As it did on 5th January 2025, it snowed, but at least I wasn’t trying to get to London today — nor anywhere else. A quick walk was mandated around lunchtime, though, mainly for photography purposes. I like the way the young trees march up the hillside in their protectors, somewhat mimicking the chimney stacks in front.
Boxing Day was spent walking in the Ochil Hills. Grey skies above us were contrasted with the sight of sun shining on hills to the south. This shot, from the summit of Innerdouny Hill, was taken with a very long zoom, and I am prepared to state that what is seen here is Culter Fell, the 2,454-feet high summit of South Lanarkshire — it’s in the right direction, and it certainly looks like it (see the second image down on the page as linked). Which means that here we have a view of just under 50 miles. That’s impressive — but in the end, I pick the shot because of also capturing the aeroplane, which is just cute. (More pictures from the walk will appear on my other blog in due course….)
The Firth of Tay makes a second appearance in a row, though this time, it (rather than a train) is the focus. The tide is definitely out. Taken from the top of Dundee Law, on what has become the mandated Post-Present Christmas Day Walk, as there often isn’t a great deal else to do on the day except the eating, drinking and watching movies part — which did follow. A Happy Christmas to you, wherever you may be and however you spent it.
As seen crossing the Tay rail bridge, more-or-less on schedule. The shot is taken from Newport-on-Tay, on the opposite side of the firth from Dundee. I am feeling minimalist this Christmas Eve, it seems.
Actually the pun in the title is inaccurate, as the Fiddlers’ Ferry power station, on the banks of the Mersey between Widnes and Warrington, has been decommissioned; the cooling towers are scheduled for demolition at some point in the future. This view will pass into history at that point. I doubt the horses care, though. Taken on the way to bag my 111th County Top, that of Warrington.
God, look at the time. If this looks like it is taken over some misty marshland somewhere, it’s an illusion — instead it was captured from the 3rd floor of the Ellen Wilkinson Building, as I made my leisurely way to my 4pm class, which doesn’t even manage to start before sunset at this time of year. And still ten days to go until the solstice.
Considering it was a rather dank and gloomy day it was a bit surprising to see the Moon shining so brightly through the skylight in the attic early this evening. I offer this photo as proof that, first, my camera’s long zoom still works reasonably well and that, second, the windows of our skylights are not quite as covered in cack as I thought they were: this is definitely taken through glass.
From a deep hole going into the ground to a big thing pointing up out of it. Emley Moor’s TV antenna makes its third apperance on the blog. OK, I’ve cranked the contrasts up a bit, but after yesterday’s sunshine, different weather was definitely coming in.
These impressive crags would grace any mountain in the Lake District or Scotland, but instead can be found, perhaps unexpectedly, in Leicestershire — specifically on Bardon Hill, the County Top of that territory. However, as is probably obvious, they are not natural formations. Instead this is the gigantic artificial hole of the Bardon Hill Quarry, source of, apparently, some 15% of the UK’s entire output of crushed stone (for roads etc). From the summit of the hill there is an immediate, and fortunately fenced-off, drop of at least 400 feet straight down to the quarry floor, as seen here. Is it ugly? I honestly don’t know. Interesting, anyway. (For more pictures from today see the latest County Tops blog post.)
Definitely just a dusting — but, nevertheless, today was easily the coldest day of the winter so far. And I guess we must say winter has now arrived, at least, in West Yorkshire.
Being 42 