect monument of 'Norman' style architecture in England". We were most impressed by this artwork and the Norman pillars in the cathedral. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_Cathedral

This was taken on November 18, 2021. The weather was extremely mild for the time of year, and the dragonfly was still very active. There were quite a few wild flowers still going strong, and some deciduous trees still had most of their leaves. This is just not normal in the UK.