Friday 25 August 2006

kingston-upon-thames

ah, summer in england, and it's raining. imagine!


determined not to be deterred by the weather, s and i donned our waterproofs and braved the great outdoors for an afternoon excursion to the royal borough of kingston yesterday.


swan procession toward kingston bridge, accompanied by geese
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whoa! dizzy camera angle... hold on!
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parading for the human onlookers
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is it just me, or are the swans in charge?
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"bow before the royal swan procession. no, no, lower!"
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after a pleasant lunch at the bishop out of residence pub (yes, that really is its name), we wandered through the town, following signs for the guildhall and the "coronation stone."


the coronation stone commemorates seven anglo-saxon kings who were said to be crowned in kingston between 900 and 979 AD.


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we found it amusing that there would be an exact date for the coronation of ethelred ii the unready. but it appears that there is more to his name than meets the modern eye:


"The name 'Unready' or unraed means poorly advised, but the name Ethelred meant good counsel."
click here for more info



all in all, a nice afternoon, but next time we're headed along the thames to hampton court palace. just as soon as the sun comes back...

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