Sky Watch Friday

Across The Roof Tops

A view across the South of Cheltenham, taking in St Andrews Church steeple and the dome and roof of the Ladies College, under an ominous sky.

To join in with Sky Watch, or to view the sky the world over, head across to the Sky Watch Friday Blog.

Not Another Post Box!

Yes, I'm afraid so! I'd forgotten I'd taken this photo of the Penfold post box opposite the Cheltenham Ladies College and the poor thing missed out on being part of my series the other week. Today I right that wrong!

I really liked this photo because of the trail of red going off into the distance - the red post box, the red roadwork bollards and the red light. Sometimes things just come together.

Bridging The Gap

You don't often see this sort of thing between buildings around here, a corridor in the air. And a grand walkway at that. This links two of the buildings that make up the Ladies College. The college site is made up of lots of different buildings that are all linked together, making a courtyard garden in the middle. A few years ago it was remodeled and reopened by the Queen, although its not open to the public.

Sorry for all the short posts of late, all on the same theme, normal service will resume tomorrow.

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Windows

Another photo of the Ladies College. Sorry its a short post again. I'll be glad when things get back to normal on Monday.

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Sky Watch Friday

Gargoyle And Blue Sky

This is another one from the Ladies College. The gargoyle was keeping a watchful eye on the passersby below. (And the sky really was that blue on Monday!)

To join in with Sky Watch, and to check out other skies all over the world, head over to the Sky Watch Friday Blog.
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Learning Curve

Over the next few days I've got a lot going on workwise so I'll be doing brief posts and my comments will probably be few and far between. Its one of those times when work gets in the way of what you enjoy. I guess that's life though!

Today's photo is from high up on the side of the Ladies College. This person is hard at work learning. It looks like the pigeon is overseeing operations!

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Theme Day - Metal and Sky Watch Friday!

It's Theme Day time again and its also the ever popular Sky Watch Friday today. I wasn't feeling inspired about this months theme but I wanted to try to post a photo that would cover both events. Up until 11pm last night I had a metal themed photo but it meant I couldn't join in with Sky Watch. I was talking over my useless ability to be organised with Phoebe, she said it would have been good if I had a weather vane to show. A little light bulb went on in my mind! I had one! And here it is.

This is the weather vane on top of Cheltenham Ladies College. It is made from cast iron and lead (I think!) and the sky in the background really was that grey, its not a black and white photo!

If you want to join in with Sky Watch Friday, and to see the other Sky Watchers offerings, head over to the Sky Watch Friday blog.

And click here to view thumbnails for all participants of this months City Daily Photo Theme Day. There are 182 blogs taking part, so take some time to pay them a visit.

Seeing all of those metal and/or sky photos should help pass the time on a Friday afternoon! Have a good weekend everybody and thanks for the inspiration Phoebe!

Pigeon Spa

Cheltenham owes it Spa town status to the humble Pigeon. According to tradition, Cheltenham's spa water was discovered in 1716 because local people noticed pigeons pecking at the salty deposits left around a spring in a field on the south of the town.

William Mason, the owner of the field, started to charge for the medicinal water and created the towns first Spa. In 1739 Masons son-in-law, Henry Skillicorne, created a deeper well on the site, installed a pump and built a brick canopy to shelter the drinkers of the water. As the site developed he constructed a Spa building and linked the well to the town with a walk way of trees, later known as Well Walk. The popularity of the Spa grew and the water was bottled and sold in Cities around the country. In 1788 King George and his family visited the Spa and this secured Cheltenhams popularity and its Spa status.

After the regal visit the Spa became known as the Royal Well (now the area occupied by the Ladies College). By the turn of the 1800's the Royal Well was supplying water to about two thousand visitors a year, and this success lead to nearly a dozen other Spas opening in and around Cheltenham by the 1850's. As the century moved on the water tasting and bathing continued but in the early 1900's the Spas began to close and the buildings were used for other businesses. Today you can still try the spa water at the Town Hall and the Pitville Pump Room, having tried it myself I can tell you it is salty and not very pleasant!

Without the pigeon, the bird that some people call 'rats with wings', who knows how different Cheltenham's history might have been.

Red Chimneys

All those chimneys and that striking architecture really caught my eye while I was out and about last week. This large and impressive red brick building looks Victorian to me but I'm not sure. All I know is its big! I don't know what its used for or by who, I don't even know what its called. What I do know is that its in Malvern Road and it may be part of the Ladies College, as its near some of their sports facilities, but I don't really know! My standards are slipping. Sorry!

Just have fun counting the chimneys...

Observe The Mystery

Here is another shot of the Cheltenham Ladies College. This is the Observatory that can be seen in Tuesdays photo. The photo is taken from The Promenade, through two other buildings. The street it is actually on is just a minor thorough fair, rarely used. I'm sure that many Cheltonions don't know this tower, with its clock and copper dome, even exists. All I know is the building is built in a French-Gothic style. I've tried to find out more about it using the Internet and books about Cheltenhams history, but to no avail. I guess I'll have to visit the Ladies to find out more. If anyone knows anything about it please let me know.

Ladies Learning

This is The Princess Hall, viewed from Montpelier Street, which forms one of the oldest parts of Cheltenham Ladies College. It was built on the site of Royal Well Pump Room, Cheltenhams first Spa, between 1895 and 1897. The buildings architecture and stone masonry give it great grandeur. The Ladies College dates back to 1853 and one of its most famous Principles was Miss Dorothea Beale, who lead the college from 1858 to 1906. The college now educates around 860 girls and employs 130 or so teachers. If you are interested in sending your own daughter there it costs £8,176 for a boarder per term. I'm sure it's worth every penny! As far as I know the roof just in the photo on the left belongs to the Library and the domed roof on the right is the Observatory. The Princess Hall is home to a large pipe organ on the upper rear gallery and hosts choirs, concerts and conferences.