Roar....

These are the railings at Somerset County Council.
The dragon or Wyvern or whatever it is is quite prominent in the council & pops up in all sorts of places around here. I think it's worth a Google (or any of the other search engines).
Ok, so it isn't a Wyvern - apparently they only have two legs...
So is it a Wyrm? It sort of fits the bill I guess. In any case its some sort of Dragon eh!? I am sure someone will tell me...

The Crescent

A fine row of old houses, now used as offices, hair dressing salons & clinics.
The office I am working in this coming week is just behind these buildings.

Dillington House

Sadly it was my last day at Dillington House today, back to HQ tomorrow then down to Exchange House in Taunton from next Tuesday for a few days. Hopefully by then the new offices in Quantock House will have been fitted out & we will have desks & computers. There is even rumoured to be a kettle on the way!
I'll believe it when I see it...

Back to the Old School

Unfortunately I haven't actually been back to the school yet, I took this at the same time!
This is the front door, on Mary Street.

Jellalabad Tower

The main tower at Jellalabad Barracks, I don't know the reason behind the slit windows - surely by the time this was built there was no defensive reason to build them this way? One thing is for sure - they wouldn't let much light into the building. British Barracks have a long and distinguished history of being uncomfortable - I stayed in accommodation in Dorset that had been condemned, 8 men to a room with a metal frame bed and a metal locker - comfortable is not a word that springs to mind. By contrast our barracks in Hildesheim, Germany was an old Luftwaffe Kaserne - the rooms were smaller and more comfortable.

Old School House

How frustrating! I can't work out the writing on this gate!
When I took the shot I thought it said Orange Street Infant School, now I am not too sure. Looking on the map I can't find a street anywhere near beginning with 'O'...
A mystery - for now any Taunton locals able to help?

Multi-Storey Revisited

Back on the multi-storey, this time looking down over East Street and WHSmith, over to St James Church and the Somerset County Cricket Club and out onto the Quantocks.

Taunton Town Charity

Taunton Town Charity on Magdalene Street.

A building that deserves a better photographer than me but hey, I'm all you have!

Anything that provides good, affordable housing for the oldsters has got to be a good thing in my book, just waiting for the good affordable housing for us (relative) youngsters now!

Spiral

Back to the Multi-Storey car park, this time inside, on top, looking down...

Did I mention the lift was broken!

Car park lifts and stair wells are never the cleanest, or most pleasant places to hang around so I made best speed to the bottom, well second best speed as I didn't fancy jumping.

Jellalabad Court

This is part of Jellalabad Court, which is in turn part of the old Jellalabad Barracks which has been converted to accomodation. One of the flats sold here for £135 000 recently, although it is not described as a flat but a 'one bedroom apartment'.
In their day the barracks must have been huge, it seems that everywhere you walk around that area you see something that must have been part of the military, from smaller houses to flag poles.

The barracks housed the Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) who were raised in 1685 for King James and finally bit the dust when they amalgamated with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1959 and became the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry. When I joined my regiment in 1984 I seem to remember there being only one or two battalions of Light Infantry so they must have amalgamated again sometime between 1959 and the 80's.

The final part of the armed forces to use the barracks seems to have been the Royal Army Pay Corps as they didn't leave the place until June 1987 when they moved to Exeter. Even the pay corps have bit the dust now as they amalgamated with several other administration units to become the Adjutant Generals Corp.

and no jokes about dodgy piercings please...

Multi Storey

Still the tallest building in Taunton, and looking from this angle for all the world like some kind of Somerset coliseum, is the multi-storey car park.
The fourth and fifth floors are protected by mesh fencing to help deter potential suicides, although quite why the council think the depressed can't negotiate chain-link fencing is a mystery really.
This was the first time I have stood inside the exit ramp, in fact since moving to the centre of the town I have not needed to park the car anywhere other than outside the house. Not a bad thing considering the lift was out of order today! ;)

Post Office

The main Post Office building on North Street. Lots of hoohar (sp?) about the government planning to close another 2000 or so post offices as they are losing money on them hand over fist. No surprise when you can't do much else other than buy a stamp there. Things like buying a TV Licence you just can't do at the post office anymore, silly really.

Anyway, I am not sure when this was built but their is a really old doorway behind the castle that was apparently taken from the 'old' post office so I guess this is the new one. Judging by the architecture it has to be 1920 - 1939 or so to fit in with the Art Deco feel of the place. Might have a closer snoop around tomorrow.

Oh and do you see the pigeon? They get everywhere, not just on this blog!

Tudor House

Just a quickie - this building deserves some real good photos taking so I will go back and try and get some!
It's the Tudor House on Fore Street, the oldest house in Taunton, parts of it date back to 1350. It belonged to Sir William Portman who was responsible for escorting the Duke of Monmouth to London for his execution after the Monmouth Rebellion!
I would love to spend the night in there, I bet it is so creaky and spooky!

YMCA Gym

Not entirely sure it is somewhere I would enjoy working out but back in 1895 I am sure it was cutting edge!

I thought the YMCA was an American institution but it seems to be thriving over here, and by the looks of this imposing building, was thriving here over a hundred years ago.

I will definitely go back when the light is a little more favourable to see if I can get some sky into the photo so it doesn't look so artificial.

The Wall

Just behind the Cider Mill in one of the previous posts is the Old Library, it was - well, an old library! Now it is one of a chain of bars named 'Pitcher & Piano'. For a chain it is not bad, decent enough food and good drinks - if a little pricey.
Anyway, leading off the Old Library as was, pitcher & Piano as is, is this wall.
It's the first time I have looked at it, that's the thing with this DP business, I find I am 'seeing' stuff for the first time. Loving some of the images you are showing me too!

I don't know if they have just removed some ivy or similar from the wall, it's the only reason I can think of for the extremely damp green areas.