Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 4, 2008 18:42:10 GMT
One more thing I love about Carol is, she is always happy to go anywhere, when we have days out. Just as well really, some of the places I have taken her, often ones I have noticed as I drive around the southwest. We always make a real full day of it and know that we will always have a great day out together and another one to remember fondly. I just really love the bygone days and often try and find places that have real history and buildings to go with it. The ones where you stand inside, close your eyes and imagine your dressed in the clothes of the day and in your mind try and image how life was then. So its no wonder I love castles, real history, but I often feel sad when I see one for the first time. Most are ruins and you always wonder, just why they were left to fall apart. Mind you look around and you can be sure some house or garden wall, was built with stone nicked from the castle site. You look over the walls into the valley below and can see those Normans trying to rush the castle, well I do, but I'm still a big kid at heart. I will start this thread with some pictures of two castles I have been too, I hope that you might have some photos of other castles you might like to share with us.I will add some more later. The first castle is one I'm sure Stuartb will know as Its in south Wales. Llansteffan Castle    Restormel Castle CornwallThis was a real gem to find, small but I really loved it and Carol and I were the only ones there at the time, so we could explore to our hearts were content.      |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2008 21:39:22 GMT
This got me thinking about next Tuesday...Pevensey Castle in the afternoon, Eastbourne Borough in the evening? No, bugger, only open Saturdays and Sundays at this time of the year... Here's one for BBC - which Football League club occasionally played at the Castle Ground between 1889 and 1894? And, of course, Dumbarton's new ground beneath the castle (with the Clyde on the other side of the rock)...  |
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bbcgull
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Post by bbcgull on Dec 5, 2008 16:39:15 GMT
You got me there Barton, what is the answer?
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 5, 2008 16:58:48 GMT
Lulworth Castle DorsetOne lesson I learned on the day Carol and I went to see lulworth Castle was, check what you really will be going to see, I will explain shortly. I worked for another company some time ago and drove past this castle twice a week, you go to Dorchester, but do not stay on the road to Bournemouth, but head for Wareham.Its a nice drive and then you come to Bovington camp, complete with a tank parked by the main gate. You turn right just past the camp, there are signs everywhere warning you that the area is a fireing range, several times I heard the tanks fire and thought my time had come. This was one of those places I had put on my must do with Carol list, a list we always seem to work through, unlike the book we bought with 250 best walks in the southwest. The walks start at 3 miles and some are as long as 8 mile, still we have made a start working through the list of walks and now only have 245 more to do. As you drive down the road from the camp, you can see the castle through the trees and I would guess about 250 yards away from the road. It sure looked a really great castle and I could not wait to go and see it with Carol. So we got a free day and off we set from Paignton, got there and drove up the drive into the car park, then went and paid to get in. We then had to walk to the castle and I was getting even more excited about going inside. We got to the main door and in we went, but what a  I got, well it all became clear as Carol started reading from a board nearby. it seems the place had a major fire early in the 1900's and it was completely gutted, nothing in there, just the four main walls. I said to Carol, that I felt they have had enough time to sort out the house insurance  So I only took four pictures, but they did let me and Carol feed the goat, we spent the rest of the day in Weymouth.    
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Post by chrish on Dec 5, 2008 18:59:43 GMT
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 5, 2008 19:32:45 GMT
Fantastic pictures Chris, I see I'm going to have change your title too Overseas Stadium & Castle Specialist ;D
So come on folks sure many more must have some great pictures of castles you have been too.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2008 19:42:26 GMT
BBC, the setting may have been less dramatic than La Rocca Calascio but it was Notts County which played at the Castle Ground in the late C19th.
At the time Notts' main ground was Trent Bridge cricket ground - the club didn't move to Meadow Lane until 1910 - but the Castle Ground was used when Trent Bridge was unavailable (not that near Nottingham Castle apparently).
Dave, enjoyed the Lulworth Castle pictures. Didn't know anything about it. I'll put in a good word for Old Wardour Castle just over the Wiltshire border from Shaftesbury.
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Post by jond on Dec 6, 2008 10:28:59 GMT
Great pictures of the Gran Sasso, Chris. Did you get to the ski station at Campo Imperatore nearby? I think I read that Mussolini was detained there for a while.
We climbed from there to the ridge above and got altitude sickness so I sat down out of the wind behind a wooden hut. I thought I could hear voices and on closer examination found there was a bar inside!! What a result.
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Post by chrish on Dec 6, 2008 10:51:26 GMT
Mussolini was indeed detained there. German Paratroopers got him out of jail in a daring raid. called Operation Eiche. Not a shot was fired, but in the escape in a flimsy Storch light aircraft almost ended in disaster after the plane could barely cope with the weight of the pilot, Il Duce and the maverick Operation mastermind Otto Skorzeny.
We were on a tight deadline that day to go to L'Aquila so I didn't get the chance to see Campo Imperatore. I will go back to this area though. It's stunningly beautiful and in April is as quiet as a muffled mouse.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 6, 2008 11:17:52 GMT
Watermouth Castle North DevonIf you have children and are looking for a really special day out, then let me recommend Watermouth Castle, a place that children will just love to bits. You enter the castle, but you do not see a great deal of the castle itself, but you walk past displays etc and down to the lower level, that is full of surprises. One thing that I enjoyed is a room with old musical instruments, check out the time on the board as they all get played for your enjoyment. Once in the grounds, you walk along paths, everywhere there are displays, the children push a button and it all comes to life. There is also some children's rides and other things going on during the day. I love the water show, had to keep going back and watching it every time it was on.               The highlight for me the water show, set to music, like the battle of Britain etc, you some how get a really proud felling going through you.   
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 7, 2008 15:28:39 GMT
A small selection of some other castle photo's I have, I do hope we can get a few more to share any pictures of castles you may have. If you do not use photo bucket etc, you can always send any photo's to the forum via email and I will be more than happy to host them for you. Powerham CastleA castle in name only as it is really only a fortified manor house. You do get to tour a lot of the house and walk through a secret passage, that is hidden behind a book case. The last picture is in the grounds of the castle and fine views of the river exe are enjoyed from this spot, not sure what you call these things or what they are really for, sure someone will know.    The Castle Chapel   Okehampton CastleJust two pictures for this castle, Rolf came over from Holland in May of this year to spend a week with Carol and I. I picked him up from the airport on the Thursday night and the plan was for him to come with me to work on the Friday. I felt like I was taking my driving test all over again, as his hand came down on the dash and these words rung out "can you stop and make a picture of me with this cottage" words I was to hear all day and starting work at 6am that morning, we just managed to get around to all calls before they closed at the end of the day. It was only 7.30am when I took him to see this castle, so we could only get a shot from the outside.   ? CastleThis castle is in the south of Holland, but I do not know its name, I will have to wait for one of our Dutch members to let me know. Once again it was closed when we got there, so only a few outside shots. I have put up a street picture from the town where the castle is, on the left we found an Irish pub, full of Dutch men all watching Man U live on the big screens, acting like English fans, they sure love our football over there. I was just pleased to get some food I could eat at last. I'm very boring and only eat plain food, so to get Pie and Chips, I was at last in heaven, as Mc Donald's was all I had been eating ;D     |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2008 20:12:08 GMT
Dave I'm pretty sure it's Valkenburg Castle - right at the southern tip of the Netherlands.
I stayed there with a party of Newcastle fans on the way to a Champions League game in 1997 at PSV Eindhoven. Totally barmy coach trip leaving Newcastle at 6am, overnight in Valkenburg, straight back to Tyneside after the game. Then a few days staying with friends and home via Peterborough v Torquay. I've memories of a group of drunks who wore NUFC lampshades the entire trip.
Also did the trip to Zagreb that season with the Mags which I combined with seeing our lot at Shrewsbury.
Some of the bars in the main street look familiar - Geordie Les, who may be known to St Pauli followers, enjoyed a few in several of those establishments.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 7, 2008 20:15:12 GMT
Barton I would expect you are correct, sure Rolf will see this thread and confirm, I'm no good with new place names and anyway all the signs were double dutch to me. |
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Post by ospelgull on Dec 9, 2008 22:07:05 GMT
It's the castle in Valkenburg definately.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 9, 2008 22:11:34 GMT
It's the castle in Valkenburg definately. Great and thanks for that, must say I really enjoyed this town(do you call it a town) I believe its a very popular place for tourists. |
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