Tag Archives: UK

Arts & Literature, Books, Homes, Travel, Videos

Literary Travel: ‘Hill Top’ – Cumbria, England Home Of Beatrix Potter (Video)

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Hill Top, the much-loved Cumbrian home of author Beatrix Potter, creator of the character Peter Rabbit™. Although the farm is closed at the moment you can still explore the writer’s paintings, drawings, treasured objects, as well as the surrounding countryside that inspired her. Look out for your favourite characters along the way.

Hill Top is a 17th-century house in Near Sawrey near Hawkshead, in the English county of Cumbria. It is an example of Lakeland vernacular architecture with random stone walls and slate roof. The house was once the home of children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter who left it to the National Trust.

Art, Arts & Literature, History, Profiles, Videos

Profiles: ‘J.M.W. Turner’ – Romanticism’s Greatest Painter (1775 – 1851)

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Joseph Mallord William Turner RA, known contemporarily as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colourisations, imaginative landscapes and turbulent, often violent marine paintings.

Historical, Homes, Travel

Baronial Castle Tour: ‘Auchendennan House’ On Loch Lomond, Scotland

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Auchendennan House is an impressive A-listed Baronial castle featuring two turrets, set centrally amidst its 55 acres of beautifully designed landscape of parkland and woods. Located close to the southwest bank of Loch Lomond, it enjoys remarkable views across the loch to the mountains of the national park beyond.

The four-storey sandstone castle is approached from the main road, along a private tarmac drive with speed bumps, lined with trees. Through secure gates fitted with a telephone entry system, the driveway incorporates a carriage turning circle, with an attractive water fountain carved with dolphins and shells.

On arrival, shelter is provided by a striking Porte Cochere with arched coach openings, turrets and a vast array of decorative details.

Entered on basement level, you are welcomed into a grand 20th century vestibule, with oak panelling and a large carved fireplace including cherub and female figurines and inscriptions. Hidden in the panelling one secret door leads to a WC, whilst another leads to an office, various storage rooms, and a two-bedroom staff apartment with bathroom, kitchen and living area. Also on this level is a large reception room with its own garden entrance, currently used as a gym.

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History, Travel, Videos

Travel & History: ‘Inverary Castle’ In Scotland (Video)

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Inveraray Castle is home to one of the most important private collections of historical archives in all of Britain – a collection of records, documents and diaries, dating back to the 13th century. The restoration of the private archival documents is a gradual, painstaking and expensive process. In fact, a single damaged page can cost up to a hundred pounds to repair.

Inveraray Castle is a country house near Inveraray in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland, on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland’s longest sea loch. It is one of the earliest examples of Gothic Revival architecture. It has been the seat of the Dukes of Argyll, chiefs of Clan Campbell, since the 18th century. 

Culture, Films, History, Profiles, Videos

Short Films: ‘The Smithy’ – A Blacksmith In Northern England At His Old Forge

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Filmmaker Brendon Tyree

The word Smithy is a middle English word from Old Norse Smithja : meaning a blacksmith’s workshop or forge. In Sheffield and other parts or Northern England, blacksmiths themselves are often referred to as smithies.

Follow this Smithy on his gloomy walk to work and witness the dark forces, skill and energy that go into giving a new blade its shape, form and life. Filmed using a mixture of 16mm film and digital.

The feel and sound tip their cap to the old world view of the craft but in reality the subject is a non fictional blacksmith working at his beautiful old forge today in Sheffield.

Blacksmith David Southgate
Soundscape Jordan Hatfield
Atmospheres GYerro & Max H
Locations Sheffield UK

Travel, Videos

Travel: A Thanksgiving Walk Through The Old ‘City Of London’ (Video)

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Date filmed: Thursday – November 26, 2020

The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the modern city named London has since grown far beyond the formal City of London borders.[4][5] The City is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of London, though it remains a notable part of central London. Administratively, it forms one of the 33 local authority districts of London; however, the City of London is not a London borough, a status reserved for the other 32 districts (including London’s only other city, the City of Westminster). It is also a separate ceremonial county, being an enclave surrounded by Greater London, and is the smallest county in the United Kingdom.

The City of London is widely referred to simply as the City (differentiated from the phrase “the city of London” by capitalising City) and is also colloquially known as the Square Mile, as it is 1.12 sq mi (716.80 acres; 2.90 km2)[6] in area. Both of these terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom’s trading and financial services industries, which continue a notable history of being largely based in the City.[7] The name London is now ordinarily used for a far wider area than just the City. London most often denotes the sprawling London metropolis, or the 32 London boroughs, in addition to the City of London itself. This wider usage of London is documented as far back as 1888, when the County of London was created.[5]

Travel, Videos

Walking Tours: ‘Canary Wharf, London’ (Video)

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Date filmed: Saturday – November 21, 2020

Canary Wharf is the secondary central business district of London on the Isle of Dogs. Along with the City of London, it is one of the main financial centres of the United Kingdom and the world, containing many of their tallest buildings, including the third-tallest in the UK, One Canada Square.

TIME STAMPS: 00:00 SOUTH QUAY STATION [DRL] 04:29 SOUTH QUAY PLAZA 06:47 SOUTH QUAY WALK 10:08 ADMIRALS WAY 10:11 STREET FOOD VANS 11:16 SOUTH QUAY WALK 12:29 SOUTH QUAY FOOTBRIDGE 15:05 JUBILEE PLACE Entrance 16:27 BANK STREET 17:14 JUBILEE PARK 22:32 CANARY WHARF STATION 22:47 UPPER BANK STREET 25:53 S COLONNADE 27:45 CHURCHILL PLACE 28:44 EY CANARY WHARF 31:18 N COLONNADE 31:32 BARCLAYS BANK 32:15 WAITROSE & PARTNERS 35:34 CANADA SQUARE 38:16 CROSSRAIL PLACE 40:15 CROSSRAIL STATION 47:38 N COLONNADE 48:40 CANARY WHARF [DLR STATION] 50:32 CABOT SQUARE 51:56 N DOCK FOOTBRIDGE 53:42 ABSOLUTE PLEASURE YATCH 54:19 MOUSE TAIL COFFEE STORIES 57:36 MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS 1:00:15 ONTARIO WAY 1:02:28 WESTFERRY ROAD 1:04:21 CIRCUS APARTMENT 1:06:09 CANARY RIVERSIDE PLAZA 1:07:24 CANARY WHARF PIER 1:08:47 WESTFERRY CIRCUS 1:09:58 W INDIA AVE 1:13:37 CABOT SQUARE 1:15:46 CABOT PLACE 1:16:49 S COLONNADE 1:1749 CANARY WHARF [DLR STATION] 1:17:53 POST OFFICE 1:18:26 JP MORGAN 1:19:11 HERON QUAYS [DLR STATION] 1:20:13 REUTERS PLAZA 1:20:36 ONE CANADA SQUARE 1:21:28 CANARY WHARF STATION

Ecology, Nature, Travel, Videos, Wildlife

Wildlife: ‘Return Of The Reds’ – Rewilding Red Squirrels Into Scotland

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Red squirrels are receiving a helping hand in reclaiming lost ground. A partnership between Trees For Life and The Woodland Trust is returning red squirrels to Ledmore and Migdale woods in Sutherland.