My favourite ruined castle - Dunluce in Northern Ireland. 

My favourite ruined castle - Dunluce in Northern Ireland. 

Can you get a video of it on you tube and post it for us all. Who took it out, the vikings?

Niagara Falls Ontario Canada. Would love to see Shula's face riding the Zip line.

Toronto the Good.

My favourite ruined castle - Dunluce in Northern Ireland. 

Can you get a video of it on you tube and post it for us all. Who took it out, the vikings?

Nothing quite so exciting. It fell into disrepair and crumbled gradually away after the Earls of Antrim moved into a more modern and comfortable residence around 1690.

Post us some tourist videos from Vegas. I imagine youtube has plenty of them. Show Mark what he missing.

I have spent a few evening in casinos but don't do it anymore because I hate losing. I mainly went to them to see the well known music groups acts.

Hay-on-Wye castle is due to reopen at the end of this month after years of restoration, including delays due to covid.

As you know part of it, the Georgian mansion, was open as a bookshop until ten or so years ago, The Mediaeval parts have never been accessible in all the years I've been going there. Now the whole place will be open. I'm going in October as usual. 

The castle as it was a few years ago. The Mediaeval portion is on the left. The first floor room second from the right with the partially covered window was the "adult literature" room.  

Hay-on-Wye castle is due to reopen at the end of this month after years of restoration, including delays due to covid.

As you know part of it, the Georgian mansion, was open as a bookshop until ten or so years ago, The Mediaeval parts have never been accessible in all the years I've been going there. Now the whole place will be open. I'm going in October as usual. 

The castle as it was a few years ago. The Mediaeval portion is on the left. The first floor room second from the right with the partially covered window was the "adult literature" room.  

Are they doing the whole place over including the mediaeval part?  Would be great if they are. Will cost a tidy sum in todays prices. Was just noticing the size of the chimneys on the right side of it. Seems they knew a bit about down drafts before they built this place. Actually there most be fireplaces at different levels where they are because if not you would have a terrible time  starting a fire at ground level without filling the place with smoke. Normally you have to heat the chimney with paper to get the smoke to rise and draft up. In this place you may have to start the top fireplace first and then work your way down. Was thinking of maybe one stack per level of house but I can't see that working because the stacks are too big.

A slight correction to what I first posted - the mansion is Jacobean from the first half of the 17th century, not Georgian which was a century or more later. 

A simplified plan of the castle - C is the Mediaeval part, B is the Jacobean mansion the first two floors of which served as a bookshop until about 2010. The outbuildings at D continued as craft shops after the main castle closed, but they too closed a few years later and the whole thing was fenced off. Now it's all going to be opened up for the first time in decades. 

Mark, I am still watching "The Reign" & am into a part where the King of France (Henry) is killed while jousting. Did that really happen or artistic license again?

BTW - you promised me more about Mary Queen of Scots...............so far I am disappointed. This is not like you, are you OK?

Mark, I am still watching "The Reign" & am into a part where the King of France (Henry) is killed while jousting. Did that really happen or artistic license again?

BTW - you promised me more about Mary Queen of Scots...............so far I am disappointed. This is not like you, are you OK?

I have been reading some quotes from John Knox, he apparently didn't care for her.

Mark, I am still watching "The Reign" & am into a part where the King of France (Henry) is killed while jousting. Did that really happen or artistic license again?

BTW - you promised me more about Mary Queen of Scots...............so far I am disappointed. This is not like you, are you OK?

King Henri II was indeed killed in a jousting tournament, or rather died of his injuries. He was struck in the face when his opponents lance shattered on the King's shield. The opponent was a Scotsman the Count of Montgomery. The accident occurred on 30 June 1559 and the King died of an infection on 10 July. His son François became King aged 15 and Mary his wife Queen Consort therefore.

I didn't want to spoil the remarkable story of Mary's life after her return to Scotland in 1561 before you'd watched it yourself. I'll go ahead if you want at the weekend, there's too much to say in the limited time I have in the week, we're not all retired and living a life of leisure yet.