Thursday doors – 20 October 2022

Doors 197 – Porto doors (Part 11)

Another very short one this week, I am way too distracted by the disintegration of democracy in the UK, driven by far-right ‘think tanks’. It seems so very sad that a selfish few have ruined so much for the rest of us and utterly trashed our international reputation and status. Enough about that – I could go on for pages!

Once again, I return to Porto for this week’s selection. All of these doors or doorways, belong to São Bento station which is famed for its elaborate azulejo tile work in the main vestibule. I don’t have time to offer a history of the station, but am simply sharing some snaps of this incredible 19th century space. I hope you enjoy:

The vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
The vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Doors in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Doors in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Doors in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Doors in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Doors in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Doors in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Tile mural in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Tile mural in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Tile mural in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Tile mural in the vestibule, São Bento station, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

That’s it for this week, I’m afraid.

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.

by Scooj

Redland fox

.

Early rendezvous

or just a brief encounter

Redland platform one

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by Scooj

* When I moved to Bristol in the early nineties the Bristol urban fox population was famously thriving, in fact my allotment had the highest density of foxes on record anywhere in the world. It couldn’t last and the double whammy of mange and the introduction of wheelie bins saw the population crash.

Over the years numbers have increased again and this was one of two foxes I saw on my short walk to the station this morning.

Thursday doors

Doors 65

This week I have decided to share a whole bunch of doors from Bristol Temple Meads Station. Famed for its ‘passenger shed’ designed by I.K. Brunell and for being the focal point of the Great Western Railway (God’s Wonderful Railway) between London and Penzance.

Rather than photograph obvious doors in the station itself (apart from the first picture) I am sharing some of the doors located underneath the car park in front of the station. The structural archways have provided storage areas since the station was built and some have been hired out to private businesses, a common practice for railway infrastructure around the globe.

Small wooden kiosk, Temple Meads Station, Bristol
Small wooden kiosk, Temple Meads Station, Bristol

The Feature image and first picture show a small wooden kiosk just inside the main entrance of the station. I don’t know how many hundreds of times I have walked past this kiosk over the years, but I only recently noticed it. It is overlooked in one’s hurried efforts to shuffle through the barriers and onto the platforms. A little gem.

 

Doors to storeroom, Temple Meads Station, Bristol
Doors to storeroom, Temple Meads Station, Bristol

Doors to storeroom, Temple Meads Station, Bristol - why the drill holes in the bottom of the door?
Doors to storeroom, Temple Meads Station, Bristol – why the drill holes in the bottom of the door?

Doors to storeroom, Temple Meads Station, Bristol - Repair work in brick
Doors to storeroom, Temple Meads Station, Bristol – Repair work in brick

Doors to storeroom, Temple Meads Station, Bristol - Danger
Doors to storeroom, Temple Meads Station, Bristol – Danger

Finally the worst ‘best kept secret’ in Bristol – Hart’s Bakery – Creator of divine cakes, pastries, breads and life-limiting fancies. The bakery that makes it worth being early for your train to make a quick food diversion.

Hart's Bakery, Arch 35, Temple Meads Station, Bristol - Arguably the best bakery in Bristol
Hart’s Bakery, Arch 35, Temple Meads Station, Bristol – Arguably the best bakery in Bristol

So that’s it for this week.

More doors to be admired by following the links at the end of the fabulous Norm 2.0 blog: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

Until next time,

Scooj.

4. Redland Station

Another mural by Cheo, that I have never really paid too much attention to, despite seeing it frequently.

Cheo, Redland Station, Bristol, July 2015
Cheo, Redland Station, Bristol, July 2015

This piece, which includes his signature bees, can be found on the end wall of the garages, at the entrance to the station. It is a cheerful, rural theme.