Master John of Hever

An old fashioned English gentleman with some unusual interests!

[expressions-of-nature]

Fyrish Monument, Scotland by Kier Allen

[jstmxa]

[misterlemonztenth]

The bell inside the Elizabeth Tower is called Big Ben; it weighs 14 tons. Misterlemonztenth.tumblr.com/archive

[master-john-uk]

The Isle of Wight in the 1950's.

You may have seen more recent photographs of most of these places. Very little has changed... except the cars (and trains).

[the-jewel-catalogue]

A gold signet ring linked to Queen Elizabeth I has gone on display at Hampton Court Palace after being found by a Bedfordshire metal detectorist.

The Tudor ring was discovered in Ampthill in a former royal hunting ground once owned by Henry VIII.

Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for Hampton Court Palace, bought the ring after it was acquired by the government under the Treasure Act 1996.

It went on display on Monday alongside another ring linked to the family of Anne Boleyn.

The ring is on display at Hampton Court Palace, which is known as the home of King Henry VIII

The 1570s gold ring features an engraving of a phoenix rising from flames.

This symbol was first associated with Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn, after a 1575 poem compared her to a phoenix and said Elizabeth had risen from her ashes "as a worthy queen".

Elizabeth adopted the phoenix emblem herself in honour of her mother's memory, and courtiers then wore it as a sign of loyalty.

[aviationwarhistory]

Losing both his legs prior to World War Two, couldn’t stop Douglas Bader from flying. Despite there being no regulations to keep him from flying, he was retired against his will. In 1939, the RAF reactivated him as a pilot. He scored his first victories over Dunkirk.  He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. 

“Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do this or that. That’s nonsense. Make up your mind, you’ll never use crutches or a stick, then have a go at everything. Go to school, join in all the games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”

[charlotte-of-wales]

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium at the Cathedral of Brussels for the Te Deum mass during Belgium's National Day | July 21, 2026

[flowerwreaththings]

July 20, 2026 | King Charles III, following the resignation of PM Keir Starmer, recieved in Audience the Rt. Hon. Andrew Burnham MP and requested him to form a new Administration. Andy Burnham accepted The King's offer, therfore becoming Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.

[theworldatwar]

St. Paul's Cathedral in London during the great fire raid of Sunday 29th Dec 1940 during the Battle of Britain. Photo : U.S. National Archives

[master-john-uk]

This famous photograph was taken from the roof of the Daily Mail newspaper offices near Fleet Street during The Blitz by Herbert Mason.

This photograph became a symbol of British resilience and courage.

[scottsbifh]

The Glassblower, 40-42 Glasshouse St. between Regent Street & Piccadilly Circus. Historic pub on 2 floors in former glassblowers' workhouse. via FB The Duo Explorer

[vintage-london-images]

Euston Station & War Memorial seen here in 1960. The memorial and two entrance lodges are all that remain of the former Euston station complex, the station having been rebuilt in the 1960s, including the destruction of its Doric Arch. An office building was erected between the memorial and the station in the 1970s, now obscuring the view of it from the station entrance.

The memorial consists of a single 13 metre (43-foot) tall obelisk on a pedestal. At the top, on each side, is a cross in relief and a bronze wreath. At the four corners of the base are four over life size statues of military figures, an artilleryman, an infantryman, a sailor, and an airman. The memorial was unveiled on 21 October 1921, and over 8,000 people attended the ceremony. The memorial its self is a grade II* listed building.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

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[grandmaster-anne]

The Queen Mother playing pool. 1961

[master-john-uk]

It is widely reported that HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother enjoyed a little tipple. HM also enjoyed visiting ordinary pubs, although she was unable to do this on a regular basis.

Possibly my favourite story about The Queen Mother was when she walked from Clarence House to a luncheon engagement at Buckingham Palace in the 1990's. Her Majesty was advised to cancel the appointment, as exceptionally heavy traffic meant that a car could not get there on time. "Nonsense!" HM replied, "We'll just have to walk!"

This sent waves of panic flowing through the Met Police Protection officers! The Queen Mother set out on her walk through Green Park, with her security team in tow. It is only a short walk, but HM was in her mid-90's at the time, and rarely made public appearances.

On exiting Green Park, The Queen Mother was rather bemused by a set of pedestrian-crossing traffic lights. One of her protection officers pushed the button, and explained that the lights would tell her when to cross the road. "Isn't that ingenious?" The Queen Mother whispered.

Her Majesty was greeted by loud cheers from the public as she walked through the gates of Buckingham Palace... and soon recuperated from her unplanned walk after a glass of Dubonnet and gin!

[somersetlevels]

The Hyde Park and Regent's Park Bombings: 20th July 1982.

The explosions killed eleven military personnel: four soldiers of the Blues & Royals at Hyde Park, and seven bandsmen of the Royal Green Jackets at Regent's Park. Seven of the Blues and Royals' horses were also killed in the attack. The IRA claimed responsibility.

[theroyalgardens]

Highclere Castle, Hampshire, England

[aisphotostuff]

Albizia julibrissin..Persian silk tree @ Emmetts NT Kent by Adam Swaine Via Flickr: A medium-sized, deciduous tree with a broad, spreading crown. The large, mimosa-like leaves are composed of many small leaflets. Fluffy, greenish-yellow flowers with long stamens open on the top of the crown in summer, followed by clusters of long, narrow, pale brown pods that can hang on into winter

[tradlads]

King George V poses for a photograph with his son Prince Edward, the future King Edward VIII [1914]

[wellwornwornwell]

The lost art of Morning Dress: Cecil Beaton, 1972

[master-john-uk]

Fashion may change… but, style endures the test of time!