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This weeks PhotoFriday theme is “Sky-High.” My first thought was a picture from a plane but then I thought it was likely to be a bit of a cliché. Bizarrely I didn’t see many other entrants with the same idea so I went with the above image, taken on my iPhone landing back in London.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Summer Fun.” I’m entry number 279.

The phrase “Summer Fun,” which is this weeks PhotoFriday theme, conjures up images of children splashing in brightly coloured paddling pools, beach volley ball and barbecues lasting well into the late, twilight hours. Unfortunately I don’t have pictures of any of those things. So here is a picture of a summer sunset over Brighton beach. I think walking on the beach, late in the evening while it’s still light is considered fun.

Please vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Bloom.” I’m entry number 284.

Another late entry for PhotoFriday (this is becoming a theme in and of itself). This weeks image is around the theme “Bloom” which I felt pretty much had to be about flowers. These were in Bath, UK.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Motionless.” I’m entry number 167.

We see symbols pretty much everywhere, both graphic symbols and metaphorical ones. Lots of other entries to this weeks PhotoFriday went for the metaphorical option — indeed my first thoughts were crosses, minarets, the pyramids, stone henge — so I decided to head in the opposite direction with this instruction painted on the pavement of the Brompton Cemetery.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “The Coast.” I’m entry number 223.

One common refrain after the BNP made an appearance on Question Time last year was that if only more people went out and voted then right-wing extremists would not get elected. Of course that’s not the whole story but there’s some truth in that. Since we will have a General Election this time next week this becomes a very important point.

This got me thinking about my experience with the British electoral system. As far as I can remember, I’ve voted in every election that I have been eligible except for those when I have not been at home. In fact I was in California in this last election when Griffin was elected to the European parliament.

This time I did try to vote even though I would be away. They don’t make it easy.

There are two basic options. First is the postal vote. Sounds ideal, right? Just pop my vote in the post before I get on the plane and I’ve done my democratic duty.

Not quite.

Checking the small print I found that they mailed out the ballot forms a week before the election. Unfortunately I was out of the country for just over two weeks and the election was towards the end of my time away. Chances were good that I wouldn’t have got the form in time. And, of course, we all know how reliable the postal system has been recently. Even if I was home, would my vote get back to be counted on time? (This, I should add, is just be being cynical. The only reason I didn’t go down this route was because I wouldn’t have received the ballot in time.)

There is, however, an alternative. You can also send a proxy to vote on your behalf. Sounds simple, right?

Again, I wasn’t quite able to get it together in time. You have to nominate someone who is eligible to vote and who is not representing more than one other person. I seem to recall seeing that your proxy also had to be resident in the borough but I don’t see that in the current wording; I’m not sure if the law changed or I just misunderstood.

In any case, your proxy needs to vote in the same place that you would, which immediately limits your choices.

(One point that I missed last year is that your proxy can vote by post. Maybe that would have made things easier.)

And it goes without saying that you’d have to trust your proxy. You’re expecting someone to both actually turn up to vote and to put the cross in the correct box. I don’t know why, but this makes me a little uncomfortable. Maybe I should become a more trusting person, but there’s something about the idea of an anonymous vote that’s significant.

Just to be clear, I’m not sure what the alternative should be. The voting system needs to be simple, reliable and something that can be trusted.

But whatever the current system it’s still important to try to vote. It’s just much easier if you’re in the country on May 6^th.

As I write this I should have just returned from a trip to Istanbul. Unfortunately the now infamous Ash Cloud put a stop to that before it even started. I spent a Friday evening going through cancelling my flights, hotels and tour.

Dispiriting doesn’t begin to cover it.

But I wasn’t going to let something like that completely ruin my week. Limited to the UK, I decided to go to Salisbury and the near by Stone Henge, two places that I’ve not been to for a long time.

After picking up the hire car and driving out of London, I realised that I was a bit early to check into the B&B and decided to head straight to Stone Henge. Probably not the best option photographically (since the sun was almost overhead) but it worked well time-wise.

One of the bizarre things about Stone Henge is that it’s right next to the A303, a major road. (In fact last time I was here I just drove past in the car and never progressed into the visitors centre!) There have been suggestions that the road should be moved under the monument but, given the proximity, wandering around was remarkably quiet.

It’s an impressive sight. Like Giza’s pyramids, even today it would be a reasonable engineering task to build but it’s almost unimaginable how they achieved it thousands of years ago.

As has been noted many times before, the location has a certain atmosphere that’s difficult to put into words. It must have been a magical place, at least in times where people believed in magic!

After walking about the stone circle I got back in the car and heading down to Salisbury. It’s a pretty, old town.

The historic centre is the Cathedral. Again, it’s incredible to think that, in a time when most people were living in poverty, it was possible to construct a building as large and intricate as this.

Inside it was much brighter than many churches I’ve been in. Towards the centre of the nave was an unusual cross between a font and a waterfall.

Elsewhere in the Cathedral is one of four original copies of the Magna Carta. No pictures allowed in that room, but it was fascinating looking over such an important document. Since it’s all in Latin I relied in the translation on the wall. The combination of fundamental human rights and seemingly trivial details makes an interesting combination.

But the neatest thing that I could take a photograph of was this medieval clock, one of the oldest working examples in the world. Much more detailed descriptions can be found elsewhere so I won’t say much here other than note its significance.

After visiting the Cathedral I took a wander by the river, had quick drink and meandered back to the car. It was only a short trip, but it was good to get away.