ROCKS. The Final Wales Entry.

Hello fellow Australians,

It has been a while in coming, I know, but here is the final Blog from our trip through Wales - ROCKS.

I'm not exactly sure how many rocks there are left in Wales, but there can't be that many. They have been using them for a long time now and it seems that they are in the habit of reusing them...well at least they have done that over the centuries. So you find castles made from the rubble of former Roman buildings etc... Some entries back, I posed the question. Which is better, Medieval or Modern. Now that I have seen Castles and appreciated the finer architectural qualities I would like to suggest that a mixture of both would be good.

A VISUAL MEDIEVAL VS MODERN PICTURE. SWANSEA CASTLE WITH BRITISH TELECOM BUILDING.


Quite obviously from the photo there are good points to both. The BT building has a roof, the castle doesn't. The BT building is tall, yet somehow not as impressive as the castle. The BT building has windows galore, but is not as good as the castle windows. Architects of the world, can we not incorporate some of these features into our buildings. Can we not have an office block with a moat? Can we not have to lower the drawbridge to get inside? Ironically we all know what we like the most. Leather is better than vinyl. Wood is better than chipboard. Yet we continue to buy poor quality cheap goods instead of the more expensive, even though the expensive would make us happier. Let us return in some way to the ways of the past. That we need no longer see the inevitable "Made in China" logo stamped to all we see.

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT BLACK AND WHITE IS BETTER THAN COLOUR?


RACHAEL AND CONWY CASTLE.

US INSIDE CONWY CASTLE.


Let us combine the beauty of the past with the practical and comfortable of the future. I want to live in a castle!

RACHAEL AT BEAUMARIS CASTLE WITH A MOAT. ITS STILL A GOOD MILITARY IDEA. CANT WE HAVE ONE AROUND RICHMOND RAAF BASE?

MEDIEVAL STAIRS MAY NOT BE AS PRACTICAL AS THE ELEVATOR. UNLESS YOU ARE ATTACKED BY A PERSON WITH A SWORD.

BIRDS LIVE IN CASTLE CAERNARFON'S WALLS.

THIS GRASSED AREA WAS WHERE PRINCE CHARLES BECAME PRINCE OF WALES. NOT IN SOME NEW FANGLED BUILDING WAS IT.

CARPHILLY CASTLE

RACHAEL GETTING BORED WITH ME TAKING PHOTOS.

ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE IN CARLEON, NORTH OF CARDIFF. THEY USED ROCKS TOO.

ME AT TINTERN ABBEY. EVEN MONKS COULD BUILD GOOD BUILDINGS.

I LOVE THE WINDOWS.


So let us join forces in calling for an end to ugly buildings. Sydney, your sprawling suburbs are ugly. I have started the trend by building my 'rustic' retaining wall at South Windsor. Medieval is the new black!

Ben
XXX

PS - Hope you are all doing well and at least enjoying the pictures if not the words from the Blog. WE are missing you. We have the internet at home again finally, so send us an email if you haven't and we will get back to you! Miss you all!