Coats

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Princes Street; near Hanover Square , London, Sunday.

Appearances.........

can be deceptive:




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members of the Shree Muktajeevan Pipe Band (Indian Scottish Pipers) taken at the Festival of India in London, Regent Street, Sunday afternoon

Kew Gardens

some pictures from a visit to Kew this morning

sculpture: 'wounded angel' by Emily Young

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another Old Bill photo

"Ole Bill", today at the Imperial War Museum,

a WPC at Carnival

pictures of a WPC at Carnival

Drums and pan at Carnival

Drums and pan at Carnival

more Carnival pictures

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Notting Hill Carnival, Monday 27 August

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Notting Hill Carnival, Monday 27 August

Notting Hill Carnival Sunday 26 August

Notting Hill Carnival Sunday 26 August

today's photos by Jasmine

Lagos Wedding

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A Lagos Wedding

the engagement ceremony in Ijebu:

Lagos from the skies above Ikeja en route to Port Harcourt

and a reminder of home:

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un universo de objetos cotidianos

see: http://www.setespaidart.com/

for my Valencian friends

Independence Day and the North-East

The younger daughter of the family will celebrate this 4th July working in the Land of the Free, not far from the small town in Indiana which was home to her Geordie grandmother for many years.

It was from the small town of Washington, then a village,in County Durham, that the ancestors of George Washington, the first President of the United States, emigrated to Virginia in 1657; and it was Washington who led the American Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War aka the American war of Independence (1775–1783)

So quite clearly the north-east of England played a significant role in the founding of the USA, a country that once welcomed, and was home to, the Matriarch and daughter, who schooled in Virginia, and which now plays host to the baby of the family. And she, no doubt, will recognise this bell in a clearing somewhere near Detroit.

Great Uncle George, the Lusitania and the U-20

pic. RMS Lusitania

In 1915, whilst grandfather Charles was in France with the Northumberland Fusiliers, his elder brother George was working for the Hudson Bay Company in Canada, but his decision to return to England in May of that year was to put him right on the front line in an unexpected way.

George's route home was via New York City, leaving from Pier 54 on 1 May 1915 aboard the Cunard Line's RMS Lusitania. She and her sister ship the Mauretania were the fastest liners of their day.

Tragically, the Lusitania was never to reach her destination as she was hit by a torpedo from a German submarine, the U-20, and sank at 2:28 pm on 7 May, 8 miles off of the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland.

Of the 1,962 people on board only 761 survived, including Great Uncle George who was treated in Ireland for a broken rib before returning home, via London, to Newcastle upon Tyne.

Brighton Breezy

Brighton, Sunday 29 April

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