Looking at the View – Swansea Bay

Looking in opposite directions from the middle of Swansea Bay cycle / foot path, you see Mumbles lighthouse and RNLI lifeboat station in the west and Meridian Tower by the maritime quarter in the east.

Swansea Bay Mumbles

Swansea Bay

A Blistering Day in Swansea Bay

The heat and dazzling brightness of the sun kept me in the shade of the woods on my walk along the cycle/foot path of Swansea Bay. This section of the path from Swansea to Mumbles allowed me to look out from the comfortable temperatures under the trees. The blurred focus in the distance of these photos is not just the result of my use of the camera – it was also pretty hazy with the heat.

Swansea Bay

Swansea Bay

Swansea Bay

Swansea Bay

The Confusing Colour of Seasons

Some of the colour I found my walk along Swansea Bay’s cycle/foot path recently was a little confusing. Autumn colours in  Summer? I discovered this young oak sapling on my walk through a wooded section of the path and although the year is passing quickly, I am pretty sure we are not in Autumn yet.

I guess it is just the colour that this particular variety of oak tree shows at this stage of its life/year. However, not long ago (in Spring) we found our amelanchier putting out a number of red autumn coloured leaves and wondered if the plant life of the planet is as confused as we are by the changing climate.

I don’t know what the red plant is in the second photo but its colour sure stood out against the green background!

Swansea Bay Plants

Swansea Bay Plants

Swansea Bay Plants

Sounds of Swansea Bay Cycle Path

For all the years I have lived near Swansea, I have never walked the full length of the cycle/footpath from Swansea to Mumbles, just different parts of it at different times.

The path runs along the top of the beach from Swansea’s maritime quarter right round to Mumbles Lifeboat Station. On the other side is Oystermouth Road, a busy road along which tourists must drive as well as locals to reach the Gower Peninsula, one of Wales’ most popular areas and was designated as the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956.

Despite the proximity of Oystermouth Road, the sound clips I recorded recently might suggest that the road is much further away than it is. There was plenty of traffic on it at the time but the light breeze was blowing away from the cycle/footpath and so even for my iPhone, this was not the predominant sound.

Swansea Cycle Path 1

Swansea Bay Cycle Path

Swansea Bay Cycle Path

Swansea Bay Cycle Path

Hereford College of Art Degree Shows

Hereford College of Art’s degree show was another well worthwhile visit for us. Again, I was allowed to take photos and the images below show only a small part of a wide variety of work in ceramics, jewellery, metal work, textiles, fine art, illustration, graphic design . . .

I have included the artists’ names where I know them and you can click on the photos to go to their websites if they have one.

Hereford College of Art

Hereford Degree Show

L’Ellen Thorpe Jewellery

Hereford Degree Show

Henry Rhodes – Ceramic Artist

Hereford Degree Show

Laurence Brand

Hereford Degree Show

Laurence Brand

Hereford Degree Show

Sarah-Jane Phillips

Hereford Degree Show

Hereford Degree Show

Yemi Taiwo

Cardiff Met Degree Shows

I was allowed to take photos at the Cardiff Metropolitan’s School of Art Degree Show this year. The images below represent a small part of the Ceramics Show – click on the images to go to the artists’ websites.

The shows for other courses there were also excellent and we had a very good day out looking round the exhibitions at Howard Gardens and in the new building at Llandaff.

Cardiff Met Ceramics Degree

Theo Adamson Ceramics

 

Cardiff Met Ceramics Degree

James Hobbs – Ceramic Artist

Cardiff Met Ceramics Degree

Sophie Southgate

Cardiff Met Ceramics Degree

Sophie Southgate

Cardiff Met Ceramics Degree

Harriet McCormick