Close your eyes and dream of England

Little Langdale village epitomises England's bucolic Lake District

Autumn at Scotney Castle, Kent (@jameslloydcole IG)

   The Royal Pavilion, often referred to as Brighton Pavilion, in Brighton, East Sussex, England was a former royal residence of the much-maligned George IV; who built it around an existing modest farmhouse from 1789-1822. The Pavilion’s extremely lavish and opulent decor was not popular with the public (considering all the poor dying of starvation in London) but George found the public quite tiresome and happily carried on with his gluttony and laudanum addiction and drinking and adultery and such. 

   When George IV died the Times eulogized him in this manner: “There never was an individual less regretted by his fellow-creatures than this deceased king. If he ever had a friend in any rank of life the name of him or her never reached us” Ouch. His senior aide put his thoughts even more bluntly in his diary: “A more contemptible, cowardly, selfish, unfeeling dog does not exist.” There is your Royal Monarchy Lesson for today. (image pepeketua on flickr)

The Elizabeth Tower aka Big Ben and a lamp on Westminster Bridge