# Afternoon in Greenwich....



## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

I went for a lovely walk to Greenwich yesterday (Home of the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian 0'-0" Longitude) - It was our 1st 'real' day of Spring, so I made the most of :grin:

Before I'd even reached Greenwich, I found this gem on the Thames riverbank - It was presented to Deptford by the Russians as a 'Thank-You' for when Czar Peter the Great visited Deptford to study ship-building in 1697-98 (More history here)











Here's a shot of the Royal Observatory with a bit of the Maritime Museum in the foreground.....











The Greenwich Maritime Museum....










Some of the detail over the doors....











As you look at the museum , immediately behind is the old Royal Naval College (Built by Sir Christopher Wren, the same guy who built St Paul's Cathedral), where sailors learnt how to not get wet :grin: This is the main gate, looking a bit grubby with time....










That's it temporarily, 5 pics/post :laugh: - You'll never guess what I saw next, just around the corner of the museum and right outside the gent's public toilets....


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Hey WB, your new camera is working well.

I guess it was the Nelson trying to find his Missus?:grin:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

I'm starting to find a few niggles, like not being able to set it to manual-focus and, for some reason, some pics turned out a bit dull-looking re: contrast and saturation - Nothing that a minute or 2 in Corel-PhotoPaint can't cure though :grin:


As for what was lurking outside the 'Gents' though......



















It was beautiful, especially when the driver fired it up and drove off - It sounded like he had a Harley-Davidson engine in it, thumping away as they do :grin:


Just behind the building seen above, with the big red 'Time-Ball' on top, is the beautiful 'South Observatory' - Here's some of it's architecture...










Some of the detail on it....










Now this is some weather-vane, sat on top of the dome :laugh:











As much as I like trees, there's times when they're a real PITA :grin:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

A nice sequence WB.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Nice pics Werebo .. Surprised you didn't try to limit the focus on the Statues to hide the background .. assuming that you could of course .. Can't say I ever stopped in Greenwich long enough to look around .. seems like I missed something, Perhaps next time I am over I can persuade the family to take me there for a visit rather than Central London ..


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

If you ever do decide to visit Greenwich, it's worth waiting 'til next year and the 'Cutty Sark' is completely rebuilt - Unless you like lots of plastic sheets and wooden hoardings :grin:

Just inside Greenwich Park's front gates is a beautifully ornate house I've always loved since I saw it as a little cub - I suspect it used to be the Park-keeper's house, but I've never seen anyone to ask about it.




















I timed it well cos, as I was walking back into the park from the house above, all the tourists and visitors were heading towards me, back to their coaches. This meant the main viewpoint was now clear enough to take these....


The back of the Maritime Museum, Naval Hospital, the Thames and the London Docklands, on t'other side of the Thames.




























This is the Meridian 24-hour clock and just below it, the 'British Standards of Length'










Unfortunately, I was a couple of days too late as the Observatory now charges to go in and visit - Last week it was free-entry :sigh: [email protected] tourists!!! :upset:

:grin:


A nearby 'Splash of Colour'...











Sorry Donald, 2 over the 5-pic limit - I'll try not to do it again









:grin:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Apology accepted.


However, posting an image of a whipping of poor thing hanging is against the TSF rules and attracts an infraction of 10 points. That is a permanant ban! :grin:

Ban WerBo??? I daren't . you would come back an haunt me :grin:.... All is forgiven (for now!)

(When I made the 5 pic rule, it was two more that a pro website I am involved with where 3 is the max... and only start one thread per day!...)


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

BTW - some very nice, sharp and colourful pictures. Very nice.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Some very nice photo's indeed 

... and thank god we aren't a pro site .. they would have a larger membership so would need to make the restrictions .. we are just a group of enthusiasts .. sometimes over-enthusiasts :laugh:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Hehehehehe.... 

After all that walking around, I decided I needed liquid and, seeing as the nearest pub was all the way down the hill (see the pic just under the beautiful house :grin I decided to visit the park cafeteria.

It was crowded with parents and tired kids, so I grabbed my tea and wandered outside where I spotted a suitable tree that I could sit on for my ciggie & cuppa and quiet....


The 'lumpy root' with 'cuppa'










And the tree....










T'other side of the same tree, the textures of the bark and wood are beautiful - I suspect this tree might be older than the Observatory :laugh:











A furry chum that was very curious about what I was up to... I didn't mind this one too much, he personally doesn't clamber onto my balcony and bury food in my flower-pots :grin:




















By this time, it was about 5:00pm, the temperature started to drop and the light started going, so It was time to call it a day - 'It's a day!!!' :laugh:

To be continued..........


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Love the bark and the squirrel. I cant get close enough to our furry fellow to get a decent shot...

Maybe I should use the camera instead :grin:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

If you want pot-shots at squirrels, you're welcome to come and sit on my balcony. I'm told that squirrel is rather tasty :grin:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

The nearest thing to eating squirrels we have had, was in New Zealand. When we lived in the 'bush', up in the Waitakeries, I kept a .22 rifle in the kitchen. At night, I would go out with a powerful lamp and shoot some 'possoms. They are tasty - they only eat fruit...

In the mornings I would poke the rifle out of the kitchen window & give a rabbit the good news that he was going to be in a stew! :grin:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

With the sun disappearing, there was some glorious golden light around - This is what's called 'The Ranger's House', where classical music concerts are held during the summer months. I'm rather pleased how the pale clouds have turned out....











Another ancient tree....











The 'South Observatory' lit by the golden sunset....











This is with my back to the observatory....




















Finally, someone here posted a video (or a link to the video) of 3 guys performing the 'Balloon Dance'. I mentioned that the guy with glasses, called Malcom Hardee had his own comedy club - Well, this is it 'Up The Creek' :grin:










The figures leaning out of the upstairs windows are actually plaster and painted - Oh, and yes the character above the clock is someone sat on a toilet bowl, reading a book :laugh:

That's my afternoon finished, I made it home just before my legs fell off :grin:


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## sobeit (Nov 11, 2007)

I actually been to Greenwich, caught a ferry from London just below London Bridge back in the late seventies. Some of your pictures really brings back memories. 

Your pictures turned out a whole lot better than mine did - from what I remember of them. Dont even know where they are at


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

poltergeist tree...:laugh:
by the way, getting back to the statues, whats the little guy doing?


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## sobeit (Nov 11, 2007)

speedster123 said:


> poltergeist tree...:laugh:
> by the way, getting back to the statues, whats the little guy doing?


sometimes you really do not want to know :laugh::laugh:


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## Will Watts (Jun 18, 2008)

The last shot of the squirrel is great. 

Some nice pictures here, I like the front on pic of the car as well :grin:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

speedster123 said:


> poltergeist tree...:laugh:
> by the way, getting back to the statues, whats the little guy doing?


Do you mean this one of John Evelyn the diarist?










I dread to think..... :grin:


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## Will Watts (Jun 18, 2008)

I'm not sure I see the resemblance:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Nor I, but then it was donated by the Russians......










:grin:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

someguy201 said:


> I'm not sure I see the resemblance:


its the lack of a hat!


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

WereBo said:


> Do you mean this one of John Evelyn the diarist?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Its the hat!:grin::grin::grin:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

:lol: :lol:

I suspect it's a bit of Russian fun-poking at John Evelyn - Peter the Great was 6' 7" tall (John Evelyn was 'average' height (approx 5' 5"ish) and, when he rented Evelyn's house (next to the Royal Dockyard), he totally trashed both house and gardens.

Naturally, John Evelyn moaned, ranted and complained about Peter's behaviour, who responded by moving back to Russia (after finishing his studies on boat-building and sailing), without paying a penny in compensation.


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## Will Watts (Jun 18, 2008)

It's definitely the hat.


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

:laugh::laugh::laugh:


someguy201 said:


> It's definitely the hat.


:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

:lol: :lol: :lol: Nice, very nice :grin:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

I finally managed to get a clear shot of the 'Up The Creek' clock.... :grin:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

He he he. I like it! :smile:


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Me Too!! Well Done Werebo ..


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Thanks guys, it needed that shot to finish the story off :grin:


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## sobeit (Nov 11, 2007)

I like that clock, me want one, me want one... :laugh::laugh:


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