CERN Humour

Research establishments are serious places, but it doesn’t mean they are humourless ones.

CERN Humour

When I worked at ICI’s Research Establishment on Runcorn Heath, the big joke was signs using the newly discovered Dymo machine in mock German.

When I was at Liverpool University in the mid-1960s, the old cyclotron that James Chadwick had built pointed towards the mound on which the Catholic Cathedral has now been built. One wag told me, that they weren’t going to floodlight the cathedral, as it would glow in the dark.

I heard a similar remark on Saturday.

The Best Free Camera Platform In London

I was on the top of One New Change, this morning in the sunshine.

You can also see the Shard all too clearly.  But I didn’t take a picture, as it’s ruined enough of my pictures already.

It really is the best free camera platform in the centre of London.

A Place In Times Of Stress

Today, I was going to have lunch with an old business partner in Surrey and getting to Waterloo station took me past Southwark Cathedral.

Southwark Cathedral

So I dropped by to have a quiet contemplation. As I’ve said in another post this place is special to me and as the sister of one of my friends, has a child near to death, I wanted to add my point fourpennyworth. Also being the day of Margaret Thatcher’s funeral I wanted to show respect privately in the way I do. I remember years ago, when Princess Diana’s funeral took place, I was on holiday in Northumberland with C. She watched it with a friend on the television and I just sat on the coast of Holy Island. I never watch this type of State pageantry on the television.

Around Vienna Cathedral

The hotel was close to Vienna’s impressive cathedral, St. Stephen’s.

It was from this square that I got on the U-bahn.

Inside And Around St. Stephen’s Basilica

St. Stephen’s Basilica wasn’t far from the hotel.

I passed on the mulled wine, as I had just warmed up in the hotel.

Seville

The coach parked by the River Guadalquivir  in Seville and I walked into and around the city centre.

In the past C and I have climbed the bell tower of the cathedral, which used to be the minaret of the mosque, that was rebuilt as the cathedral. But as it was Palm Sunday, the cathedral was closed

Uncommercialised Santiago de Compostela

The first port of call on the cruise was Corunna, where I went on an organised trip to Santiago de Compostela.

The trip across the Bay of Biscay had been a bit choppy, but that didn’t bother me, as I haven’t ever suffered seasickness since I went gluten-free. Before that, a couple of times, I had real problems, especially in small boats.

I took these pictures at Santiago de Compostela.

You will note that it wasn’t raining, but the weather couldn’t be described as anything but freezing. I was starting to regret, that I hadn’t brought more cold weather clothing.

What surprised me was how uncommerialised the city was.  There was perhaps one stall selling trinkets outside the parador, but compared to some famous places, I’ve been it was refreshing to see so little junk on sale.

Admittedly, it was cold and March, so perhaps it had kept the vendors inside.

The main cathedral is magnificent and it is true to say that I like Romanesque and Norman churches, like St. Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield. They seem to have a certain dignity of a very old age. The London church is on my list of must see places in London.

One New Change

I said in this post yesterday, that I would go to One New Change to check out the views.

I did this morning and although the weather wasn’t good, the views from the top were stunning. I also had a pot of tea in Madison’s cafe on the roof, which did cost me £3.91.  This was worth it, as I got two full cups, sat in very comfortable leather arm chairs and had magnificent views of St. Paul’s.

The charge to go to the roof is a big fat zero and for that you got a lift with views of the cathedral.  Surely, if you want to have good views of London from above, this is even better value than walking to the top of Primrose Hill.

I think One New Change could be the prototype in London and other places for this type of development   Only six floors high, but with a double basement, it mixes high-quality offices, shops, bars and restaurants, to create a working, shopping and visiting community. Read their ecological statement here.  The building is so much better than that monstrous erection by London Bridge station; the Shard.

I know we won’t see it, as the plans are probably fully in place and approved, but wouldn’t a building with this ethos, fit well into the railway lands, between Kings Cross and St. Pancras, which will probablt be filled by more anonymous high-rise buildings.

Armchairs Outside St. Paul’s

As someone, who is getting on in years, I do like to see nice places to sit on the street.  These chairs were outside St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Armchairs Outside St. Paul’s

I don’t think, I’ve ever seen single oak armchairs before. Sadly, it was so cold and miserable, I just walked on past.

Around And Inside Palma Cathedral

Tuesday was a sunny day and I walked down through Palma to the cathedral and explored it.

Although C and I went to Majorca about ten times, we probably never visited the cathedral on such a quiet, sunny day.