The Grumpy Old Limey
A British expat now residing in Dallas, Texas. I met my wife on the internet in the days when there was not much of an internet. Turned out well; I have a wonderful wife and we have been happily married since 1997. For all who said that was strange at the time [and maybe even feel it is an odd way to meet even now] I would simply say "Hey, after all those years we are still happy and still each other’s best friend". After working in pubs back in the old country I ended up in restaurant management once I arrived in the US. A few years ago I moved to the corporate office as a member of the training department and a year or so later transferred to the IT department.
Age creeps along and we all turn into something we would likely have yelled "no way" at in our youth. Pottering about in the yard is about as active as I get for the most part now. I do enjoy travel and especially enjoy cruising though I am not rich enough to indulge to the extent that I would like. I tend to be somewhat opinionated and many would say a little cynical at times and I have a tendency to share both my opinions and my experience and knowledge whether asked for or otherwise.
MY BLOGS
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Strange, Weird, Wonderful & Cool Buildings
http://strangebuildings.thegrumpyoldlimey.com/
The world of architecture is full of strange, weird, cool and wonderful buildings. Some are old, some are incredibly old and some are ultra modern. Architecture, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. We all see something different but we all see something interesting. In fact architecture ought to be seen as an art form, the artistic output of the architect. This blog aims to chronicle many of the wonders of the world of architecture.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 36 )
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Morrow Royal Pavillion - Recycled Glass; "Eco-Friendly" & Cool
Recently completed the Morrow Royal Pavilion is one of the more significant and notable "eco-friendly" buildings constructed in recent years. Read more
Posted on 21 November 2012 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Antoni Gaudí's Barcelona - Palau Güell
GAUDÍ'S BARCELONA - A PERSONAL TOUR PART 2 At age 26 Antoni Gaudí met Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi, a wealthy Catalan industrialist, politician and patron of the... Read more
Posted on 04 July 2012 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Gaudi's Barcelona - A Personal Perspective - Casa Batllo
Recently I was fortunate enough to be able to take a long vacation in Europe. A long lazy week in Barcelona before a Mediterranean cruise sailing out of the por... Read more
Posted on 23 June 2012 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
The Futuro House Project - Information, Photos & Locations
AN ONGOING SPECIAL FEATURE - UPDATED 062312 More accurately called Futuro Houses these 20th Century prefabricated homes are often referred to as "UFO Houses". Read more
Posted on 23 June 2012 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
The Futuro House Project - Information, Photos & Locations
AN ONGOING SPECIAL FEATURE - UPDATED 091111More accurately called Futuro Houses these 20th Century prefabricated homes are often referred to as "UFO Houses". Read more
Posted on 11 September 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Some of the most magnificent structures ever conceived were built in the Middle Ages. Few modern structures can match the awe inspiring gothic cathedrals of... Read more
Posted on 03 September 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Hang Nga Guesthouse, Vietnam Aka The Crazy House
Opened in 1990 the Hang Nga Guesthouse in Da Lat, Vietnam is the brainchild of architect Dang Viet Nga. Early in its life the property was often described as... Read more
Posted on 02 September 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, TRAVEL -
Royal Ontario Museum "Crystal", Toronto, Canada
In 2002 the Royal Ontario Museum, a Canadian world culture and natural history museum located in Toronto, began a significant expansion and renovation project... Read more
Posted on 31 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA
In my recent article on Frank O. Gehry's Venice Beach House I used an image from the blog "What Do I Know". During some correspondence with the author of "What... Read more
Posted on 27 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Kosovo National Library, Prishtina, Kosovo
I came across a picture of this building the other day while browsing on Flickr. The caption just read "Cool Building" and there was no location info but since... Read more
Posted on 26 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Frank O. Gehry Venice Beach House, Venice, CA, USA
In my "spotlight" article on Pritzker Prize winning architect Frank O. Gehry published recently I observed that Gehry "buildings often include the use of flowin... Read more
Posted on 24 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
In The Spotlight - Architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser
SPECIAL FEATURE ON F. HUNDERTWASSER [Gallery]I first came across the great Austrian painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser [1928-2000] during researc... Read more
Posted on 19 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Kuchlbauer's Bierwelt, Abensberg, Germany
Breweries are not the first things that come to mind when thinking about unique and inspired architecture but for German brewer Leonhard Salleck that was... Read more
Posted on 17 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Kunsthaus Graz, Graz, Austria
Completed in 2003 the Kunsthaus Graz is a strange and yet very striking building. Affectionately dubbed the "Friendly Alien" by its creators its amoebic like... Read more
Posted on 15 August 2011 SOCIETY -
The Lotus Temple, New Delhi, India
Known as the Lotus Temple and completed in 1986 the Bahá'í House of Worship in New Delhi, India must surely be one of the most beautiful buildings in the... Read more
Posted on 13 August 2011 DESTINATIONS, TRAVEL -
Mammy's Cupboard, Natchez, MS, USA
Dating from the American Civil War era and originating in the southern US The "mammy archetype" is one of the best-known archetypes of African American women. Read more
Posted on 13 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Biorama Aka The Water Tower House
Around 10 years or so ago while cycling Richard Hurding spotted an old run down water tower in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO nature... Read more
Posted on 13 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
In The Spotlight - Architect Frank O. Gehry
SPECIAL FEATURE ON FRANK O. GEHRY [Gallery]Frank O. Gehry came to my attention while I was researching the Hotel Marques de Riscal and he quickly became a... Read more
Posted on 13 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
Hotel Marqués De Riscal, Elciego, Spain
Located in north central Spain the Rioja region is famed for its production of Rioja wines. The Rioja Denominación de Origen Calificada is named for the provinc... Read more
Posted on 13 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE -
The Flying Saucer House, TN, USA
About three weeks ago we published an article on the "UFO House" in Royse City, TX. That was one of the late 20th century Futuro homes. Read more
Posted on 13 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE
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