Zan's day

[Zan de Man]

Started out with a drive to my wee rented gaff in Southampton for a meeting with my fellow director.

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On the way back, I stopped at the Devil's Punchbowl for a bit of exploration.

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Climbed down to the bottom.

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Had a wee walk round, like.

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Then climbed back out again.

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Passed some interesting veteran and vintage cars en route home.

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(Is that a Lincoln Continental?)

Stopped to take a picture of St John the Evangelist church at Wotton.

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And checked out my own back garden....

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...before pouring myself a large gin and tonis, with lots of ice and a twist of lime.

Not a bad day. Pity Mrs Zan wasn't here.

[Die Allerbeste]

Great pictures!

Just one problem: those cars are driving down the wrong side of the road. ;)

[Zan de Man]

Well, it isn't the right side, but it is the CORRECT side. ;)

[Die Allerbeste]

Indeed!

Hey, I wish I had your back garden. Of course it would be trampled by kids every single day, so if wouldn't look that good for long.

What is a gaff?

[Zan de Man]

Oh, it goes on and on (like Tony Blair) up the hill, with trees, shrubs etc. You could lose a child in it.

[Die Allerbeste]

Your garden or the gaff? :lol What exactly is a gaff?

[Zan de Man]

It's Cockney slang for a place of residence. The particular gaff in the picture is 70 miles away from the garden in question. My client rents it for me because I'm working on an extended project for them. It works out cheaper than a hotel. And I get a life outside work.

[roseval]

Zan, there is a problem with Shuttefly's terms of use.
Gonna be a whole row, now I mentioned it.

[Zan de Man]

Do tell.

[roseval]

Actually, I seem not to have posted it, drink talking, ya know.

Here's what I thought I had posted, 'cos I looked it up last weekend.

"About your account
3a. Access to your account
Your account with Shutterfly is available for your personal, non-commercial use. You can allow other people to view selected images in your account through Shutterfly’s on-line share feature. The people you invite to view your images through on-line share will be able to see the images you have selected for them and will not have access to your entire account.

Linking directly to images on Shutterfly’s servers from external sites is expressly prohibited. "

Sir Digi-darling may confirm this means no hotlinking.

[Zan de Man]

Oops. I'd better find another host.

[Die Allerbeste]

Oh! That does work out well!

I did see the picture but I wondered if "gaff" was another word for office since you mentioned meeting for business. It all makes sense now.

But you're not English, right? Scotish, perhaps?

Feel free to tell me to bugger off if I'm being too nosey. ;)

[roseval]

no such thing as a free piccie post.

[Zan de Man]

Nope. Northern Irish, living in Ingerland.

[toolman846]

"Started out with a drive to my wee rented gaff in Southampton....."

I too lived in a rented "gaff in Southampton, for three years. 1956 to 1959. Sounthampton, Long Island, New York, that is. :lol

And unless I miss my guess, Zan, that was a 1955 Oldsmobile, with what is termed a Continental Kit - spare tire mounted in carrier behind trunk, after the fashion of the original Lincoln Continentals. Surprised to see it in GB. They just made the last Oldsmobile, ever, Friday. Rotten shame, not to mention stupid IMHO. I have owned and raced several Oldsmobiles over the years.

Very nice countryside, there. You can post more pics of your area anytime. Gives us all sort of a vicarious mini-vacation.

[Die Allerbeste]

Ah! Irish was my next guess.

I'll be in Oxford in three weeks. :D

[Zan de Man]

I was in Oxford a week ago. It's a lovely little city. You'll enjoy it if you get time to walk around.

[Die Allerbeste]

I'm looking forward to lots of walking. I'll be there for a four week holiday.

Is there anything in particular you recommend seeing?

[Zan de Man]

Depends what you're interested in. The colleges just exude centuries of history. Then there's the Ashmolean Museum (http://www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/HomePage.html) and the Bodleian Library (www.bodley.ox.ac.uk).

If you run out of things to do, you're only an hour from London by train.

[Die Allerbeste]

Oh yes! I'm looking forward to seeing several of the colleges; particularly the one where Richard Dawkins is on staff. I don't recall which one that is at the moment, though.

I'll be sure and check out that museum and library as well.

I'm also looking forward to the London Eye. I hear that's fantastic!

[Zan de Man]

All my American friends have been on it. I never have. You see, if you're in a city all the time, you keep thinking, "I can do it any time I like". Then you never do.

[Die Allerbeste]

I lived in the Ft. Worth area for over ten years before I visited the Stockyards, and then I only went because I got a job in one of the museums.

It's a big tourist attraction, though I'm not sure what's so facsinating about cowboys and cattle. :lol

[toolman846]

Why, the smell of the old West, of course...

Just don't step in any.

[GunnyL]

Excellent pics, Zan. I definitely like your back yard.

[Die Allerbeste]

Why, the smell of the old West, of course...

Just don't step in any.

Let me tell ya'... that was gross. They have a cattle drive twice a day. They close the streets and everyone watches the cattle walk by... and poo. Ew!

Then they have Stockyard security and, of course, they're on horseback.

It's a smelly job, but somebody's gotta do it! :lol

[WalterWall]

V nice pics Zan. Very relaxing and soothing.

Oxford has its good bits but isn't a patch on Cambridge. Could be me. We went on a boating holiday on the Ouse. Moored at Ely and other riverside places, but once we reached Cambridge we just stayed there. It was all so marvellous.

[Ms Digabit]

aww the devils punchbowl.....we used to skip college and go there for the day.....much more educational, being near nature.......(better than sociology anyway!!) ;)

[toolman846]

"It's a smelly job, but somebody's gotta do it!"

I know. Where's a good White Wing when ya need one.....

[sir digalot]

And unless I miss my guess, Zan, that was a 1955 Oldsmobile, with what is termed a Continental Kit - spare tire mounted in carrier behind trunk, after the fashion of the original Lincoln Continentals. Surprised to see it in GB.

i remember my first classic car rally, was generally for messchmits and Tigers and those weird German bubble cars and stuff... but they also had a american car section, some beuts were there... dunno what the hell they were but they were big and pretty and well looked after...

we lived near brooklands racetrack/museum in england, often saw lots of classics from al over the place going to rallies on the air field and round the museum...

not to mention the few jobs i have done at the motorcycle museum