A little bit of history

In the course of exploring the photographic possibilities of Bedford’s Castle Quay development (see previous post) I ventured up onto Castle Mound which lies adjacent, thinking it would afford me a good vantage point from which to add to the little collection of pics of the Castle Quay construction project that were gradually amassing on the memory card.

It’s not the first time I’ve ascended Castle Mound of course. I’d like to be able to say I have fond recollections of the place. I can’t. I don’t.
What I do have are recollections of freezing my bits off up there! All in the course of the pursuit of photography naturally.

Like, for example, the time a mate and I thought that if we wandered up there one evening it’d be a good place to get some decent shots of the lights along the Embankment. It wasn’t. We didn’t.
What we did get was thoroughly chilled. And its no fun trying to use a camera or adjust a tripod when extremities feel as though frostbite’s about to claim another victim.
And the view we anticipated getting of the Embankment simply wasn’t as inspiring as we’d imagined it would be. In fact, far from being inspired, we ended the session quite depressed.

I have a deep suspicion that mate and I had a second session up there at some point although my mind is apparently determined to block the memory thereof. For I seem unable to pinpoint precisely when, or indeed why. No doubt in pursuit of some equally idiotic idea connected to this stupid photography caper. And no doubt in freezing cold weather.

However, my mind hasn’t blocked out the other couple of occasions when I’ve been up there, on my own, and in daylight hours would you believe. Again in the quest for photos of course. Nor has my mind blocked out the recollection of descending therefrom yet again chilled to the bone, with fingers feeling about to drop off. At least, that’s probably how they would have felt had I actually been able to feel them at all.

What is it about Castle Mound, I have to ask myself, that seems to attract me only in freezing cold weather?

One would imagine therefore that I’d exercise some considerable circumspection before approaching the Mound again, particularly if the weather is very cold, as it was earlier today (um… yesterday I think, by the time I get to post this). Bitterly cold in fact.
Wouldn’t one?

Huh. Not a bit of it. Once the idea had occurred to me, what did I do? Without a moment’s hesitation nonchalantly tromp around and up the Mound again, seemingly intent on once again courting frostbite. I must be mad. I can think of absolutely no other possible explanation.

This particular visit though was somewhat more rewarding than previous occasions. In addition to achieving my primary objective of grabbing some reasonable shots of the construction project, I spotted something I’d not noticed on previous visits (discounting the one(s) in the dark, cos this “something” wouldn’t have been visible then anyway).
And I wonder how many other folk have wandered around atop the Mound and not spotted them.

“Them” in this particular case being paving slabs. And not just any old paving slabs, but paving slabs with legends inscribed thereon. They seem to be laid out, interspersed with plain or “uninscribed” ones (three apiece or so I counted… that is, every fourth slab being an inscribed one), to form a circular path around the top of the mound.

So of course I snapped them all. Well, it has to be done, hasn’t it?

Quite enthused by this discovery I then wandered over to the little shelter thingie that’s on top of the Mound on the side facing the Embankment. I already knew of course that there were plaques or plates therein describing some historic event connected with the Mound, but hadn’t previously paid them much attention.
Now though I did. And learned that they described the “Great Siege of Bedford Castle”!
Well, photographic senses truly aroused, I snapped all of them as well. Heh heh.

(Hmm… photos are crap, but the plates are interesting.)

Predictably of course the cold had by this time wormed its way into my gloves, but nevertheless this was the first time that I’ve actually felt some satisfaction with my visit there.