West front, Salisbury Cathedral

For centuries most buildings have had a front and a back (and sides too, of course!) The front has always been the favoured elevation, the one that aims to impress, the one where the architect (or builder or owner) have given greatest consideration, and where most money per square foot has been spent. Cathedrals are no exception to this general rule though its true to that all elevations are designed to be seen and to impress. However, the west front is usually the most favoured elevation, is often symmetrical, and has the main processional entrance. Many cathedrals have west fronts decorated with statues of biblical figures and saints. This is the case at Salisbury where this approach is thought to have been borrowed from not too distant Wells Cathedral. At Salisbury, however, fewer of the statues are original, with many being Victorian in age.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Charles Rolls and Henry V

Villages, towns and cities are understandably proud of the famous people that grow up and thrive in their communities. Frequently the most famous are commemorated with a statue. Such memorials tend to be found in cities simply because their higher populations are more likely to produce people who achieve fame. It is, therefore, unusual for a small town such as Monmouth in Wales (population c.11,000), to produce two people whose names are known acrosss the world. Charles Rolls (1877-1910) was a pioneer aviator and co-founder of the Rolls Royce motor car and aero engine manufacturing companies. Henry V (1386/7-1422) is well known for his military successes against France, and particularly his victory at Agincourt, but more widely through Shakespeare's play that takes his name as its title.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Garden statues

Leominster is known for the number of antique shops that have been established in the town. We recently spent a few hours looking around them, finding as much interest in the labyrinthine interiors of some of the Georgian houses in which they were based, as in the contents themselves. A couple of the shops had overflowed into garden outbuildings and even the garden itself. The two statues here were in one such garden, cast versions of ancient Greek models, designed for the shopper looking to give a focal point to their bit of greenery.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100