The July Library Book Photo

 There should have been 14 books ready for me to collect from the library van on Thursday but 6 had gone missing, probably on a wrong shelf back in the depot. So I shall be short of library reading matter this month - not a problem - plenty of my own to read. (They are showing on my Library Dashboard as "ready for collection" so hopefully will  be in the right place to bring for me in 4 weeks time).

Below are the books I did carry home.

'The Taste of War' - on the left is a book I've borrowed before but perhaps didn't read right through and 'The Garden Apothecary' I  had last year when I didn't have a photocopier to copy a few useful pages so it's now borrowed again to do that. 'Foxash' is a new to me author and 'Cacophony of Bones' was the one from the Wainwright prize list mentioned last week -(very speedy delivery! it must have been on the mobile shelves). The others are by authors I know and I'm most looking forward to 'The English Fȕhrer'.

4 Weeks ago I brought home these below but only read four. Giving up on Rev Richard Coles, Greta Mulrooney, Peter May and Frances Lardet  for various reasons and the little book on the top by Miranda Keeling only took me 10 minutes to read so I didn't count it as a proper book!

Several from my shelves were read last month too. Everything I read is always on the Books Read page.

Have a good weekend

Back Monday

Sue 

An Amazing Collection

 Apologies again for not replying to comments - still have a small energetic visitor! Easy to schedule posts - can't do that with comments!!

This incredible collection was up for sale nearby so I went to take some photos. I had no idea this person, who we knew before we moved away  (he died just a few years ago) - had such a lot of carriages, gypsy caravans etc so close to home. Apparently he used to open now and again- like a museum- but that was when we were living across at the coast.

It was advertised as the lifetime collection of horse drawn vehicles- and it certainly must have taken him his whole life to collect, starting in the 1950's when things like this were being thrown out and worth nothing .

I could have stayed for an hour taking photos but wanted my lunch!

So just a few photos to give you an idea of what was hidden away in those buildings for so many years.

Horse drawn hearses 

Small carts

  

Early Fire Engine

Larger carts and traps

Fairground Roundabout

Inside one of the beautiful gypsy caravans

And all the others

More carts and carriages

Beautiful model fairground

As well as the full size there were models of all sorts plus everything needed for horses like saddles, bridles and bits. There were carriage lamps and indoor lamps, tin plate toys, paintings, butter churns and bellows. In fact a huge quantity of all sorts. 

If only I had room and several thousand pounds to spare I would have loved a gypsy caravan!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Ickworth House

Making use of my one year National Trust membership while visiting Little Saxham church last week, I went to Ickworth House and Estate which is a few miles outside of Bury St Edmunds. I'd been once before but with Eldest Daughter and Eldest Grandson when he was just a little fella and we didn't get to see much inside.(Just worked out that was 5 years ago just after Colin died)

The Rotunda is probably the most photographed part of this grand house. This ordinary photo is just a part of the whole.

So I tried a panoramic shot and got a bit more in - there's still more off to the right - it's big! The wing over to the left is now a private hotel - not National Trust

The Porters Lodge just inside the gates, now a small cafe.

Below I've copied some of the information about Ickworth from the website. Plenty more about the estate there.

Building Ickworth House

The house you see at Ickworth today – with its distinctive Rotunda – was the vision of the 4th Earl of Bristol, known as the Earl Bishop. Upon inheriting the estate in 1779, he aspired to build a house that would, in his own words, unite ‘magnificence with convenience’.

The Earl Bishop’s vision

The Earl Bishop had spent his life travelling in Europe, and had secured a vast collection of art and treasures. Started in 1795, Ickworth House was to be the home of this extensive stash, with the Earl Bishop hoping to create a gallery that would enlighten and educate receptive minds.

Irish architects the Sandys brothers brought Italian designs to life and society held its breath as the building began to take shape. Nothing like it had ever been seen in this country before, and it is unique even today.

Sadly, the Earl Bishop’s collection was confiscated by Napoleonic troops in 1798 and he spent the remainder of his days trying to recover his losses. Ickworth House was still just a shell when he died in 1803.

Completing the project

After the Earl Bishop’s death, his son Frederick, the 5th Earl (later the 1st Marquess), took over the building project, eventually moving his family into the completed house in 1829.

Frederick changed the original concept of a magnificent central house with two wings, preferring to make the East Wing the family home and the central Rotunda a gallery and entertaining space to impress visitors.

The West Wing was simply built for symmetry, and remained empty, occasionally being used for storage until 2003.

A few photos of inside. All the bedrooms and living areas etc are kept with shaded windows so as not to spoil the furnishings so I didn't take many photos.

'Below stairs'  is the servants hall, where they ate and relaxed - if they had time! Look how many servants they would have had.

Another part of the servants quarters for them to do their own washing

One photo of the 'Above Stairs' - The dining room

The Estate is huge and a lot of areas are open to the public for walking

Thank you for comments yesterday and apologies for not replying - I'm doing a bit of Nanna duty for a couple of days.

Back Tomorrow

Sue