After the fun and games of yesterday it's back to routine with the regular Saturday jaunt to Silloth.
Typically, as we were running late this morning we got stuck behind a police car and caught in road-works - hey ho.
Saw this photo opportunity from the car window where I was parked. Can't help wondering if regular cutting has produced a new ground-hugging variant of the dandelion as they were all short like this one.
Saturday, 30 April 2011
1000/433: 29 April 2011: Village party - Allerby
Apparently the last time we had a village party on the green in Allerby was Charles' and DI's wedding. There was general agreement that we didn't want to wait 'til the next royal wedding for the next one.
Games for the kids (of all ages), oodles of cake, pie and pea supper and large quantities of wine - all in all an excellent job. Oh, and we raised £100 for the Air Ambulance - yay!
Need to get a photo off to the Times and Star in the next couple of days.
1000/432: 28 April 2011: Preparing for the village party
Preparations in case the weather conspires to make life difficult tomorrow whe the village is having a party to celebrate the wedding - and life in general. Fortunately we had someone on hand to read the instructions (not me I might add)
1000/431: 27 April 2011: My new toy
..except that it's a genuine serious camera. Bought it to be less intrusive when doing candids and street photography. As it's a bit retro in design I thought I'd try a retro feel for the photo as well.
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
1000/430: 26 April 2011: Sunset Bramble
If they were in my garden, I'd hack these things down and spray the remnants with something noxious but in the right place, and in the right light, even something as aggressive as a bramble can be really beautiful.
It may be the red wine, but I can only conclude that nature is full of metaphors.
1000/429: 25 April 2011: Midsomer Norton
Intersting place, Midsomer Norton. It has an old town, which presumably grew up around coal mining, and a huge ring of relatively modern housing estates. Not sure where most of the inhabitants now work.
This is obviously not the old town.
1000/428: 24 April 2011: Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust
They aren't going to make a fortune on the back of my publicity but I thought I'd plug their full name.
This Sunday afternoon we walked off our lunch with agentle walk down to the old railway station which the trust use as their HQ. Got there a bit late so the museum was just closing, but the Anderson shelter and the wartime memorabilia in the old Pill Box were fascinating.
Down on the platform there was a little diesel givng rides up and down the track, and this characterful collection of old trunks and cases.
I have childhood memories of S&D steam trains chugging up the slope from Radstock past the end of my Grandad's garden in Chilcompton and I can also remember peering through my letterbox at Mr Beechings axe as it chopped up the track down the road from my house. Without groups like this our heritage just becomes dusty old history.
Why not pop in and see them next time you're down in Somerset: http://www.sdjr.co.uk/pages/general.html
This Sunday afternoon we walked off our lunch with agentle walk down to the old railway station which the trust use as their HQ. Got there a bit late so the museum was just closing, but the Anderson shelter and the wartime memorabilia in the old Pill Box were fascinating.
Down on the platform there was a little diesel givng rides up and down the track, and this characterful collection of old trunks and cases.
I have childhood memories of S&D steam trains chugging up the slope from Radstock past the end of my Grandad's garden in Chilcompton and I can also remember peering through my letterbox at Mr Beechings axe as it chopped up the track down the road from my house. Without groups like this our heritage just becomes dusty old history.
Why not pop in and see them next time you're down in Somerset: http://www.sdjr.co.uk/pages/general.html
1000/427: 23 April 2011: Radstock
Visiting the West Country this weekend - even after 30 years away it somehow still feels like coming home.
Anyway - this is the centre of Radstock. Not a place I visited much when I was young - generally did our shopping in Midsomer Norton, Wells or Bath for some reason.
I'm old enough to remember when these pit wheels were actually functional, rather than a monument to a lost industrial past, but I would have to admit this one does make a rather excellent focal poiont in the town centre.
The only other things I really remember about Radstock from my youth are the chess club in the library and visits to the school dentist.. I have just lost part of one of the fillinge they put in so am of to my own dentist next week. :(
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
1000/426: 22 April 2011: Cherry Blossoms
Never noticed before just how many cherry trees there are in towns. York was full of them a couple of weeks back, and now we're down soiuth I notice that Midsomer Norton is full of them to.
Not complaining though - they are colourful and exotic. One day I'm going to see them in Japan. (adds to bucket list),
1000/425: 21 April 2011: Bulbous Bunny
Now that we have a decent secure fence around the garden we sometimes let the rabbits out of their run for a trot. In truth they hop about 6 paces and then decide that they've done enough exercise and what they really need is food. This is almost certainly why they are essentially spherical.
Like this shot because the processing gives the impression that i've snuck up on Tetley in the wild.
1000/424: 20 April 2011: Primulas
Neither Marion nor I remember planting these, although one of us obviously did. They're tucked away under a bush o the blind side from the patio window, so they make a nice colourful 'surprise' when we're ambling around the garden.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
1000/423: 19 April 2011: Another Solway Sunset
My first of these for a while. Went for a stroll along Maryport prom this evening and watched the sun sink slowly into a bank of mist. Stunning as ever.
My only regret is tha i can't capture the smell of gorse flowers on camera - just love it.
1000/422: 18 April 2011: Me as a Roman
I'm still working on self-portraiture and have been trying a couple of experiments. In particular I've worked out a technique foir absorbing my face onto the surface of statues, which provides an interesting, and perhaps slightly unnerving, effect.
This statue - which is on a footpath behind St Matthews at Stretton is my photo of the day - the face was taken from a previous photo session.
1000/422: 17 April 2011: Red Tulips
These are actually a dusky pink, but made to appear more red by the light of the setting sun and my processing.
Marion has been putting a lot of effort inrto the garden in the last 18 months with the result that we get cracking patches of colour like this popping up all over the spot.
In spite of being widely associated with the Netherlands tulips were first cultivated commercially by the Ottoman Turks and their name is believed to descend from a Persian word meaning Turban
1000/421: 16 April 2011: Cowslips
Another of my favourite wild flowers, this clump was growing on a dyke in the field next door. The low sun catching the yellow tips has made them seem especially bright.
Apparently it is named after the old English word for cowpat and was traditionally used for decorating Maypoles (global warming anyone?) and as well as lots of herbal uses you can use the flowers to make cowslip wine - now there's a thought.
Saturday, 16 April 2011
1000/420: 15 April 2011: Battenberg Cake
I was munching on a piece of exceedingly sweet battenberg Cake when it struck me that it might make a nice abstract - so here we are.
I have a vivid memory of overhearing two American guests to a previous workplace discussing out loud what the 'digusting pink and yellow sweet stuff' was. I wonder if it is actually popular anywhere outside of the UK?
Friday, 15 April 2011
1000/419: 14 April 2011: Winter Pansies
We bought this basket of winter pansies before the really cold wqeather set in, and they didn't really perish. Given they were in a hanging basket I thought -13C would probably kill the roots, but apparently not. They've come back brighter than before.
1000/418: 13 April 2011: Lentils and vegetables
After several days away indulging ourselves we concluded that a lighter meal would be a good idea. Not for the first time Madhur Jaffrey came up trumps with this rather tasty mix of green lentils, stir fried veg, indian spices and basmati rice.
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
1000/417: 12 April 2011: The Cellarium, Fountains Abbey
Travelling back from York today - spent several hours at Fountains Abbey. What an absolutely wonderful place.
The ruins are somehow more evocative than most existing cathedrals, the setting is delightful and three cheers for the generations of people who thought it was a good idea to preserve the place rather than quarry it for building stone.
I'm just wondering if I can justify the fuel costs to visit the place on as regular basis - just to photograph it in different lights..
In the meantime - here's a rather Gothic treatment of the vaulting in the cellarium to be going on with. Just for the record - the pillars don't really lean inwards - that's a consequence of using a very wide angle lens tilted upwards.
1000/416: 11 April 2011: Koto Player
Well - still in York. We had sort of decided that we would give the National Railway Museum a miss, when we noticed that they were advertising a 'Japanese festival'.
Obviously, festival has several meanings, because when we got there it was rather quiet. They do have a Bullet Train that you can climb aboard - and very impressive it is too. And, tucked away among all the other trains there was a display area where people did traditional Japanese things at regular intervals. While we were there it was koto playing.
This lady seemed rather baffled by the idea of giving a koto demonstration surrounded by train-spotters - to the point of acknowledging that we probably weren't there to hear her play. She was unnecessarily modest - she could make it sing, and sing beautifully enough to keep everyone's attention.
It was a bit challenging from a photographer's point of view as there wasn't much light, and I didn't want to use flash. In this one I think I got the balance between the calmness of her pose and the speed of her hands about right.
1000/415: 10 April 2011: In York
Another glorious day so we decided to take a stroll around the city walls. I got a sunburned head in the process- which is a bit much for April. The wall took us conveniently close to the art gallery which was showing 'Bigger Trees near Warter' - a monster painting made of 48 individual canvases measuring about 15 feet high and 40 feet long - stunning.
Took tis shot from the steps as we were leaving the building.
Did ginger beer and sandwiches in the forecourt. Is it just me or does organic ginger beer really smell (and presumbaly taste) a little like Elsanol (for those old enough to remember either).
1000/414: 09 April 2011: York Minster
Youngest daughter is away in Germany for a few days so we have left the house in the care of No.1 son and gone for a long weekend to York.
Had planned to go to Scotland but the weather forecast was less than promising so we headed east to keep in the warm weather for as long as possible.
Stunning evening for just wandering and taking in the sights before dinner. This model of the west front of the Minster, and the west front itself - were an interesting challenge - haven't quite got both in focus - but it makes for an interesting shot that's a little different.
Can't help the feeling that York Minster was more about religious power than piety or celebration. It's more awe-inspiriing than beautiful.
1000/413: 08 April 2011: Self-portrait in a polo shirt
You guessed it - I'm doing self portraits. This is a very similar set-up to yesterday's shot, but the change of clothes, the slightly higher camera angle and the facial expression all result in a very different feel.
Juts read a book which says a self-portrait is always a bit of a surprose because you can't see what you're photographing properly. Have to say that the experience of the last couple of days supports that view entirely.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
1000/412: 07 April 2011: Self-portrait in a suit
Sorry - didn't mean to scare the horses with this rather stern expression. Self-portraiture is an odd thing - I try not to grin like the Cheshire Cat and end up looking like a banker trying to apologise for their bonus - and I wasn't even trying to put on a serious face.
1000/411: 06 April 2011: Orchid
Not sure what kind of orchid this is, but the whole plant stands about 2-3 feet high and the flowers must be the best part of 2-3 inches across.
1000/410: 05 April 2011: Purple Magnolia:
Still at the Tortworth today and no apologies for another magnolia. That's it really - one day I'll be a good enough photographer to do them real justice.
1000/409: 04 April 2011: Pink Magnolia
At the Tortworth today.The gardens are beginning to show signs of spring - particularly good display of magnolias, which are nice to see and will hopefully miss any late frosts this year.
1000/408: 03 April 2011: Shredding
Well I'm miles behind on my posting but I have at least kept up with the photos.
Spent the afternoon tidying up the garden as spring starts. I'm sure this is much greener than a bonfire, but I'm not sure what to do with the vast quantity of wood chippings I now have. There's a limit to how much mulch you can use.
This is one of a series of self-portraits I've been doing as part of my degree course.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
1000/407: 02 April 2011: Pizza
Was struck by the rather graphic 12" on this pizza box - that's it really. Sometimes small details lke this catch my eye, and I simply have to shoot them.
The offspring take the mickey because I take photos of bits of pavement and odd bits of waste, but it keeps me out of harm.
The offspring take the mickey because I take photos of bits of pavement and odd bits of waste, but it keeps me out of harm.
1000/406: 01 April 2011:Decorating
It's spring so a woman's thoughts apparently turn to...decorating. Perhaps it's genetic, because I thought the kitchen looked fine, but apparently it absolutely needed to be repainted peach from its current green colour. So that's what Marion is doing. And - surprise, surprise - we now need new blinds because the old ones don't match.
And there was me thinking the pictures of mammoth hunting done in tallow and ochre were fine as they were. :( I'm just so Neanderthal.
And there was me thinking the pictures of mammoth hunting done in tallow and ochre were fine as they were. :( I'm just so Neanderthal.
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