Not too clean, these windows? I’ll have a word with the ship’s bosun.
When I was a little girl, our town had docklands. I remember being fascinated by the chain bridges that linked them all together. I would walk with care over the wooden boards, water on either side of me. Then we were no longer competitive at the shipbuilding game, and a wealth of skills were laid to waste. Years passed, with the town in decline. Still, we can be tenacious in this north eastern corner of England.
A happy ending, of sorts, is on display every day at Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience, our recreation of an 18th Century seaport. The website incorporates a brief history of Hartlepool, and details of HMS Trincomalee, restored locally and the only British warship still afloat.
Come and gaze with me into the windows of an 18th Century seaport.
Let’s walk round the quay together. I like this reflected windows shot.
The tailor’s first- got to be suitably attired. (and HMS Trincomalee, clearly reflected! )
The swordsmith’s- they’re pretty sharp in there!
Wax figures? A little strange, this one.
Shadrach Moggridge- a fine name for a chandler!
The upstairs window looks good too.
So many useful things!
A gunmaker’s, with shot, naturally!
The printer’s- useful again!
Head in hands- he must have got it wrong! (best yet reflection of the Trinc?)
Turn around, and there she is, HMS Trincomalee.
Those windows look a little cleaner from the outside.
Hope you enjoyed my tour. Come up and see us sometime. It really is quite fascinating inside the shops. I think I put my time to good use at Sunday’s visit to the Steampunk event.
Dawn, I hope you approve my choice of windows? Many thanks for hosting Thursday : Lingering look at Windows. I enjoy exploring your world too.
restlessjo 
Love the Naval Tailors and the Swordsmiths. Maybe it the color. All cool but those are my faves.
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The head in his hands in the printers makes me smile, Gem, but then I was always a little strange. 🙂
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Awesome trip!
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“Let’s go a-roving, a-roving across the ocean, oh let’s go a-roving and join the buccaneers!” 🙂 (crazy this morning 🙂 )
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🙂
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What a beautiful display. I love the history and the tour, thank you for that. It’s sad when one’s way of life is systematically snuffed out by “progress”. But this is the way of life. What’s heartwarming is to see the ingenuity it spurs.
When life gives you lemons…
~ Dawn
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It’s another example of trivialising what’s on your doorstep, Dawn. I’ve not seen anything like it on my travels, and when I do go there (very infrequently) I’m always impressed.
Glad to share this one, and that you enjoyed it. 🙂
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I just love taking these walks with you, Jo! 😀
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And you’re pretty good company too, Dianne. 🙂
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What a fabulous place, Jo – and fancy HMS Trincomalee having such a magnificent bay window!
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The captain’s lounge is quite grand, Marianne, and it looks out towards the lock gates into our marina. On a sunny day (ahem!) it’s a good place to be. 🙂
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We live in a naval port too but it hasn’t got such an attractive tableau as yours, it must be like walking back in time
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Where are you, Tink? I’ve forgotten. I am proud of it (actually worked there, in a mob cap, for a little while as a casual- good fun!) 🙂
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We live in a small village on the edge of Plymouth in not-so-sunny Devon although my Dad’s a Yorkshire man through and through
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Ah, yes- Plymouth! I had a good friend living there many years ago. She came originally from Callington in Cornwall, but sadly we lost touch. (I HATE when that happens)
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Oh, absolutely beautifully! How wonderfully those pictures capture the time and mood of that environment. Of a time that seems long passed. and oh my goodness ‘Trincomalee’ is just amazing.
If you aren’t already you should be responsible for providing information that is sent out to the various tourism offices around the world. Now that I have seen this, I want to come and visit!
You probably wont know Johanna Lindsey, BUT she writes historical romance novels and one particular family, the ‘Malory’s’. This is almost exactly the imagery created when reading her books.
Thanks so much, AWESOME post!
Miss Lou
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Very many thanks, Miss Lou! I often jest that I should work for the tourist board.
I don’t read too many historical novels, though I’m currently reading Phillipa Gregory, who hails from my part of the world. Thank you for your enthusiasm and encouragement. 🙂
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Most welcome, I’ve jotted down Phillipa Gregory’s name. Perhaps I might check out the work at some stage.
Do you use Good Reads at all?
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Yes, I’m on Goodreads. The widget is in my sidebar. 🙂 Gregory’s “White Queen” is currently being serialised on TV. I enjoyed the book but haven’t had time to watch the first episode yet. It’s always different than in your imagination, isn’t it?
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Lovely tour! Thank you, Jo! the The upstairs window is quit creative 🙂
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Thanks, Amy. My windows are getting closer to home! 🙂
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I love this recreated seaport, Jo! I love the 18th century shops and their “useful” goods. Those reflections in the windows are marvelous.
By the way, I still haven’t time to think about Portugal yet, but I will figure it out, don’t worry! I’ll plan on being there when we said, no matter how I go about getting there! 🙂
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No problems, Cath. I’ll send you my mobile number so you can be in touch when you’re on the road, as we don’t have internet in Tavira. We don’t go till 7th July but you don’t have much time before the excitement begins! 🙂
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That sounds great, Jo. I’m sure you’re excited to go yourself. I know I don’t have much time now; sadly the time is dragging by….. 🙂 Can’t wait to meet you!
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Shadrach Moggridge.Now there’s a name for you. What an interesting post, Jo. I’m pleased the naval heritage is being preserved and it’s good for tourism as well. I’ve been to Nelson’s Dockyard, a cultural heritage site and marina in English Harbour, Antigua, but there are no replica’s like the beautiful HMS Trincomalee to linger over.
There is a school close by to us (and I live in SW Florida) named Tralfagar. I’m curious as to the choosing of that name.Must be from The Battle of Tralfagar. Enough history; I must wash windows. 🙂
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I could suggest a few additional ones for you, Lynne. 🙂
The town was a lot of years in the doldrums and I was quite proud of it when we did get our act together. The facility was good enought to attract the Tall Ships Races in 2010 and that’s quite an achievement.
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The reflections you captured in the shops…PERFECT!! Love this perspective.
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Thank you! It was quite hard not to capture them, but she is a beautiful ship, so I didn’t mind. 🙂
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Wonderful windows for the theme, Jo. Love the reflections, and I’m wondering how I’ve lived my life up until now without any of those “useful” thingamajigs. 😀
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All we need these days is a cell phone, Ad? Many thanks for making me smile, as always. 🙂
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Great collection of reflections in windows, as well as the windows themselves…
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It’s hard not to take the reflections too, Sue. I tried a few angles but then decided I liked them anyway. Thank you. 🙂
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Indeed – in this case the reflections are part of the story! 🙂
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Stunning photo’s of windows once again Jo. I love the reflections in them too! Love that boat as well! Great shots and thanks for sharing. 😀 *hugs*
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I made good use of my visit last Sunday,Sonel- it gave me two posts! 🙂 And I do like to wander around the Quay, though it could have been sunnier.
Thanks, hon!
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Love the reflection shots Jo. I am embarrassed to admit that I have never yet been inside the Historic Quay…shame on me!
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I think you ought to rectify that immediately, David. The grandbairns would love it, too. 🙂
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I do love to travel back in time. Thanks!
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You can come on board my time “ship” anytime, TBM. 🙂
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Yes, once a proud ship building nation, where did it all go wrong!
It looks a lovely place to wander with a camera., I’m not sure when, but the motorhome will definitely be heading to the North East again. 🙂
My daughter lives in Portsmouth, the office where she works is in the historic dockyard, another amazing place to explore too.
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Never been to Portsmouth, Vicky. Presume you combined your Dorset trip with a visit to your daughter. I’m reading a book about the bombardments in the second world war, and it sounds like they would have had to do major rebuilding. 🙂
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I lingered a while and admired your window dressings. 🙂
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It was nice to have your company, Tom. 🙂
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It’s terrific they’ve turned this into a living place again – you could almost have walked through the looking glass back in time 🙂
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It really is beautifully accomplished, Meredith. I worked there for a time and really enjoyed browsing the shops. 🙂
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sei una maga con i riflessi sui vetri, già in un altro post ne ero rimasta affascinata, questi velieri sembrano uscire dai nostri sogni per entrare in una dimensione tridimensionale e portarci in giro per mondi dimenticati
è bellissimo essere bloggher quando si incontrano persone speciali come te, mia cara
tornerò con più calma perché ora sono al lavoro
ciao ciao
are you a magician with reflections on glass, already in another post I was AWE, these sailboats seem to exit from our dreams to enter a three-dimensional size and take us around for forgotten worlds
It’s beautiful to be bloggher when you meet special people like you, my dear
I’ll be back with more calm now because I’m at work
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I am lucky to have worked there, I think, and to call this home. Ciao ciao. 🙂
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