The Meridian Laser

The Meridian Laser is a line beamed into the night sky from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. The line sits on the Prime Meridian and is visible up to 60 miles away. The picture below also shows Jupiter just above the observatory roof. :-)

Chasing Shadows

In the garden a couple of days ago I discovered a cat trying to catch his own shadow. He has an unusual feature, one eye green, the other blue.

London by Night

The London Eye offers an amazing view of London by night. We visited London a few days ago and the ride on the Eye was the highlight of the trip :-)

There's a spectacular view looking down to the Houses of Parliament in one direction and along the river to Saint Paul's in the other.

London Eye by Night

The London Eye is a giant ferris wheel on the bank of the River Thames and looks quite spectacular by night :-)

Mystery Macro 4 (Artichoke)

Last week I asked if anyone can identify a macro picture taken recently. :-) Correct guesses were kept in the moderation queue to allow everyone chance to guess.

Congratulations to Sandee and Retrophile who guessed the stamen of a flower. The flower is on an artichoke in the gardens of Chatsworth House :-)

Notice

“Notice: By vic.cap.20.s.75. any person not fastening this gate after having passed through is liable to a penalty of forty shillings.”

I spotted this old sign in Buckinghamshire. The shilling was a unit of pre-decimal currency discontinued in 1971.

Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall is an Elizabethan Derbyshire house built for Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury. Bess's initials “ES” are displayed prominently on the rooftop pavilions.

It's easy to see the inspiration for the rhyme “Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall”. The huge windows were intended as a statement of wealth at a time when glass was a luxury.