Doors 264 – Doors from Highgate, London, November 2023 (Part IV)
This week I am incredibly pressed for time, so this will be a very short entry. My late afternoon doorscursion back in November 2023 through my old ‘manor’, Highgate village, continues in this penultimate collection from North London.
I really wanted to talk about all the pubs in Highgate, because when I was a teenager, all the talk was that Highgate had more pubs on the main street than anywhere else in the country. I have no idea if this was true, but the following is a list of them (all within a few hundred yards), starting halfway down Highgate Hill:
Brendan the Navigator, used to be called The Old Crown Inn – it has obviously gone up-market.
The Duke’s Head
The Angel
The Prince of Wales
The Crown
The Gatehouse (featured below)
The Flask (featured below)
The Red Lion and Sun
The Wrestlers
The Bull
I hope you enjoy this week’s selection:
The Gatehouse entrance door and lamp, Highgate , London, November 2023The Flask entrance (please use other door), Highgate , London, November 2023Blue door with fine columns and portico, Highgate, London, November 2023Triple panelled black door, Highgate, London, November 2023Chesterfield door and fine scalloped awning, Highgate, London, November 2023The Old Hall gate and door, Highgate, London, November 2023
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
Doors 264 – Doors from Highgate, London, November 2023 (Part III)
I went to a private (public) school in London, Highgate School, which was regarded in those days as a ‘second division’ public school for boys. In fairness, it has changed immeasurably since I was there. Then, it was a hotbed of white male privilege, and an anachronistic hangover from our colonialist days as a nation.
I received a very good education there and made a select few lifelong friends, but I frequently reflect on my time with some regret, that I was, and by inference am, a product of a system that has resulted in so many things that are bad about our country today. Misogyny, arrogance, inflated confidence, entitlement, racism, hierarchy and many other aspects of a social and financial elitism were nurtured in the public school environments of the 1970s.
We see in the current (and previous) Conservative Government the outcome of a dysfunctional and utterly unfair and unbalanced educational (and class) system. So many of our decision makers have enormous ‘blind spots’ where their position and status have been forged by their privileged experiences and selfish desires, without even a cursory glance at the wider society they serve.
Make no mistake, the private educational system in our country perpetuates the class and social divides and in my view should be abolished. A good education and educational assets should be the right of every child in the country, without exception, irrespective of background or ability to pay. Raise the bar for everyone, and if we have to pay more taxes to get it, then so be it. Those paying £30,000 per year (or term in some places) would be able to divert their savings into the public purse and feel the warm glow of helping the nation rather than themselves.
It is clear from the last 14 years, that our Eton-educated leaders have absolutely ruined our country, not because of the quality of their education, but because of their prejudices and ideology nurtured on the playing fields of British public schools.
OK, so I have got that off my chest. There are some parts of my school days that I do look upon fondly. My friends, some of the teachers (the Zoological Society – see last week’s post), the access to sport and the buildings were positive aspects, and through the years I had something of a love/hate relationship with the school. I worked hard, was never particularly academic, and was generally well-behaved. My reward eventually was to be made a school Prefect and head of my house (Eastgate), I say this to put into context the final photograph in this week’s selection where I am sitting to the left of the Housemaster (right as you look at it).
As you might have gathered, this week’s doors are all from the buildings of Highgate School, photographed on my visit there last November. Definitely mixed feelings when I saw the old place. I hope you enjoy the doors.
Doors in the entrance to the ‘modern’ Dyne House, Highgate School, Highgate, London, November 2023Austere door that was never used as I recall, Highgate School, Highgate, London, November 2023Fancy glass door on a building that wasn’t there in my day, Highgate School, Highgate, London, November 2023The main entrance gate and doorway, Highgate School, Highgate, London, November 2023Doors and steps to the school chapel, Highgate School, Highgate, London, November 2023Gate to the quadrangle (I think that is what it was called), Highgate School, Highgate, London, November 2023Door and stairs to the main school hall, Highgate School, Highgate, London, November 2023Eastgate house photograph circa. 1980/81 in front of the school hall door, Highgate School, Highgate, London, November 2023
I am sure that is it the same for many of us that our school days contribute immeasurably to who we become. I have spend many of my adult years gently unpicking and scrutinising my time at Highgate School, and think I now have a much healthier relationship with the place and circumstance I found myself in, and have challenged the attitudes and prejudices that surrounded me. I am content with it.
More of an essay than a Thursday doors – I promise to revert back to concentrating on doors next week, when I will feature some more Highgate doors.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
Doors 263 – Doors from Highgate, London, November 2023 (Part II)
The trip to my old stomping ground of Highgate Village in November last year, where I spent my teenage years, was both surprising and nostalgic. Naturally in my youth one door seemed to be much the same as another, and I never looked beyond their functionality, so ‘discovering’ these Highgate doors as an older and wiser person was more than a passing pleasure.
This second selection of doors hints at the time of day, early afternoon, as the low autumn sun was casting shadows, and the light was fading. There is no theme to the doors this week, just another eclectic display captured during an hour-long walk. I sound the whole thing a slightly ‘out of body’ experience, struggling to get to grips with the fact that I walked these streets most days of my life to and from school.
I hope you enjoy this week’s doors as much as I did.
There is a bonus story about the Highgate Pantry, which used to be Wylies Bakers Shop, when I lived there. A school friend and I used to run the school Zoological Society, which was a very grand name for a brick out building where we used to house small pets, such as rabbits, mice, gerbils, rats and an Axolotl called Wobert. We looked after school pupil’s pets during the holidays too sometimes.
Feeding the animals was always a bit difficult and supplies would run low, so we hatched the idea of asking Wylies bakery if they had any leftover food which we could use to feed the pets. To our utter surprise, they were more than happy to give us ‘stale’ bread, buns, pastries and the like at the end of the day in a large brown paper sack. So roughly twice a week we’d collect our sack to feed the animals. Naturally, being teenage boys with a creative streak, we’d select out the best buns for ourselves, which we’d eat and share with school friends, the rest went to the small mammals. For a couple of years, the Zoological Society became very popular indeed.
Pink doors of the Highgate Pantry (formerly Wylies Bakery), Highgate, London, November 2023Prince of Wales pub and doors, Highgate, London, November 2023Woolaston and Pauncefort Almshouses doors, Highgate, London, November 2023Yellow door, black door, green door, Highgate, London, November 2023Two black doors, Highgate, London, November 2023Red panelled door and fanlight, Highgate, London, November 2023Fine blue door, fanlight and portico, Highgate, London, November 2023Modern door, Highgate, London, November 2023
Another week draws to an end. More to come from Highgate next time.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
Doors 261 – Doors of Nottingham, November 2023 (Part III)
I am writing this post yesterday on a rather nice LNER train travelling from Peterborough, via London, to Bristol. Of course, I took the opportunity during an overnight stay to find some doors and street art while in Peterborough, but that is not important right now (Police Squad reference).
This is the third and final part of doors from a Nottingham doorscursion I made in November last year. There will be a follow-up series of posts from Nottingham following a visit I made earlier this spring, but I’ll post those in due course.
There are quite a few doors this week, another rather eclectic mix, but that is what happens when you wander aimlessly through a place. I hope you enjoy them.
Huge depot hinged doors, Nottingham, November 2023High door with the steps mysteriously missing, Nottingham, November 2023Old door in an old wall, Nottingham, November 2023Door with floral gateway, Nottingham, November 2023Panelled arch doors, Nottingham, November 2023Vibrant blue door, Nottingham, November 2023A touch of Art Nouveau in these doors, Nottingham, November 2023Notts Bank Chamber doors, Nottingham, November 2023Recessed door up steps, with fine entrance, Nottingham, November 2023Peeled paint on a door creating a patina effect, Nottingham, November 2023Old building, with a single door (established 1643), Nottingham, November 2023
Farewell then Nottingham for a little while at least, it has been fun. I haven’t yet decided which collection from my files to share next, suffice it to say, I have tons. May I wish you a happy weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
Doors 260 – Doors of Nottingham, November 2023 (Part II)
This week I share some more doors from Nottingham from a work trip I made back in November 2023. I think the fun thing about visiting cities is that there are always so many interesting doors to photograph, which is a good thing, especially as I find it challenging to find new doors from my home city of Bristol. All the doors posted in this three-part series from Nottingham were captured during a one and a half hour walk between the hotel I was staying in and the office.
There are so many curious doors and architectural periods in Nottingham that I was rather spoilt, snapping away to my heart’s content. I hope you enjoy this week’s selection.
Graffiti door, Nottingham, November 2023Door with witty street art, Nottingham, November 2023Green panelled door, Nottingham, November 2023Gated black door with boot scrapers, Nottingham, November 2023Nottingham School of Blackbelts door, Nottingham, November 20231930s The Lord Roberts pub doors, Nottingham, November 2023Blue double doors and door within a door, Nottingham, November 2023Double garage doors and doors within doors, Nottingham, November 2023Pimped London cab? – EKO Mobile Barber car doors, Nottingham, November 2023
Quite an eclectic bunch this week with no theme to connect them, but I quite like that as it gives you a flavour of the diversity of architecture and styles in the city. One more post from this Nottingham visit to come next week, until then, have a great weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
Doors 259 – Doors of Nottingham, November 2023 (Part I)
This collection of doors is the first in a series taken from two recent visits to Nottingham, the first in November 2023 and the second in March this year. Funnily enough some of the doors I photographed on my second visit were duplicates of doors from my first – obviously doors of merit.
Nottingham is a wonderful city which has a very positive vibe about it, and which is small enough to not feel oppressive. A university and a modern tram system are always attractive features.
I hope you enjoy this first selection of doors:
Open door and peek inside, Nottingham, November 2023Black doors and wonderful stone surround, Nottingham, November 2023Wide stone entrance and blue doors, Nottingham, November 2023Red doors, a beautiful stone arch and boot scrapers on either side, Nottingham, November 2023Nicely curved corner doors, Nottingham, November 2023Ornate windows and shop front with rather plain doors, Nottingham, November 2023Double doors – no door furniture, Nottingham, November 2023Gotta love a pink door, Nottingham, November 2023
That’s it for this week – more to come in this series next time.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
It has been a while since I last posted street art and graffiti doors, such has been the growing stock of door images in my files from my travels around the country and abroad. I felt a little pause to combine passions was well overdue, so this week are some doors that have been posted previously on Natural Adventures, but not gathered together for a Thursday doors post. I hope you enjoy this selection, which were previously posted in December 2022, January and February 2023.
Conrico, Park Street, Bristol, December 2022Taboo, Nelson Street, Bristol, December 2022Sled One, North Street, Bristol, January 2023Sled One, North Street, Bristol, January 2023Tanith Gould, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2022Cartoonneros, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2023Cheba, North Street, Bristol, February 2023Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023
So that’s it for this week. Next time I think I might move on to some doors from Nottingham and a trip I made there last year. Until then, may I wish you a very happy Easter weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
View of the gorge, Cheddar, Somerset, October 2023
This week I am posting the second selection of doors from a trip I made to Cheddar Gorge last October at a launch event for the declaration of the Mendip National Nature Reserve. While I was there, I made a little bit of time to take a few photographs of the shops and houses in this famous narrow gorge.
A short site visit to part of the new Nature Reserve took us to the village of Priddy a mile or two up the gorge. The heavens opened and the last two pictures capture the moment pretty well. I hope you enjoy the doors:
Cottage black door, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Ticket office doors, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Entrance to Jacobs Ladder – a long set of steps to the top of the gorge, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Gift shop doors and awning, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023The original Cheddar Cheese Company, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Is that a wolf guarding the door to Lily Cottage? Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Village green during a cloudburst, Priddy, Somerset, October 2023A very wet building and fine entrance, Priddy, Somerset, October 2023
So that’s yer lot from Cheddar Gorge, I haven’t quite decided what to do for next week, but I have tons of doors in my archive to choose from, so I guess it will be a bit of a surprise for all of us. Have a great weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post, and in his Sunday round up.
Limestone hillside, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023
From the sunny climes of Umbria in Italy to a damp autumn landscape in rural Somerset – the contrast couldn’t be greater. Last October I found myself at a launch event for a new National Nature Reserve – the Mendip NNR – which runs along the Mendip Way from Cheddar to the coast. I took the opportunity to have a quick wander up and down the gorge to see what doors were on offer (obsessive behaviour?) and wasn’t disappointed.
The weather was pretty miserable, but dramatic, with heavy showers interspersed with sunny breaks in the cloud. Cheddar Gorge sits above the small town of Cheddar, famed for being the home of cheddar cheese, and runs through imposing limestone cliffs, lined with caves and tea rooms. This selection of doors might give you a little taste of this quintessentially English landscape and tourist attraction. Enjoy.
Gate into a winter attraction cave, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Entrance to Gough’s Cave, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Sweet shop doors, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Picket fence, gate and doors, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Tearoom doors, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Cottage and green door, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Cottage green door, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023Corner cottage door, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, October 2023
More from Cheddar Gorge next time. May I wish you a very fulfilled weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post, and in his Sunday round up.
I am facilitating another workshop today, this time in London, and have written this post yesterday. This follows hot on the heals of a workshop in Nottingham on Tuesday, so I have limited capacity to write too much for this post.
Fortunately this should be quite a quick one, because it is the final leftovers from our day trip to Montefalco in Umbria last summer. I hope you enjoy them:
Beautiful gate and door behind, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023Small, double door arch, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023Double arch doors, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023Simple archway doors, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023A gateway view over the valley, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023Small double doors and wooden lintel, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023Small double door, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023Garden door – there is a gecko on this door to the left of the number 5 where the light streak is (almost impossible to see), Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023Ghost door, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023Fine double door in a former arched doorway, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023An Ottoman? influenced door, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023Grand entrance and door, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
That’s it for this week. Something closer to home, i.e. UK-based next week. May I wish you a happy weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post, and in his Sunday round up.
Natural adventures 