There and Back

Having read the following article in the news, I was intrigued to see for myself what this `object` was. Here it is described on the Ipswich Borough Council site: Ipswich Borough Council is delighted to announce the successful switch-on of the first-ever Portal in the United Kingdom, the fifth Portal worldwide, now live in Ipswich’s historic Cornhill. Designed as a window between distant countries and cultures, the Ipswich Portal now offers residents and visitors a way to meet people from around the world. Unveiled at 1pm on Wednesday 22 October, the Ipswich Portal connects to a growing network of identical Portals, currently located in Vilnius (Lithuania), Lublin (Poland), Dublin (Ireland) and Philadelphia (United States). Together, they serve as a bridge to a united planet, inviting communities around the world to meet and share cultures, beyond the borders of our countries. Ipswich is ranked among the top 10 UK locations for start-ups and has the fifth-fastest growing economy in the...

At the heart of the village of Stowlangtoft is St George's church, a magnificent Perpendicular building erected around 1370. It is thought to stand on the site of a former Roman camp. The church was built in one concerted effort, and as a result, is a beautiful example of early Perpendicular Gothic without later embellishments. The major patron was the lord of the manor, Robert Dacy de Ashfield, who was buried in the chancel in 1401. Also buried in St George's is Peter Tillemans (d. 1734), one of the most influential painters of sporting scenes in English history. The church was restored in 1855 by William White. It retains the base of a 15th century painted screen, and 15th-century benches in the nave with carved poppyhead ends. There are more 15th-century benches in the chancel, with several nicely carved misericords, brought to Stowlangtoft from either Thetford Priory or Bury St Edmunds Abbey at the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The Marble `altar reredos` in the church has...

This particular year (2025) appears to have been a very fruitful one for all sorts of `fruits of nature` - I guess a damp spring and a long dry, warm summer have all contributed to this wondrous crop on all the hedgerows in the countryside. Here are just a few images taken on the countryside around where I live and walk. Rose Hips - common enough but prolific this year. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos Albus) - is considered an invasive plant in the UK because it can spread aggressively and outcompete native species. It was introduced by the Victorians for game bird cover and now forms dense thickets through its fast-growing root systems, suppressing the growth of surrounding plants. Blackberries - a fruit which most of us a familiar with but which were only introduced into America in the mid 19C A Pyracantha (Firethorn) hedge is a dense, evergreen, and thorny hedge that produces white flowers in late spring, followed by clusters of red, orange, or yellow berries in the fall, which attract ...

Just two or three days left on this amazing coast. So onto Mowenstow beach and then the Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist. But first the beach. One of my abiding memories of the beach here, is the waterfall over the cliff edge onto the beach. The first image is from the top of the cliff, and then from beach level. Then a couple of images of general beach views - left and right. There are many rocks on the beach here and it is interesting to se the wave breaking around them as it receds. The church of St Morwenna and St John The Baptist Having not heard of St Morwenna, I looked in the guide book and also online. Online , the story is: Morwenna first appears in a 12th-century life of Saint Nectan that lists her alongside Endelient, Mabyn and Menfre (among many others) as a daughter of the Welsh king Brychan. She was trained in Ireland before crossing over to Cornwall. Morwenna made her home in a little hermitage at Hennacliff (the Raven's Crag), afterwards called Morwenst...