Saturday 1st July 2023

A new month, though one in which I still have shots from May and June still to post. Possibly some from April too.

So, with the year moving on, I thought I'd do a bit of light churchcrawling, and return to Pugin's church in Ramsgate, aka the Catholic Shrine of St Augustine.

The weather was supposed to be poor, so other than shopping, not much done in the morning as we waited for the rain and clouds to sweep over.

Jools went swimming, while I waited for another delivery of beer.

Sweet beer.

Jools came back at one, and I headed out laden with all my camera gear, and drove to Ramsgate, where I hope to find the church open.

Traffic was heavy, with folks all going to Westwood Cross, but I turned off into Ramsgate, nearly having an accident with a white van man who seemed to think he didn't need to use indicators when changing lanes. I bottled it as he steered into my, missing the car by an inch or so.

Dick.

The church was open, but visitors must have been thin on the ground, as the two volunteers at the entrance engaged me in long conversations about Pugin, the church and the Grange next door.

Pugin was lit by a determination to eliminate what he saw as "pagan" classical design and replace it with Gothic. He was a blur of activity, designing church after church as well as other commissions, and getting married at least twice.

The church has been seen as his perfect ideal of what one should be, he and his family lived in the large Gothic spread, The Grange, next door.

I had the church to myself, it is fabulous, and Pugin himself lays in one of the side chapels. I record details of the decoration, windows and toles, but will return another day to record the windows with the big lens.

I leave just before the church is to close, get in the car and drive, without incident, to Sandwich, then take Knightrider Street out to the Estate for some Marsh Helleborine action.

The observatory was empty, with door locked, and I got no reply when I tried to call the number to see if it was OK to access the meadow with the orchids.

Dozens of spikes out, but many more to come in the forthcoming weeks, but this will be my only visit here this month.

I snapped some of the spikes, and turned to leave. On the way back I saw more butterflies than I have seen so far this year, including my first Comma, which was freshly out of the box.

I walked back to the car, turned it round and drive back home, arriving back just as the ice cream van went by.

Ice cream? I ask Jools.

She says yes.

So, I go out to get two 99s, and we sit on the patio licking and munching the cornets.