• Langstone Harbour and Portsmouth from Portsdown Hill

    Day Twenty-two

    Langstone Harbour and Portsmouth from Portsdown Hill. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    Portsmouth, the city where I was born. This view, or more accurately the view of Portsmouth at night from the ‘old’ A3 as it crested the top of Portsdown Hill, is an enduring memory from my childhood. As is the neon sign saying ‘Welcome to Portsmouth and Sunny Southsea’ on Portsbridge, back when Portsmouth truly was an island.

    Enough reminiscing, back to reality…

    We’ve spent the past week with family and babysitting our second grandson. There’s a family meal tonight, and tomorrow, we head north for a couple of day’s R&R, followed by our third and final work event in Glasgow this coming weekend.

  • Lizzi & Ginger Outside 78 Derngate

    Lizzi & Ginger — Lizzi was our host and one of the event organizers for our visit. Outside 78 Derngate, Northampton. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Entrance & wallpaper detail

    Entrance, 78 Derngate, Northampton — Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    Even the owners found this too dark, and it was lightened up — but has now been restored to the original color.

    Wallpaper detail, 78 Derngate, Northampton — Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Bedroom

    Bedroom, 78 Derngate, Northampton — Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Bathroom

    Bathroom, 78 Derngate, Northampton — Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    The mosaic tiles aren’t. It’s custom wallpaper.

  • Clock — Mackintosh style

    Clock. 78 Derngate, Northampton — Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Light fitting detail

    Light fitting detail. 78 Derngate, Northampton — Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Bedroom details. 78 Derngate, Northampton — Charles Rennie Mackintosh

    Bedroom details. 78 Derngate, Northampton — Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    Lizzi, knowing we have an interest in architecture and art took us to Northampton to visit 78 Derngate.

    78 Derngate was the architect’s final major commission; his visionary patron, Northampton model engineer, W.J Bassett-Lowke. It is the only place outside Scotland in which Mackintosh’s mature architectural and interior style can be seen in their original setting.

    78derngate.org.uk

  • Towcester council offices and town square

    Day Eleven

    Towcester council offices and town square. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    After spending the night in Portsmouth, we had to get on the road quickly to keep an appointment with Lizzi in Towcester. Lizzi is our host and one of the organizers for tomorrow’s work event.

    Interesting facts: The road you see there was originally a Roman road called Watling Street. Towcester is also thought to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the country. There is evidence that it has been settled by humans since the Mesolithic era (middle stone age). There is also evidence of Iron Age burials in the area.

  • Flickr meet-up

    Flickr meet-up.

    We first met Jacqi in person in 2008 at Bletchley Park in the UK. Then again in Springfield, Missouri as she traveled to her new home in New Zealand in 2011. When we discovered we were all in the UK at the same time, we arranged to meet in Brighton. We spent a wonderful (but wet) afternoon catching up and wandering around Brighton in the rain.

  • Brighton Pavilion, not the usual view

    Brighton Pavilion, not the usual view — we had a walk along the seafront and around the pavilion while we waited to meet up with Jacqi who was coming down for the day by train. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Brighton Pavilion, not the usual view

    Day Ten

    Brighton Pavilion, not the usual view. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    I started the day with a run along Brighton seafront to Hove and back (2.6 miles). After we packed our bags and walked along the seafront and around the pavilion while we waited to meet up with Jacqi, who was coming down by train for the day.

  • Dover Harbour and Ferry Port

    Dover Harbour and Ferry Port — Seen from the White Cliffs of Dover. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Dover Harbour and Ferry Port

    Dover Harbour and Ferry Port — Seen from the White Cliffs of Dover. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • The White Cliffs of Dover

    The White Cliffs of Dover. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    That’s not Brighton … Upon leaving Folkestone to go to Brighton we decided to head off in the opposite direction instead and visit the White Cliffs of Dover.

  • Room with a sea view

    Day Nine

    Room with a sea view. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    We opted for a room with a sea view, for a day spent catching up on work. Watching the changes in the weather and enjoying the view up and down the coast was, as they say in the ads, priceless. Best Western Clifton Hotel, Folkestone.

    Our plan for today is to head west to Brighton, ready to meet our friend Jacqi tomorrow.

  • Wait, I didn’t think we were in Missouri

    This looks very familiar. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    This looks very familiar. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    This looks very familiar, and sparked a conversation on copying in architecture and art. This is the Step Short Memorial, honoring WWI soldiers, not a copy of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

    We spent most of the afternoon and evening in the hotel, alternately working and watching the weather, which eventually turned to rain.

    Remember I mentioned Dungeness Power Station? Well, from our hotel room, you could see it in the distance, along the coast. 🙂

  • Folkestone beach and harbour wall

    Folkestone beach and harbour wall. Copyright © 2024 Ginger Allman, all rights reserved.

    Ginger captured this excellent view of the beach and harbour wall. The next morning I had a great run1 of just under three miles. I ran from the hotel, through the back streets and passages down to the harbour, and out along the harbour wall. Then back along the beach and sea front ending with the 160 ft climb back to the hotel.

    1I ran on 13 days, managing 34 Miles. Unfortunately, I didn’t fit in any strength training while we were away. I really felt it when I finally got back to the gym in September.

  • Even the bathroom was ‘Victorian Style’

    Even the bathroom was ‘Victorian Style.’ Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Home Altar

    Home Altar in our room at St. Benedict’s B&B. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    I’m used to religious artifacts and architectural features having special names (I even have a book dedicated to the topic). However, despite numerous web searches, the best I could come up with for this is ‘Home Altar.’

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