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"The Georgian House is an 18th-century townhouse situated at No. 7 Charlotte Square in the heart of the historic New Town of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has been restored and furnished by the National Trust for Scotland, and is operated as a popular tourist attraction, with over 40,000 visitors annually.
Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intended to mirror St. Andrew Square in the east. The gardens are private and not publicly accessible.
Initially named St. George's Square in James Craig's original plan, it was renamed in 1786 after King George III's Queen and first daughter, to avoid confusion with George Square to the south of the Old Town. Charlotte Square was the last part of the initial phase of the New Town to be "completed" in 1820 (note- the north-west section at Glenfinlas Street was not completed until 1990 due to a long-running boundary dispute). Much of it was to the 1791 design of Robert Adam, who died in 1792, just as building began.
In 1939 a very sizable air-raid shelter was created under the south side of the gardens, accessed from the street to the south.
In 2013 the south side was redeveloped in an award-winning scheme by Paul Quinn, creating major new office floorspace behind a restored series of townhouses.
Edinburgh Collegiate School was located in Charlotte Square.
The garden was originally laid out as a level circular form by William Weir in 1808.
In 1861 a plan was drawn up by Robert Matheson, Clerk of Works for Scotland for a larger, more square garden, centred upon a memorial to the recently deceased Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria.
The commission for the sculpture was granted in 1865 to Sir John Steell. The main statue features an equestrian statue of the prince, in field marshal's uniform, dwarfing the four figures around the base. It was unveiled by Queen Victoria herself in 1876. The stone plinth was designed by the architect David Bryce and the four corner figures are by David Watson Stevenson (Science and Learning/Labour), George Clark Stanton (Army and Navy) and William Brodie (Nobility). The statue was originally intended to go in the centre of the eastern edge of the garden, facing down George Street.
This remodelling featured major new tree-planting which took many years to re-establish.
The central open space is a private garden, available to owners of the surrounding properties. For the last three weeks in August each year Charlotte Square gardens are the site of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
The railings around the gardens were removed in 1940 as part of the war effort. The current railings date from 1947.
On the north side, No. 5 was the home of John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute (1881–1947), who bought it in 1903 and gave it to the National Trust for Scotland on his death. It was the Trust headquarters from 1949 to 2000. Bute did much to promote the preservation of the Square.
Nos. 6 and 7 are also owned by the National Trust for Scotland. No.6, Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland. In 1806 it was home to Sir John Sinclair creator of the first Statistical Account of Scotland. No. 7 was internally restored by the Trust in 1975 to its original state, and is open to the public as The Georgian House. The upper floor was formerly the official residence of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The building includes one fireplace brought from Hill of Tarvit in Fife in 1975.
West Register House, formerly St. George's Church, forms the centre of the west side. It was designed by the architect Robert Reid in 1811, broadly to Adam's plan. The church opened in 1814 and was converted to its current use in 1964. It is one of the main buildings of the National Records of Scotland.
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. A masterpiece of city planning, it was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street, facing Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town across the geological depression of the former Nor Loch. Together with the Old Town, the New Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/; Scots: Edinburgh; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˈt̪uːn ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the Firth of Forth's southern shore.
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the supreme courts of Scotland. The city's Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. It is the second largest financial centre in the United Kingdom (after London) and the city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the United Kingdom's second most visited tourist destination attracting 4.9 million visits including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.
Edinburgh is Scotland's second most populous city and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. The official population estimates are 488,050 (2016) for the Locality of Edinburgh (Edinburgh pre 1975 regionalisation plus Currie and Balerno), 518,500 (2018) for the City of Edinburgh, and 1,339,380 (2014) for the city region. Edinburgh lies at the heart of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region comprising East Lothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian.
The city is the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is home to national institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of four in the city, is placed 20th in the QS World University Rankings for 2020. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.
A České Dráhy (ČD - Czech Railways) five-car class 460 EMU, with driving motor car 460 080-5 leading, departs from Olomouc hlavní nádraží with an unidentified working. The set had been restored to its original ČSD (Czechoslovak State Railways) livery, as a prelude to the withdrawal of the type.
The type, nicknamed "Tornádo", was built by Vagónka Tatra Studénka between 1975 and 1978, initially being ČSD class EM488.0. Forty-three units were built, with twenty-six ending up with ČD when Czechoslovakia was split in 1992, and sixteen with ZSR (later ZSSK) in Slovakia. When built, they were formed of two consecutively-numbered driving motor cars (class 460) with three class 063 trailers between. However, a few 2+2 formations were later created, as was one 2+4. They last ran in the Czech Republic in April 2024, and finished in Slovakia the following month.
The class 460 was the 3kV dc version of the earlier 25kV ac class 560 (originally ČSD class SM488.0) dating from 1970. Seventeen of those five-car units were built (again, 2+3 formation, the trailers being class 060, although in 2020 they were reduced to 2+2). The class 560 finished in Slovakia in 2014, but lasted until 2020 in the Czech Republic.
This was taken while changing trains here during a circular trip from Brno, the purpose of which was to do some normally freight-only lines near Brno being used by diverted services during the year-long closure of the line south of Brno hlavní nádraží. This was day nine of a fourteen-day trip which visited six foreign countries. It was very much a grab shot, as I saw the train just minutes before it was due to depart and managed to get into a position where I could see the whole train and most of the picture was free of shadows. I've uploaded it for the subject matter, and not because the picture has any special artistic merit.
Visit Brian Carter's Non-Transport Pics to see my photos of landscapes, buildings, bridges, sunsets, rainbows and more.
Nicely restored former Westcliff on Sea, 1939 built low height Bristol K5G with Eastern Coach Works body at the 2015 Canvey Island transport rally.
30D_31_7270
Restored and colorized August 1, 2015 ©Marie-Lou Chatel.
Photographer : ©Collins, Marjory, 1912-1985
LC-DIG-fsa-8d22263 No known restrictions.
Nice combination of old and newer equipment on the Scot. Note the cut-down crossed flags head badge and Campagnolo Mk.II Super Record rear derailleur.
Originally the Gatehouse to Cheylesmore Manor which dates from the 13th century it was much altered during the 14th and 15th centuries, what was left finally being restored between 1968 and 1972.
Built by the Earls of Chester it passed to Queen Isabella wife of King Edward II then onto her Grandson Edward The Black Prince in 1338. The City Motto "Camera Principes" meaning a chamber fit for a prince comes from this association.
This was formerly the rear of the building but as can be seen is now the front. The car is a 1999 Peugeot 306 Cabriolet. I love this shot as it reminds me of the kind of photos I saw in car magazines back in the 70's 80's and 90's.
She looks way better then yesterday. I have tons of these purple dresses, but none of them have the sparkly skirt thing, or the head band. So naturally being me, who thinks she needs them(lol) made her temporary ones until I find some:) which will be hard because they aren't the easiest things to come across. But these will do for now:) this jasmine doll is really doing it for me:) she's very pretty, and she stands out from the rest. It's her eyes I'm sure. I think she's a first release, but not completely sure. But all the evidence is pointing to that:) and if she is, she's my first 1st release jasmine doll!lol
Comparison of Restore Doll Blues
Looking Glass Blue- A very dark blue, almost black shade. It has more of the matte look so it is not quite as lustrous looking. I really like this shade because it does look so dramatic.
Sapphire Blue- It is a shade lighter than Looking Glass but has more of a luster to it. It is also more a gem tone, hence it's name. But, I can only think of as BIC pen ink blue for some reason,lol. It is pretty but for some reason I think it needs to be mixed. Looks amazing with Circus Blue.
Periwinkle Blue- Mix of Azure blue, purple passion and I think cotton candy. It is so gorgeous. A really pretty fantasty color. This is my first time getting it and the promo pics on RD do not do it any justice!
This heavily restored statue group features the naked (and certainly drunk) Dionysos, god of wine and the much smaller and youthful Eros. Both of Dionysos' arms are modern restorations, as is most of the body of Eros.
I suspect that the smaller figure was originally a satyr, as this is a well-known tableau in sculpture, fresco, mosaic and other media. Further, the right hand of Dionysos may have originally been behind his head in the 'louche' gesture. The restored arm is very awkwardly placed - the traditional gesture would have balanced the statue better visually. See the colossal sculpture group originally from the Baths of Constantine, now in the Palazzo Altemps in Rome.
Roman, 2nd century CE. No known findspot (?).
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, Farnese Collection (MANN inv. 6307)
Detail of the upper half of the west window depicting the Last Judgement. The Last Judgement is Fairford's most celebrated window for its dramatic composition and graphic depiction of the horrors of hell in the lower half. The window sadly suffered badly during the great storm of 1703 with the upper half depicting Christ in Judgement and the surrounding company of saints and angels the most seriously affected part.
A substantial amount however still remained until it was unfortunately 'restored' in 1860 by Chance Bros of Smethwick, whose approach was to substitute all the surviving glass in the upper half of the window with a carefully created replica. It is clear that the design is a faithful copy of what was there originally, but none of the surviving material was reused, parts of it being secretly kept by the studio and probably sold (some elements have resurfaced much more recently).
St Mary's at Fairford is justly famous, not only as a most beautiful building architecturally but for the survival of its complete set of late medieval stained glass, a unique survival in an English parish church. No other church has resisted the waves of iconoclasm unleashed by the Reformation and the English Civil War like Fairford has, and as a result we can experience a pre-Reformation iconographic scheme in glass in its entirety. At most churches one is lucky to find mere fragments of the original glazing and even one complete window is an exceptional survival, thus a full set of 28 of them here in a more or less intact state makes Fairford church uniquely precious.
The exterior already promises great things, this is a handsome late 15th century building entirely rebuilt in Perpendicular style and dedicated in 1497. The benefactor was lord of the manor John Tame, a wealthy wool merchant whose son Edmund later continued the family's legacy in donating the glass. The central tower is adorned with much carving including strange figures guarding the corners and a rather archaic looking relief of Christ on the western side. The nave is crowned by a fine clerestorey whilst the aisles below form a gallery of large windows that seem to embrace the entire building without structural interruption aside from the south porch and the chancel projecting at the east end. All around are pinnacles, battlements and gargoyles, the effect is very rich and imposing for a village church.
One enters through the fan-vaulted porch and is initially met by subdued lighting within that takes a moment to adjust to but can immediately appreciate the elegant arcades and the rich glowing colours of the windows. The interior is spacious but the view east is interrupted by the tower whose panelled walls and arches frame only a glimpse of the chancel beyond. The glass was inserted between 1500-1517 and shows marked Renaissance influence, being the work of Flemish glaziers (based in Southwark) under the direction of the King's glazier Barnard Flower. The quality is thus of the highest available and suggests the Tame family had connections at court to secure such glaziers.
Entering the nave one is immediately confronted with the largest and most famous window in the church, the west window with its glorious Last Judgement, best known for its lurid depiction of the horrors of Hell with exotic demons dragging the damned to their doom. Sadly the three windows in the west wall suffered serious storm damage in 1703 and the Last Judgement suffered further during an 1860 restoration that copied rather than restored the glass in its upper half. The nave clerestories contain an intriguing scheme further emphasising the battle of Good versus Evil with a gallery of saintly figures on the south side balanced by a 'rogue's gallery' of persecutors of the faith on the darker north side, above which are fabulous demonic figures leering from the traceries.
The aisle windows form further arrays of figures in canopies with the Evangelists and prophets on the north side and the Apostles and Doctors of the Church on the south. The more narrative windows are mainly located in the eastern half of the church, starting in the north chapel with an Old Testament themed window followed by more on the life of Mary and infancy of Christ. The subject matter is usually confined to one light or a pair of them, so multiple scenes can be portrayed within a single window. The scheme continues in the east window of the chancel with its scenes of the Passion of Christ in the lower register culminating in his crucifixion above, while a smaller window to the south shows his entombment and the harrowing of Hell. The cycle continues in the south chapel where the east window shows scenes of Christ's resurrection and transfiguration whilst two further windows relate further incidents culminating in Pentecost. The final window in the sequence however is of course the Last Judgement at the west end.
The glass has been greatly valued and protected over the centuries from the ravages of history, being removed for protection during the Civil War and World War II. The windows underwent a complete conservation between 1988-2010 by the Barley Studio of York which bravely restored legibility to the windows by sensitive releading and recreating missing pieces with new work (previously these had been filled with plain glass which drew the eye and disturbed the balance of light). The most dramatic intervention was the re-ordering of the westernmost windows of the nave aisles which had been partially filled with jumbled fragments following the storm damage of 1703 but have now been returned to something closer to their original state.
It is important here not to neglect the church's other features since the glass dominates its reputation so much. The chancel also retains its original late medieval woodwork with a fine set of delicate screens dividing it from the chapels either side along with a lovely set of stalls with carved misericords. The tomb of the founder John Tame and his wife can be seen on the north side of the sanctuary with their brasses atop a tomb chest. Throughout the church a fine series of carved angel corbels supports the old oak roofs.
Fairford church is a national treasure and shouldn't be missed by anyone with a love of stained glass and medieval art. It is normally kept open for visitors and deserves more of them.
BAe Jetstream 31 G BLKP at the South Wales Air Museum St Athan (EGDX) south Wales, reconstructed by the SWAM volunteers after arriving by road in 2019, built in 1984 at Prestwick and briefly in service with Netherlines also a trainer at Macclesfield College.
The 1904 C&O railroad depot, restored by the National Park Service in 1995 and used as a seasonal visitor center, is the first part of Thurmond seen when crossing the New River into town; the road from Glen Jean, Fayette County Road 2512, passes to the left of the CSX railroad spur, outside the overhead superstructure of the bridge on the right. Thurmond's commercial district (preceding photo) and site of the former engine house and coaling station are out of sight to the righthand side of this photo (left turn coming off the bridge). The depot replaced the original 1891 depot, which burned in 1899, and the 1915 bridge replaced the 1889 bridge, which was washed away by the 1908 flood.
Thurmond is an old railroad town at the bottom of the gorge. It was a boom town a century ago, when West Virginia coal was in great demand and coal fueled the trains that hauled the coal out of the mines. Thurmond is now part of the New River Gorge National River. The National Park Service (NPS) renovated the old train depot in 1995 for use as a seasonal visitor center, and in 2003 it began efforts to stabilize and preserve remaining buildings of the commercial district, pending eventual restoration or renovation. Declining use of Eastern coal, railroads' move to diesel from steam, and the Great Depression all contributed to Thurmond's decline.
According to an NPS leaflet on Thurmond, "During the first two decades of the 1900s, Thurmond was a classic boomtown. With the huge amounts of coal brought in from area mines, it had the largest revenue on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway . . . [and] Thurmond's banks were the richest in the state. Fifteen passenger trains a day came through town -- its depot serving as many as 95,000 passengers a year. . . . With the advent of diesel locomotives, and less coal coming in from local mines, the town began a steady decline. The many businesses closed down, and most residents moved on. Today, the town of Thurmond remains surprisingly untouched by modern development. It is a link to our past, and a town with many stories to tell."
Other information on Thurmond found on line shows that its population was about 500 in 1930, while the 2010 census shows just 5 residents (down from 7 in 2000). For many years, the only way into Thurmond was by train, as the road to the town was not completed until 1921. The town of Thurmond is a National Register of Historic Places historic district, added to the register in 1984 (#84003520). A fire destroyed one of the town's two hotels in 1930, and in 1931 the National Bank of Thurmond failed. A more complete chronology of Thurmond's rise and decline, also from NPS, includes a map of the town and identification of several buildings.
Ruth Ann and I visited there Monday evening with friend Randall Sanger. Along with Mill Creek Falls (two photos back), Thurmond is another of the New River Gorge sites that we saw on Monday, for the first time, thanks to Randy. Unhappily, part of the Thurmond name on the depot is blocked by the semaphore tower because I positioned myself so that the car parked at end of the depot was screened by the fence.
From the original photo "August 1976 - camera club 3" © Suzanne R, JWFotos 1976, 2023.
Suzanne and Johnny have kindly allowed me to apply some restoration to several of their brilliant photos from the 1970s and since. I thought this would be an interesting example of what can be done using simple (non-AI) tools in PhotoShop to bring out more detail than can be seen in the original.
Having spent some time studying digital signal processing I know that no passive filter can increase the information in an image but it is quite possible to make detail information more visible using the right process, in this case the sharpening filter called "unsharp mask", or more correctly "partial negative unsharp mask" which is based on the Fourier spectrum of spatial frequency, a precise measure of detail. With this the detail amplified is everything smaller than the pixel-size chosen. This is based on the finest detail that is adequately visible in the original. But this mainly enhances detail about half that size, which may still look obviously unsharp. So you can repeat the process choosing half that size, and again until you get down to around 1 pixel – and at each stage more and more detail becomes clear. Unfortunately grain, dust and scratches are also "enhanced" so this limits how strong you set the filter each time, and you usually have to do some "cleaning up" afterwards. The process is actually pretty quick but it takes a bit of trial and error to get the settings right and you often have to back-track if you find it producing negative fringes around hard edges or too much grain pattern.
PS, if anyone would like to find out more, from later this summer I am starting to arrange residential courses on apects of photo taking and processing in SW England and the Charente region of France.
The building was probably constructed during the 5th century. It was burned during the fire of Fustat during the reign of Marwan II around 750. It was then restored during the 8th century, and has been rebuilt and restored constantly since medieval times
Taken @Cairo, Egypt
Base price of this model new was $915....one of 12 models offered by Studebaker that year. Safety glass was standard in all Studebakers that year, and it featured very long doors which made access to the rear seat easier. A 117-inch wheelbase, and an 80 hp 230 cubic inch, in-line 6 cylinder flathead engine completed the package. The drop-dead gorgeous styling was standard. AACA Museum in Hershey, PA.
Detail of restored medieval glass of the Norwich school, originally in the church of St Margaret, Old Catton but now re-set in the east window of St Michael's church, Plumstead, near Holt in Norfolk.
The Capri Theatre is an iconic South Australian venue which was added to the South Australian State Heritage Register in 1990.
Opened 1941 as the Goodwood Star Theatre and later purchased by the Theatre Organ Society of Australia (TOSA) SA in 1978, it is an independent not-for-profit cinema run by a network of generous volunteers.
TOSA SA have gradually renovated and restored much of the theatre to its 1941 Art Deco Moderne style.
The Capri
Built by RJ Nurse and designed by architect Mr Chris Smith the cinema first opened its doors In Goodwood in October 1941 as the "Star Theatre" and was part of the Clifford Theatre Circuit. The opening event was a double feature from MGM of ‘Florian’ which starred Robert Young and Helen Gilbert, as well as ‘Dr Kildare Goes Home’, starring Lew Ayres & Lionel Barrymore.
Greater Union acquired the cinema in 1947 as part of their acquisition of the Clifford Circuit. The cinema was renamed as the "New Curzon" in 1964, then again as the "Cinema Capri" in 1967. In 1978 The Theatre Organ Society of Australia (South Australian Division) Inc. purchased the cinema and re-launched the cinema as the "Capri Theatre", installing the now famous Wurlitzer theatre organ. The inaugural concert took place in April 1983.
In 1986, Crocodile Dundee played at the Capri Theatre. The incredible success of the film, it played at the cinema for almost one full year enabled TOSA (SA Division) own the Theatre outright. Today there is a framed ‘Crocodile Dundee’ movie poster on display at the Theatre, recognising the film’s important historical significance. Ref: Capri Theatre.
New Star Theatre Opened
Between 1,300 and 1,400 people attended the opening of the New Star Theatre, Goodwood road, Goodwood, last night.
Proceeds, which amounted to £105, were in aid of the Red Cross, the Fighting Forces Comforts Fund, and the Adelaide Children's Hospital.
The new theatre has a seating capacity of 1,460 and its design has many outstanding features.
The general sales manager of British Empire Films (Mr Vic Webb) attended. Ticket offices constructed of glass bricks were new features. The manager of the theatre is Mr A H Harrison. Ref: Advertiser (Adelaide) Thursday 9-10-1941.
Picture Night at Star Theatre, Goodwood
Through the generosity of Mr Dan Clifford, a picture night will be given in aid of St Vincent de Paul's Orphanage Biennial Fete on Thursday, Nov 27, at the new Star Theatre, Goodwood. The whole of the takings will be donated to the cause. Tickets are obtainable from members of the committee.
A first-class programme will be screened, including "North-West Mounted Police,” starring Madeline Carroll and Gary Cooper, also "La Conga Nights.” Ref: Southern Cross (Adelaide) 21-11-1941.
Former VH man's Film for Adelaide
Bliss, the first feature directed by former Victor Harbor man, Ray Lawrence, is one of the films vying for the prestigious Australian Film Awards this year.
It and The Coca-Cola Kid, the other Australian entry at the Cannes Film Festival, are among the 22 films contesting the awards which will all be screened in major centres this month.
Starting in Sydney this week, the films will then be screened in Melbourne and Adelaide's turn is from July 19-27 at the Capri Cinema.
The screening of Bliss at Cannes was the first public showing of the feature. Ref: Victor Harbour Times 3-7-1985.
*Matthew's king of the keyboard
A world authority on theatre organs has tipped 10-year-old prodigy Matthew Loeser to be one of the renowned performers of the theatre organ world. American Theatre Organ Society president Brian Pearson made the comments in the Theatre Organ Society of South Australia newsletter after he heard Matthew performing at the Capri Cinema in August.
Mr Pearson's comments have been backed up by Matthew's teacher, Pat Telford, who says the Victor Harbor youngster is the most musically-gifted child she has ever seen. Ref: Times (Victor Harbor) 15-3-1996.
"The Georgian House is an 18th-century townhouse situated at No. 7 Charlotte Square in the heart of the historic New Town of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has been restored and furnished by the National Trust for Scotland, and is operated as a popular tourist attraction, with over 40,000 visitors annually.
Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intended to mirror St. Andrew Square in the east. The gardens are private and not publicly accessible.
Initially named St. George's Square in James Craig's original plan, it was renamed in 1786 after King George III's Queen and first daughter, to avoid confusion with George Square to the south of the Old Town. Charlotte Square was the last part of the initial phase of the New Town to be "completed" in 1820 (note- the north-west section at Glenfinlas Street was not completed until 1990 due to a long-running boundary dispute). Much of it was to the 1791 design of Robert Adam, who died in 1792, just as building began.
In 1939 a very sizable air-raid shelter was created under the south side of the gardens, accessed from the street to the south.
In 2013 the south side was redeveloped in an award-winning scheme by Paul Quinn, creating major new office floorspace behind a restored series of townhouses.
Edinburgh Collegiate School was located in Charlotte Square.
The garden was originally laid out as a level circular form by William Weir in 1808.
In 1861 a plan was drawn up by Robert Matheson, Clerk of Works for Scotland for a larger, more square garden, centred upon a memorial to the recently deceased Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria.
The commission for the sculpture was granted in 1865 to Sir John Steell. The main statue features an equestrian statue of the prince, in field marshal's uniform, dwarfing the four figures around the base. It was unveiled by Queen Victoria herself in 1876. The stone plinth was designed by the architect David Bryce and the four corner figures are by David Watson Stevenson (Science and Learning/Labour), George Clark Stanton (Army and Navy) and William Brodie (Nobility). The statue was originally intended to go in the centre of the eastern edge of the garden, facing down George Street.
This remodelling featured major new tree-planting which took many years to re-establish.
The central open space is a private garden, available to owners of the surrounding properties. For the last three weeks in August each year Charlotte Square gardens are the site of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
The railings around the gardens were removed in 1940 as part of the war effort. The current railings date from 1947.
On the north side, No. 5 was the home of John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute (1881–1947), who bought it in 1903 and gave it to the National Trust for Scotland on his death. It was the Trust headquarters from 1949 to 2000. Bute did much to promote the preservation of the Square.
Nos. 6 and 7 are also owned by the National Trust for Scotland. No.6, Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland. In 1806 it was home to Sir John Sinclair creator of the first Statistical Account of Scotland. No. 7 was internally restored by the Trust in 1975 to its original state, and is open to the public as The Georgian House. The upper floor was formerly the official residence of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The building includes one fireplace brought from Hill of Tarvit in Fife in 1975.
West Register House, formerly St. George's Church, forms the centre of the west side. It was designed by the architect Robert Reid in 1811, broadly to Adam's plan. The church opened in 1814 and was converted to its current use in 1964. It is one of the main buildings of the National Records of Scotland.
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. A masterpiece of city planning, it was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street, facing Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town across the geological depression of the former Nor Loch. Together with the Old Town, the New Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/; Scots: Edinburgh; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˈt̪uːn ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the Firth of Forth's southern shore.
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the supreme courts of Scotland. The city's Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. It is the second largest financial centre in the United Kingdom (after London) and the city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the United Kingdom's second most visited tourist destination attracting 4.9 million visits including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.
Edinburgh is Scotland's second most populous city and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. The official population estimates are 488,050 (2016) for the Locality of Edinburgh (Edinburgh pre 1975 regionalisation plus Currie and Balerno), 518,500 (2018) for the City of Edinburgh, and 1,339,380 (2014) for the city region. Edinburgh lies at the heart of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region comprising East Lothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian.
The city is the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is home to national institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of four in the city, is placed 20th in the QS World University Rankings for 2020. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
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Operating the shuttle service between Windsor & Eton Central and Slough is First Great Western Class 165, 165020.
Windsor & Eton Central station is both one of two terminal stations at the royal town of Windsor, but is one of the most beautiful on the UK network, especially considering that a majority of the structure is now devoted to a shopping centre, with trains now pushed to the very extremity of the longest platform!
Windsor & Eton Central is located almost directly across the street from Windsor Castle, and in the past was the primary entrance point for the royals when they travelled to the town by the Royal Train. The other station in the town is Windsor & Eton Riverside, located on the opposite side of the Castle on the banks of the River Thames.
The station was originally opened on the 8th October, 1849, on the completion of the 2.5 mile Great Western Railway branch line from Slough. Construction however was not as smooth as it could have been, thanks largely to considerable opposition from the powers at Eton College who were convinced that the proximity of a railway would lead the Eton boys astray.
An extension of the branch was planned in 1871–72 to connect to the south via Dedworth and Ascot. It was planned to diverge west from the viaduct, just to the south of the river bridge. Despite reaching an advanced stage of design, and with some property purchased plus the construction of a possible station building, the plans were never completed and were abandoned completely by 1914.
Since its opening, the station's name has been changed twice, first to Windsor & Eton in 1904, then to Windsor & Eton Central in 1949. The structure once consisted of five platforms, two island platforms and a single bay platform, as well as an extensive goods yard, with the track access coming from a 2,035-yard brick viaduct and Windsor Railway Bridge, Brunel's oldest surviving railway bridge. The original building was little more than a glorified train shed, but was completely rebuilt by the GWR for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, with a much grander frontage and an interior reminiscent of Paddington.
Rationalisation of the railways during the 1960's and 70's however took its toll on this once mighty station. The grand trains for various destinations across the Great Western network were replaced by a humdrum collection of DMU services to Slough, and the station itself fell into neglect. Removal of freight services saw the Goods Yard removed and replaced with a coach station in the 60's, whilst in November 1968, Platforms 3 & 4 were taken out of use, followed a year later by Platform 2, these being built on to create a car park. The longest platform (Platform 1) remained in use, but was truncated away from the station building in 1982 when British Railways and Madame Tussauds restored the structure to create the 'Royalty and Railways' exhibition. It was later renamed Royalty and Empire, and recalled the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, using displays of wax models and an audio-visual show featuring Audio-Anamatronic figures, the first of their kind seen in Europe at that time. The former ticket office was used as the entrance, and a replica Royal Train was created with a full-size replica steam locomotive GWR 3031 Class named The Queen was built at Steamtown, Carnforth, and this was combined with an ex-South Eastern and Chatham Railway tender and fittings from a GWR tender. This was accompanied by two carriages used to form a replica of the Royal Train. Directly behind the loco was No. 229, a replica coach mounted on an ex-British Railways BG Full Brake underframe and containing waxwork figures of various members of the Royal Family. The second coach was the original Royal Day Saloon No. 9002 that was rescued for the exhibition from a cliff top in Aberporth, Wales.
The exhibition closed in the late 1990's and almost all of the exhibits were taken away. The locomotive The Queen was too expensive to remove, so, rather than being cut up, it was incorporated as a feature of a restaurant on the concourse, and can still be seen today. The remainder of the train was removed however, with the tender cut up for scrap, and Royal Saloon No.9002 preserved at the Museum of the Great Western Railway. It is not known what happened to the replica coach. In 1997 the station was rebuilt again after AXA bought the structure to convert it into a large shopping centre, the current incarnation of the station. Shops and other venues now occupy the former platforms and trackwork, whilst the platform was once again truncated further until now it can only accommodate no more than a three-car train.
Services provided at Windsor & Eton Central are usually no more than a 20 minute shuttle service to Slough, operated primarily by Class 165 and 166 Thames Turbo units of First Great Western.