Off trundles the 17:10 to Wigan Wallgate — more-or-less on time today (in fact the trains have behaved remarkably well so far this year, at least by Northern’s standards). It’s a bit of a shame about the platform appearing in the corner but, believe me, this one was cropped as carefully as it could be without losing essential elements.
The Uffington White Horse is 360 feet long (110m if you insist) and may be over 3,000 years old. Most of the hill figures carved into the chalk downlands of southern and eastern England are modern imitations but this is the real aboriginal deal. Like most art, it’s designed to be seen straight on, not at some oblique angle from just above its top right-hand corner. But it’s still mighty impressive. Whomever it was first dreamt this up and then managed to organise its production — I say, good for them.
For more pictures from today’s walk see my other blog.
This bizarre hellscape was captured on a train. I noticed there was a line of pylons stretching away into the distance, we were slowing down and I had a shot at it, and here you are. The farm buildings and paraphernalia didn’t even get noticed until after the shot had been ‘developed’. As far as I can tell it is the farm labelled on the OS map as ‘New Dairy Farm’ at grid reference ST306840, just outside Newport in south Wales.
Until recently this was a field. Now, see for yourself. Soon, it seems, this will be “Heather” (sic); touted on the nearby advertising board as “Original Housing for Modern Lifestyles”, which is as bland and meaningless a piece of blurb as I’ve ever read (tell me just what will be ‘original’ about it all, and we’ll start from there). By the time they’re done I guess they hope someone will still be able to afford to buy them.
After dull weather for what seems like the whole year, at least in Yorkshire, the forecast relented and a Saturday walk in the sunshine duly transpired. I am pleased with this shot; the positioning seems just right and she does make quite a nice shape. The walk was quite good too (but more details are still to be posted on the County Tops blog — bear with me).
Today I was up in the air for the first time since April (my return from Ascension Island), heading somewhere warmer than the UK is at the moment — and also warmer than central Turkey is at the moment too, by the looks of this. I don’t know about you but these are not conditions I would normally associate with that particular country. However, see for yourself…
And so, after a weekend out, it’s back to work — at home. I suppose, somewhere to the south (about 25 miles to the south in fact) there might be colleagues buzzing around ‘in the office’ but the online meetings I had today suggested that most people were treating the day in the same way I was. None of this has anything to do with the content of today’s shot as such, but it does explain why, once again, the day required something that can be captured through our windows.
Don’t expect to see much over the next few days, one way or another. It is, definitely, Marking Season, and I need to save money anyway (doesn’t everyone at this point in the year?). The skies are moody and so pointing the camera up at the skyline to the south of town seemed the best option today, but we’ll see how the rest of the week goes. This is one of those shots where I really haven’t changed the setting to monochrome, but can’t prove it.
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….)
Being 42 