I confess to having been a few times before to The Packhouse in Surrey, this time I took a friend who hadn't visited before, she loved it and even bought some things for her new house that is just in her imagination at the moment! (Love it) I'm going to start that, I shall imagine a huge barn miles from anywhere, not sure where I will store stuff though, I have delusions of grandeur so if any of you have a store house I may be after some rental space!Now I'm sorry about this but in all the excitement I forgot to take many pictures, but the web site will give you a good idea of the treat in store.
On our way back home we stopped off at Winchester and I discovered this amazing book called 'Look Up Winchester' it is a look at the upper storeys of Winchester's historic High Street buildings. (probably the oldest high street in Britain). It is a look at things above the usual eye-line. A look at things you rarely notice. A look at what the building was for in the first place. A look at things that have happened and people that have lived in those buildings. It's a closer look at what is plainley there for everyone to see, but is rarely seen!
I'm not sure if any other towns have been put into a book like this but if they have they are well worth looking at. I love looking at old roofs so am used to looking up, but there are lots of things I have never noticed about Winchester until I looked at this book. I recommend having a look up at your local old town when you next visit, you will be amazed at what you find, maybe in a future blog I will post some finds of my own. Such a shame that a lot of the shop fronts have been removed forever, we have been left with some very bland looking shops that are the same all the towns over! Thank goodness a lot of the upper floors have been left unchanged.