NIEUWPOORT BELGIUM and The Western Front

After crossing the English Channel from Dover to Calais as my grandfather did in 1914, I headed north to De Panne, Belgium, a town in the Flemish Province of West Flanders—part of Flanders, one of three Belgian regions.  The next morning we went a short distance to the North Sea port, Nieuwpoort. Here we stood on the beaches, close to the northern point on the western front of World War I.

Following the German attack on Belgium, 4 August 1914, Nieuwpoort was part of the area still under Belgian control after the October Battle of the Yser. The German “Race to the Sea” had been thwarted by the allies. The Battle of the Yser is part of the defense of Flanders and the Battles at Ypres (called “Wipers” by the British).  Nearby is the first available Demarcation Stone. These small stones mark the battle line of the Western Front from Belgium to Pfetterhouse on the French-Swiss border. Each of these 119 monuments are one metre high and topped with a laurel wreath and a soldier’s helmet. The helmets represent the troops—Belgian, French, or British.

A memorial to King Albert, near the Yser river, recalls national pride in the Belgian resistance. The King had opened the sluices allowing the land to be flooded and ending the German advance. 

Nearby is a memorial remembering the British Expeditionary Force, which landed later in August.

Before leaving the Nieuwpoort area, we stopped at the Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery. Here, 841 Commonwealth soldiers are buried or remembered: UK 830, Canada 2, Australia 8, South Africa 1.

See More of My World War I Travels

Guide to World War I in France

Guide to World War I in Belgium

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Publications (many free downloads)

     

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National Portrait Gallery London

The National Portrait Gallery in London was founded in 1856. Walking through the main collection is a walk through time as revealed in the faces and scenes of people whose words and deeds continue to influence British Culture. In addition, we see centuries of changes in portraiture.

In addition to the royals and political leaders, the collection includes artists, scientists, activists, warriors, religious leaders, and authors.















This 2018 portrait of Malala Yousafzai by Shirin Neshat was commissioned by the Gallery. The artist inscribed a poem in calligraphy on the photograph. Read more about the work at this outset link.






In addition to paintings, sculputres, and photographs are eledtrotypes. Here's one of The Black Prince (Edward, Prince of Wales 1330-76).



The National Portrait Gallery is close to the National Gallery of Art, which is by Trafalgar Square and St. Martin-in-the-Fields church.

Admission is free and donations are welcome. There are fees for special exhibitions. The Gallery is open most days. Check the website for times.

The website also includes a floor plan and information about special events. You can also find information on accessibility.

There is a restaurant, café, and shop.

There is free WiFi, which worked well when I visited.

The physical address is St Martin's Place, London WC2H OHE. Tel 020 7306 0055

For more information see the website: https://www.npg.org.uk

You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

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My Books   AMAZON     GOOGLE PLAY STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton

TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

LinkedIN Geoffrey Sutton  PhD

The Shard London

I walked up the steps from the London Bridge Tube station and was immediately struck by the height of The Shard. On a clear day, you will see London like you've never seen it before. The cool breeze on the open upper deck adds to the sense of adventure. In short, The Shard is an experience.


According to the website, you get 360-degree views up to 40 miles. Such a visit might even be a good starting point for a tour of the city. The viewing areas are on floors 68, 69, and 72.

Here's my view of Tower Bridge




The Tower of London looks like a miniature castle. You can see The Shard reflected in the Thames.






If you have a railway enthusiast in your group, check out this view.




You might recognize the HMS Belfast, an historic WW II battleship.





The Shard contains a hotel, offices, and restaurants. Tickets can be purchased online. Access is by high speed lifts that travel at the rate of 6 metres per second.

I visited in November so I had very little wait time. There is a security check. Refreshments are available on the viewing decks.

Consider the direction of the sun and time of day if that is a factor in what you want to see. For example, I went in the afternoon so the western sun made it diffuclt to get great photos in that direction but nicely lit up the other parts of London.  You can add a day and a night experience for an additional fee.

For details on hours, prices, and more, check out the website: https://www.the-shard.com/

You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

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WALES St Fagans National Museum of History

Our visit to St Fagans was an enjoyable day out. We boarded a bus in Cardiff, which stopped near the visitor's centre.

We followed the path around the grounds of St Fagans Castle and gardens and stopped in most buildings, which follow a path through the history of Wales from past centuries to the present.

The farm is one early stop.









The country castle-mansion is interesting inside and out.







A restored medieval church includes a lot of artwork.

There are several small shops where you can purchase food and drink.













There's a variety of cottages and more recent houses.



















Entry was free when we visited in June 2018
There's places for picnics and a play area for children.
There's a gift shop and café.
It's open most days- check the website https://museum.wales/stfagans/visit/
There's onsite parking for a fee.

Here's links to my YouTube slideshow of St Fagans. First is a quick 1 minute trip

This is a slower slideshow giving a broader sample of St Fagans museum.

Here's a link to my YouTube Playlist for Wales

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxYjYcgwalAXksM2cljZwk9nHREonkgoj

Author Note

I'm from London England with relatives in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. If you visit the UK, you might find Mind the Gap a fun read. On AMAZON

Please check out my website   www.suttong.com

   and see my books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

More about beautiful WALES

Beaumaris Castle

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Wales

CHESTER, ENGLAND - Worth A Visit

Bridge over River Dee, Chester / G Sutton 2018

On our recent holiday in the UK, my wife suggested we re-visit Chester--I'm glad she did. There's a sort of timelessness as you walk amongst the restored "black and white" shops, tour an old cathedral, enjoy an ice cream by the river Dee, or stroll along ancient sandstone walls.

We arrived by rail from Euston station, London and stayed in a hotel near the ornate 1768 East Gate-- less than a mile from the railway station. The 1899 clock atop the gate comemorates Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.

East Gate, Chester/ G Sutton

On our first day, we walked about Grosvenor Park, stopping for photos and enjoying the scenery. The small railway looks like a fun ride for children.

Grosvenor Park, Chester / G Sutton 2018

Railway at Grosvenor Park, Chester / G Sutton 2018

Caught this bird near Grosvenor Park

We crossed the River Dee on two bridges and ambled about the picturesque city storing one image after another lest we forget.





Here's a video of the calm waters of the river Dee from a different bridge.

Here's an example of the "black and white" architechture--a hallmark of Chester architecture. The buildings are part of a 19th century Tudor Revival.





We listened to street entertainers and enjoyed fish n' chips at one of the local pubs. Some entertainers were quite good.






Here's a video clip from the a street musician.

Some pretty good Fish 'n Chips followed by a cuppa.

After fish 'n chips

On the second day we toured Chester Cathedral, examined the Roman finds (link), and circumnavigated the city along the two miles of walls. See my post on the Cathedral for more details of that experience.

Section of the south wall by the river Dee

We enjoyed an outdoors lunch by the old pink and buff colored town hall with a green-grey slate roof and three-sided clock.

Chester Town Hall 1864-1869

And on the third day we visited the Grosvenor museum (link), cruised the River Dee, and enjoyed our surrounds.

BTW--there's lots of spots to eat along the river bank including ubiquitous ice cream stands.

Cruise boats on the River Dee, Chester

You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

Mind the Gap on AMAZON  and  GOOGLE

Connections

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... and My Books   AMAZON     GOOGLE PLAY STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton

TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

LinkedIN Geoffrey Sutton  PhD

CHESTER- Roman and Norman England

Chester Castle / Geoff Sutton 2018

ROMAN CHESTER

In the 70s, Chester was a Roman outpost in the west of England. It was established following the successful invasion of Britain in 43. The Roman fort was known as Deva Victrix. The Romans abandoned the fort when they left Britian in 410.

The Roman layout of Chester was a rectangle with rounded corners. Today, visitors can see the remains of a large amphitheater that could seat about 7,000.

Roman Amphitheatre Chester / G Sutton 2018

Southwest of the amphitheater are Roman Gardens. I took both photos from the city wall.

Roman Gardens, Chester / G Sutton 2018

A number of artifacts from the Roman period can be found in Chester's Grosvenor Museum. Several gravemarkers have been found and are on display. The one below was found in 1874 along with two skeletons, a gold ring, and a coin of Domitian. They are in remarkably good condition given their age.

SAXONS

Chester was occupied by the Saxons following the Roman period. The city was re-established in 907 by Aethelflaed, daughter of King Alfred the Great. The city walls were strengthened at the time and have often been reinforced over the centuries. A High Cross (pictured below) was built at the city center. St. Werburgh's Abbey was also founded in the Northeast part of the city.

High Cross, Chester / 2018

Finds from the Saxon period can also be found in the Grosvenor Museum. Pictured below are silver pennies from the 9th and 10th centuries.





NORMANS

Soon after the invasion of 1066, the Normans arrived in force. They built Chester Castle (pictured at the top of this page) as a motte-and-bailey castle in the South. By the 12th century, walls encircled the entire city. During the reign of King Edward, Chester became a place of operations against theWelsh tribes (Northern Wales is a few miles to the West).

The walls have been reinforced over the years and offer the opportunity for a two-mile walk around the city.

City Wall Chester / 2018

City Wall Chester by River Dee

Notes

There is no charge to walk around the walls or visit the Roman sites like the gardens and the amphitheatre. Various books are available in local bookstores and the museum for those interested in a more in-depth history. We also saw a number of tour groups around the city. Some walking tours are free. And we saw troops of youngsters dressed in Roman garb obediently following a Roman soldier.

There is no charge to enter the Grosvenor Museum located near the southern part of the city close to Chester Castle. The museum houses other interesting exhibits in addition to the items mentioned in this post. The exhibtions change to click on the above link for current information.

Here's my link to other places to see in Chester. And more about the cathedral.

Here's a link to Chester and the surrounding area: https://www.visitcheshire.com/chester

Connections

See My webpage    www.suttong.com

Check out my books   AMAZON     GOOGLE PLAY STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton

TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

LinkedIN Geoffrey Sutton  PhD