And so home again, a 7-hour train journey from Aberdeen to Hebden Bridge. My second return trip up the east coast of Scotland in the last few weeks, so a chance to revisit a theme hit not so long ago, the crossing of the River Tay. The stumps are those of the first Tay bridge which collapsed (due to crappy construction) in a storm shortly after it was built.
Was up at 5am to go to London for the day to work, and did take a gratuitous shot of Hebden Bridge at that time mainly because I have still yet to offer a shot from the hour of 5:00 – 5:59 in my near four years of doing this blog. However, this one twelve hours later was a more creative effort. Taken from the train home, just south of Peterborough.
Left Dundee this morning after an enjoyable stay. Anyone travelling south from there by rail will begin their journey with a crossing of the Tay Bridge, scene of one of Britain’s worst rail disasters when the original, and poorly-built, version of the bridge collapsed in high winds in 1879, taking a train and 75 people with it. (The only survivor was the locomotive, which was salvaged and remained in service for another 50 years.) Fortunately for us all, the replacement bridge was built rather more durably.
I know this photo teeters on the brink of being deliberately bad but hey, I’m feeling experimental. The rain was sheeting down outside the windows as I crossed on the 0924 Dundee – Edinburgh service, so this is the best I could do. And, of course, this photo is taken from the rail bridge — but it’s a photo of the newer road bridge (completed 1967), with the still-extant shipyard behind.
I’d just like to say a big thank you to the duck at this point.
Night out in Leeds to celebrate the birthday of our friend Caroline, will she let me tell you which number birthday it was? Ends in a zero, anyway. This tree sits outside her house, snapped it late on. I like the windows of the houses at the bottom which give it some added interest.
Time for a walk. Watch Hill is near Cockermouth, Cumbria. This is my Zen landscape shot. More will appear on my walking blog in due course (probably tomorrow).
It’s Friday night, and more than welcome. Bex (Rebecca) is the one in the centre by the way. Have a good weekend.
At 8 months old Ellie is not the youngest person to appear on the blog (I make her the 3rd youngest) but she is the youngest house guest we have ever had. She and parents Caroline and Loyd (who appeared on the blog in happy circumstances on 24/8/13) visited this weekend. I chose this shot just because it is different but still displays her fundamental cuteness.
It’s a long period at home — 10 of the 15 shots so far in 2015 have been taken in Hebden Bridge. Though things liven up again come early February, there is no change to come in the next fortnight. So I have to find my creativity where I can, by leeching on the work of others.
I have on occasion been known to describe snow as the devil’s mange, but also must admit that the 90 minutes I spent out in it this morning, under clear blue skies, was probably the most beautiful experience of 2014 thus far. These are the moments worth waiting for in life.
Being 42 