York

Posted on 24/02/201324/02/2013 by Alastair

And here’s one I did earlier! This week’s photos are from a visit to York in the North East of England a year ago. The photos were taken as part of a recce for a possible StillWalk on a subsequent visit.

The weather was beautiful in February but when I returned in June, things were different with the rain falling as it does in Britain, seemingly interminably, and the River Ouse flooded!

It’s a good thing all photos and sound clips are time stamped because although I carried out an initial post-production review soon after my return home last June, I have only recently been able to continue with this process. It’s going to be a couple of weeks before this new StillWalk will be available but in the meantime I’ll be putting these recce photos on the blog – the starting point was Rowntree Park.

Rowntree Park

Penzance Interlude

Posted on 23/02/201323/02/2013 by Alastair

Having enjoyed a couple of days at Lizard Point and Falmouth in November last year, we were looking forward to another visit to Cornwall, this time to Penzance and Falmouth.

The connection, of course, is Falmouth. My daughter, Hannah, had an interview for the Contemporary Crafts BA (Hons) Degree course at Falmouth University. There is quite a bit of competition for places on this course and so, last night, when she found out she was accepted, she and we were very pleased, even though it isn’t her first choice – that interview is still to come! Hannah’s blogs can be seen at hduncancreations and hduncanphotography.

We did not have time for a proper visit to St Ives but enjoyed a walk around Penzance and Falmouth in the sunshine. We stayed in a Youth Hostel again and it was another excellent place. We are now members of the YHA and I look forward to more visits to other youth hostels.

More photos are on Flickr and also available for purchase at PhotoBox.

Penzance Sunrise

Penzance Steps

Hannah in Penzance Youth Hostel

Penzance Youth Hostel

Protecting the Dead

Posted on 20/02/201320/02/2013 by Alastair

They say time heals all wounds. Time is having a different effect on these railings around an old grave in St Teilo’s churchyard down on the marshes near Pontarddulais – unless you consider that nature is healing by gradually taking over.

The trees below will not, I think, be healed by time. These magnificent trees were cut down as part of the restoration of the walls of this old churchyard. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I went there one day to find them gone completely, and I wondered how the residents of the graves felt about it.

Protecting the Dead

Churchyard Trees

Warmer Days

Posted on 20/02/201320/02/2013 by Alastair

These photos prove the time of year down on the marshes for the Old Churchyard Walk on the Loughor Estuary. The sheep scene looks as though it could be from ancient times!

Water Droplets

Lazing Around

Meat on the Marshes

Posted on 18/02/201318/02/2013 by Alastair

The walk from Coedbach Park across the marshes to the old St Teilo’s churchyard is one of my local favourites. You can see it in the Old Churchyard Walk. The marshes on the River Loughor are tidal and therefore salty.

I don’t know what this sheep thinks about it all and I can’t say that it is specifically a Salt Marsh sheep but it is one of the flock from the marshes.

Given the recent news about the mix up of meats – beef? horse? – people may be looking at other meats at the moment and I know the salt marsh lamb I have tasted is pretty good stuff. One place to get it is Gower Salt Marsh Lamb. Whether it is meat or veg, I cannot recommend highly enough the taste of your own home grown or locally produced food.

Marsh Sheep

Down on the Marshes

Posted on 17/02/201317/02/2013 by Alastair

I managed to get a short walk out at lunchtime on Friday – down to our local marshes. I hadn’t been there for a little while and was reminded of the StillWalks I have produced such as the Old Churchyard Walk (on the Summer Walks page). Despite the sound of traffic in the background, it still one of my favourite local walks.

This week I am going to focus on some of the images from that video but start with the couple of shots I took on my iPhone yesterday.

Loughor River

marshes

Old Fences

Posted on 16/02/201316/02/2013 by Alastair

Lliw Valley in the rain – the last of my images this week on this subject, these photos seem to prove the resilience of wood over metal.

The first two along with a number of others taken recently, can also be seen on the Ambiguity of Fences blog. Other Fence Post Garden images from Lliw Valley can be seen on Facebook at the Moss Appreciation Society.