Author Archives: Alastair

It’s All Go with the Green Fayre

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This weekend StillWalks will be at the Green Fayre in the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea. Organised by Swansea Environment Centre and next to the Winter Wonderland Christmas Fair with its Big Wheel and ice skating rink, to say nothing of the attraction of the museum itself, it should prove to be a busy weekend – fingers crossed again!

We will be showing the full StillWalks video range on HDTV and will be selling

  • StillWalks DVD Collections 1 and 2 
  • Framed and unframed photo prints
  • Gift vouchers and cards

Lizard Point again – In my last post I said I was going to put up some more images from Lizard Point this week but I have been so busy with project work, I have not managed it. Below are some photos from my daughter, Hannah,  that I  have picked out from those she took at Lizard Point and I think they’re great 😉 She has done her Photography A level, is now doing Foundation Art and is looking at universities for next year. Her own blog can be found at hduncanphotography.wordpress.com

Lizard Point

Looking out at the Lizard

Lizard Point

Over the edge at the Lizard

Lizard Point

Peeping out at the Lizard

Lizard Point

Lizard Point

Lizard Point

Lizard Point

Lizard Point

Lizard Point

Lizard Point

Caught in the act

Looking at the Lizard – Lizard Point

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Travelling down to Falmouth last Friday was difficult and disappointing – there was mist all the way and so, as we crossed Bodmin Moor, we could see nothing of it. We were  visiting Falmouth University with my daughter who thought the place was great.

Falmouth, despite the weather, was clearly a very attractive town. We had a walk about after our tour of the Tremough Campus and then enjoyed fish and chips for tea.

Staying overnight at Lizard Point Youth Hostel was fun! “It was a dark and stormy night” as we approached The Lizard along roads that became increasingly narrow and dark. It was only the light from the lighthouse (and the foghorn) that finally guided us to our destination. We kept our fingers crossed that the weather would improve by morning and in the meantime I enjoyed recording the foghorn.

If you don’t see the sound clips below because you’re viewing this in an email, then click the title to go to the blog or the individual links to listen to the Lizard Point set on SoundCloud.

Saturday morning did reveal much better weather which improved through the day. I had never been to this part of Britain before and enjoyed it immensely! I have included a few images below but there are 31 in all on Flickr all of which are available to purchase through the StillWalks PhotoBox site.

Lizard Lighthouse-1

Lizard Lighthouse-1

Lizard Point Youth Hostel

Lizard Point Youth Hostel

A View from Lizard Point

A View from Lizard Point

Taking a Bow at Lizard Point

Taking a Bow at Lizard Point

I might put a few more up in the next day or two 🙂

 

 

 

Autumn at the Gardens

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The Green Fayre at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea on 24th and 25th November is the next event for StillWalks. Last weekend’s Christmas gift fair at the Botanic Gardens went OK overall as long as I remember that it is about meeting people and getting StillWalks seen as it is about making direct sales.

Having said that, Saturday wasn’t a bad day for sales – Sunday was a better opportunity for taking some more photos of the gardens myself . . .

. . . here are a few – more are on Flickr and if anyone is interested in buying any prints, you can do so through the website by clicking on the Photobox Prints button or going direct to Photobox Gallery here.

NBGW Great Glasshouse

NBGW Great Glasshouse

Inside the Great Glasshouse, NBGW

Inside the Great Glasshouse, NBGW

NBGW

The heating grill inside the Great Glasshouse, NBGW

Good Day at the Fair

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When I arrived at corporate entrance to the National Botanic Garden of Wales today for the Christmas Gift Fair, I was met by Paxton’s Tower looming out of the mist across the valley. I got a quick pic and went on to set up the StillWalks stall.

The day went well, i.e. it didn’t rain, and subsequently there were visitors. I not only had a lot of interest but also made reasonable sales which is great as I had no high expectations.

I’m looking forward to the 2nd day tomorrow (Sunday) – anyone coming? 😉

Here is Paxton’s Tower and a few other photos I snapped during a quiet moment or two.

paxtons tower

paxtons tower

nbgw

nbgw

nbgw

Careful placing of the stalls kept most of us gratefully warm on a bright but cold day.

nbgw

nbgwnbgw

nbgw

 

I’ve got loads of energy & I’m jumping for joy

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The energy is coming from the sun, operating efficiency and insulation. We recently got a big refund and our energy bills slashed and that is why I was jumping for joy, to say nothing of relief.

It’s a year ago now that we had our solar pv panels installed on our roof. At the same time we also updated our gas central heating and the plumber, Jon Phillips, did a great job – I’d recommend him to anyone.

Loads of energy and bills slashed – We had been paying through the nose for our energy prior to this but were lucky enough to get the solar pv installed by HomeSun before the government subsidy was cut. With the central heating update, it all still cost a few thousand pounds but we will have covered this amount in just three years with the massive savings we are making on our energy bills.

The Solar PV is particularly useful to us because we work from home and are able to make use of the energy as it is produced. If this were not the case, then the panels would be sending all that energy straight to the National Grid at least through the working week.

our solar pv panels

our solar pv panels

It’s a bit of a dull morning today but that does not stop the panels from producing electricity!

flowering cherry

The Flowering Cherry continues to shed its leaves

flowering cherry

 

Gifts for Christmas

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It still seems quite early to me for this kind of thing but I know how fast time passes and before you know it, we’ll be running around trying to think of gifts for people at the last minute.

Buy a DVD at the gift fair for just £10. Buy two and get a free gift voucher worth £3.00 – only at the gift fair.

This weekend StillWalks will be at the first of two Christmas Gift Fair weekends. The first is at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in the Great Glass House and runs from Saturday 10th – Sunday 11th November.

We will have DVD Collections 1 and 2, framed and unframed prints from some of the walks plus gift vouchers and greetings cards.

Individual StillWalks, DVD Collections, gift vouchers and prints are always available on the StillWalks website but you’ll only get the gift fair prices and offers at the gift fair.

“My sister bought me one of the StillWalks DVDs and I really enjoy it. I look forward to new collections coming out.” Reg Wadsworth

“Great idea. Have bought 2 DVDs for my sons.” Helen (formerly of Belfast)

Forest Walk

from Forest Walk – Winter

from Forest Walk - Winter

Forest Walk

MIMA just blew me away!

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Last week I visited MIMA – Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art again. Every time it is a revelation! The main gallery space is fantastic and the exhibition this time was by Julian Stair and it blew me away. I could have stayed all day.

The exhibition is touring and if you get the chance, go see it. Better still, if you’re anywhere near Middlesbrough, go see it at MIMA 🙂 Here’s a taster.

MIMA

Looking out from MIMA

Julian Stair - Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair – Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair - Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair – Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair - Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair – Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair - Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair – Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair - Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair – Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair - Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair – Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair - Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair – Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair - Quietus exhibition

Julian Stair – Quietus exhibition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving it Away

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Don’t worry, no plot spoilers here 🙂 Just a great StillWalk at it’s full length (5:32 mins) rather than the short clips you get on the website.

Autumn Lakeside Walk is now up on Vimeo. In fact, you’ll find others there as well including those from the Josef Herman Art Foundation residency project.

OK, it’s not entirely free – i.e. it’s only in standard definition and whilst it looks great, the StillWalks videos look fantastic in Full HD. If you want an HD version you’ll have to go to the website and pay all of £2.99 to download it or any of the growing collection . . . and of course you’ll have the advantage of not having to wait for the online version to buffer. You can even transfer them to your mobile device and watch them any time you like – anytime, anywhere.

Autumn Lakeside Walk

from Autumn Lakeside Walk, Gnoll Park, Neath.

Just one more thing – StillWalks will be at the National Botanic Garden of Wales Christmas Gift Fair on 10th and 11th November with DVD Collections 1 and 2 plus printed images from selected StillWalks, (framed and unframed) as well as gift vouchers and cards.