Strawbs Hailsham 7th June 08

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

John Hawken

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

The original Hero and Heroine lineup of Strawbs played at the Half Moon, Putney, 4th June 2008.

Photo © Sue Holton

Photo © Sue Holton

The Grange, Ramsgate

Built on the clifftop over looking Ramsgate harbour by Augustus Pugin between 1843-4 to live in with his family, it is now restored and owned by the Landmark Trust. He built it to live out his idea of life in a medieval, Catholic community, in Gothic style buildings. His vision was of a family home nestling in the shadow of a benevolent monastery and he bought enough land to erect St Augustine's Abbey Church next door. The house is about a mile from our home.

This is the back of the house which looks over the cliffs towards France where once was beach, but today unfortunately has a direct view of the Ramsgate ferry port lorry park !

Secret Kent - Reculver

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Reculver

Reculver Towers near Herne Bay are under threat of erosion by the sea, hence the large rocks on the left of this picture.

Secret Kent - Deal Gallery 2

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

As the sign says - Deal is a working beach.

Secret Kent - Deal Gallery 1

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Deal Beach

Deal is a small town on the South Coast of Kent, about 15 miles from where we live in Ramsgate. It has a small fishing fleet that still operates from the shingle beach were Julius Caesar landed when he invaded England, and a castle built by Henry the VIII th. From the beach here,the coast of France is less than 30 miles away and can b clearly seen on a good day.

Secret Kent - Conyer and Oare

Conyer Quay

Conyer Quay is a very small hamlet on the North Kent coast but it still has a busy boatyard. From here you can walk out onto the marshes facing the Swale and the Isle of Sheppey, which due to their location, close to the Medway towns, may have been the inspiration for the settting for part of Charles Dicken's novel Great Expectations.
Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Photo © Sue Holton

Cousins and Cutler opened the show.

Read a review of the evening here
Photo © Sue Holton

Hot Rats Dec 7th 08

Ian Cutler, Doug Hudson and Mike Peters are the Hot Rats.
Photo © Sue Holton

Strawbs Xmas Party 08

Sister Mary Stigmata from the Blue Brothers ??
Photo © Sue Holton

Cousins and Cutler Dec 08

Dave Cousins and Ian Cutler at The Courtyard, Deal 21st Dec 08

The Courtyard was decked out for Christmas
Photo © Sue Holton

Hampton Court 2nd May 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Prior to the Rick Wakeman concert, Mike and I took time to go round the Palace and the Gardens.

14 year old Luke Jackson played the support slot for Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby at the Zebra Bar, Maidstone.
Photo © Sue Holton.

Electric Strawbs 3rd May 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Electric Strawbs played at Rochester Castle Gardens as part of the annual Sweeps Festival.

Secret Kent - Botany Bay

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Botany Bay

Botany Bay is near Margate on the very extreme South Eastern tip of the Isle Of Thanet in Kent, about 5 miles from our home. It has a great sandy beach, ideal for swimming and sunbathing ( when we have the weather ! ) and great for walking the dog in the winter which was when these pictures were taken . It has the white chalk cliffs that the area is so famous for, with rare examples of chalk stacks.

Impressions of Venice 1

Approaching Venice by air, you get a unique view of the city.
Photo © Sue Holton

Venice Biennale 1

Venice Biennale 2008

The 11th International Architecture Exhibition, 'Out There: Architecture Beyond Building', runs in Venice from September 14th to November 23rd. In the Arsenale venue, you can see 23 Installations, whereas in the Padiglione Italia at Giardini you can discover the experimental work of 55 international firms. Even if you don't think Architecture is something that would interest you, if you have a spare day or two in Venice I recommend you go, there is something for all tastes and in an expensive city like Venice this is excellent value at just 15 Euros.

Where possible in these galleries I've tried to give an indication of the scale of the object pictured and what I understood was the concept behind it, although to be honest, I often didn't have a clue ! Please forgive me if any of these details are incorrect, but I'm writing them from memory !

For more info, visit the Biennale website here
Photo © Sue Holton

Secret Kent - Stodmarsh Nature Reserve

Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve is in the Stour Valley near Canterbury. It is an area of lakes and reed beeds that is home to several rare breeds of bird. Our latest visit was on 10th Jan 2009, when there was a heavy frost and temperatures were well below zero. There was little wildlife to be seen, but the plants coated with frost more than made up for it.
Photo © Sue Holton.

Bully Wee Dartford Jan 09

Bully Wee at Dartford Folk Club 20th Jan 09
Photo © Sue Holton

Photo © Sue Holton.

Strawbs 40th Anniversary 13th Sept 09

Photo © Sue Holton

Fred Wedlock was the compere, and got the 2nd day off to a great start.

Strawbs 40th Anniversary 12th Sept 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Dave Cousins and Ian Cutler kick off the event

Rochester Sweeps Festival 2009

Photo © Sue Holton.

The bridge over the river Medway is guarded by some impressive lions.

Hampton Court 2nd May 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Electric Strawbs 3rd May 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

It was the first UK outing with Oliver Wakeman on keyboards.

Luke Jackson, Zebra Bar 6th April 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Secret Kent - Conyer and Oare

Many boats are repaired at the boatyard
Photo © Sue holton 2008

Cousins and Cutler Dec 08

Various old implements are displayed over the kitchen.
Photo © Sue Holton

Hot Rats Dec 7th 08

Ian Cutler
Photo © Sue Holton

Strawbs Xmas Party 08

Getting ready for the party.
Photo © Sue Holton

Blue Angel Orchestra, Chatham, 27th Nov 08

Photo © Sue Holton

Blue Angel Orchestra, Half Moon Putney, Oct 08

Photo © Sue Holton

Secret Kent - The Grange, Ramsgate

Photo © Sue Holton

This is St Augustine's Abbey Church, seen from the road. The entrance to the Grange is just out of shot to the right of this, through wooden gates ( see next picture )

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852) is widely regarded as England's most influential early-Victorian architect, designer and theorist. It was at The Grange that Pugin produced much of his finest work, sitting in his library high on the chalk cliffs overlooking the Goodwin Sands and working at prodigious speed. From here he designed the interiors of the House of Lords and the Mediaeval Court at the Great Exhibition.

Strawbs Hailsham 7th June 08

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert

Strawbs, Half Moon Putney June 08

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Dave Cousins

Secret Kent - Deal Gallery 2

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

No fish for sale today.

Secret Kent - Deal Gallery 1

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

The pier is a favorite spot for sea anglers and great for a bracing walk in the winter.

Secret Kent - Reculver

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

The towers are all that remains of the old church, and the headland has been used since Roman times as landmark for shipping.

Rick Wakeman's Six Wives of Henry VIIIth at Hampton Court 2nd May 09

The stage was built outside the West Front of Hampton Court Palace for two shows, 1st / 2nd May 2009. We attended the second show.

Photo © Sue Holton.

Secret Kent - Botany Bay

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

The chalk stacks at Botany Bay are a result of erosion by the sea.

Strawbs 40th Anniversary 13th Sept 09

Photo © Sue Holton

Next up were Brian Willoughby and Cathryn Craig

Strawbs 40th Anniversary 12th Sept 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Dave Lambert's new band Zeus were next up.

As no flash was allowed, some of these pictures are not as good as I would like, but they still serve as a reminder of a fantastic event.

Luke Jackson, Broadstairs 15th Aug 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Rochester Sweeps Festival 2009

Photo © Sue Holton.

There is a Norman castle.

Rick Wakeman's Six Wives of Henry VIIIth at Hampton Court 2nd May 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

There were multiple cameras on long booms.

Bully Wee Dartford Jan 09

Colin Reece
Photo © Sue Holton

Secret Kent - Stodmarsh Nature Reserve

Even the lakes were frozen over despite the sun shining through the fog.
Photo © Sue Holton.

Venice Biennale 1

The gardens contain pavilions for all the countries exhibiting at the Biennale. The Biannale was first held in 1895, today more space is needed, so the Arsenale provides a second venue.

Plastic containers had been imaginatively re-used all around the site, as seats, lights, bridges and more.
Photo © Sue Holton

Impressions of Venice 1

Clearly visible at the front of this shot are the liners in the cruise terminal.
Photo © Sue Holton

Hampton Court 2nd May 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Electric Strawbs 3rd May 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Dave Cousins was as passionate as ever.

Luke Jackson, Zebra Bar 6th April 09

Photo © Sue Holton.

Secret Kent - Conyer and Oare

As you walk away from Conyer towards the Swale Estuary, you reach what appears to be a bleak area of marshes, but even here, there is plenty of wildlife especially birds and wild flowers.
Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Cousins and Cutler Dec 08

Photo © Sue Holton

Hot Rats Dec 7th 08

Doug Hudson
Photo © Sue Holton

Strawbs Xmas Party 08

Photo © Sue Holton

Blue Angel Orchestra, Chatham, 27th Nov 08

Photo © Sue Holton

Blue Angel Orchestra, Half Moon Putney, Oct 08

Photo © Sue Holton

Secret Kent - The Grange, Ramsgate

Photo © Sue Holton

You enter the house and garden by going through a gateway in the high wall, complete with stone heraldic lions from Pugin's coat of arms on the gate posts added by his son Edward. For many years the house was derelict and very little could be seen from the road.

Strawbs Hailsham 7th June 08

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Chas Cronk

Strawbs, Half Moon Putney June 08

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Chas Cronk and Dave Cousins

Secret Kent - Deal Gallery 2

Photo © Sue Holton 2008

Secret Kent - Deal Gallery 1

Secret Kent - Reculver

There are wind turbines off the coast generating clean electricity.

Strawbs 40th Anniversary 13th Sept 09

Strawbs 40th Anniversary 12th Sept 09

Luke Jackson, Broadstairs 15th Aug 09

Rochester Sweeps Festival 2009

Rick Wakeman's Six Wives of Henry VIIIth at Hampton Court 2nd May 09

Bully Wee Dartford Jan 09

Secret Kent - Stodmarsh Nature Reserve

Venice Biennale 1

The Polish exhibitor invited you to lie down on the bed and let your imagination wander on the theme of "The After Life of Buildings". The room contained pictures of buildings that could be given a new and unusual use at the end of their normal lifespan. An airport becomes a farm, a tower block a high rise cemetery etc.
Photo © Sue Holton

Impressions of Venice 1

To reach Venice itself you have 3 options - the nicest is to arrive by boat direct from the airport. Alternatively, you can cross the causeway by train or car / bus.
Photo © Sue Holton