Natural Pattern and the Convenience of Stiles

Posted on 23/09/201601/09/2016 by Alastair

Natural pattern can be seen all over the place, nature is full of it. The natural pattern for me, perhaps I should say rhythm, of a Taste of Gower walk is one of regular pauses followed by a rush to catch up with the group. My pauses are taken in order to do some photography and field recording but as a result, I inevitably need to catch up to the rest of the group. And that is why it is so convenient to have one or two stiles along the footpath route. The palaver of a group of people climbing over a stile or going through a kissing gate individually provides me with all the time I need to cover the ground between us.

Natural pattern

Bird and Gate

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Natural pattern

One Man and His Dog

Posted on 20/09/201601/09/2016 by Alastair

On my walk this week with the Taste of Gower walkers there were quite a sizeable group of people. This made one man and his dog out walking on the marshes all the more noticable.

I have commented before on my interest in texture (it comes from my original training in tapestry weaving – see my other website here) and it is perhaps this interest that makes me notice and photograph the patterns of grass or wood as I have in the images below.

One man and his dog

I also enjoy the aural textures and patterns that surround us in any environment but I was amused by the rhythm of walking that can be heard in the sound clip below.

Squeaky Shoes

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Taste of Gower walkers

Welsh Poppy

One man and his dog

salt marsh grasses

stile post

salt marsh fence

Exiting the Park – Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 18/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

Exiting Brynmill Park in Swansea the same way I came in on my walk this week, there seemed more people around than ever. There may be some evidence of this lacking in some of the photos I took but the soundscape tells another story. It is a small but beautiful city park which is clearly very popular not only for the people living next door to it but for others as well.

Brynmill Park Walk Soundscape

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Fuchsia

Day Lily

Playing in the Park

Posted on 17/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

More people in the park! Playing and cycling and walking their dogs, skateboarding and scootering – so many activities, and that’s only a part of it. Walking around the lake with my cameras and fluffy microphone, mostly people took little notice. They were pre-occupied with their own interests but there was one character who took an interest and gave me the funniest of looks – namely, the dog!

Scooters and Skateboards

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Ducks and People

Posted on 16/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

Parks always have duck – yes? Parks with a pond do anyway. My walk this week around Brynmill Park in Swansea has not, until now, revealed either ducks or people other than aurally. So here is the visual proof . . . and a bit more sound to accompany it.

duck

Ducks Washing

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Heard But Not Seen

Posted on 15/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

I don’t really know how I managed to get these photos without any people in them! The sound clip gives the evidence for plenty of people, children and adults, being there. The railings in this first shot surround the lake in Brynmill Park in Swansea and are near the Discovery Centre which has an ice cream counter amongst other things.

As often as not the tops of the railings are lined with pigeons but on this quite busy day they were more often to be seen in flight than at rest.

Another Sneeze in the Park

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Leaving the Cliffs Behind and Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 04/09/201625/08/2016 by Alastair

leaving the cliffs behind

Although I said I didn’t do much field recording on this walk, I did manage to capture the sound of the wild wind there that day and if you listen carefully you will also hear the sound of a buoy bell ringing two or three times. The buoy floats just offshore and now and then was tossed roughly enough by the wind and waves to sound out faintly through the roar of wind and sea. Be warned – I have added the sound of the old fog horn to the end of this soundscape but there is an amusing ending to it if you care to listen.

Nash Point Soundscape

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Nash Point Lighthouse

Nash Point

Nash Point Layers

coastal pavement

Pavement Perspective

Roundstones

Sand expanse

leaving the cliffs behind

Nash Brook

Pirate Day at Gower Heritage Centre and Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 28/08/201620/08/2016 by Alastair

Spot the pirate in this final image from my walk this week with the Taste of Gower walkers. It seems Gower Heritage Centre had a pirate thing going on that day as was apparent from the staff costumes and various other piratical objects around the place once we had been served with our teas and coffees etc. and sat down in the cafe.

It was a great walk – the weather stayed more or less fine for us and I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t love Three Cliffs Bay. By this time we will have done the next Taste of Gower walk at Penclawdd on North Gower and I will be posting about that in two three weeks time.