The Thames at Runnymede

Time and time again we come back to Runnymede to have lunch or dinner with friends.  Along the River Thames, on a brilliant summer afternoon, refreshed by a thirst quenching cold drink, the river and the blue sky merged to evoke the yearning for an eternal summer, for love and friendship. 

The hotel had put out a chess game on the lawn for their guests, and it attracted children who decided to play the game their own way.  They reminded me of Douglas Bader, the ace WWII pilot: "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men."

Godalming



The rolling country side

A charming little town in the Surrey country side, with narrow streets some lined with ancient buildings, Godalming is quintessentially English.  Perhahps none more so than senior citizens playing bowls on a Saturday afternoon, in their whites, against an almost Constable backdrop.

Mock Tudor front elevation

What Godalming misses in antique shops is more than compensated by gift shops, some selling literally junk.  It also boasts a few art galleries, hawking oil paintings of the seaside and country side meadows, some of them feeble representation of the real thing.

Carriage of the day

And along a quiet lane, friends and family gathered to celebrate a wedding.  Outside the church, a vintage car awaited for the bride and groom, while two pensioners sat alone on separate benches outside the church, deep in their own thoughts.  I peeked into the church, and an usher came forward, barking "Who are you?"  Clearly it was not an occasion for a stranger.

Cloud formation on the M3

On the way to Basingstoke, the day brightened up, and the cloud formation on the M3, against a brilliant blue sky, swept away the gloominess of a dull grey afternoon.  In the distance, home beckons.

Summer Solstice

Manchester Airport, from the hotel window, on Summer Solstice night.  For once, the room was not on the flight path, and the treble glazing proved to be effective.  In the morning, the tarmac was filled with charter flight aircraft, laden with expectant holiday makers on their way to sun soak destinations where they can swap their fake tan with real tan.

Royal Organists Society Building

What a delightful find - this ordinary yet beautiful building enlivened by intricate reliefs, breaks the monotony of a sea of red brick buildings in the vicinity of Royal Albert Hall.  Marked Royal Organists Society building, I since learned that this is now a private residence after the Society moved to Birmingham in 1991.

On a warm summer evening, the sun cast long shadows over the buildings, and because it was a day before Summer Solstice, the bright blue sky brought a cheer to what had been a wet and rather chilly summer.