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Monday, May 24, 2010

Ruby Tueday image for 24.05.2010



RUBY TUESDAY IMAGES
I just love these eggs, they are the only non-plain chocolate l will eat!!
Saw this scooter on Putney High Street...the courier guy received a ticket a few moments later because he was packed on a yellow line! Shame!!!
This flower is in the flower bed at the front of my 1930"s block of flats...it is so beautiful!
Saw these red garden bags at the National Trust garden centre, near me. So they had to go into today's Ruby Tuesday blog!
These amazingly large flower pots are outside a very posh hotel in Central London.
While l was in a queue, in a garden centre in Kent the other day, there was a lady in front of me with these nails/claws...painted red. I just had to take an image of them, the flash went off by accident, and she shill didn't look at me or notice! thank goodness!
This last image, is one l found in the Hyde Park Corner of London...it has to be included in a Ruby Tuesday blog doesn't it?Ha! The Red Bar..although l think the chairs look more orange than red but maybe that is just the light!!
Happy Ruby Tueday everyone!




Sunday, May 23, 2010

Shadow Shot Sunday.May 23rd 2010


 
Today's images are.......I was so privaliged to be able to near enough to take this image of a dragonfly!

I went to see the War Memorial for Animals in Central london. An amazing sculture and the animals seem to have a real sense of "Life" about them!
This is an image of me at my son's new home in Rutland!
The elephant below, is one of 200 that are spread all over central London to bring the Asian Elephants plight to the attention of the public. they will be sold/autioned off at a later date. Love the shadows of the trees all around this elephant.
HJappy Shadowshot Sunday!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Pt 2 of A day out at the Jousting Tournament!

 PART 2
The Tournament started with the knights gathering together and then galloping into the ring. Two blue knights and two red knights fight it out at many different games..all in fun!
       Blue Knight No. 1

Red Knight No. 1
Red knight No.2
Blue knight No.2
The Knights enter the Arena to comence Battle!
Once in the ring..the fun starts. One of the games, involved a rider with a long pole which which he had to try and pick up a head and lift it high. by a head, l mean a wooden one..not a real one like it used to be!Ha!






And...hey presto...the head! After each rider had had a go..the main event started!


I hadn't realised how loud the crack would be, when the lances (a long weapon for thrusting, having a wooden shaft and a pointed steelhead, used by a horseman in charging.) made contact. Some times one of the lances would brake, other times nothing happened. But what l remember is the noise of contact.

It really was exciting to watch and hear. The sound of the horses hooves on the hard ground, the snorting of the horses, the swish of their tails and then the sound of the lances making contact. then the roar of the crowd and the shouts of the other participents waiting their turn and chiildren playing and laughing. Such an atmosphere...amazing! There were many bouts and other games played in between. Knights chasing each other and fighting each other with swords and lots of play acting.


Taking a breather!!!!!!

There were many helpers, men, woman, young, old and quite a few children...like this young lady standing ready with equipment for one of the Blue Knights.

At one point in the proceedings, all the children were invited into to take part in the activities and then were lead round the arena and then back to their parents. As you will see from the images below, they enjoyed themselves and were quite cute!! each child was given some kind of object assosiated with the knoights, to carry.



And as you can see...some of the children were a little more cheeky than others!Ha
After the Event was over, you saw children fighting each other with swords bought from the shop that was on the grounds. 

It was so good to see that some parents were also game for a fight!!






When the fighting and other games had finished, we went off top see the grounds and the birds of Prey show. theat part of the day is Part 3 of this entry!

A Jousting Tournament and other related activities at Leeds Castle in Kent! Part 1.

Almost a year ago next week, Tony, my Aunty Mo and I went to Leeds Castle, to see my first Jousting Tournament! And the other day l realised l had not put this exciting day up on my blog!!! So l have decided to put that right and here it is..in 2 parts.
Part 1
I had always wanted to see a Jousting Tournament, they always look so exciting and lots of fun. I was right!.The day was held in the amazing grounds of Leeds Castle in Kent, England. We saw the 2.30 session...... I am so glad we came. Colour, exciting, funny, noisy....all they said it would be!


The colouful round tents below, were where the equipment was kept and also added to the atmosphere of the event.
The guy in the weird hat below and the even weirder smile, acted as a sort of Joker and rallying the crowd. Quite a character!
There were many people involved in this event, from people dressed up as Lords and Ladies, servants, stable helpers, knights and their ladies to King Henry himself!
People came to see the Event but also to see the grounds around the Castle, which are beautiful and many people bought a picnic, even though there was food available. Luckily for us..the weather was great all day! How un-typical for a British Summer!Ha!
Then some people just couldn't cope with the excitment in the air...and went to sleep!!
There were also addition attractions to support the Event, activities such as showing people how to put on Armour, use the guns and how to use the equipment each of the soldiers would use.
Also had loads of equipment on show. I had not realised that there were so many different times of helmets! Fasinating information!

Then the two men running this event, asked for two volunteers to get dressed up as soldiers on different sides. It was funny, informative and very entertaining!


There were also an area where you could have a go at Archery..luckily for most people, the animals stayed still! 


As usual l found colourful characters and l couldn't resist taking images of this guy's tattoes! Obviously he is very proud of his football team!!
Another person that caught my eye, was this man with his beard plaitted!
When l was standing in one of the tents l noticed this young man with his arm in a sling. Funny isn't it that we a tradition where we write on people's plaster casts! I wonder when it starte and why? I saw him again a few minutes later and noticed this time, this particular "written" comment from his Auntie. It reads...........
as follows "My brave little soldier"!
Even going to a Mediaeval Tournament we still have to have modern conviences!!


Before the actual Tournament started, there were the gatherings of the people who would be the "Show"! There was King Henry the Eight and people from his court, all looking very realistic, colourful and very "in" character!


The image below of two small boys was priceless. The two were dressed up as knights. One had all the right kit, right sort of head covering, right plastic sword and shield but the other boy, bless his heart, had tried hard! He had a trilby hat instead of a helmet and his sword(?) was a fishing rod but who cares? They were having fun!
My next entry will be about the actual Jousting..tune in later folks!