Photography, photos you took, photos you are in, photos you like, the lot!

[Dave]

Had lunch in my favourite eatery, Cafe Rene, in Gloucester (again)


The entrance is through the arch of a medieval church, the graveyard is on the right!
The camera got set on sepia as I took it out of its case, gives atmosphere I think.


The well in the foreground is the modern top of an original Roman well, still working but not used in the drinks.


The bar, check the names of the drinks on the boards above - who names a cider for a maths formula!?


The lunch itself, cajun chicken sarnie. Yum!

[Tank]

Looks like a lovely place.

[Icarus]

Gloucesters' lunch Cajun chicken ??  How in hell did the  Louisiana bayou cuisine make it to Merrie Olde England. ?  ( Cajun is a contraction of the  Arcadian identity.)

Somewhere back in time the quasi french inhabitants  of Arcadia were driven out by the baddies who did not like what they saw as the scurvy Frenchmen. They mostly moved to Louisiana and brought their traditions and recipes with them. The Cajuns prospered, to hell with the damned maritime Canadians.  Then there were an alternative band of immigrants who became known as coonasses. They also settled in or near the bayou country and it surrounds.  Coonass was not a derisive name at the time and remains a mark of proud distinction among the members of the group. They also cook some interesting foods, not quite Cajun. Not only that, they make some spectacular music with near primitive instruments. 

[Dave]

^ Yup, know the story of the Cajuns. Cafe Rene has a mix of cuisines, one reason I like it. An American friend said their burgers were the nearest to the real thing she had had in 40 years working in Britain.

Edited: I was once told they bought the burgers in but they now say they are "home made". Whatever, they are really juicy and tasty.

There is a British deli in town that concedes to make foreign stuff like burgers by popular demand.

[OldGit]

I don't know it.  Which church is it next to?

[Dave]

I don't know it.  Which church is it next to?

St Mary de Crypt, Southgate Street. "Next" is not quite accurate, it is in the back of the building next to the church, but next to the graveyard. Not obvious from the street, except for the A-board.

[joeactor]

Tasty looking lunch, Gloucester!

Do all atheists navigate by churches?

[Dave]

Tasty looking lunch, Gloucester!

Do all atheists navigate by churches?

Only when there is not a pub visible from the pavement! Sorry, sidewalk.

[Dave]

It was the Gloucester Tall Ships show last weekend. I had a ticket but things conspired to prevent me getting to the actual days (same thing each day in terms of sword fights etc.. However, I was in town the day before it started and got a few pictures. It is not that easy to get "away" from the boats, unless you have a super wide angle lense or shoot from the other side of the basin!

This is always the favourite:

It is a modern replica of John Cabot's ship, the Matthew, that he sailed to Newfoundland in 1497. Not a big ship to brave the Atlantic breakers in!


This is a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, the shifting sands could be rather dicey - still are but GPS etc helps a bit.


The Lady Avenel, a charter boat.


This is a Lowestoft trawler. Taken with the camera elevated at the end of a monopd and using my smartphone as a remote control. A technique that needs more practice but gets the camera over signs, lifebuoys etc. Could not get further back without getting wet.

[Icarus]

Well done Gloucester. Thank you for the nifty shots. Boat guys ( am a dedicated one) are always pleased with boat shots.

[Tom62]

Love those pictures as well, Gloucester. I'm a maritime history fan.

[joeactor]

Very nice pics and ships - well done!

[Biggus Dickus]

These are awesome pictures Glowingchester, thanks for posting...you posted some similar ones from this same location as I remember.  Looks like a neat place to hang around, if I ever get to that part of the world I may have to check out in person. Liked the picture you took of the "Lowestoft trawler" by the way, nice angle...I think that's my favorite of them all, the ships I mean. The trawler looks mean and grungy, and I can try to imagine what it was like working her decks.
Hard work I bet!

[Dave]

Here is another, one of the trip/function boats. Not quite a Mississippi showboat but still a stern wheeler.



They have been revamping the docks a bit, pulled down my favourite part to build accomodation though. Think there are about 35 eateries in the docks/quays area now, everything from "Something-on-toast" and cake-n-coffee through pie-shops, pub-grub, steak houses, burgers, pizzas, fried chicken to more up-market Italian and Greek. Then add the Greek, Italian, Chinese (3), Indian (4), Thai (3), McD's, KFC (+4 imitations), Burger King, salad and sandwhich shops (5),  coffee bars (5) ... in the rest of town and we could feed the whole population in one go I think!

TexMex and Japanese still missing as yet. We had "Tequila Rose" but that was before we got all cosmopolitan and it closed.

Not bad for a town where the council is anti-tourist, despite having more history and heritage than almost all towns this size in the UK.



Ordinary looking shop, Victorian stucco frontage. But, look more closely...



Peeping out from the top is a wooden window, with a rather steep roof. Behind that Victorian frontage is a timber framed building dating back to the 15th century. It was also the HQ of the local defenders (Roundheads) in the English Civil War.

The door to the immediate right of the front is all that is left of Malverdine Lane. Through there, in a now very narrow alley, is the almost perfectly preserved front of that building, the largest and finest preserved timber house of its age and type in Britain. I have had a tour of the whole interior. It used to house "Bookends", my favourite second hand book shop - now houses an "antique" shop.

The old house frontage is almost impossible to photograph due to the narrowness of the lane, but the woodwork, iron-work and glass are all still there, inside and out.

[Icarus]

Gloucesers post and pictures worthy of a National Geographic article. Thank you that bit of historic revelation.