Random Object Photographs

It's funny that the human travelogue Rick Steves has a short video on the things you've mentioned.

Wells' Splendid Gothic Cathedral - YouTube
Wow... that REALLY brought back memories... and tears to my eyes.

I'd forgotten about the old clock. The statuary on the West Front underwent considerable restoration several years ago, some being repaired with fiberglass. The zealot reformers didn't manage to destroy the "idolatry", perhaps because the cathedral was relatively far away, so I think most of the damage was due to the effects of weather. Steves is right- it must have been an extraordinary sight when they were all painted! There are still a few small parish churches with their interior wall paintings intact, albeit faded. Must have helped to bring Biblical stories to life for the often-illiterate worshippers who had no knowlwdge of Latin.

The Cathderal School has a well-regarded specialist music school and orchestra. When i was there, one of the almost-graduated students, violinist Hilary Sturt (now a violin teacher in London, I think) , was lodged in the Bishop's Palace and gave ne a private tour of the Library, with its collection of chained books, as well as the huge kitchen in the basement, with (at that time, anyway) a huge Rayburn or AGA cast-iron stove.

What visitors don't see is the magnificent worn steps that lead from the Chapter house at the end of Vicar's Close into the cathedral, well-worn after 600+ years

Wells-Cathedral-64_148847841_243546361.jpg

A stair travels from the north transept into the chapterhouse chamber.
To the left, a door leads over the Chain Gate to the Vicars’ Hall.
 
Last edited:
On this 20th anniversary of September 11th, after remembering the horror, other personal memories of the World Trade Center trickled in.

The only time I remember going up in the towers was when my friend from Switzerland visited and we took her and my inlaws to Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top.
My friend and inlaws:
Windows-on-the-World.jpg


The view from a sailboat charter during a friends birthday party.
WTC.jpg


The view from a night out with a friend on the Brooklyn waterfront.
WTC-BB-night.jpg


The same photo, and the one and only time I used a new starburst adapter on my camera. Didn't like the effect, but now in hindsight it looks as if it were seen while crying.
WTC-BB-night-Starburst.jpg


The view from when I took a friend to the observation deck of the Empire State Building
WTC-from-ESB.jpg


The tall building that replaced the WTC, seen from a police boat.
New-WTC.jpg


Mostly forgotten now that they are gone, but the Trade Center towers were generally disliked and extremely controversial from the time they were first proposed. This article discuses that, and has a good YouTube video about the original towers construction.

Why New Yorkers Couldn'''t Stand The Twin Towers - Gothamist
 
Last edited:
The Bonnie and Clyde Car used to be in a Casino on the NV-CA state line.
I went past there a number of times but never saw that car.
I couldn’t bring myself to pay - they charged $15 I think - to see that Shot up Ford.
I saw this one a few years back at a local Car Show.
This is a Ford I can Love!
Better than when new,
No Bullet Holes!
 

Attachments

  • B4A31086-6B46-47D3-AFB1-3836A5B855B7.jpg
    B4A31086-6B46-47D3-AFB1-3836A5B855B7.jpg
    114.5 KB · Views: 32
Last edited:
A study in red.. Durant's in Phoenix



James E. “Jack” Durant opened this Phoenix landmark steakhouse on Central Avenue in 1950. Durant was a pit boss at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in the 40s and that Las Vegas vibe definitely influenced the decor.

The red velvet walls still prevail, and red leather chairs still grace the several posh dining rooms.

Durant's is one of the few "old line" restaurants in Phoenix, and perhaps the only one where the entrance is in back, and one has to go through the kitchen to enter the dining areas. The house specialties are steak and prime rib. Expensive, but worth it.

I took this picture with the consent of the current owner before Durant's opened up for the day. Fresh flowers are provided on each table every day. An added bonus for me is that they make Manhattan cocktails as I would - perfectly and generously.

John
 
Last edited:
The Bonnie and Clyde Car used to be in a Casino on the NV-CA state line.
I went past there a number of times but never saw that car.
I couldn’t bring myself to pay - they charged $15 I think - to see that Shot up Ford.
I saw this one a few years back at a local Car Show.
This is a Ford I can Love!
Better than when new,
No Bullet Holes!

Here's the original car in "as found" condition...

John

 




Note that the gasoline tank was located directly behind the high-mounted seat. It was a necessity at the time, because the gas feed was gravitational rather than pump-driven.

As soon as gas pumps were invented, this extremely hazardous position was quickly changed to as far away from the driver as possible.

John

It was vehicles like that solid tired, primitive suspension truck that gave rise to the expression "This *&%^#$% rides like a truck!"
 
Last edited:
"As soon as gas pumps were invented, this extremely hazardous position was quickly changed to as far away from the driver as possible."

Really??? Tell that to all of the people that owned Pickup trucks from the forties, fifties and into the sixties with the gas tank right behind the driver's seat in the cab with them.

Just saying.
 
Last edited:
"As soon as gas pumps were invented, this extremely hazardous position was quickly changed to as far away from the driver as possible."

Really??? Tell that to all of the people that owned Pickup trucks from the forties, fifties and into the sixties with the gas tank right behind the driver's seat in the cab with them.

Just saying.

You are partially correct. I owned a '58 Chevy pickup for some time, and the tank was just below and behind the seat.

However, military trucks were basically another matter, with the possibility of bullets hitting the tank being a strong reason for relocating the tank further aft from the driver. This was the context of my remark.

John
 

Latest posts

Back
Top