Showing posts with label Gosford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gosford. Show all posts

Saturday, 19 August 2023

Revisit to the WW2 POW Camp 16 Coolers!

 


With an open day on at Gosford House detoured out via the former WW2 Prisoner of War camp 16 and stopped outside for a pic of the Camp Coolers. These sadly have been ruined by vandals smashing the small windows allowing rain water to dissolve the whitewash that used to be covered in pictures and writing by former POW's who were locked up for being naughty...

These pics are from a previous blog post years ago...



0ver 3000 Axis prisoners were held here after capture as the Allies moved across Europe after the June 1944 invasion and the camp was soon full od soldiers who for many stayed here in the UK and made a new life, some had nothing to return home to or feared returning to their East German homes now under Soviet occupation...



























Wee film I made using old footage from a previous film...



More soon...

Friday, 21 February 2020

A corner turned, A walk in the woods...


A lull in Storm Dennis last Sunday and with some some winter sun on my back i took a walk around the Estate ponds early morning where i grew up,
It was so quiet out of the wind that has been blowing for nearly 2 weeks now, and it was nice to enjoy the ponds and reflect on recent things and changes...
Today i opened a letter that arrived the previous day with results of the recent CT scan i had last month for my 1 year post Op for Kidney tumour removal, and i am all clear!
no recurring Cancer cells... a tear in my eye over that news and a great weight off my shoulders...
Feels i can get back on track again, just the MS treatment to get sorted in May but i can deal with that myself, i have had to learn to deal with a lot of things in life alone, it`s just the way it always seems to pan out for me...
While sad to be single again, i now have focus on the future with these positive health results,
And taking stock of everything `Life is Good` - a saying i like to use when good new comes...
I am now in a good place of work with a great bunch of supprtive guys, and i could not wish for better friends and a cool place to live,  and cycle through the Seasons with friends...


So on with the Alice in Wonderland Gosford Pond tour!...
Curling House, proper curling has not been on the ponds since the big freeze in the late 1970`s, everyone on the estate was there and we have family pictures of being on the ice...


Boat House, also now locked it has lovely woodwork in the rafters...


This stone conduct feeds fresh water into the pond from a stone floored burn that circles the ponds and overflows exiting back into the Ha-ha lined burn keep the ponds at a constant level and the exchange keeps the water fresh and less algae...


Gardeners bothy...


Autumn is probably the most scenic time here though soon the daffidols and bulbs will nbe out adding colour, winter sun lights things up in the meantime...


The House, North wing has no roof, removed for tax reasons, along with many windows bricked up, something you see on many big houses of the period...


Nearby the House are some buildings more modern but now nearly 80 years old, the former WW2 No16 POW camp here on Gosford Estate housed nearly 4000 Germans by 1945, the Coolers, Guard house and Gymnasium are a half mile east of the main camp...


Locked up todaythey used to also be open and you can read all about them Here....


The Lily pond, which leads to the ice house...


Like the Curling House the Ice House has the same Gothic finish with volcanic stone and shells...


In Victorian time blocks of ice were lowerd down inside where meat was stored...


Near the waterfall one of the pond overflows exit, this burn along side a Ha-ha wall has a stone lined floor, we used to walk along it as kids...


And nearby the Musoleum, You don`t need to go to Egypt to see a Pryamid, the tomb is lined with shelves for coffins but there is only one coffin in the centre, You get a huge echo if you knock the door but don`t wake the 7th earl who is still inside...


`Happy as a Pig in SXXX` so the saying goes for this fellow...


 More cycling soon...


Monday, 14 March 2016

Saturday Cycle with friends; heading west...

Saturday`s cycle we rode west from Gullane from the usual Forth Fat back yard as Brian has not ridden west of Aberlady Bay via the salt marsh to Kilspindie, Shell Bay, Gosford Bay, Fenie Ness, and onto Seaton Sands.  We rode the coast at low tide then returned on the John Muir Way trail to Gosford Bothy for some food then through Gosford and Luffness Estate and the former WW2 RAF Drem airfield.
We did a lot of beach combing, raking around and had a good laugh...
I shot loads of film with the Go Pro, so instead of one long film which probably people would bore of watching i edited up short films around 3 minutes each-something i think i am going to start doing all the time as it`s probably long enough for a shaky amature film...
Ali rode with us towing his son on his Purple Pugsley as far as Kilspindie. Then Colin, Craig, Mike, Brian, and myself rode on for an approx 22 mile anti clockwise route...

All pics today by friend Craig, a few by Brian where credited...


Aberlady Bay salt marsh...


`Sea Green`, Aberlady-pic by Brian...


`Aberlady Point`-Kilspindie...


Film 1; Aberlady salt marsh to Aberlady Point (Kilspindie)
Song is `Sick Times` (edited) by Boards of Canada...

EL Fatbiking Pt 1 of 6; Salt marsh to Aberlady Point from coastkid71 on Vimeo.










`Craigielaw Point`-Kilspindie-pic by Brian...


Gosford Bay-pic by Brian...

Pic by Brian...




`Fernie Ness`, Longniddry- 2 pics by Brian...



Gosford Bay-2 pics by Brian...

Film 2; Craigielaw Point to Seaton Sands
Song is `New Seeds` (edited) by Boards of Canada

EL Fatbiking Pt 2; Craigielaw Point-Gosford Bay-Seston Sands... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Returning on the John Muir Way and film of the neat single track above the coast...

Film 3;  sweet sandy single track on the JMW from Longniddry Bents car parks No1 to No2,
Song is `Reach For The Dead` (edited) by Boards of Canada

EL Fatbiking Pt3 of 6; JMW; Car Park 1 -2 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Film 4; JMW between Longniddry Bents car parks 2 and 3 (Fernie Ness),
Song is `Reach For The Dead` (edited) by Boards of Canada...

EL Fatbiking Pt 4 of 6; JMW; Car Park 2-3 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Film 5;  Then it was a alongside the coast road from Fernie ness above Gosford Bay and into Gosford Estate,
Song is `Cold Earth`(edited) by Boards of Canada...

EL Fatbiking Pt5 of 6 ; JMW; Car Park 3 - Gosford from coastkid71 on Vimeo.



John Muir Way, Aberlady Mile straight-2 pics by Brian...







Gosford...



And final film from Gosford woods to Luffness, Bickertons tomb and through the former RAF Drem before returning to Gullane via the old railway line past Saltcoats castle...

Song is `Uritual` by Boards of Canada...

EL Fatbiking Pt 6 of 6; Trails to Bickertons Tomb from coastkid71 on Vimeo.




`Bickertons Tomb-Lufness-2 pics by Brian...



Drem Airfield...






Saltcoats-Gullane...








 More soon...