St. John's Anglican Church, Fremantle..

On Tuesday we had a peek into St. John's Anglican Church on Adelaide St. in Fremantle. Designed by William Smith in London and built by architect Joshua James Harwood in 1882 using limestone from a local quarry..

Above the high altar and the tri-panel stained windows.. the lectern to the left and below, an eagle, the symbol of St. John the Evangelist.. to the very left in the chancel, the organ which was added in 1888..

The Rose Window added in 1917 depicting Saints Mathew, Mark Luke and John with the 'seven acts of mercy' below..

The jarrah ceilings built by Joshua Harwood are a unique feature...

The bell tower was added in 1906..

We were lucky to be there at the same time as Mike, whose great, great, there might even be another great in there, grandfather was Joshua Harwood himself, it was a pleasure to meet and talk with you Mike. I like this strong, well built church very much, just the right amount of 'grandeur' don't you think! Hope you're having a fab weekend, happy Sunday, take care and stay safe...p.s. catch up today!

Did you hear the story about...

Don't you love it when you download a series of photos and spot one that is sublimely perfect for manipulation! I shot the image above thinking 'darn balloon', only later did I see the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) 'orbiting' around the side, how could I possibly not evolve it into an 'outer space planetary exploration' scenario :)

This drone was flying over the opening of Krispy Kreme early on Wednesday morning, check out the attached Canon camera looking straight at me. Did you hear the story about the lady caught sunbathing in her back garden last week, it went viral.. I don't mean to smile but somehow can't stop, wicked moi :) note I've used a link without an image, I think that shot has set sail and left the harbour :) Meanwhile on a more serious note reckless use of the drones is becoming a danger to aircraft and that isn't funny at all! Hope you have a fab weekend, take care and stay safe.. p.s. I enjoyed the cloud formations in the shot below.

A sad day..

This is not the post I had intended for today, but while I was preparing yesterday afternoon the news came through that 25 year old cricketer Phillip Hughes had passed away after being struck in the head while batting for South Australia at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Grounds) on Tuesday. It was a little hard to be lighthearted. Young cricketers have lost a wonderful roll-model, Australian cricket a champion. Condolences to family, friends and everyone who knew and loved him.. no one's fault, a tragic accident.. RIP Phillip Hughes.. 

Lord of the rings!

Donut rings that is! We've had a few big events in Perth over the last two months with Zara opening it's city store followed soon after by Topshop. Fashion is one thing but donuts are altogether another :) The hype building up to the opening of Perth's first Krispy Kreme has been insane huge! This was my first glimpse of the 'krazy' at 8.30am yesterday morning, taken from the rooftop car park at Whitford City my local shopping centre. Nestled in amongst the greenery the longest line of donut devotees.. one lad camping out for 2 nights to be first in line was rewarded with a years supply of donuts.. result!! Directly over the horizon of trees.. the Indian Ocean!

Down at ground level it was quite the affair.. balloons, brass band, celebrities, the works! There was much debate on the part of Krispy Kreme as to whether setting up shop here in the west was a viable option.. they should have quizzed Jamie Oliver, he could have reassured them as to how enthusiastically Perthites embrace the new.. if the product is deserving!

There were the usual official speeches..  and a few 'distractions' :)

Is it just me or is that a super-sized tuba! Below the cameras rolled as the first customers entered the building. The location out here in the northern suburbs as opposed to the city does puzzle me a little but no doubt that decision would have been well researched. The Krispy Kreme stands at Sydney and Melbourne airports will be anticipating a drop in sales, why tussle with a box of precious cargo on the flight home when now you can buy them whenever you fancy! Happy Thursday, take care. p.s. no I didn't have one.. yet :) who knew Krispy Kreme have been around for 75 years, is there one nearby to tempt you?

4,000 lights on a fig tree!

Spotting my camera, a voice from up in the magnificent Moreton Bay fig tree inquired "would you like me to pose for you luv"! In Fremantle for a specific purpose I wasn't paying the right amount of attention and hadn't noticed the cherry-picker and workmen both below and above in the tree. If you pull the shot in you'll see that those sturdy boughs are wrapped around with fairy lights, 4,000 of them I was informed, to be switched on in spectacular fashion tonight. Won't make it tonight but will get back down there before Christmas, can't miss the sight of this glorious old beauty bedecked in jewels.

Quietly overseeing the project was distinguished Air Commodore Sir Hughie Idwal Edwards, a brave and handsome man, if you pull the image in you'll see that sculptor Andrew Kay has captured Sir Hughie's gentle features so well. It was my first visit inside the church to the right in the shot below, it has a unique feature that I'll show you on Sunday. Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe.. p.s. I'm off to take shots of a most anticipated event this morning.. you won't believe it when I show you tomorrow, it's a little crazy :)

Peace, love & ice-cream.. amen!

If only! I've spent so much time in the city lately it was good to have a change of scenery yesterday. Even though it's less than five minutes from home it's been a while since I've had a stroll around Hillarys Boat Harbour, can you believe I missed the opening of Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop above back in August, how did that happen :) It was perfect yesterday for the two sun-worshipers below, not so much today.. we're expecting a 36C scorcher.. too soon!

The scene below made me smile.. it's what big brothers are for, right!

The Welcome swallow looked so tiny way down there I almost missed it, little cutie! I've missed these walks around the marina, must make the time to do it more often.. we don't do we, take the time to stop and appreciate the little things. Hope your week is off to a peaceful start.. it's what we all hope for, take care and stay safe..

Lois Lane..

We set off on Saturday in search of a specific mural in Mt. Lawley, a 'hip' inner city suburb with an abundance of old and new street art.The mural I was after is as fresh as last week-end, painted during the Beaufort Street Festival's Laneway Project which unfortunately I missed.. two places at one time.. still impossible :) To cut a long story short, I searched, couldn't find.. will return with better directions!

After a seriously good coffee at The Flying Scotsman.. was heading back to the car when I spotted this piece in Lois Lane on the wall of Daily Planet. A collaboration back in June 2012 between Beastman, Numskull and Kyle Hughes-Odgers see more Beastman collaborations around Australia and beyond here. It's a really cool piece of work adorning an otherwise very long, very grey wall :) Hope you had/are still having a good weekend, happy Monday, take care and stay safe..

Joining here with Monday murals

160 St. Georges Terrace..

Brookfield Place reflected in 160 St. Georges Terrace. The attraction for me in this reflection is the crazy mix of old and new, shapes and colours.. the star-burst logo was an added bonus :) below the trees of Central Park reflected in the glass facade of ... Central Park! Hope that you're having a good weekend, thoughts go out to all caught up in the horrendous weather experienced in parts of the northern hemisphere these last few days, take care, stay warm and safe..

Click here to view all participants of Weekend Reflections

Why so grumpy Mrs S!

 

Everything was fine until the crowd gathered! Does that ever happen to you when you're taking photos, people stop to see what's caught your attention? I took these shots yesterday at my local shopping centre where each year at this time, peak breeding time, a family of Welcome swallows appear and get busy patching up this spring 'property' with new feathers etc. I sometimes wonder if they are the same pair each year. Most people walk by not looking up and don't even know they're there and that's the way they like it.. Mr S was quite agitated by all the attention...

... eventually joining his mate and taking on a protective role at the side of the nest. I've noticed over the last few weeks that there is a lot of nesting activity going on in the trees in and around my garden, with some birds getting quite fierce if they think you're getting too close, particularly the magpies.. Well I don't know how you feel but TGIF! Have a good one, take care and stay safe..

Recycling and the disappearing briefcase!

Back on St. Georges Terrace one of Perth's more unique restaurant/bars Greenhouse.. unique in that from ground level up to the rooftop bar everything is recycled beginning with the floor made from old plastic pallets destined for landfill.. if you're curious as to the extent of their dedication to minimizing their environmental footprint you can read more here. No pre-made food for diners at the Greenhouse, the bakers beginning their day at 4am with the milling of the wheat for the days baked goodies, check out the menu here.. that'll be poached eggs on sourdough bread and coffee pour moi! On another subject entirely, when did the briefcase morph into a back-pack or man-bag :) hardly ever see a businessman carrying a briefcase on the terrace these days! Happy Thursday, take care and stay safe.. p.s. catch up today.

"It's not a selfie. It's a snapchat."

I spent 10 minutes today
Trying to explain to my grandma what
A selfie was
It wasn't the easiest job in the world..

 ***

No I will  not take a selfie with you

our angles aren't compatible...

***

It's not called a selfie

if you aren't the only one in the picture..

Quotes from Witty profiles.com. What about you, do you selfie.. I absolutely do not, not ever :) These three lovelies in Kings Park would have had a fab view of the city and the Swan River as their backdrop, not too shabby! Happy Wednesday, take care.. p.s. couldn't help noticing the three totally different styles of footwear.. it's a female thing :)

Feeling Giddy.. it's been a while!

For one reason or another it's been a while since I contributed to ODP's Monday murals, definitely not through lack of choice. As a 'wannabe' artist myself :) it amazes me how real artists make it look so easy. Take a look here at Perth based artist James Giddy at work in Cottesloe, amazing! The above piece found on the wall of the Little Wing Corner Gallery on Hay St. is an excellent example.. if you bring it in and take a closer look you'll see how his seemingly random mix of colours and shapes work together to create the giraffe's features. You can learn the technicalities of art, but there has to be an element of natural talent also don't you think? I'm keeping mes yeux open for more :) Hope your week has started well, happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe..

This post is linked to Monday Mural.

Landmarks and marks on the land!

If I had been here for this month's CDP theme day 'Landmark' this would have been my contribution. Above the Swan Bell Tower home to one of the largest sets of change ringing bells in the world was built to commemorate the new millennium. At a cost of $5.5 million it was deemed a wasteful and unnecessary expenditure, but has since become a hugely popular tourist attraction and landmark sitting alongside the Swan River. You know what's coming next I'm sure :) It seems ironic that this now familiar landmark will soon be dwarfed by the 'mark on the land' that is the future site of Elizabeth Quay, the cost of which makes $5.5 million a mere drop in the ocean that surrounds us.. a more wasteful and unnecessary expenditure I cannot imagine! Ahhh that felt good, nothing like an envigorating rant to start the week, happy Monday, take care and stay safe..

Come in No.5 your time's up!

One (there are many) of my worst nightmares is being stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel, especially if anyone sharing with me even thinks of breathing or making a movement. I've been there in the past, before 'the phobia' :) took hold.. a few minutes waiting for people to offload below seems like an eternity! Yesterday that wasn't a concern, Aimee and I were at the Claremont Showgrounds on a  mission, Christmas shopping at the Polka Dot Vintage Market held here three times a year..

A combination of vintage, craft and antiques, the latter being the part that excites me the most.. it's a bit hard to explain the feeling I get when in close proximity to 'old things en masse' :) and even though I don't collect as I used to, I just love to look and imagine! From old medals and uniforms to glass chandeliers and Royal Albert crockery it's easy to slip into another seemingly elegant era, a romantic notion I know.. just as they are now, times could be tough then also I'm sure. Hope you are enjoying your weekend, take care and stay safe.. 

From Notting Hill, with love...

For June who loved this garden

 From Joseph who always sat beside her... June Wetherby 1917 - 1992

From one beautiful garden to another.. I hope June would have loved the view here in Queens Gardens as much as she did the view in one of the private gardens in Notting Hill, possibly Hempel or Elgin Square Garden.. quite the love story. Check out the scene here from the 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill at about 2.20 minutes in you'll see this very bench that Hugh Grant and Julie Roberts sat their derrieres on.. big deal I know, but it's the rest of the story that caught my attention..

The bench, now sitting sweet in Queens Gardens was acquired as a birthday present for a loved one here in Perth and inscribed 'Rodd & Nicole 2002' sadly the affair wasn't to be and the bench was donated to the gardens where Rodd is very happy that it has become a special place for others to enjoy.. altogether awww :)

.. and just as a matter of interest, for cricket fans and unromantic's, not that I'm implying cricket fans are unromantic :) the light towers you see below from across the garden light up the grounds of the WACA (West Australian Cricket Assoc.) where right at this moment the One Day International cricket series between Australia & South Africa is occurring! It's going to be a busy weekend in Perth, how about you, what are you up to? Enjoy and take care.. p.s. this one's for you Malyss.

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Flora and fauna in Queens Gardens..

Did I mention yesterday how beautiful Queens Gardens were? From the mass planting of hot orange/red Canna Lilies, which by the way remind me so much of my time in Africa.. to the cool blue and white of the Agapanthus set amongst the green of the palms and ferns.. I can see why the gardens are such a popular venue for wedding photos.

So many birds, coming...

... and going!

..and nervously nesting, I think I was getting a little too close for comfort!

There were, not surprisingly, people there also :) Some taking photos like moi, some just sitting and enjoying the gardens.. and others practicing the age old tradition of T'ai chi ch'uan, I've often thought about trying this, it looks like a serene way to exercise, but I believe it can give you a bit of a work out also.. have any of you tried it? Tomorrow I'll show you the other reason apart from Peter Pan that I came to visit Queens Garden, bit of an unrequited love story! Happy Friday, take care... p.s. can birds be described as fauna :)