Been out walking

I thought it was time to gather some new material, but it was a bit cold to be drawing outside today so I took the camera. Although the wind was only slow it was cutting so I ducked into the Air Force Memorial for shelter for a while.

This is a monument on top of the hill above Runnymede with views from Windsor Castle to central London on a clear day. The Castle is maybe 5 miles away and it turns out you can sort of see it even when its snowing. You can also see Heathrow and Wembley stadium.

The point of the memorial is that it lists 20 000 Allied airmen who lost their lives in the Second World War but have no known grave. It is a courtyard with two additional wings and a tower. I'd never bothered climbing the tower before, but I'm glad I did today. I knew it to be an elegant building but upstairs the combination of the sculptural detailing of the spiral staircases, a simple but textured square room and a quality of light somewhere between a church and an art gallery absolutely blew me away.

Next time there is an overcast day when I have time on my hands I'll hoick a tripod and more lenses up there, the room will reward time and thought.