Butterfly, Dragonfly, Heron and Rodley

Popped over to the Rodley Nature Reserve on Wednesday to have a stroll around.  It's not just known for it's bird life.  It is home to one of Britain's best Dragonfly reserves with a special area dedicated to ponds to encourage their growth.  It certainly works as their are many different types visible by the ponds...info boards help explain the different types.

Anyway, here's a few pics..

Domestic bliss!  This one is not at Rodley but the back garden.  Cat and Squirrel find room to live together!

I've not posted a magpie picture before so here is one I took at Ogden Water earlier this week.

You may remember the picture I posted earlier this summer of seven cygnets at Rodley walking in a line. These are the same swans, grown up.

A common darter - dragonfly at Rodley

A common darter soaking up the sun.  Dragonflies are the hardest subject to film I have come across!

I found this portly chap walking along by the river.  A common toad.

This butterfly is called a Comma.

A 'little tortoiseshell' often mistakenly called a Red Admiral.

A Peacock

Another view of the beautiful Peacock butterfly

Again...a little tortoiseshell 

I like the Heron.  A solitary bird but majestic and elegant.
This is a series of snaps I took yesterday as I watched it flying then come into land...

This one had striking eye and chest markings...

Touchdown on one of the Rodley Lagoons

The wingspan of a Grey Heron is 5.5 to 6.5 ft (185cm)

A majestic bird...

Wem ber leee!

Went down the smoke last week to Wemberlee to see the Rhino's lose another Challenge Cup Final. Crap game, crap result but a funny day.  Plenty of beer around Covent Garden before hand and a follow up drinky once we reached home again.

11.00am and the first drink of the day....first of many..

The traditional walk down Wembley Way...I preferred seeing the twin Towers at the end!

Just taken our seats..

Not a bad view..

Daniel, Des, Ed and Me...

We were right at the back lol

As is usual...the lightweights could'nt keep up...Mr Grumpy

Mr pissed..

Mr Dribble

Hampton Court Palace

Whilst in London we decided to pop down to Hampton Court Palace as it's a place myself and Jo had always wanted to visit.  It's really two Palaces in one, A Tudor Palace magnificently developed by Cardinal Wolsey and later Henry VIII, alongside a Baroque Palace built by William III and Mary II.

It's fascinating to think that you are walking in the footsteps of Henry VIII and other important historical figures.  As well as Henry VIII, William III and Mary II other Monarchs associated with Hampton Court are Queen Mary I (r1553-8), James I (r1603-25), Charles I (r1625-49), Charles II (r 1630-85) and George II (r1727-60).  When Oliver Cromwell emerged as the Lord Protector of England he moved into Hampton Court where he used the former Queens bedroom for himself, travelling down from London to spend quiet weekends here.

Anyway it's a fabulous place to visit, full of history and interesting stories (if you just ask the guides - they are a minefield of extra information such as the forgotten Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn motif on the eaves of the great hall.  Henry VIII had asked that all references to Anne was removed after he had lopped orf her head but they missed a wooden carved H and A motif in the roof).

The imposing and spectacular entry to Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace.
It was on this space in front of the Palace that 'Sir' Bradley Wiggins was presented with his Gold medal in the cycling.

The tree lined River Thames is on the right.  In these trees were wild and naturalised Parakeets!

This is the first 'Court' just through the main entrance and is called Base Court.

Another view of base Court with the roof of the Main Hall visible on the left

Throughout the Palace are small streets and alleyways.  The building to the right of Jo is part of the large network of kitchens

One of the large kitchens.....there was a lot of mouths to feed

Lot's of little garden spaces are scattered about.  Here we are still in the Tudor part of the Palace

A view of the second palace, the 'extension'.  The Baroque style Palace built by William and Mary.

Part of the roof space in the Main Hall of the Tudor part of Hampton Court.
In the roof space were small figurines looking down from the eaves and is where the term 'Eaves dropping' came from as the Court used to be rife with gossip and rumours and was a reminder when you looked up that you never knew who was listening.

Some more stylish Tudor roofing

Jo, admiring some of the Baroque style painting

Just some of the armoury.  All of which are still useable today.

A 'walking' room next to the garden

Strolling part of the extensive gardens

Jo, captured in a quiet reflective moment

This shot taken across one of the small garden enclosures clearly shows the newer building joining the older Tudor original

A heron in a reflective pose..

Still in the garden where statues and fountains share space with Ewe trees and manicured lawns..there is even a maze.  There is also the original 'Real' tennis court where Henry played.

Hold on...isn't that...

London

Took a short break in London last week.  As well as the usual sights I went deep underground to the Churchill War rooms.  These were the rooms where the war was directed from, and the cabinet met and worked during the blitz.  Churchill held the cabinet meetings here and slept over when the blitz was at it's worse.

This is the fabulous Battle of britain Memorial on the Embankment

A trmendous sculpture..a fitting memorial

Parliament square, with Big Ben (St Stephens Tower), Houses of Parliament, Westminster Palace
and Westminster Cathedral

The Cabinet meeting room in the Churchill War Rooms.  Winstons chair is in front of the map with the Red Cabinet briefcase.  The rooms are just as they were during the war years,

A typical corridor in the war rooms..

These are 'dummies', the type that would come alive at night in a Dr Who episode!
They would monitor each 'Front' from this room and provide daily updates to Churchill, the King and the joint chiefs of staff

A typical bedroom..They would also have signs in the corridors stating what the weather was like 'up top',

Back 'up to' to a sunny Whitehall looking towards the Trafalgar square end.