Bamburgh Castle, or Bebbanburg Castle as it was called then, sits central to the motives of Uhtred, the protagonist, to regain ownership of this part of Northumbria in the 9th century. This is according to the acclaimed TV series 'The Last Kingdom'. The story is based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell, and follows closely the life of Uhtred during the period of King Alfred's reign. Bebbanburg took the name from Queen Bebba a lesser known queen in 7th Century. Uhtred's ultimate destiny was to be the ruler of Bebbanburg, having both fertile land and ultimately to regain his land that was once owned by his father. It also served as a strategic position to fend off the Scots, which proved to win favour from the ruling king, whether it was Alfred or the heir to the throne, Edward. Knowing Uhtred's ultimate prize also worked in the King's favour. This very fact help unite the larger regions of East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria to become England, which was Alfred's ultimate goal. Uhtred's apparent betrayal became knowledge to the Danes, driving him to almost despair as he continually battled with his split loyalty between the Danes, his adopted parent's country, and the ruling Anglo-Saxons. A number of sacrifices were made, no less than having to give up pursuing Bebbanburg once he swore an oath to Alfred after accidentally killing a priest. His longevity had to be commended, which could only be put down to his leadership qualities whilst maintaining loyalty amongst his followers at all times. He made plenty of enemies along the way though, no less than his childhood sweetheart Brida who saw his loyalty to Alfred as no less than treacherous. When viewing Bamburgh at such an early hour, helped by a blood red sky as the sun is about to rise, one can easily sense the majestical view of the beaches which would have greeted the invading vikings of AD 793 when Lindisfarne monastery of Holy Island was plundered and which was the start of many such raids, followed by the Danes in the 9th Century AD. The minimal lighting inside and outside the castle provided a subtle glow as though lit by fire torches powered by burning tallow. These soon extinguished as the sun rose, providing a contrast of stone against the blistering orange horizon and green lawns in front. The photoshoot was almost missed after learning from a fellow photographer that the level crossing on the way to the beach had its barriers down for a good 20 minutes whilst allowing rail traffic to pass. He sadly arrived after the event. I could have sworn that the same event had just begun moments after crossing the same line myself! Like Uhtred in the final moments of series 5 of 'The Last Kingdom' I stared at the impressive battlements at the front of the castle, with knowledge that I had captured something special that Autumn morning. Such a capture though does not have happened by chance, as I can be thankful that I had all my equipment prepared the night before, knew what the tidal times were, what type of sky I was going to be greeted with and what lenses I needed to capture the shots. Leaving the camera aside, I am sure the vikings would have told you the same story as they prepared to sail across the North Sea to the shores of Northumbria _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING TIME:- - GLOSSY PHOTO PAPER: 5 days for printing, 5-8 days for shipping, depending on final destination. - READY-TO-HANG CANVAS: 5 days for printing, 5-10 days for shipping depending on final destination. ————————————————— PRINTING DETAILS:- There are 3 ways to acquire these images:- 1. PREMIUM GLOSSY PHOTO PAPER These are high quality, professional paper-prints. Sharp, vivid and rich colour sets these apart from casual photo prints. Premium glossy photo paper is long-lasting. This option is available in 15x20cm (6x8 inches), 20x25cm (8x10 inches) or 40x50cm (16x20 inches). Other sizes are available on demand. Prints do not have a white border but are designed to be placed in a glass frame, though not included in the sale. 2. READY-TO-HANG CANVAS Premium quality canvas art, printed and framed to order, using high-resolution Epson UltraChrome Eco-solvent. At a density of 300g/ m2, the 99% cotton canvas is then hand-stretched around a thick, wooden frame - in the same way an oil painting is traditionally assembled - giving it shape None of the wooden frame is exposed when hung on the wall other than the art-work. Neither are there any staples or ugly lines visible on the sides. Made of B1 fire resistance rating; PVC free! Other sizes are available on demand. 3. READY-TO-HANG CANVAS (SPLIT INTO 3 PANELS) This is for larger pieces, with the photograph is split into 3 evenly-dimensioned canvas panels which, when put together, make a single large image. This gives a modern look, and allows spectacularly large sizes on your wall! —————————————————— SIZE GUIDE FOR CANVASES Single panel 30cm x 90cm - 1' x 3' 40cm x 50cm - 16” x 20” 60cm x 90cm - 2’ x 3’ 75cm x100cm - 30” x 40” 3-panel 60cm x 180cm - 2' x 6' 90cm x 180cm - 3’ x 6’ 100cm x 225cm - 40” x 90”