Monday, February 21, 2011

S is for ...

Salisbury

On the way back from the family wedding in Devon two weeks ago, we stayed the night in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Did our customary Wandering The Streets thing and found this ...



... next to which was a plaque with the following ...

An important timely point of interest to the passer-by ... In the Year of our Lord 1752 the reformation of the Calendar took place - see the wall dial above dated 1749. This Julian calendar made the year too short, thus the accumulated error amounted to eleven days. England adopted the Gregorian or Reformed Calendar, so the next day after September 2nd 1752 became September 14th 1752.

... then this in the Cathedral Close...



The Walking Madonna.
This was Elisabeth Frink's only sculpture with a woman as subject. She usually concentrated on men and animals.
I'm not that familiar with her work, but I love this. I can see she was heavily influenced by Giacometti.

Also in the Close were these balloons, straining against the nets, waiting to be released into the cloudy skies. They were all tagged for a balloon race in aid of a local charity.

5 comments:

Brian Miller said...

ha the balloons look like a brain..smiles. tha sundial is really cool!

Betty Carlson said...

One finds so many wonders while wandering the streets...

Betty said...

@ Brian - lol you're right. A green brain! :)
@ Betty - nothing beats a good wander!

Anonymous said...

What a purposeful stride Frink has embodied in her sculpture. I like it.

Betty said...

Me too. Apparently the face she modelled was her own.