Retreating from the Hurricane

Posted on 11/08/201411/08/2014 by Alastair

Yesterday we felt the last remaining vestiges of Hurricane Bertha in the form of a brief sandblasting on the Millennium Park footpath on the seafront at Llanelli.

We were not long out of the car before we changed our minds about a place to go for a walk and headed for the woodland walk up to the reservoir in Swiss Valley instead.

The sand being blown off the beach felt like needles on the skin and although it wasn’t raining at the time, the locals clearly knew not to venture on the seafront when the wind is up as the place was empty of people. Swiss Valley on the other hand was relatively busy!

Cwm Nash Woodland

Posted on 27/07/201427/07/2014 by Alastair

These photos are from a woodland on Bristol Channel coast of South Wales. I know the area in the Vale of Glamorgan from working there on a project a few years ago, but I had not been to this particular spot before.

The images form part of a new StillWalks video I was asked to produce as part of a research project being run by Dr Cathy Treadaway for CARIAD at Cardiff Metropolitan University. The project – “Walk and Draw for Health and Wellbeing” – is very much in keeping with my StillWalks philosophy and the video will be available to view at the end of this week.

Far and Near – A Look at the Land

Posted on 22/07/201422/07/2014 by Alastair

Here is a view of a place I have not seen from this angle before – looking over Hendy from one of my evening walks. I have done the walk many times but never ventured quite so far into the field on the hill. The 11 arched railway bridge over the River Loughor can be seen from other vantage points but none of them have the same green landscape in the foreground – buildings and telegraph lines tend to get in the way.

Snapped on my iPhone, I made the mistake of zooming in – just slightly, but it was still a mistake. Always crop afterwards if need be, but don’t use the zoom function as it is digital, not optical and the effect is a blurred image. I’ve done my best with it.

I did not use the zoom function in the close up of a thistle in the field – I didn’t need to. There were loads of them, the tallest I have seen!

Back On the Buses

Posted on 21/07/201421/07/2014 by Alastair

Due to my car breaking down recently (on top of a Welsh mountain), I found myself having to use buses to get to work for the first time in – well, I can’t think how long.

These photos and sounds may be familiar to those who use buses all the time, but for me, I came to the experience with a new ear and eye. The first bus I took seemed a bit of rickety old thing but this just made for a fascinating series of rattles, squeaks, creaks and bangs to say nothing of the changing noise of the engine and the hiss of doors.

These were recorded the day before World Listening Day!

Bus en route to Gowerton

Standing at bus stop Pontlliw

Pembrey Wildflowers – Blue

Posted on 09/07/201409/07/2014 by Alastair

A blue patch of wildflowers along the “Floral Walk” footpath at Pembrey Country Park in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

A Little Splash of Pink

Posted on 08/07/201408/07/2014 by Alastair

It may be a common wild flower, but that doesn’t make it any less pretty – another photo from the Pembrey Country park “Floral Walk” in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Looking at the View – Swansea Bay

Posted on 27/06/201427/06/2014 by Alastair

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.

A Blistering Day in Swansea Bay

Posted on 25/06/201425/06/2014 by Alastair

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.