Templot Club Archive 2007-2020                             

topic: 3228Fresh air and photos
author remove search highlighting
 
posted: 24 Feb 2018 21:08

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
As I've mentioned once or twice, my interest when not Templotting is landscape photography. It gets me some fresh air and exercise away from the computer. The results won't win any prizes, but I like them and looking back through my photos over the years is a pleasant way to spend an hour or two on a grey winter's day.

I've been in the habit of posting them occasionally on RMweb, but I don't see any reason not to post them here.

Here's the best of today's crop. It was a nice sunny day, but my fingers were too cold to work the camera controls properly so I didn't stay out long.


astley_mud_1280x800.jpgastley_mud_1280x800.jpg
camera at SO 78670 67837

I swear that pylon wasn't there when I pressed the shutter.

Feel free to add your own photos if you wish. Not all of life is in BRT. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 24 Feb 2018 21:22

from:

Paul Boyd
 
Loughborough - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I like moody photos!

105_241621_360000000.jpg105_241621_360000000.jpg

posted: 24 Feb 2018 22:09

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
2001_241708_250000000.jpg2001_241708_250000000.jpg

Heckington  - I think the only one left with 8 sails


2001_241709_220000000.jpg2001_241709_220000000.jpg

Somewhere in Wales - must have fancied making a model.

Rob


posted: 24 Feb 2018 23:05

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I too am in to landscapes, hence my Geograph interests. Here one from one of my usual walking spots, the Arch east of Devil's Bridge, taken on Tuesday:


528_241804_300000000.jpg528_241804_300000000.jpg

Pity about the branch getting in the way, but I tried alternative viewpoints and they didn't work as well :(

posted: 24 Feb 2018 23:16

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Paul Boyd wrote:
I like moody photos!
I like moody too. Here's a weary end to a long day. Although I'm not sure who was the wearier, the farmer or me -- hoping to get back to the car before losing the light. August 2016.


tractor_1200x800.jpgtractor_1200x800.jpg


Martin.

posted: 24 Feb 2018 23:27

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Somewhere in Wales - must have fancied making a model.
Shropshire:

cleobury_barn_1280_rp.jpgcleobury_barn_1280_rp.jpg

Martin.

posted: 24 Feb 2018 23:32

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Pity about the branch getting in the way, but I tried alternative viewpoints and they didn't work as well :(
Don't say that Nigel. I've been to the local camera club. You are supposed to say "I left the branch in, to lead the eye in to the focal point of the picture". :)

That looks a nice walk. Can you post the grid reference?

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 24 Feb 2018 23:37

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Probably one of the most photographed castles in Britain:

528_241837_180000000.jpg528_241837_180000000.jpg

posted: 24 Feb 2018 23:42

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Nigel Brown wrote:
Pity about the branch getting in the way, but I tried alternative viewpoints and they didn't work as well :(
Don't say that Nigel. I've been to the local camera club. You are supposed to say "I left the branch in, to lead the eye in to the focal point of the picture". :)

That looks a nice walk. Can you post the grid reference?

cheers,

Martin.
Thought of that, but couldn't even convince myself!  Grid ref in this Geograph link:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5685844

It's halfway between Devil's Bridge and Cwmystwyth, on the B4574.

posted: 25 Feb 2018 00:03

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Rob Manchester wrote:
Somewhere in Wales - must have fancied making a model.
Shropshire:

cleobury_barn_1280_rp.jpgcleobury_barn_1280_rp.jpg

Martin.
Thanks for the pic Martin. Some kind of workshop maybe ? What other buildings are left around the area ?

Rob


posted: 25 Feb 2018 00:35

from:

d827kelly
 
Coventry - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Some great photos, keep them coming :-)

Most of my photography has tended to be at model railway shows I've found, most ending up on Flickr.

We all need something to distract ourselves from the pressure of life. For me it tends to be one of, reading science fiction or playing video games. But I also make jewellery as a therapeutic hobby, usually gifts for friends and family. Much cheaper than buying items for people and more personal. it helps distract me from the realities of life (mainly constant pain and fatigue).
Having said that, recently my other half has gotten a rescue dig who has brightened our lives.
Attachment: attach_2645_3228_FB_IMG_1519425088722.jpg     970
Last edited on 25 Feb 2018 00:37 by d827kelly
posted: 25 Feb 2018 00:42

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Some kind of workshop maybe ? What other buildings are left around the area ?
Hi Rob,

The recent use seems to have been agricultural. But it is the only remaining part of Walfords Mill, which was marked as disused even in 1902:

2_241938_400000000.png2_241938_400000000.png

About 3/4 mile north of Cleobury Mortimer. The dotted line is the course of the Elan Valley Aqueduct pipeline.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 25 Feb 2018 01:16

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Grid ref in this Geograph link:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5685844
 
Wow!

You have 11548 Photographs on there. That's an amazing record. How long have you been doing them?

I have a login on there, but I haven't logged in for ages. The last time I looked they were in the middle of a web site upgrade, but that seems to have been abandoned?

I've been intending to put more of mine on there, but it is quite time-consuming to locate an accurate grid reference, and find something meaningful to say in the caption. I can't imagine how many hours you must have spent uploading and captioning 11,000+ images.

I need a camera which puts the GPS data in the EXIF data. Most mobile phones do that, but its rare in full size cameras. I have a handheld GPS with bluetooth, but no bluetooth on the camera. However it seems I can pair the camera with my mobile phone and get GPS data that way. I intend to get better teched-up for this year's wanderings. :)

Thanks for the Devils Bridge ref. Next time I'm that way I shall definitely have a look.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 25 Feb 2018 01:29

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
d827kelly wrote:
Some great photos, keep them coming :-)

recently my other half has gotten a rescue dig who has brightened our lives.
Hi Kelly,

Thanks for the pic.

This topic seems to have taken off like a rocket. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 25 Feb 2018 05:24

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
However it seems I can pair the camera with my mobile phone and get GPS data that way. I intend to get better teched-up for this year's wanderings.
Hi Nigel,

You have spurred me into action. :)

I have downloaded the camera's app onto my mobile phone, and paired it with the camera. So I now have "Geotagged" GPS location data in the EXIF data on my photos. That's great. I expected it to fail with some incomprehensible error message, but in fact it worked first time. I can also now control the camera from the phone, which will be useful when it's on a tripod, instead of my old-fashioned cable release.

On the other hand, the cable release has been working for the best part of half a century without ever needing a new battery. :)

I have also re-activated my Geograph account, which apparently I haven't used since 2008. I'm sure I uploaded some photos, but they are not showing anywhere. I have submitted my photo above from yesterday, but reading their guidelines I fear it may be rejected for having my name on the corner. I found it a very tedious submission process, surely everything could be on one page? See:

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5690562

It seems to be visible in all browsers, despite being marked "Awaiting Moderation" at the bottom left. That appears to be something of a contradiction if everyone can already see it?

I made a small donation to their funds.

cheers,

Martin.  

posted: 25 Feb 2018 21:13

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thanks for the mill details. It was used for corn according to the 1883/4 map ( when it was also not in use ). Did you take any more photos of the building. Get in close next time you pass by and find out what is under the chimney stack :? Are the bricks just stretcher bond ? I can't see any headers on the uploaded photo.

Rob


Last edited on 25 Feb 2018 21:16 by Rob Manchester
posted: 25 Feb 2018 23:14

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
You have 11548 Photographs on there. That's an amazing record. How long have you been doing them?
I was a keen hillwalker and always had a thing about taking snaps up mountains, probably inspired by W.A.Poucher's guide books. Pressure on finances meant I didn't get a decent camera until I inherited my father's Yashica rangefinder in 1979, and things then took off. An SLR in 1989, my first digicam in 2000, and so on. Pics mostly Scotland and Wales.

Spent 6 months in hospital in 2006 with spinal cord damage, courtesy of a rare medical event; thanks to the NHS I walked out. Recovering at home and scouring the web for my favourite haunts I stumbled across Geograph. Ideal. Over about 3 years loaded up my archive, with many great memories, and it was an incentive to go and explore places and take a reasonable number of pics. Couple of Scottish trips a year are a good source. Tailed off a bit last year due to bladder/kidney stone ops in the summer/autumn, but also because my Golf was giving trouble, after VW retuned it after the exhaust scandal. However, it's getting changed next week, so back on the trail :D

Nigel

posted: 25 Feb 2018 23:34

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Martin Wynne wrote:
However it seems I can pair the camera with my mobile phone and get GPS data that way. I intend to get better teched-up for this year's wanderings.
Hi Nigel,

You have spurred me into action. :)

I have downloaded the camera's app onto my mobile phone, and paired it with the camera. So I now have "Geotagged" GPS location data in the EXIF data on my photos. That's great. I expected it to fail with some incomprehensible error message, but in fact it worked first time. I can also now control the camera from the phone, which will be useful when it's on a tripod, instead of my old-fashioned cable release.

On the other hand, the cable release has been working for the best part of half a century without ever needing a new battery. :)

I have also re-activated my Geograph account, which apparently I haven't used since 2008. I'm sure I uploaded some photos, but they are not showing anywhere. I have submitted my photo above from yesterday, but reading their guidelines I fear it may be rejected for having my name on the corner. I found it a very tedious submission process, surely everything could be on one page? See:

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5690562

It seems to be visible in all browsers, despite being marked "Awaiting Moderation" at the bottom left. That appears to be something of a contradiction if everyone can already see it?

I made a small donation to their funds.

cheers,

Martin.  
Martin

Well done. I like your method of updating the EXIF data with the position. Me, I don't carry mobile phones so that wouldn't work, but I'm happy working from maps anyway, and if I think it warrants it I'll take a Garmin.

There are two uploading methods. I prefer the first, although it can appear long winded. But for Geograph's purposes getting the positions of photographer and subject right matters. The stuff about classification is rather the brain-child of those who go to town on adding extra information and can get extremely tedious if you go the whole hog, but I just put in the minimum required.

The "awaiting moderation" bit means casual users (non-members) can't see it until it's been moderated. You may find a suggestion that you remove your name if possible.

Thanks for the donation, it will be appreciated. The site finances are a constant concern, although not desperate.

There's some good railway stuff on Geograph. In particular, Ben Brookesbank has uploaded a huge number of pics from the 1950s onwards.

Nigel

posted: 26 Feb 2018 03:31

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
for Geograph's purposes getting the positions of photographer and subject right matters. The stuff about classification is rather the brain-child of those who go to town on adding extra information and can get extremely tedious if you go the whole hog, but I just put in the minimum required.
Hi Nigel,

Thanks. Sorry to hear of your health problems, I hope you are now fully fit and ready to take to the hills again.

Here's my Geograph submission for today. I have hundreds of photos which would be usable, but the submission process is so time-consuming I don't think I can manage more than one a day. So it is going to take a while to catch up with your 11,548. :)

lugg_valley_from_black_hill_1280x900.jpglugg_valley_from_black_hill_1280x900.jpg

"On 22nd June 1402, Owain Glyndŵr marshalled his Welsh troops on these slopes. Sir Edmund Mortimer with a ragbag of English men stormed up the hill to engage them. The Welsh men had the advantage of height and the English were routed. 615 years later in June 2017 the cries of battle have long since fallen silent."

  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5691536

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 26 Feb 2018 04:13

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Thanks for the mill details. It was used for corn according to the 1883/4 map ( when it was also not in use ). Did you take any more photos of the building. Get in close next time you pass by and find out what is under the chimney stack :? Are the bricks just stretcher bond ? I can't see any headers on the uploaded photo.
Hi Rob,

Next time I'm that way I will take a closer look. Of course the main mill building is long gone. Here are a couple of photos of it:

 http://catalogue.millsarchive.org/cleobury-mortimer

 http://www.cleoburymortimerhistory.co.uk/gallery/picture.php?/196/category/2

That last one shows the building in my photo on the right. It looks residential at that time. The photo also shows the Elan Aqueduct under construction. Here's a modern view on Geograph showing the 4 large pipes. The smaller blue pipe is, er, something else:

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/769273

Here's my somewhat less satisfactory photo of the same thing with camera flare:

elan_pipes_walfords_mill_960x544.jpgelan_pipes_walfords_mill_960x544.jpg

For readers in Birmingham, your cup of tea this morning came through those pipes. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 26 Feb 2018 06:43

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
I didn't get a decent camera until I inherited my father's Yashica rangefinder in 1979, and things then took off. An SLR in 1989, my first digicam in 2000, and so on.
Hi Nigel,

My photographic history mirrors yours. A Konica coupled rangefinder in 1969 which I loved. Then an SLR in the 1980s -- bag full of lenses, filters, the usual. Then a digital in 2001.

But my problem has always been the viewfinder. Nothing since the Konica has ever been big or clear enough to see what I want. It must be my eyes, because others seem to manage.

So last year I changed to the Fuji compact X100F with its unique hybrid viewfinder. Brilliant! For the first time since the Konica I can see clearly what I'm taking a picture of. Also I was tired of walking with a heavy lump hanging round my neck. I wanted something which would slip easily into my pocket, but without losing image quality or full controls. The Fuji has been great -- in fact there are too many controls, I'm still learning my way around it after several months use. It does make a fair dent in the wallet though. :(

A fixed lens takes a bit of getting used to. But on the other hand that leaves you with one less thing to think about. With 24 million pixels to hand you can easily zoom and crop on the computer without losing much quality -- or any, if you are resizing for the web. And no camera shake from trying to hold a long zoom lens steady.

But GPS is the one feature missing, and I'm very disappointed with the Geotagging from the Fuji app which I installed yesterday. The camera takes several minutes to establish a connection to my mobile phone, loads the current GPS data, and then disconnects. It then applies the same data to all subsequent photos (until you repeat the performance) even if you drive 100 miles. I assumed I must be doing something wrong, but reading the forums it seems that is indeed the designed working. Needless to say no-one is much impressed with it.

But it seems that there are several apps which can apply GPS data to image files after the event. You record a GPS trace of the trip on the phone, which is then used to reference the creation date/time on each image file and apply the relevant GPS data for that date/time. It just needs the clocks synchronised between camera and phone before you begin (or know the difference between the two, and enter it into the app).

And I've now discovered that the Satsync app for my handheld GPS (Satmap 12) can do this. Since I always have that on anyway recording my route, I don't need the phone. So it turns out that I've had to hand the means to geotag my images for years without realising it. :( Thanks for nudging me towards the Geograph site to make me investigate this stuff.

The icing on the cake would be if these GPS apps used OS grid refs instead of worldwide Lat/Lon but you can't have everything. There are lots of converters available, including on the Geograph site.

I used to think that I would never forget where each photograph was taken ...

cheers,

Martin.         

posted: 26 Feb 2018 19:01

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thanks for the posting and the offer of more pics sometime. Don't put yourself out on my behalf though.....but if you need an excuse for a walk, great.

I have had dozens of digital cameras including top pro SLR's costing thousands. I too have a Fuji X100 ( the original 12mp one ) and it is my longest owned camera. It is great to use, fits a jacket pocket and I love the aperture ring being on the lens rather than on a control wheel. Being in a good location is 75% of producing decent photos but you still need some imagination with the composition and a capable camera. I considered upgrading the X100 to a later version but not sure it would actually produce better results for what I want. I find the battery life not too great so have a spare and a USB charger to use in the car between locations if required. The 24mm lens ( old money about 36mm ) is just about right for a walkaround camera in my opinion, any wider can cause issues and often won't be the same quality.

Thanks again Martin.
Rob


posted: 26 Feb 2018 19:38

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob.

I haven't found a problem with battery life, but I believe Fuji upped the voltage and capacity for the latest version (7.2v 1260 mAh). The stats say 300-400 shots per charge, and I haven't yet needed more than that in a day. I do keep the rear screen switched off most of the time, and mostly use the optical vewfinder, which all helps.

My biggest gripe is the lens cap, which uses a friction fit rather than a taper or clip. With cold fingers it can take me longer to remove the lens cap than take the picture. I do like to keep the lens protected when scrambling about through brambles etc. Why is the best picture always on the other side of hawthorn bush? :?

Also, why can't the battery door clip shut? It annoys me every time I use it.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: posted: 26 Feb 2018 20:46

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

You need one of these or similar - Lens adapter - you can then use a standard size squeezey clip lens cap ( or even screw filters but ) and leave the expensive Fuji one at home. Just check the front of lens fit is the same as the earlier X100/X100S/X100T etc. With my original X100 the metal trim ring on the front of the lens bayonets off and you fit the adapter to that.

This is a good page too - Fuji stuff - and I also like these - Soft release - that make it easy when wearing gloves.

Rob



26 Feb 2018 20:46

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Well I said one a day, but I thought I would do one more today:

llandinshop_wood_1280_720.jpgllandinshop_wood_1280_720.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5692380

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 26 Feb 2018 22:04

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:

My biggest gripe is the lens cap, which uses a friction fit rather than a taper or clip. With cold fingers it can take me longer to remove the lens cap than take the picture. I do like to keep the lens protected when scrambling about through brambles etc. Why is the best picture always on the other side of hawthorn bush? :?

Also, why can't the battery door clip shut? It annoys me every time I use it.
I tried a Fuji X-E2S last year. The lens cap kept on falling off! Doesn't happen on my Nikons :?

Here's a Scotland one on a very fine October day in 2016.

528_261701_560000000.jpg528_261701_560000000.jpg

Loch Maree and Slioch; calendar territory. Nikon D3100 and 16-85 lens, a nice combination.

Nigel

posted: 27 Feb 2018 00:27

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Nigel. Scotland is a foreign country to me. I'd better get a move on if I'm going to get to know it.

Thanks Rob. I've been thinking about getting a lens hood, and I do need one as you can see:

lens_flare.jpglens_flare.jpg

I have now ordered one of those. Strictly speaking I need only the X100 adaptor, because I have a pile of 55mm filters, close-up lenses, lens hoods and caps. And I have just found a brand new unused 49mm-55mm adaptor ring in the bottom of an old camera bag. :) Hopefully it will all fit. Yes, the thread cover ring unscrews off the lens.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 27 Feb 2018 09:40

from:

FraserSmith
 
Dundee - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
The photo of Slioch a couple of posts ago prompted me to show this alternative view of it from the most remote Munro in Scotland, A'Mhaighdean (Ah-vye-jun). Slioch is the mountain in the clouds on the left. This is probably the most stunning viewpoint in the country so Martin if you get up this way you might be tempted to see it for yourself although it's not quite a gentle ramble to get there. There's a heap more photos at my web site including one of A'Mhaighdean taken from the summit of Slioch on the opening page. I quite fancy having my ashes scattered up there but I don't think either of my offspring will be up for that. If you want a closer look at the panorama (almost 180 degrees) goto http://cairntoul.net/wateraid/photos/a'mhaighdean_pan.jpg and in your photo viewer zoom in until the picture fills the screen vertically then use the scroll bar to pan the picture.

 3137_270336_190000000.jpg3137_270336_190000000.jpg

 I just love it and maybe will get back there again as some friends are wanting to do the group that it sits in although getting the weather in that part of the world is pot luck with usually more pot than luck. Fraser
Last edited on 27 Feb 2018 09:51 by FraserSmith
posted: 27 Feb 2018 12:50

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Fraser

Great stuff. Like you I camped out there for a couple of nights. The first attempt the first night was the roughest I've ever known in a tent; I gave the two Munros a go but it was a gale and getting worse by the time I reached the col between. I might have done one of them but with no views and dire conditions decided on a tactical retreat. The second night shaped up to be as bad as the first so retired to the bothy at Carnmore. Went back a couple of months later and succeeded.

528_270748_210000000.jpg528_270748_210000000.jpg

Dull, mild conditions, enough of a breeze to keep the midges off except for the first night. The cloud was only just above my head, as can be seen from the pic, but at least I got a view. Wonderful spot! 1999, Nikon F601 and Kodak Gold 100.

Nigel
Last edited on 27 Feb 2018 12:59 by Nigel Brown
posted: 27 Feb 2018 13:04

from:

FraserSmith
 
Dundee - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel

You mean you didn't go for the six from Corrie Hallie in the day?? If you ever do, take a pair of wet suit boots for the river crossings and start very early or else bivvy in the shelter between A'Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mhor. It's quite an expedition even if it's only five Munros and a Corbett now.

I'm glad you had the view at least.

Fraser

posted: 27 Feb 2018 13:09

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

Lens hood now arrived. Usual service from Amazon -- ordered 10.30pm last night, delivered with a smile 11am this morning. You can see why they are taking over the world. If they could just see their way to filling in a tax return...

I now understand the reason for the ventilation slots in a lens hood. You can see through the slot in the optical viewfinder to minimize the obstruction to the field of view.

The actual amount of shielding provided by the hood seems minimal. I think I shall be adding a home-made extension of some sort.

Thanks again,

Martin.

posted: 27 Feb 2018 13:34

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Fraser, Nigel,

Thanks for the wonderful Scotland pics. There was a time when I didn't mind battling through cold wind and rain, but nowadays I do prefer a sunny day for my wanderings. And definitely no midges. :(

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 27 Feb 2018 13:58

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
FraserSmith wrote:
Nigel

You mean you didn't go for the six from Corrie Hallie in the day?? If you ever do, take a pair of wet suit boots for the river crossings and start very early or else bivvy in the shelter between A'Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mhor. It's quite an expedition even if it's only five Munros and a Corbett now.

I'm glad you had the view at least.

Fraser
Nope! My approach was a casual one; strenuous bagging as many in a day as possible was out! That way I got in more memorable trips; my main interest in Munros was simply being out there in the wilds. Beinn Tarsuinn and Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair were done by spending a couple of nights on Lochan Fada:

528_270857_140000000.jpg528_270857_140000000.jpg

Another great spot. That's Slioch again across the water. Never did the remaining two. 2002, Nikon Coolpix 800 (all of 2mp and gave great results).

Nigel
Last edited on 27 Feb 2018 14:01 by Nigel Brown
posted: 27 Feb 2018 16:11

from:

John Lewis
 
Croydon - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Fraser wrote:
" It's quite an expedition even if it's only five Munros and a Corbett now."

What is a Corbett, please? An undersized Monroe?

John

posted: 27 Feb 2018 20:00

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Today's Geograph:

elmley_lovett_1280x720.jpgelmley_lovett_1280x720.jpg

St Michael's Church and medieval village of Elmley Lovett
The undulations in this field mark the site of the medieval village of Elmley Lovett. There is a ROW on foot across this field to the gate in the churchyard wall.


 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5693410

Martin.

posted: 27 Feb 2018 21:36

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
I now understand the reason for the ventilation slots in a lens hood.
Martin,

Would you believe you can get lens hoods with vented slots in sizes that would only fit SLR cameras :shock:...as if you need the slots when the viewfinder is through the lens.

I used to buy metal lens hoods in the correct filter size and grind the front rim back a little at a time on a belt sander until the hood didn't mask the image at all. Much easier to do on a digi cam as you can test as you go. Cut a slot to suit the viewing arrangements if required. Beware though that a proper vented hood for rangefinder systems will be a bayonet fit to ensure the slots line up the same each time - a screw one may be good enough if the filters only have a single start point to the thread.

Was your SLR a Canon by any chance ? ( or a Contax if you were rich ). 49mm was a Pentax size, 52mm for Nikon etc. Obviously very wide, long or fast lenses would have bigger filters for each system.

Rob

P.S. If you use a rubber lens hood you can 'distort' the hood with your hand while shooting if the sun is to one side. Easy to check the pic and take another if you were a little too heavy handed.



posted: 27 Feb 2018 22:08

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Local Landscape this morning, blurry detail is due to the cheap phone :(

2001_271655_090000000.jpg2001_271655_090000000.jpg

This used to be the route by which the MS&LR ( Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway ) gained access to Manchester Central station. There was talk back in the 1950's of electrifying it to link with the Woodhead route electrics but it came to nothing. This link line closed completely in 1988 having been goods only for quite a while. Conversion to a cycle/foot route followed. Now its best use is as a pleasant 3 mile walk to Sainsburys for light shopping trips and a run for one of the dogs 🐶

Rob

posted: 27 Feb 2018 22:25

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Lewis wrote:
Fraser wrote:
" It's quite an expedition even if it's only five Munros and a Corbett now."

What is a Corbett, please? An undersized Monroe?

John
Yep. John Rooke Corbett defined a mountain as being over 2500' high and with at least 500' of drop around it, a more precise definition than Munro used for his mountains over 3000'. There used to be the rather strange situation where some mountains over 3000' satisfied Corbett's criterion but weren't in the Munro tables, which has now been rectified by adding them to the tables. These days the name Corbett is used for mountains between 2500' and 3000' which have that 500' of drop around them.

Over the years various editors of the Munro tables have added mountains to the list and taken mountains off, for rather subjective reasons. Also, there's a band of enthusiasts going around using the latest satellite techniques to determine whether borderline 3000' mountains are over or under that height. The sixth Fisherfield Munro was found to be a fraction under, so was "demoted" to be a Corbett. Who cares, it's a fine mountain anyway.

Nigel

posted: 27 Feb 2018 22:36

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I was trying to get a good shot of the chairs, but somebody parked his big engine on the spot.

2983_271727_590000000.jpg2983_271727_590000000.jpg

Shot with a prototype Pentax Optio S4

posted: 27 Feb 2018 22:44

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Was your SLR a Canon by any chance ? ( or a Contax if you were rich ). 49mm was a Pentax size, 52mm for Nikon etc. P.S. If you use a rubber lens hood you can 'distort' the hood with your hand while shooting if the sun is to one side. Easy to check the pic and take another if you were a little too heavy handed.
Hi Rob,

Yes, Canon. But the reason for the 55mm filter size was that they also fitted the Konica rangefinder before then.

Hence the need for close-up lenses, etc. On the Canon I used a collection of extension rings instead. Now with a fixed lens again the close-up lenses might come into their own again. And this time the camera will do the tricky focusing. :)

I also have a bellows slide copier with a 55mm reverse ring, so I could now fit the X100F on there if I so wished.

Also the X100F has an acclaimed black&white mode, so the yellow and red filters in different densities might see some use again. Whether they will have the same effect on digital b&w I'm not sure. I know I also have a green one somewhere.

Yes, I have a couple of 55mm rubber lens hoods. With my new-found brand new (but 25 years old at least) 49mm-55mm converter ring I can now use all this stuff on the X100F all over again. But of course at that diameter the rubber hood is obstructing the optical viewfinder rather severely, even when folded back. The big difference on the X100F is that you can flick to and from the electronic viewfinder instead (or even have both at once).

So I've also now ordered a 49mm rubber lens hood. I'm assuming the outside diameter is also smaller than the 55mm ones, and not just the fixing collar. Also a spare battery on your recommendation, and a 49mm click-fit lens cap.

This topic seems to be drifting further and further from Templot. :) I'm grateful to you and Nigel for rekindling my interest in this old photographic stuff from the 1970s. Having bought the X100F at the end of last year I've done little more than use it straight out of the box so far. The possibility of treating it as an upgrade to the Konica hadn't dawned on me. It even has a (digital) split-image rangefinder focusing mode.

Now then, what can I do with an unopened bottle of Acutol?

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 27 Feb 2018 23:16

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
It doesn't get much fresher (or thinner) than this.

2983_271801_470000000.jpg2983_271801_470000000.jpg

Last week at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with the same old Pentax. The machined metal body makes it ideal for stuffing in a ski-jacket pocket.

The river in mid-frame is the Snake. It starts in Yellowstone then wanders around Idaho for about a thousand miles before it joins the Columbia.

posted: 28 Feb 2018 03:46

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Another Geograph.

autumn_1280_rp.jpgautumn_1280_rp.jpg

Site of old Coal Workings on Farmland near Frith Common
Autumn colours on farmland at Frith Common in the Teme Valley. Old maps show "Old Coal Shafts" on this land, it forms part of the Wyre Forest Coalfield. In 1842 Berrows Worcester Journal reported the death of a boy who fell down a pit shaft at Frith Common.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5693763

Martin.

posted: 28 Feb 2018 03:59

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
I was trying to get a good shot of the chairs, but somebody parked his big engine on the spot.
Hi Andy,

There is good evidence that photographers, when taking a photograph of railway track, invariably wait until there is a locomotive in the way.

Martin.

posted: 28 Feb 2018 05:12

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

First try. I put a +3 dioptre close-up lens on the camera, set f/16, left everything else on Auto, attached an air-tube release, plonked an 0 Gauge wagon in front of it, and this is the result:

1. Full frame reduced to 20% :

wagon_close_up2.jpgwagon_close_up2.jpg


2. Actual size dot-for-dot cropped from the (JPG) image. This is an area about 10mm x 8mm on the model, i.e. about 100 dots per mm.

wagon_close_up1.jpgwagon_close_up1.jpg

I'm well pleased with that, bearing in mind how little effort was needed to set it up. EXIF data says:

F/16
1.2 seconds
ISO 800

I'm sure with a bit of tweaking and use of a RAW image that could be improved. The wagon could do with a bit of tweaking, too. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 28 Feb 2018 14:04

from:

Paul Boyd
 
Loughborough - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
All this technical talk!  I've recently bought a couple of, um, less technical cameras to play with! A Kodak Brownie 127 box set and a GB Kershaw 110.  I've got film for them both so I'm waiting for some warm sunny weather to have a go with them!  The Kodak costs about £1.50 per frame before developing (8 frames per roll!), so that'll really make me think before pressing the shutter!  We get too used to being able to snap away with digital so it's nice to go back to basics once in a while.  My go-to camera for carrying with me is a Canon SX720HS, I also use another couple of Canon compacts and a Canon EOS60D DSLR for special projects, for which I have a couple of nice lenses.  Oh yes, and a Canon T70 35mm film camera which I take with me to annoy trainspotters with their heavy bags and bandoliers of lenses!  My first "proper" camera was a Canon (really?) FTb QL, but I know I had a camera when I was about 8 or 9, which may even have been the Kodak, and I wish I still had the photos I took then.
The photo at the bottom is technically awful, but was taken with the SX720 of the recent "supermoon".  It was windy, I think the exposure was about 1s, and the shot was taken using the timer so that I was nowhere near the camera when the shutter fired. I nearly deleted it, but actually I really like it, warts and all!

105_280853_160000000.jpg105_280853_160000000.jpg

105_280854_140000000.jpg105_280854_140000000.jpg

posted: 28 Feb 2018 18:02

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Paul,

I think that post should have been hand-written with a fountain pen and Quink. Did you have a record on the gramophone while writing? Or maybe you were listening to the wireless? How is Walter Gabriel these days?

 http://youtu.be/dGIGYSSUOmA

Martin.

posted: 28 Feb 2018 18:27

from:

Paul Boyd
 
Loughborough - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
I think that post should have been hand-written with a fountain pen and Quink. Did you have a record on the gramophone while writing? Or maybe you were listening to the wireless? How is Walter Gabriel these days?
Hi Martin,
Uh, oh - I do normally use a Parker fountain pen with Quink cartridges!  I've never listened to the Archers, but I do listen to Classic FM and still have a record player!  I've been accused of being old-fashioned - can't think why! :D

posted: 28 Feb 2018 19:07

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Good shooting with the close up lens. Pictures can be so cruel when taken at this distance. I assume it a Slaters PO kit - seem to remember they come with number transfers to go with the pre-printed owners name. Steel tyred wheels ? - or did you weather the rust onto them :?

It is great what you can do with macro shooting on modern cameras.

These are useful if you use a tripod - Spirit level

Thanks for the pics.

Rob


posted: 1 Mar 2018 02:01

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Another one for Geograph:

offas_dyke_1280x960.jpgoffas_dyke_1280x960.jpg

Offa's Dyke on Llanfair Hill

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5694861

Martin.

posted: 1 Mar 2018 02:13

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
I assume it a Slaters PO kit - seem to remember they come with number transfers to go with the pre-printed owners name. Steel tyred wheels ? - or did you weather the rust onto them
Yes, a Slaters kit, although not built by me. Yes the wheels are steel, but not rusty. I think that must be the lighting.

Thanks for the link for the bubble level. That looks useful.

p.s. spare battery arrived and now fully charged. Now to see how often I need it. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 1 Mar 2018 14:05

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Today's Geograph:

brown_clee_sheep_1280_rp.jpgbrown_clee_sheep_1280_rp.jpg

The access road to the NATS Relay Station on Clee Burf offers fine views of the Shropshire Hills AONB.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5695209

Martin.

posted: 1 Mar 2018 14:35

from:

FraserSmith
 
Dundee - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
An unusual view of an iconic mountain on a walk I did back in 2006. The girl on the rope in front of me did the much the same walk as us by hitch hiking with others that were going the same way. This was her second day with us but not consecutive. This was at seven o'clock after a four o'clock start. It was the only morning in nearly two weeks of walking that there was an overnight frost. Others we passed heading the other way after this would have had very poor conditions underfoot as the surface was already soft here. It was on this glacier that Edward Whymper did his investigations on the layering of snow in glaciers in the mid 19th century.

Not much time to compose pictures and not easy to get alternative viewpoints when there are such big crevasses and one is tied to others.
3137_010917_270000000.jpg3137_010917_270000000.jpg

Fraser

posted: 1 Mar 2018 15:54

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

Clip-fit 49mm lens cap arrived, but far too fiddly to use in the middle of a field of cabbages. I want a lens cap which fits over the lens barrel rather than into it, and preferably tapered so that precise location isn't needed when wearing gloves. It's ludicrous that I can have such a hi-tech piece of equipment, and my main problem is the lens cap.

However -- PROBLEM SOLVED.

The lid from a jar of Lidl Thick Cut Marmalade is a perfect fit over the collapsed 49mm rubber lens hood. :)

Perfect. I have a constant supply of them if I lose it. No problem if it gets scratched or dented. It does obstruct the optical viewfinder a bit, but not much more than the collapsed hood itself, and I don't take too many photos with the lens cap on.

And on the X100F it is just a flick of the lever to swap to the EVF instead to check the full view.

Now should I spray it black, or do I wander about advertising Lidl?

cheers,

Martin. 

posted: 1 Mar 2018 16:05

from:

PRChappell
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin

You surprise me, you ask - "do I wander about advertising Lidl?"

Sorry, but the answer must be, for somebody so well travelled, "Seek sponsorship!!"

Glad to learn you enjoy the fresh air - and produce some good photographs.

Kind regards

Peter

posted: 1 Mar 2018 19:09

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
The lid from a jar of Lidl Thick Cut Marmalade is a perfect fit over the collapsed 49mm rubber lens hood. :)
Martin,
Brilliant, only issue is I don't like Marmalade, but it works for you. Keep the branding on the cap so people don't think you have a thousand pound camera in your hand :D

Personally I just have a UV filter on the hood/adapter assembly and rarely put a lens cap on it. Clean filter with hanky if it gets splashed or dirty.

The viewfinder on the X100 is great. I couldn't stand the EVF on many compact cameras so when the X100 came out it was groundbreaking. These days EVF displays are a lot better - the one in my Olympus OMD E-M1 is very good.

Rob


posted: 1 Mar 2018 19:33

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Brilliant, only issue is I don't like Marmalade
Hi Rob,

I believe the Strawberry Jam is the same size. Or maybe Peanut Butter?

The advantage of the Marmalade is that the orange lid colour exactly matches the buttons on my Satmap GPS. I do like to be colour-coordinated when scrambling through a hedge:

satmap-active-12-mainimage.jpgsatmap-active-12-mainimage.jpg

That's a good point about disguising the value. If anyone asks I can truthfully say I got it from Lidl. :)

Martin.

posted: 1 Mar 2018 19:45

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
PRChappell wrote:
the answer must be, for somebody so well travelled, "Seek sponsorship!!"
Thanks Peter.

I'm composing the letter to Lidl right now.

Martin.

posted: 1 Mar 2018 19:50

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:

The lid from a jar of Lidl Thick Cut Marmalade is a perfect fit over the collapsed 49mm rubber lens hood. :)
Lidl marmalade! James Robertson must be spinning in his grave.

The Robertson's factory was just beside Paisley (Canal) Station. You could tell what they were making from the fantastic aromas wafting into the station. The steam locomotives didn't smell too bad either.

posted: 1 Mar 2018 19:55

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
FraserSmith wrote:
Not much time to compose pictures and not easy to get alternative viewpoints when there are such big crevasses and one is tied to others.
Hi Fraser,

Thanks for a great pic. It would be great to visit such places and take some photos. But I fear I would need to be helicoptered in to be in a fit state to take them. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 1 Mar 2018 20:10

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
Lidl marmalade! James Robertson must be spinning in his grave.

The Robertson's factory was just beside Paisley (Canal) Station. You could tell what they were making from the fantastic aromas wafting into the station. The steam locomotives didn't smell too bad either.
Hi Andy,

My grandfather always claimed that as a boy he had a job making the wooden pips to go in raspberry jam:

 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HNS19060327.2.44.1

Actually, Lidl marmalade is very good. I like it anyway. On a day like today, toast and marmalade by the fireside is the only sensible response. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 1 Mar 2018 20:25

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
FraserSmith wrote:
An unusual view of an iconic mountain on a walk I did back in 2006.
Great pic. Never did much snow work. I joined the Gloucestershire Mountaineering Club in my teens and did have a couple of Easter camping trips to Scotland involving snow. First one was camping in Glen Etive over the sheep transporter, doing the Buachaille Etive Mor one day via Crowberry Gully Buttress (think it may be called something different now), the Aonach Eagach in snow the next, and finally a quick bit of snow climbing in Glen Etive before heading home. The other was Linn of Dee, doing a round trip of Ben Macdui via Coire Etchachan one day, which I found pretty exhausting, then teaching ourselves to ski at the Cairnwell; early days, this was 1962.

Here's a pic of the club descending from Macdui towards the Sron Riach:528_011505_470000000.jpg528_011505_470000000.jpg

Taken with a truly awful pre-war folding medium format camera my parents had discarded.

Had a few adventures in the very extended winter of, I think, 1977, including an attempt to glissade off Y Garn, above Llyn Idwal, which got a bit hairy. Also climbed Beinn an Dothaidh above Bridge of Orchy in the snow, much more recently. That was about it for the serious stuff. Have done the occasional Glen Shiel climb, again much more recently, when my route didn't require axes or crampons. Here's a view of Sgurr nan Conbhairean from A' Chralaig:

528_011523_100000000.jpg528_011523_100000000.jpg

posted: 2 Mar 2018 01:17

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Ah ha!

This thread has exposed a previously unknown strong connection between three significant constituents:

1. Railway track

2. Mountains

3. Jam (or variants thereof)

I love science.


posted: 2 Mar 2018 01:57

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
Ah ha!

This thread has exposed a previously unknown strong connection between three significant constituents:

1. Railway track    2. Mountains     3. Jam (or variants thereof)

I love science. 
Nothing new under the sun:

 http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DGQJBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA66&dq=%22gold-and-blue%22+rockies+%22raspberry+jam%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje2dSlxMzZAhVBKuwKHUKgAfsQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=%22gold-and-blue%22%20rockies%20%22raspberry%20jam%22&f=false

:)

Martin.

posted: 2 Mar 2018 09:53

from:

John Lewis
 
Croydon - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin wrote:
Time for some breakfast. And looking at what's happened outside the window, it will be a cooked one for a change. I can remember going to school through much deeper snow; sweeping snow off the car every morning in order to get to work; struggling to drive a fork-lift truck through deep snow with a heavy load. Why does it now come as a surprise to see snow in winter?

Yesterday was officially the first day of SPRING they say!

posted: 2 Mar 2018 10:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Lewis wrote:
Yesterday was officially the first day of SPRING they say!
Hi John,

What does the word "officially" mean in that context? :?

My understanding is that what most folks call Spring starts at the Vernal Equinox, which occurs around March 20th-21st in most years.

But of course someone may have moved it by now. Nothing surprises me any more.

Whatever it is, it certainly looks like Winter today. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 2 Mar 2018 18:32

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I don't think I'll be getting much fresh air today.

2983_021327_070000000.jpg2983_021327_070000000.jpg

Shot with a Nikon Coolpix P600. I've had it for quite a while but I'm still discovering things I didn't know it could do :)

posted: 2 Mar 2018 20:50

from:

John Lewis
 
Croydon - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Lewis wrote:"Yesterday was officially the first day of SPRING they say!

Martin asked:
What does the word "officially" mean in that context? :?

Martin

It means the "meteorological spring" I read about it in "The Times" yesterday. I used 'official' because I was not sure about spelling 'meteorological'.

Apparently the meteorological spring comes about by Meterologists dividing the year into four seasons of three months each. See:

 http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/seasons/spring/when-does-spring-start

You are, of course, quite right and not only does it look like winter to-day, it really felt like it - our boiler stopped working because its condensate pipe had iced up!

John
2 Mar 2018

posted: 2 Mar 2018 21:14

from:

FraserSmith
 
Dundee - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Nigel

A nice pair of photos: one atmospheric and the other a very nice composition of a very nice hill. The snow certainly makes a big difference and having just the right amount of that icing sugar coating on Sgurr nan Conbhairean has made for a great photo. Kintail is just a wonderful place to be and I 'm delighted to be going there for another walking week next month. Moving to Scotland back in 1979 opened up a fantastic opportunity to explore the mountains and tempted me towards tackling all the Munros. Back around the millenium I was doing 40 or so a year and compleated (sic) them in 2003. Friends I was walking with then were, by that time, heading in the same direction so I carried on with them and did many for a second time. By the time they completed their rounds I had done about two thirds of them again so it was inevitable that I would complete them all for a second time that I did in April last year. Now I can walk these hills with a degree of familiarity and, as I'll be doing in April, accompanying more friends around that great area. Many of my trips were done in winter conditions and it was great training for the alpine trips I did although there's not many glaciers to cross in Scotland. A view is never guaranteed in Scotland but winter walks are even more likely to be affected by low cloud and some days are a bit fresher than others. This was somewhere in Kintail but on my second round I didn't bother logging the date so I don't know which.
3137_020342_410000000.jpg3137_020342_410000000.jpg

Fraser


posted: 3 Mar 2018 00:13

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Fraser

I reached 176 Munros before the spinal incident. Wasn't that phased at not finishing them; at the end I was doing as many repeats of favourite ones as new ones. But there were certain ones I'd have liked to have ticked off, like the Grey Corries, and more of the Skye ones.

Anyway,  back to recent times, today in fact. The Rheidol valley in the snow:

528_021908_280000000.jpg528_021908_280000000.jpg

A 50mph easterly has stripped nearly all the snow from the exposed bits of the fields and dumped it in drifts and, as I discovered when I took a look at the road near my place, on the roads. Was bitter out, -3C before the wind chill factor, but forecast is for it to improve. That's a light snow shower sweeping down the valley.
Last edited on 3 Mar 2018 00:15 by Nigel Brown
posted: 3 Mar 2018 02:29

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Today's Geograph:

elan_valley_railbed_1280x960.jpgelan_valley_railbed_1280x960.jpg

Trackbed of Elan Valley Railway at Penygarreg Reservoir
The Elan Valley Railway was opened in 1894 to transport men and materials to the construction sites for the Elan Valley dams. The former trackbed is now a cycle path and very popular with visitors to this scenic area of mid-Wales. The Craig Goch dam can be seen in the distance above the trees on the island.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5697001

As can be seen, my mountaineering is on a more modest scale than some illustrated here.

Martin.

posted: 3 Mar 2018 03:16

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Another:

abermule_bridge_1280_rp.jpgabermule_bridge_1280_rp.jpg

Brynderwen Bridge over River Severn, Abermule
This impressive cast iron road bridge is still in everyday use. The lettering reads: "THIS SECOND IRON BRIDGE CONSTRUCTED IN THE COUNTY OF MONTGOMERY WAS ERECTED IN THE YEAR 1852".


 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5697002

This takes me up to 9 photos on Geograph, so clearly I'm catching up on Nigel's 11,550.  :)

Martin.

posted: 3 Mar 2018 08:48

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Lewis wrote:
Apparently the meteorological spring comes about by Meterologists dividing the year into four seasons of three months each. See:

 http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/seasons/spring/when-does-spring-start

You are, of course, quite right and not only does it look like winter to-day, it really felt like it - our boiler stopped working because its condensate pipe had iced up!
Thanks John,

I note on that page: "Last updated: 23 February 2018".

Obviously they have been forced by current events to have a re-think. :)

Martin.

posted: 3 Mar 2018 09:07

from:

rodney_hills
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Good morning,
My first cover as MERG Journal editor harks back to weather conditions similar to those endured/enjoyed in much of the UK these last few days.
Original captions reveal that I did not actually take any of the photos featured..
"Editor’sTailLamp - Rodney Hills M1301
For the final Journal under his editorship David allowed himself the latitude to make a very personal choice of cover subject. I crave similar indulgence from you for the maiden cover of my editorship.
The five photographs were all taken on Monday 2 February 2009. The centre one is a view taken by my friend, signalman Norman Bennett, from his ‘box at Farnham Station, Surrey, showing Network Rail going about its business of ensuring ‘network availability’. The other four depicting Godalming Station, Surrey, my ‘local’, were taken by my railwayman son Jonathan and show South West Trains going about its business of providing passenger train services given, of course, “the right kind of snow”.
The “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster is of 1939 vintage, by the U.K. Ministry of Information, reproduced by the Imperial War Museum. No shortage of red ink in 1939, it seems. My thanks to David for offering me this artwork. Not a bad motto for the Big Railway, methinks, nor even for MERG 



"
A close inspection of. photo 1 shows quite a lot of 'delay minutes",

All the textbooks on colour light signalling emphasize the placement of the red aspect at the bottom of the signal head. This is said to make it not possible for snow pileup on the hood below to block sighting of the red. Now examine the bottom two photos carefully.  hmm.

Regards, Rodney Hills


Attachment: attach_2647_3228_image.jpeg     208
Last edited on 3 Mar 2018 09:11 by rodney_hills
posted: 3 Mar 2018 15:48

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Cwm Cywarch is a dead-end valley north of Dinas Mawddwy. It provides two good routes up Aran Fawddwy from the south, and the crags at the head of the valley are favoured by rock-climbers.

528_031047_200000000.jpg528_031047_200000000.jpg

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4401017

Last edited on 3 Mar 2018 19:39 by Nigel Brown
posted: 3 Mar 2018 19:25

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
hendregenny_pond_1280x720.jpghendregenny_pond_1280x720.jpg

Pond on Hendregenny Farm

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5697582

Martin.

posted: 3 Mar 2018 19:48

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A bit nicer today. The dogs appreciated it too.

2983_031445_360000000.jpg2983_031445_360000000.jpg

Rockford Bay, Lake Coeur d'Alene

posted: 3 Mar 2018 22:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
slabs_1280_rp.jpgslabs_1280_rp.jpg

Concrete Slab Works at Larford
This works is on the site of the washery for the former Larford Sand Quarry. Concrete sand from here was used in the construction of the Claerwen Dam in the Elan Valley, opened in 1952.


 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5697780

Martin.

posted: 4 Mar 2018 02:03

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Belan Top Lock on the Montgomery Canal:

belan_top_lock_1280x854.jpgbelan_top_lock_1280x854.jpg

The Buck patent horizontal paddles were unique to this canal:

2_032101_430000000.png2_032101_430000000.png

Martin.

posted: 4 Mar 2018 19:38

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Nice canal view. If you want a nice read this is a good book - Monty Canal Book

Rob


posted: 4 Mar 2018 20:10

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
The upper Dovey valley above Llanymaddwy:
528_041507_090000000.jpg528_041507_090000000.jpg

Taken not far from my previous image. This area has spawned several model railway layouts, either as extensions to the Mawddwy Railway at Dinas Mawddwy, or narrow gauge lines connecting with that railway. Traffic could have been slate and minerals such as lead, or agricultural.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2107153

Nigel
Last edited on 4 Mar 2018 20:11 by Nigel Brown
posted: 4 Mar 2018 20:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

10 degrees warmer and 2 hours of heavy rain washed away most of the snow, and then the sun came out. So Templot off, boots on, and a chance to try out my latest toy - a jam pot lid. :)

It's perfect. Press it on and it collapses the lens hood, and then the barbs inside the rim just grip the rubber nicely. Pull it off and it expands the hood at the same time.

Gloves no problem, although I didn't need them today. There's open space behind the collapsed ring, so easy to claw fingers around it rather than needing to actually hold it.

The lens hood seems to have cured any flare too. I like this one best of today's crop: 

footpath_1280x960.jpgfootpath_1280x960.jpg

A lower viewpoint would have been better. I have far too many photos taken from 5ft-6in  above the ground.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 17 Mar 2018 03:07

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
lambswick_farm_1280x800.jpglambswick_farm_1280x800.jpg

     Autumn colours at Lambswick Farm in the Teme Valley

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5709143

Martin.

posted: 17 Mar 2018 08:55

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
glasshampton_1280_rp.jpgglasshampton_1280_rp.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5714180


posted: 17 Mar 2018 13:23

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A balmy 12C here yesterday, but freezing here today, with a strong wind and snow on the hills. The day before yesterday was also mild and I was over in the Elan and Claerwen valleys:

528_170823_040000000.jpg528_170823_040000000.jpg

posted: 17 Mar 2018 18:52

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
A lower viewpoint would have been better. I have far too many photos taken from 5ft-6in  above the ground.

cheers,

Martin.
Hi Martin,

It makes my knees sore taking pictures so low however I have lots of pictures taken from 6ft-5in above the ground :)....but at least when I am taking pictures of planes I am a bit nearer to them.

Back to Winter again today, soon be easter :? Remember this ? Cricket in the snow

Rob


posted: 17 Mar 2018 20:30

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Remember that year. Several trips up the Welsh hills in snow, with the last in early June.

posted: 18 Mar 2018 02:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
The day before yesterday was also mild and I was over in the Elan and Claerwen valleys
Hi Nigel,

Lucky you. I spent that day in West Bromwich. I knew there must be a reason to beware the Ides of March.

There is something about the Claerwen dam which always strikes me as dark and foreboding. Perhaps it is the knowledge that the dressed stone face is a sham (it is actually a post-WW2 concrete dam).

Here's some evening sunshine in the Elan Valley, where the dams are genuine Victorian engineering:

penygarreg_picnic_site_1200x800.jpgpenygarreg_picnic_site_1200x800.jpg

      Picnic Site at Penygarreg Reservoir
 
 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5709959

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 18 Mar 2018 02:48

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
I have lots of pictures taken from 6ft-5in above the ground :)
It must be inconvenient having your eyes that high. Don't you wish sometimes that your legs reached the ground?

I'd forgotten about the cricket in the snow. Thanks for the memory. It's snowing again here tonight, which is unusual in these parts for late March.

cheers,

Martin.
Last edited on 18 Mar 2018 03:40 by Martin Wynne
posted: 18 Mar 2018 07:51

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
clee_nats_radar_1280x800.jpgclee_nats_radar_1280x800.jpg

          Derelict Quarry Building on Titterstone Clee
The NATS Radar golfball makes a striking backdrop to this scene of industrial dereliction.


  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5709973

Martin.

posted: 18 Mar 2018 17:45

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
blackstone_roundabout_1280x600.jpgblackstone_roundabout_1280x600.jpg

              Blackstone Roundabout
Wooded roundabout at the junction of A456 and B4195

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5710658

I have hundreds of pictures of nothing in particular, like this. I promise not to post all of them here. :)

This one loses points for having the tops of the trees chopped off. You are allowed to chop trees through the middle, but not just the top 2ft. :(

Martin.

posted: 18 Mar 2018 20:00

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
neen_savage_church_1280x800.jpgneen_savage_church_1280x800.jpg

   The Rea valley from the Jack Mytton Way LDP
        with Neen Savage church in evening sun.


 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5710817

Martin.

posted: 19 Mar 2018 03:55

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
stokesay_pond_bw1280x800.jpgstokesay_pond_bw1280x800.jpg

    Former Shrewsbury & Hereford Railway passing the castle pond at Stokesay

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5711132

Martin.

posted: 20 Mar 2018 14:07

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
stanford_on_teme_1280x800.jpgstanford_on_teme_1280x800.jpg

  Stanford-on-Teme

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5711923


posted: 20 Mar 2018 14:30

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
on_ridney_farm_1200x900.jpgon_ridney_farm_1200x900.jpg

    High summer in the Teme valley

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5711928



posted: 20 Mar 2018 18:55

from:

Trevor Walling
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hello,
These images really show what a beautiful land we live in.It is amazing how it changes from the stark winter landscape to the lush summer views.
Regards

posted: 20 Mar 2018 19:54

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Trevor Walling wrote:
Hello,
These images really show what a beautiful land we live in.It is amazing how it changes from the stark winter landscape to the lush summer views.
Regards
Trevor,

It is a shame that so many nice places have been destroyed over the years in the name of progress :(

Rob


posted: 20 Mar 2018 20:45

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Trevor Walling wrote:
These images really show what a beautiful land we live in. It is amazing how it changes from the stark winter landscape to the lush summer views.
Thanks Trevor.

My pictures do tend to be a bit chocolate-boxy. I take the grim & grotty too, but there's no real pleasure in taking them, and I never know what to do with them afterwards. Who actually wants to look at something like this, unless intending to model it:

falling_sands_800x580.jpgfalling_sands_800x580.jpg

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 20 Mar 2018 22:01

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Talking of chocolate boxes:

haye_farm_1200x800.jpghaye_farm_1200x800.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5712235

Martin.

posted: 21 Mar 2018 14:28

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
drogheda_1280x700.jpgdrogheda_1280x700.jpg

     Old cottages in Ship Street, Drogheda

  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5712711
 

posted: 21 Mar 2018 19:22

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
rvlr_1280_rp.jpgrvlr_1280_rp.jpg

    Rhiw Valley Light Railway

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5712937


posted: 21 Mar 2018 21:33

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Love the cottages in Drogheda. Odd how alternate parts of the roofs have been re-slated as only the far right cottages appear to be occupied. Keep the pictures coming :thumb:

Rob


posted: 21 Mar 2018 21:34

from:

Trevor Walling
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Trevor Walling wrote:
Hello,
These images really show what a beautiful land we live in.It is amazing how it changes from the stark winter landscape to the lush summer views.
Regards
Trevor,

It is a shame that so many nice places have been destroyed over the years in the name of progress :(

Rob

Hello,
       I would imagine that was the way people felt when the railways first started.
Regards.:)

posted: 22 Mar 2018 03:58

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Keep the pictures coming :thumb:

bevere_bridge2_1200x800.jpgbevere_bridge2_1200x800.jpg

      Bevere Island Bridge, Worcester

This once fine bridge is now derelict and in need of restoration. It serves now only to provide livestock access to Bevere Island in the River Severn. It is thought to have been built by Richard Moon, chairman of the LNWR, who owned lands at Bevere*.


 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5713307

bevere_bridge1_1200x860.jpgbevere_bridge1_1200x860.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5713305

*pronounced Bevvery

Martin.

posted: 22 Mar 2018 04:09

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Another bridge:

svr_bridge_1200x800.jpgsvr_bridge_1200x800.jpg

     Farmland near Severn Lodge
The Shropshire Way LDP and a high pressure oil pipeline cross the Severn Valley Railway under this bridge.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5713231

Martin.

posted: 22 Mar 2018 16:49

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Rob


posted: 22 Mar 2018 20:40

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
rock_church_1280x800.jpgrock_church_1280x800.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5713783

Martin.

posted: 22 Mar 2018 21:32

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Another bridge. Not Ambridge, this is Ham Bridge:

ham_bridge_1260x900.jpgham_bridge_1260x900.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5713838

One of my favourite pics. I remember going home with wet feet that day.

Martin.

posted: 22 Mar 2018 23:24

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
church_island_1280x720.jpgchurch_island_1280x720.jpg

     Church Island in the Menai Strait

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5714005

Martin.

posted: 23 Mar 2018 19:53

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
From the archives:

astley_1280_rp.jpgastley_1280_rp.jpg

    Syntley Farm in 1968

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5714554

Surprisingly little changed 50 years later:

syntley_farm_1280x720.jpgsyntley_farm_1280x720.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5714578

I much prefer the old view. So much for modern digital cameras! :)
 
I'm intending to do more of these "then & now" pictures. The tricky part is identifying the location from the old negs. Google streetview helps.

Martin.
Last edited on 23 Mar 2018 19:57 by Martin Wynne
posted: 23 Mar 2018 22:37

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
"So much for modern digital cameras!"

In their defense the lighting was a lot different :)

posted: 23 Mar 2018 22:50

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
"So much for modern digital cameras!"

In their defense the lighting was a lot different :)

Yes I know. :)

Lighting is everything, but out of doors you have very little no control of it if the subject is more than a few feet from the camera. :(

I shall go back and have another go one day when the lighting promises to be better. No doubt by then a large metal shed will have appeared in the foreground! I was surprised that so little had changed in half a century.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 23 Mar 2018 23:09

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

You haven't learnt in 50 years not to shoot into the light then :? Mind you gaining access to a spot that keeps the sun over your shoulder isn't easy. I bet the farm buildings see a lot less activity now than in 1968, probably used for a few old tractors or bits of machinery just waiting for a restorer to come along.

Rob


posted: 23 Mar 2018 23:29

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
More farming:

night_work_1280x720.jpgnight_work_1280x720.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5714790

Martin.

posted: 23 Mar 2018 23:35

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
You haven't learnt in 50 years not to shoot into the light then :? Mind you gaining access to a spot that keeps the sun over your shoulder isn't easy.
The official way is to hang about for 12 hours while the planet rotates. Whenever I've tried it, the rain starts after 11 hours 45 minutes. :)

Martin.

posted: 26 Mar 2018 14:38

from:

John Palmer
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Surprisingly little changed 50 years later

Martin.
Martin, you and I seem to have rather different views on what constitutes 'little change'!  I can see some major changes in the view, some of which I've indicated on the accompanying edited view of your 1968 picture (I played around with levels to try to determine whether the building that has disappeared was attached to the farmhouse - I think it was probably separate but can't be sure).2129_260922_410000000.png2129_260922_410000000.png

The roof profile of the farmhouse has undergone radical change, to the extent that I'm not sure you could treat the 'shell' of the current building as a reliable guide to what was there before.  Often one can rely upon the current basic shell as a good indication of original construction, but here's a case where this isn't necessarily so.

If, like me, you are striving to create an accurate historical replica of a particular scene (in my case the station environs at Burnham-on-Sea), a good selection of historical photographs is helpful but needs to be interpreted with care.  My aim is to reproduce the townscape as it was in the period 1948-1954 approximately.  The best photographs we have of the area date from about 1963, leavened with a few shots that were taken immediately pre- or post-World War II.  Currently I am dealing with a building whose rear elevation has undergone a number of transformations since that War, and it is exceedingly difficult to determine what the building's appearance was during the period with which we are concerned.

Building details generally have changed quite a lot since those days, the widespread introduction of UPVC windows being particularly apparent, so that today I can often only rely upon the shell of surviving buildings as a guide to their original form, and even then I need to beware of major structural changes such as those that seem to have taken place with Syntley Farm.

posted: 26 Mar 2018 15:32

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Palmer wrote:
Martin, you and I seem to have rather different views on what constitutes 'little change'!
Hi John,

I was speaking in the sense of as seen through the camera viewfinder, and also in an agricultural sense, rather than the historical details. :)

The whole range of farm buildings could have been swept away and replaced with a big tin shed. Or alternatively converted to a residential development of barn conversions.

I don't have a map for 1968, but here is the 1901 25" map (black) overlaid with the modern map (coloured). The red X is the approximate camera position:

2_261022_160000000.png2_261022_160000000.png

Based on that, I don't think the farmhouse was two separate buildings, but it is clearly now a smaller structure than before.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 27 Mar 2018 20:40

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
quarry_sheep_1280x840.jpgquarry_sheep_1280x840.jpg

            The Clee Hill Quarry Asphalt Plant makes a splash of colour on the hill.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5718861

 http://www.mqp.co.uk/clee-hill-quarry.htm


posted: 27 Mar 2018 21:34

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
clee_panorama_1280x560.jpgclee_panorama_1280x560.jpg

  A South Shropshire panorama

The photo-stitch join is a bit too obvious. :)

Martin.

posted: 27 Mar 2018 21:43

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
  A South Shropshire panorama

The photo-stitch join is a bit too obvious. :)

Martin.
Martin,

Looks a bit like my background sheets where they cross the baseboard joints :( Wish I was artistic, then I could paint them.

Rob


posted: 29 Mar 2018 00:30

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Best of today's crop:

leapgate_fields_1280x640.jpgleapgate_fields_1280x640.jpg

     Farmland from Leapgate Old Railway Line Country Park

The Regent Oil Co had a wartime rail-connected fuel storage depot here, but no trace of it remains.


 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5719895

Martin.

posted: 30 Mar 2018 00:51

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
view_wood_stile_1280x720.jpgview_wood_stile_1280x720.jpg

      Stile in View Wood

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5720774


posted: 30 Mar 2018 01:36

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
kings_x_1280_rp.jpgkings_x_1280_rp.jpg

  Kings Cross



posted: 31 Mar 2018 23:44

from:

dave turner
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Please cease and desist. Your photos are giving me a severe case of homesickness. :D:D

Dave

posted: 1 Apr 2018 00:48

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Sorry Dave.

So that's one post asking me to keep them coming, and one saying cease and desist. Nothing new there then. :)

Here's a couple closer to home, which I have probably posted before:


borth_chairs_1280_rp.jpgborth_chairs_1280_rp.jpg

     BR(W) through-bolted


boyne_gauntlet_1280_rp.jpgboyne_gauntlet_1280_rp.jpg

     Gauntletted track on the Boyne Viaduct, Drogheda    (now removed)

Martin.

posted: 1 Apr 2018 01:01

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Keep them coming :D That makes it 2 votes to 1 in favour...........even if two of the votes are mine.

Happy Easter Everybody

Rob


posted: 1 Apr 2018 01:48

from:

John Durbetaki
 
Gaston - Oregon USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I vote to keep them coming also...

But I do have a question on the bridge photo. Can someone explain the gauntletted track arrangement? I have not seen that before and was interested on what did what...

John

posted: 1 Apr 2018 04:11

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Durbetaki wrote:
Can someone explain the gauntletted track arrangement?
Me, for ten!

It's so that the double track line can cross the single track bridge without the need for turnouts at both ends of the bridge. Hopefully there are signals to prevent two trains passing on the bridge :)

posted: 1 Apr 2018 04:27

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
2983_312322_560000000.jpg2983_312322_560000000.jpg

Looking South to the Idaho Palouse from the Southern end of the Selkirk Range.
Last edited on 1 Apr 2018 04:28 by Andrew Barrowman
posted: 1 Apr 2018 05:29

from:

John Durbetaki
 
Gaston - Oregon USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Andrew, now that I look closely, I can see the double tracks at the end of the bridge. This looks like a really interesting modelling opportunity...

Andrew Barrowman wrote:
John Durbetaki wrote:
Can someone explain the gauntletted track arrangement?
Me, for ten!

It's so that the double track line can cross the single track bridge without the need for turnouts at both ends of the bridge. Hopefully there are signals to prevent two trains passing on the bridge :)


posted: 1 Apr 2018 08:31

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Durbetaki wrote:
Can someone explain the gauntletted track arrangement? I have not seen that before and was interested on what did what...
Hi John,

This historic viaduct is on the former GNR(I) north-south main-line in Ireland, linking Dublin and Belfast. 

When the viaduct was rebuilt in the 1930s the new narrower steelwork did not leave space for two tracks on the bridge. The up and down lines were gauntletted to avoid the need for points at each end for a conventional single track line. Which would have required the additional cost of building and staffing a signal cabin (not "box" in Ireland) at the north end of the bridge. Drogheda station is at the south end.

Building the new steelwork inside the old ironwork allowed the line to remain open during the reconstruction. More info:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyne_Viaduct

Here are a couple more views showing the gaunt turnouts at each end, looking north. All these photos are from 1986. The track was remodelled in the 1990s as a conventional single line with power-operated points at each end.

2_010302_330000000.jpg2_010302_330000000.jpg

2_010303_480000000.jpg2_010303_480000000.jpg

The lookout man is for the P.W. gang just visible in the distance. I hope they were intending to come and fix that wing rail joint.

The flat plates between the rails are guard rails, so that in the event that a vehicle becomes derailed on the bridge it is kept in a straight line and prevented from hitting the steelwork. Such guard rails are often provided on bridges and viaducts, although their design varies a lot.

The track gauge in Ireland is 5ft-3in, which explains the wide look of the tracks.

To create a gaunt turnout in Templot, click template > gaunt options > gaunt turnout menu option. To create gauntletted track, extend some approach track on a gaunt turnout (and if necessary shorten the overall length to exclude the turnout part).

Here is another famous bridge on the line, the Egyptian Arch at Newry (in 2004):

egyptian_arch1.jpgegyptian_arch1.jpg

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacNeill%27s_Egyptian_Arch

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 1 Apr 2018 20:16

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
droitwich_barge_1280x800.jpgdroitwich_barge_1280x800.jpg

   Summer evening on the Droitwich Barge Canal

This canal had not been used since 1916 and was finally abandoned in 1939. It then lay derelict for over 70 years until restored and finally reopened in 2010.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droitwich_Canal

Martin.

posted: 1 Apr 2018 20:44

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
seedgreen_power_1280x720.jpgseedgreen_power_1280x720.jpg

     Power to the people


posted: 1 Apr 2018 22:11

from:

John Durbetaki
 
Gaston - Oregon USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin!

How little I know and what interesting things I have learned!

John

posted: 2 Apr 2018 22:08

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
trig_tracks_1280x640.jpgtrig_tracks_1280x640.jpg

   Making tracks to a trig pillar


posted: 7 Apr 2018 22:31

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
In the yard at Parkend on 3rd August 1968:

parkend_yard_600x748.jpgparkend_yard_600x748.jpg

Not much point in going back with 24 megapixels -- this is the view today:

 http://goo.gl/maps/DMHhPHE7hbE2

Martin.

posted: 11 Apr 2018 02:24

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I've been scanning some old negs.

August 1969 in Wales:

bala_road_1969_1244x812.jpgbala_road_1969_1244x812.jpg

It's somewhere along the mountain road from Bala to Lake Vyrnwy, but that covers a dozen Geograph squares. Despite spending an hour on maps and Google Streetview I'm none the wiser. It can't have changed that much in 50 years, surely?

Martin.

posted: 11 Apr 2018 12:25

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin

There are two mountain roads. This one is the one from Llanuwchllyn via the Bwlch y Groes. Taken from the bend at SH91142505 looking up the road with the crags of Craig yr Ogof ahead. Compare with
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2107116
taken just after the bend.

Nigel
Last edited on 11 Apr 2018 12:26 by Nigel Brown
posted: 11 Apr 2018 13:35

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
There are two mountain roads. This one is the one from Llanuwchllyn via the Bwlch y Groes. Taken from the bend at SH91142505 looking up the road with the crags of Craig yr Ogof ahead.
Hi Nigel,

Many thanks for that. You obviously know the area well. :)

Here's the 2009 Google Streetview:

 http://goo.gl/maps/dHjCpU8EyaK2

It's amazing that after 40 years that bit of sheep-track across the centre is unchanged (public ROW on the OS map).

What was confusing me was the need to find some high ground on the right of the road from which the picture could have been taken. But if you swing the Google camera round and go back a bit, you can see where I must have climbed up on the other side of the road.

Less foliage obstructing the view then of course. That seems to be the case in lots of my old pictures. Is this the conclusive evidence for global warming? :)

Thanks again. I can now put it on Geograph:

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5734923

cheers,

Martin.


posted: 11 Apr 2018 15:17

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Bucknell, Shropshire, on the Central Wales line. September 1975:

bucknell_station_1975_1280x760.jpgbucknell_station_1975_1280x760.jpg

bucknell_box_1975_1280x640.jpgbucknell_box_1975_1280x640.jpg

bucknell_crane_1975_1280x640.jpgbucknell_crane_1975_1280x640.jpg

bucknell_timber_1975_1280x640.jpgbucknell_timber_1975_1280x640.jpg

And the Google views in 2009:

  http://goo.gl/maps/F13XazL8Ro62

  http://goo.gl/maps/DGKAMfZhdhn

Should I be posting this stuff here? If not I don't really know what to do with them (lots more like this).

This is the first time I have seen these photos. Having developed the films, I never quite got round to the time-consuming process of printing them. You know how it is.

Actually, scanning them now isn't much faster. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 11 Apr 2018 19:40

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Scanning the old negs may not be much faster but it is a bit more pleasant than sqinting over dishes of developer and fixer for hours on end. I took loads of photos back in my early days that never got printed due to lack of time. Day trip out on Saturday, films developed on Sunday, back to work Monday and a rush to get home and brew up a few prints. Trouble is all these years later I don't even have the negs anymore. Shame.

Yes, you should be posting them on here. I am never going to tire of b&w shots of railways, just keep a fair number of interesting building features in them. If you have film, camera and processing data available that is even more interesting although rather academic to most people.

Rob


posted: 11 Apr 2018 21:11

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob.

Here are a couple at Clee Hill Top in August 1969. I wandered around a lot of places like this at that time, always feeling that I had arrived about 5 years too late. :(

But they make atmospheric photos:

clee_hill2_1969_1280x720.jpgclee_hill2_1969_1280x720.jpg

clee_hill_1969_1280x720.jpgclee_hill_1969_1280x720.jpg

Camera was a Konica Auto S2, my first proper camera. I loved that camera, and I'm not the only one:

 http://www.lomography.com/magazine/68841-the-konica-auto-s2-top-notch-rangefinder

Film was Ilford FP4 developed in Paterson Acutol. Sorry I don't have any exposure details.

Here's the map of what I missed:

clee_hill_map_1024x720.pngclee_hill_map_1024x720.png

I have ringed that row of cottages, camera at X.

Here is Google's 2009 view. The camera car is on the location of the bridge over the incline:

 http://goo.gl/maps/wMGnLFrHkP12

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 11 Apr 2018 22:02

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,
Thanks for the pics. The shot looking across to the row of cottages my not be a work of art but boy does it tell a story about the place, from the cars to the washing on the line.

Acutol was great on slow/medium speed films. Enhanced sharpness and a slightly gritty clumping of the grain structure suits asmospheric and industrial subjects beautifully. I used to rate FP4 at 250ASA and give an extra 4-5 minutes dev time. The secret was to keep the agitation down to 2 inversions at the end of each 2 minute period and allow the shadow detail to build up ( the developer exhausts on the highlights and stops the contrast getting out of hand ). Mind you I had a diffuser enlarger at the time so a bit of extra contrast was often useful.

My proper camera of the late seventies was an Olympus 35SP.....Review here and boy was that lens sharp. There were quite a few rangefinders around at that time and most had good lenses not being compromised on design by an SLR mirror.

I often got drawn into other cameras. One of the best if you didn't mind the bulk was these Mamiya Press Cameras The lenses wouldn't resolve as well as the 35mm cameras and were fairly basic designs but when you have a 6x9 rollfilm back mounted it doesn't really matter :D I used to shoot some of the eastern european 'cheapo' brands of B&W through it and the results were brilliant.

Must have a look and see if I have any of the old negs.

Rob


posted: 11 Apr 2018 23:15

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob. That Olympus looks very desirable. A friend at the time was very keen on all things Olympus. Not sure I'm ready to go back to developing tanks and mixing chemicals in the kitchen sink though. Not to mention the costs. :?

This is Buxton on 27th September 1973:

buxton_signal_27_9_1973.jpgbuxton_signal_27_9_1973.jpg

buxton_signal2_27_9_1973_1024x660.jpgbuxton_signal2_27_9_1973_1024x660.jpg

buxton_27_9_1973_1024x640.jpgbuxton_27_9_1973_1024x640.jpg

buxton_station_27_9_1973_1280x600.jpgbuxton_station_27_9_1973_1280x600.jpg

buxton_shed_27_9_1973_1280x720.jpgbuxton_shed_27_9_1973_1280x720.jpg

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 12 Apr 2018 00:02

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,
Thanks for the Buxton pics. I know the place well. Your pics show the LNWR station. The Midland station that was alongside was closed in the 1960's and Station road was later built on the site as a mini bypass to the town centre. The NLS map makes it clearer for readers not familiar. Shame that I can't pop down to Matlock and see Bill Hudson behind his bookshop counter anymore. Modellers who have used a Slater's PO wagon kit on their layouts owe a debt to Bill.

2001_111835_420000000.jpg2001_111835_420000000.jpg

June 1963. This is me checking out the camping coaches at Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire. Must have been a cold week - long trousers were not usual back in those days. I can't believe I just posted a pic of myself on the internet :shock: Hope nobody can see a likeness anymore....

Rob


 

posted: 12 Apr 2018 02:57

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

That's a great photo of you as a toddler. But unless you post a more recent photo of yourself, the likeness or otherwise will remain a mystery to us. :)

That photo has a lovely fine grain. Scanning my negs at 3200dpi I've become aware of just how grainy they are. Much more so than I remember when printing them. Perhaps I had a soft enlarger lens, or is it possible for the graininess to increase with age? It's only gelatin holding the grains of silver apart, they've had plenty of time to clump together. 

For these I've tried the softer Bell algorithm for resampling down to web size, instead of Lanczos:

This sad scene of desolation is Ludlow on the same day in 1969 as the Clee Hill pics:

ludlow_1969_1280x640.jpgludlow_1969_1280x640.jpg

And getting back to the scenics, Dinham Bridge and weir in Ludlow:

ludlow_dinham_1969_1280x800.jpgludlow_dinham_1969_1280x800.jpg

It is little changed today. Google's view from the bridge:

 http://goo.gl/maps/PnYYXLJZpGp

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 12 Apr 2018 07:09

from:

FraserSmith
 
Dundee - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin

In relation to your mountain road photo, I looked along a few roads in the area yesterday including this one but I couldn't see anywhere with enough crags on a steep slope to match the photo. It seems the OS were running short of black bits when they did that bit of the map. Anyway I have used my mapping software that gives a 3D view and I reckon that your photo was taken from the road end at 910250 or very close by. I hope that may stir some recollection in the grey cells even after all that time.

Cheers

Fraser
3137_120156_430000000.png3137_120156_430000000.png

posted: 12 Apr 2018 08:11

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
FraserSmith wrote:
I have used my mapping software that gives a 3D view and I reckon that your photo was taken from the road end at 910250 or very close by. I hope that may stir some recollection in the grey cells even after all that time.
Hi Fraser,

Thanks for that.

On Geograph:  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5734923

I put the camera position at SH 9115 2507 after Nigel steered me to the right area, so we are very close:

2_120259_240000000.png2_120259_240000000.png

(Unfortunately that makes it a "cross-grid" in their terms, so it doesn't count. :( )

It's fairly clear from the photo that I must have climbed up above the road, but it's not stirring any memories unfortunately. I have several memories of travelling the other mountain road from Bala in those days, but not this one. :?

Your 3D mapping software looks very interesting, what is it? I have software which can do that with aerial views and Google maps, but I haven't seen it on the OS leisure maps before.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 12 Apr 2018 10:59

from:

Ian Allen
 
Milton Keynes - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
How did I miss this thread ? All this talk of talk of FP4 etc. takes me back to Grammar School when I first became interested in photography. 3745133533_782d8838bf_o.jpg3745133533_782d8838bf_o.jpgOx Bow Sunrise  Ox Bow Bend, Snake River, Moran, Wyoming. 41 51 59N 110 33 03W
Nikon D3, Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 G AF-S ED lens.
Last edited on 12 Apr 2018 12:02 by Ian Allen
posted: 12 Apr 2018 11:12

from:

Ian Allen
 
Milton Keynes - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
21413532288_dd4d364b8a_o.jpg21413532288_dd4d364b8a_o.jpgMaroon Bells 
Maroon-Snowmass Trail, Pitkin County, Colorado. 39 05 53N 106 56 35W
MPP Micro Technical MkVII, Schneider-Kreuznach lens, Fuji Velvia 5" x 4" film
Last edited on 12 Apr 2018 11:18 by Ian Allen
posted: 12 Apr 2018 12:01

from:

Ian Allen
 
Milton Keynes - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
22012631988_d7d3246cab_o.jpg22012631988_d7d3246cab_o.jpg
Stob Dearg, Buachaille Etiv Mor,Glen Coe, Argyll, Scotland. 56 39 52N 4 54 18W
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NN22065629
Nikon D3, Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 G AF-S ED lens
Last edited on 12 Apr 2018 12:22 by Ian Allen
posted: 12 Apr 2018 12:20

from:

FraserSmith
 
Dundee - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
As a complement to Ian's photo of the Buachaille Etive Mor here's a view looking down. The cottage at Lagangarbh in Ian's photo is around to the left. This is not a place for those with vertigo!

Fraser

3137_120713_460000000.jpg3137_120713_460000000.jpg

posted: 12 Apr 2018 12:33

from:

Ian Allen
 
Milton Keynes - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Fraser,

I imagine some tired thighs at the end of that climb !

Ian

posted: 12 Apr 2018 14:01

from:

FraserSmith
 
Dundee - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin

The software is Mapyx Quo. It's free but you have to pay for the maps. The whole of the UK at 1:50000 comes in at £96 incl VAT or alternatively 40x40km tiles can be bought at 96p each. 10x10km tiles for 1:25000 are the same price with the whole of UK at 208.33 + VAT and all UK 1:50000 and 1:25000 together for £300 incl VAT (yes I chickened out at adding the VAT for the 1:25000 set). 1:250000 is free as are OSM (I think).

I have found it quite useful when planning long bike rides as having the whole of the UK available was great. They also have an Android app that can load the same maps to your phone or tablet so I have all the UK on my phone.

Fraser

posted: 12 Apr 2018 16:59

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
As we were on the Buachaille Etive Mor, here's a fairly recent one:
528_121148_390000000.jpg528_121148_390000000.jpg

First climbed it via that east face in April 1961, in my rock-climbing days with the Gloucestershire Mountaineering Club. Unfortunately no pics from it, but I did take a couple the following day when we traversed the Aonach Eagach ("notched ridge") which forms the north side of Glencoe:
528_121153_380000000.jpg528_121153_380000000.jpg

528_121154_150000000.jpg528_121154_150000000.jpg

The camera was horrible battered pre-war cheapo folding medium format thing, hence the dismal quality.

Re 3D OS maps, Anquet has had this facility for some time; can be very useful in working out where you are. I've both the 1:50000 and 1:25000 maps for GB, which get used on a lot for my Geograph contributions.

posted: 12 Apr 2018 20:43

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Ian Allen wrote:
Ox Bow Sunrise  Ox Bow Bend, Snake River, Moran, Wyoming. 41 51 59N 110 33 03W
Nikon D3, Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 G AF-S ED lens.
There's another view of the Snake at message 41 in this thread. Not so impressive though :)

posted: 12 Apr 2018 20:49

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Martin,
Thanks for the Buxton pics. I know the place well. Your pics show the LNWR station. The Midland station that was alongside was closed in the 1960's and Station road was later built on the site as a mini bypass to the town centre. The NLS map makes it clearer for readers not familiar. Shame that I can't pop down to Matlock and see Bill Hudson behind his bookshop counter anymore. Modellers who have used a Slater's PO wagon kit on their layouts owe a debt to Bill.

2001_111835_420000000.jpg2001_111835_420000000.jpg

June 1963. This is me checking out the camping coaches at Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire. Must have been a cold week - long trousers were not usual back in those days. I can't believe I just posted a pic of myself on the internet :shock: Hope nobody can see a likeness anymore....

Rob


 
At or around that time I was on holiday at the Raven Hall, Ravenscar. The trains were still running too :)

posted: 12 Apr 2018 20:51

from:

FraserSmith
 
Dundee - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Ian

I don't remember sore thighs but then I was still cycling 24km and about 300m+ of climbing a day on my all year round commute.

Nigel

That's a cracking picture of the big Buchaille and great weather for that part of the world. You do seem to have had some interesting excursions in your younger days.


For those who like studying maps, you might be quite fascinated by the route of the River Coupall and its continuation in the River Etive that almost surrounds Buachaille Etive Mor (Big Shepherd of Etive). Also quite fascinating is to follow the burn that rises at NN 226 476 and see where it goes considering it's only 11.5km to the nearest tidal water at the head of Loch Etive.

Fraser

posted: 12 Apr 2018 21:08

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Fraser, Nigel,

Thanks for the 3D map info.

Decisions, decisions. I installed both Quo and Anquet to try them.

Anquet installed flawlessly and works fine (Windows 10). Quo was a battle of wits to install, and keeps saying that it is sending an error report to Microsoft. It is also very slow and clunky in loading tiles and drawing the maps.

But ... Anquet costs £40 for the 3D Viewer unless you buy full GB mapping. The 3D Viewer in Quo is free and works fine (on the demo maps). Unlike Anquet, Quo also has OpenStreetMap, to which I'm a frequent contributor (it's addictive, don't go near it if you like maps), and it would be great to have that on my tablet with the addition of GPS.

Against that Anquet has the latest OS 10K street mapping replacing the old free 10K OpenData map. It's very useful to have street names available that way when there is no online access.

I already have full GB 50K and 25K (and old 10K, and London A-Z) on my Satmap GPS device, so I don't want to go to that expense again. But as a pocket device the screen is quite small -- zooming out to get an overview leaves the detail too small to read. So for my tablet I also have OS's own app:

 http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/os-maps-online.html

which provides full GB 50K and 25K, aerial and 3D aerial (and a strangely unsatisfactory map called "Standard" which has masses of detail but is very lacking in place names and text), and night vision maps, for an annual sub of £20 but is bundled free with some magazine subscriptions:

 http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/getstarted/

But if you can be sure of a signal, full GB 50K and 25K are available free on Bing maps if you don't mind them being georeferenced (making them very slightly fuzzy and skewing the grid lines a fraction):

 http://www.bing.com/maps

or free with normal grid lines on Streetmap if you don't mind having them surrounded by flashing ads:

 http://streetmap.co.uk

But none of those options provide the 3D OS maps, so I think I will try the Quo version and buy just a few tiles. The OS maps app frequently announces new features, so I wouldn't be surprised to find them offering 3D on the maps soon. They already have 3D on the aerial, and a "fly-over" function which flies along your route at whatever speed you choose. Which is great when planning a trip.

Thanks again for the info.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 12 Apr 2018 21:57

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Some great mountain photos there. They make my walks across the fields look like a vicarage tea party. But I want you to know that one day I trapped my thumb in a field gate and it was very sore. And not long ago I slipped right over in the mud. :)

The standard gallery image insertion resizes the photos to a maximum of 932 x 700 pixels. For the Templot topics that ensures that they can be seen on almost all devices.

But for this topic I think it's ok to post them larger. But not more than 1600 wide (any height) otherwise the browser will resize them anyway, and the download would be unfair on those with slow connections.

So if you have resized them to 1600 max, after uploading them to the gallery, display them in the gallery lightbox and click the click to view at original size button below the image. Then right-click on the image to get and copy the image URL. Then use this button:

 image.gifimage.gif

to paste in the URL instead of the usual gallery buttons. Or type BBcode img tags if you prefer.

Before doing that, make at least 3 blank lines and then go back up to the 2nd one, so that you can scroll back down below the inserted image and won't get in a muddle in the editor.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 12 Apr 2018 22:03

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Fraser

That Autumn 2016 trip up north had superb weather; think I've already posted a pic of Slioch on this thread. Generally I manage a couple of 3 week camping trips up north a year, using 4 or 5 sites; Invercoe is always one, and Sands out on the coast from Gairloch is another.

Yep it's interesting how much of Scotland drains into the North Sea!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Martin

I've been committed to Anquet for a long time, and I need stuff which I can load onto the PC permanently rather than download each time. Currently I use the old Version 6 for which I bought the GB maps some time ago, in one of their sales.

Anquet is now subscription based; I've recently bought their Premium Plus subscription, £32 per year with auto-renewal, which gives me all the latest 1:50K and 1:25K GB mapping plus 1:10K open map local, and can download it all onto any device. The software is included free. I've yet to get around to using it, but in time it'll all go on my PC and also onto my Macbook, which I take on Scottish trips. I have a strong preference for devices with good screens!

Nigel

posted: 12 Apr 2018 22:27

from:

FraserSmith
 
Dundee - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin

There always seems to be too much choice these days and something that has to be sacrificed to get something else. I have done flyovers but that may have been with an old version of Memory Map (there's another option) as I can't see any mention in Quo.

I have just had to reinstall all my apps as Win10 cocked up an upgrade. I don't recollect any problems in re-installing Quo. Yes it is a bit clunky but it's cheap and does the job I want it to do. I don't see any problem with map drawing in Quo. Zooming in and out with the mouse wheel the maps change instantly between the scales. I have no idea what can be causing your slow screen updates. I'm running on a 10 year old computer so definitely not fast by modern standards.

Fraser

posted: 13 Apr 2018 15:37

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
528_131038_380000000.jpg528_131038_380000000.jpgAn Ruadh Stac, in the superb area between glens Torridon and Carron, taken
22 years ago. Remote but with some excellent paths.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/701748

Last edited on 13 Apr 2018 15:39 by Nigel Brown
posted: 13 Apr 2018 22:25

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Fraser. Quo now working ok with a couple of local tiles. For some reason the 3D viewer is faster than the map viewer.

A couple more from 1969.

Towyn:

towyn_1969_1280x720.jpgtowyn_1969_1280x720.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5737269

Tal-y-llyn Lake:

talyllyn_lake_1969_1280x800.jpgtalyllyn_lake_1969_1280x800.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5737281

Martin.

posted: 15 Apr 2018 21:03

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Moreton-on-Lugg, Herefordshire, April, 1990.

1. scanned negative. Much fiddling about needed in handling negative, removing dust specks, improve contrast, etc:

2_151531_440000000.jpg2_151531_440000000.jpg


2. scanned from commercial postcard-sized print in 2 minutes flat, no adjustments:

2_151533_470000000.jpg2_151533_470000000.jpg

I'm not too sure what to make of that. The commercial print chopped off a chunk of signal box, but apart from that there is not much to choose between them.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5739214

This level crossing was the location of a fatal accident in 2010 when the signaller was distracted by a telephone call, see RAIB report:

 http://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/547c8ff3e5274a4290000191/R042011_110228_Moreton_on_Lugg_v2.pdf

Martin.

posted: 15 Apr 2018 21:24

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
That interesting bit around Hereford where at one time you could see clusters of buildings which never appeared on OS maps!

They couldn't have somehow swiped your pic, could they? Looks identical.

My memories of dodgy level crossings around there are of the Tram Inn one, to the south.

posted: 15 Apr 2018 21:57

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
That interesting bit around Hereford where at one time you could see clusters of buildings which never appeared on OS maps!

They couldn't have somehow swiped your pic, could they? Looks identical.
Hi Nigel,

Sorry, I meant that it was a postcard-sized print from my negative. The printing was commercial, not a commercial postcard. I have edited it now.

This illustrates why I spend so much time thinking about every single word when writing the Templot docs, and still I find folks can get the wrong end of the stick. :(

It was an MOD Ordnance Depot (it's now an industrial trading estate). You can just see the siding leading off to the left. See this later view from Ben Brooksbank: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3790361

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 15 Apr 2018 22:03

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

The printing machines did a lot of the work for you in terms of print exposure, contrast etc and many of them had a blower duct to keep the negs free of dust. There was often an undersize mask used for each print that chopped off one side to make sure any slight slippage in the feed mechanism didn't result in overlapping frames. They would have been printed from a complete 36 ( or 20/24 ) roll before they were cut into strips to fit in the little packet you collected them in. The bigger machines had many rolls of film spliced together with tape for developing and printing. You sometime see the tape on the end of some of the neg strips.

Colour neg film has a large exposure lattitude (certainly compared to slide/reversal stock ) which is how fixed shutter speed cameras with just a sunny and cloudy setting for the aperture ( the famed Olympus Trip for example ) could produce a whole roll of useable postcards.

Rob

P.S. Written before you clarified the stick :)
Last edited on 15 Apr 2018 22:04 by Rob Manchester
posted: 15 Apr 2018 22:24

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
p.s. Nigel,

Here is the 1972 25" map showing the MOD sidings:

2_151716_270000000.png2_151716_270000000.png

2_151716_270000001.png2_151716_270000001.png

It's a shame that the old-maps.co.uk maps have been scanned at such a poor quality, compared to the NLS maps, because they have a much wider coverage of maps at different dates than NLS.

The loop headshunt in the wood looks very modellable. But not nowadays: :(

 http://goo.gl/maps/BMXpFwoTZim

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 15 Apr 2018 22:42

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
The printing machines did a lot of the work for you
Hi Rob,

I imagine they have all gone for scrap now. I can't remember the last time one of those envelopes for sending off your films fell out of a magazine. :)

I'm thinking I will scan my black&white negs, but simply scan the prints instead for the colour pics. In any event I've seen the colour prints, my main interest is to see the black&white negs which I developed but never printed. I did very little colour printing, it was just too much hassle compared with taking the film to a photo shop.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 15 Apr 2018 23:54

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A couple of shots of the sorry-looking Healey Mills yard at Horbury, West Yorkshire. It closed finally in 2012. Somebody forgot to empty it completely as there are two TEA 100 ton bogie tankers up the other end.
2001_151847_550000000.jpg2001_151847_550000000.jpg

2001_151848_230000000.jpg2001_151848_230000000.jpg
The nearest line in the first shot is still in use by passenger trains. Even without trains the walk is good as the Calder and Hebble Navigation is nearby. I was on the way back from Scalefour North yesterday with my bags of goodies :)

Rob
P.S. I can confirm the Scalefour Society's FB rail is of the skinny head type having measured it.



posted: 15 Apr 2018 23:56

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
....and in case anybody has the wrong end of the stick I didn't walk all the way back from Wakefield.

:D


posted: 16 Apr 2018 00:03

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

Map? We don't all live in the Frozen North. :)

Martin.

posted: 16 Apr 2018 00:28

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Never really happy with my attempts to scan colour negatives. However, colour prints were fine. My finally acquiring a decent camera (Yashica Minister III rangefinder) around 1979 coincided with Kodak improving not only their print films but also the processing thereof. Much preferred prints to slides anyway so stuck mainly to them. The pic of An Ruadh Stac above was taken with a Nikon F601 with 35-70 zoom, and Kodak Gold 100.

Most of the time Kodak processing was great, right up until the processing went from analogue to digital. Never really the same. After Kodak pulled out of processing I failed to find a decent alternative, otherwise I'd still be using colour films. Still take the occasional B&W, as in this Borth shot (Yashica FX3, Zeiss 50mm f1.7, Ilford FP4):

528_151924_270000000.jpg528_151924_270000000.jpg
Attachment: attach_2665_3228_h30.jpg     693

posted: 16 Apr 2018 00:52

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Hi Rob,

Map? We don't all live in the Frozen North. :)

Martin.
Martin,

Healey Mills Yard -> Here

Thought everybody knew where it was :) and it was far from the frozen north yesterday - I had to take my coat off.

Rob


posted: 16 Apr 2018 02:25

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Back to digital - Bringsty Common, Herefordshire, 3rd July 2017.

Seats and a trig pillar:

bringsty_1200x750.jpgbringsty_1200x750.jpg

With a view:

malverns2_1200x900.jpgmalverns2_1200x900.jpg

Looking across Suckley to the Malvern Hills.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5739704

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5739708

Martin.

posted: 16 Apr 2018 02:54

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Healey Mills Yard -> Here

Thought everybody knew where it was :) and it was far from the frozen north yesterday - I had to take my coat off.
Obviously a modern construction because it doesn't appear on maps before the 1960s. Someone had fun with Templot: :)

2_152148_300000000.png2_152148_300000000.png

It was fine here too on Saturday. For one day only.

Martin.

posted: 16 Apr 2018 11:57

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Bringsty Common... Ah the Live and Let Live. In the 70s a few of us used to nip over there, camp for the night and sample the pub. Great spot!

posted: 16 Apr 2018 13:28

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Bringsty Common... Ah the Live and Let Live. In the 70s a few of us used to nip over there, camp for the night and sample the pub. Great spot!
Still there: http://liveandletlive-bringsty.co.uk.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/

As a boy in the 1950s we used to visit the nearby Bringsty Garage & Cafe which at that time was run by my Uncle Roland. That's still there too: http://goo.gl/maps/Mys54ZUr3Fs

I haven't been there for years, but it's known for its breakfast if you are spending a day walking on Bringsty and the Brockhampton Estate (NT):

brockhampton_fields_1280.jpgbrockhampton_fields_1280.jpg

Warren Farm, Brockhampton

Martin.

posted: 16 Apr 2018 22:44

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A few more:

astley_sky2_1920_rp.jpgastley_sky2_1920_rp.jpg


dovey_1920_rp.jpgdovey_1920_rp.jpg


padd_ole_1920_rp.jpgpadd_ole_1920_rp.jpg


brick_shed_1920_rp.jpgbrick_shed_1920_rp.jpg


Martin.



posted: 17 Apr 2018 00:22

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hiding in plain sight is Bewdley South's Down Distant:

bewdley_signal_1040x800.jpgbewdley_signal_1040x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 17 Apr 2018 22:55

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Back to August 1969.

Bridge Street, Llanfair Caereinion:

llanfair_caereinion_1969_800x760.jpgllanfair_caereinion_1969_800x760.jpg


llanfair_caereinion_shop_1969_800x672.jpgllanfair_caereinion_shop_1969_800x672.jpg


St. Mary's Church, Llanfair Caereinion:

llanfair_caereinion_church_1969_800x800.jpgllanfair_caereinion_church_1969_800x800.jpg

Ilford HP4 developed in Johnsons Unitol.

I've obtained an air blast gun which has helped with eliminating dust specks from the negs. :)

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5742473

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5743305
 
Martin.

posted: 22 Apr 2018 21:14

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Another use for bullhead rail. Upside down, done that a few times :) An ex-railway bridge that carried traffic from the Wigan and West Leigh Junction branches.

2001_221606_030000000.jpg2001_221606_030000000.jpg

Taken on a smartphone, Developed in my pocket on the way back to the car.

Rob



posted: 22 Apr 2018 21:45

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Taken on a smartphone, Developed in my pocket on the way back to the car.
Thanks Rob.

Just looked at the full-size version in the gallery:

 gallery/2001/original/2001_221606_030000000.jpg

Something went wrong with the developing because it seems to have areas of fuzzy low-res mixed in with areas of hi-res. :? Very odd.

Yes, you can find old bullhead rail everywhere. Also in this part of the world old bridge rail.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 22 Apr 2018 23:05

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Rob Manchester wrote:
Taken on a smartphone, Developed in my pocket on the way back to the car.
Thanks Rob.

Just looked at the full-size version in the gallery:

 gallery/2001/original/2001_221606_030000000.jpg

Something went wrong with the developing because it seems to have areas of fuzzy low-res mixed in with areas of hi-res. :? Very odd.

Yes, you can find old bullhead rail everywhere. Also in this part of the world old bridge rail.

cheers,

Martin.
Martin,

Must check the lens on the phone and clean off the fingerprints ( or maybe the heat from my leg caused the detail to bleach out in some areas ). It is one of those silly phones where the wake-up button is on the back not far from the lens and flash. A bit ironic because I left the decent phone in the car as it was only a short walk. If I go again I shall take a better shot.. :)

Rob


posted: 29 Apr 2018 00:48

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Took a better camera back to the (former) Lancashire coal area today and made sure not to get my grubby fingers on the lens :)

2001_281940_140000000.jpg2001_281940_140000000.jpg

Do you reckon the holes in the end of the rails are original ones for the fishplates ? Counting the bricks gives around 30 foot lengths.

This is the view from the nearby farm/foot bridge. There is no sign of the railway on the towpath side of the canal.

2001_281946_460000000.jpg2001_281946_460000000.jpg

It is great now we finally have some leaves on the trees after a slow start this year.

Rob


posted: 29 Apr 2018 20:58

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
The holes look correct for fishplates.

Phil

posted: 29 Apr 2018 22:47

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martyn, re your Glandyfi shot above, here's another :)
528_291747_000000000.jpg528_291747_000000000.jpg

Probably the same boat!
Nigel

posted: 29 Apr 2018 23:24

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Martyn, re your Glandyfi shot above, here's another :)

Probably the same boat!
Hi Nigel,

Almost certainly. You certainly know your Wales, I didn't give the location (although a right-click would have provided a good clue). :)

That's a great shot. Thanks for posting.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 30 Apr 2018 00:01

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martyn

I know the spot well. When they rebuilt and re-aligned the main road above the railway I was hoping they would leave a bit of the old road as a layby, because that spot has great potential for snaps and it was impossible before. They did! So if I'm heading north up the A487 and have a camera in the car and it's the right sort of day I often stop to see what sort of shot is available.

Here's a couple of Canada geese:
528_291854_390000000.jpg528_291854_390000000.jpg

and a distant shot of the Dyfi railway bridge:
528_291858_250000000.jpg528_291858_250000000.jpg
Last edited on 30 Apr 2018 00:02 by Nigel Brown
posted: 11 May 2018 03:05

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Took a better camera back to the (former) Lancashire coal area today and made sure not to get my grubby fingers on the lens :)

2001_281940_140000000.jpg2001_281940_140000000.jpg

Do you reckon the holes in the end of the rails are original ones for the fishplates ? Counting the bricks gives around 30 foot lengths.
Hi Rob,

That's a great pic for anyone wanting to colour old brickwork.

Yes, those a fish-bolt holes. Very often seen on old rails, and sometimes not so old -- frequently seen in one end of a check rail.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 11 May 2018 03:36

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
The view from Walsgrove Hill last evening.

The clock tower is a prominent landmark in this part of Worcestershire:

walsgrove_1280x720_rp.jpgwalsgrove_1280x720_rp.jpg

Abberley Clock Tower and Abberley Hall School.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5769397

Martin.

posted: 11 May 2018 23:58

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Hi Rob,

That's a great pic for anyone wanting to colour old brickwork.

Yes, those a fish-bolt holes. Very often seen on old rails, and sometimes not so old -- frequently seen in one end of a check rail.

cheers,

Martin.
Martin,
Yes I liked the colours in the bricks. The trick in reproducing old brickwork is not just getting the colours right but imparting some texture to mimic the spalled brick and missing mortar. I have some comercially available brick papers in 7mm scale that are beautifully done and look good when viewed from straight on but viewed at an angle they don't quite cut it. One day must work on that...

Rob


posted: 17 May 2018 21:53

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I've been wandering the Herefordshire/Shropshire border in the sunshine.

Traditional infrastructure survives at Woofferton:

wooferton_1280x720_rp.jpgwooferton_1280x720_rp.jpg


Hi-tech sheep:

wooferton_sheep_1280x720_rp.jpgwooferton_sheep_1280x720_rp.jpg

Actually not so hi tech -- the Woofferton radio transmitters date from the 1940s. It's the last shortwave transmitter station in the UK, transmitting BBC World Service to Eastern Europe, and also some local radio stations. At one time it was the main European transmitter for Voice Of America. If you ever listened to that, and knew the quiet rural location, it was amusing to hear the callsign "This is the Voice Of America, from Woofferton".

There is a very readable account of the history of the transmitter and working conditions here:

 http://www.bbceng.info/Operations/transmitter_ops/Reminiscences/Woofferton/woof50y-v2.pdf


Back to the chocolate boxes on Brimfield Common:

brimfield_1280x960.jpgbrimfield_1280x960.jpg

  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5777679

Martin.

posted: 17 May 2018 22:19

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Re the Woofferton railway shot. Map from 1903 is here and I am a little confused. Assuming the shot is taken from Station Road looking along where the platforms would have been where is the bridge in the distance that appears to have had it's span removed just leaving the abutments ?

It is a nice looking track plan, see here. Wood yard with travelling crane, a wagon turntable in the goods yard and a junction with the Tenbury line. Junctions are not easy to model in the spaces usually available to us.

Rob

P.S. Just looked at the modern OS map and there appears to be a bridge shown  where the abutments are. Google Maps shows it severed. It looks a bit grand to have been just an occupational crossing.
Last edited on 17 May 2018 22:21 by Rob Manchester
posted: 17 May 2018 23:15

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Re the Woofferton railway shot. Map from 1903 is here and I am a little confused. Assuming the shot is taken from Station Road looking along where the platforms would have been where is the bridge in the distance that appears to have had its span removed just leaving the abutments?
Hi Rob,

It was an occupation bridge, linking farmland:

2_171801_490000000.jpg2_171801_490000000.jpg

A great track plan. Unusually the branch bay platform was on the opposite side of the main line from the branch, so all branch trains had to cross over. In later years they used the main platform.

2_171801_490000001.png2_171801_490000001.png
© NLS

I don't know when the bridge was removed, but I will try to find out.

Here's a linked photo, bridge in the backgound:

image054.jpgimage054.jpg
linked from: http://www.robertdarlaston.co.uk/railways.htm

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 18 May 2018 00:24

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin.

A pic of a 'Flying Banana' too - lovely.

Rob


posted: 19 May 2018 12:41

from:

Andrew Howlett
 
Torquay - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,
My first job in the BBC when I joined in 1972, was to intercept (receive) the VOA SW stateside transmissions, select the best of 2 or 3 frequencies for each language stream using various reception techniques, apply any filtering to improve the signal, insert program announcements, etc before sending them down audio program lines to Woofferton for retransmission. For the special English and Russian programs some music programs were supplied on reel-to-reel tape which would be inserted into the program stream.

The "Woofferton" part of the station announcement was later changed to "facilities made available by the British Broadcasting Company".

We also did the same re-broadcasting for Radio Canada International.

Andrew.

posted: 19 May 2018 14:58

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Andrew.

Here's a view of the knitting in the sky at Woofferton:

sky_knitting2_1280x800.jpgsky_knitting2_1280x800.jpg

Over the years there have been local mutterings about strange foreign language interference with radio and tv reception, conspiracy theories about what is really going on there, dangers to health from mobile phones, etc. The latest is that it will cause the trains to crash -- which seems to have an origin here:

 http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11054498.BBC_radio_transmitter_disrupts_trains_between_Leominster_and_Ludlow/

Maybe it's no coincidence that the line hereabouts is still using GWR mechanical signalling? :)

Martin.

posted: 20 May 2018 23:20

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Summer seems to have arrived, so here is a reminder of Winter:

plowden_1280x860.jpgplowden_1280x860.jpg

Actually, it was only last month. :)

  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5781088

Martin.

posted: 24 May 2018 00:00

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Light conditions were a bit hazy today for distant views. I think I need a polarising filter, although how much difference it will make I'm not sure.

I always check the Met Office forecast for Visibility VG or E before setting off. Today was only G, but it was too nice to stay in. This was the best I managed:

wye_substation_1280x840.jpgwye_substation_1280x840.jpg

       Power to the people of the Wye Valley

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5784636


caer_einon_1280x800.jpgcaer_einon_1280x800.jpg

      Caer Einon

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5784643


Martin.

posted: 24 May 2018 00:47

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Some reading for you regarding filters here

Rob

posted: 25 May 2018 18:03

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob.

I do have a UV haze filter from film days, but I never found it to have much effect. I mainly regarded it as lens protection.

It's not surprising it doesn't do much, bearing in mind that the glass used in the lens will in any event absorb quite a lot of the UV. Although optical glass absorbs less than ordinary glass.

And I've read in several places that digital sensors include a UV filter anyway, so adding another one isn't going to make much difference. And it doesn't.

However I have now ordered a rotating polariser filter, which I have not tried before. In theory it is mainly for glare and reflections, rather than cutting through atmospheric haze, so it will be a case of try it and see. It is often quoted as an essential item for landscape photography.

The one essential item I do seem to be needing for landscape photography is a replacement set of legs. I'm still using the same ones I was using in the 1969 pictures I posted. :)

Martin.

posted: 25 May 2018 18:17

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
528_251314_350000000.jpg528_251314_350000000.jpg

From the road end in Hirgwm, north of the Mawddach estuary, looking towards Diffwys.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5782473

posted: 25 May 2018 18:41

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5782473
Thanks Nigel. The sky looks a bit threatening there.

I like your phone box picture lower down:

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5782443

Martin.

posted: 25 May 2018 18:45

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
The one essential item I do seem to be needing for landscape photography is a replacement set of legs. I'm still using the same ones I was using in the 1969 pictures I posted. :)

Martin.
Martin,

I assume you mean the ones you walk on and not the three legged thing you screw the camera onto :D

A lot of people just think a zoom lens eliminates the need for walking, but as you will appreciate there is more to a decent landscape shot than how close you are. A lot of landscape shots that are taken with the wide or tele end of a superzoom look kind of 'forced' but sticking to either a fixed lens around 35mm focal length ( relative to film camera and full frame digital ) or a mild zoom lens of say 28-85mm can be useful. Zoom lenses are a LOT better than they used to be.

I got two new cameras recently, I will post details for your perusal at some point.

Rob

posted: 25 May 2018 19:53

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
I assume you mean the ones you walk on and not the three legged thing you screw the camera onto :D
Yes. :)

I do have a tripod in the back of the car, but it's too heavy to go lugging it about the countryside on the off chance of needing it.

A lot of people just think a zoom lens eliminates the need for walking, but as you will appreciate there is more to a decent landscape shot than how close you are.
Using the fixed-lens X100F that's a decision I don't need to think about now. If I need to zoom in a bit I can do it later by cropping from the full frame. I'm very pleased with the resolution from the lens, and with 24 MPX to play with I can chop off quite a lot and still have plenty for an online image.

To zoom out I walk backwards. I've fallen over twice doing that, so I now need a periscope attachment too. :)

Martin.

posted: 26 May 2018 14:45

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Polariser arrived.

It certainly makes a startling difference when rotated in front of this monitor screen (flat-screen monitors emit polarised light).

Then the sun came out, so a chance to try it on the camera. Brilliant! Reflections from shiny surfaces much reduced, sky twice as blue, plants and foliage show more saturated colours.

But it is clearly confusing the autofocus. I shall have to use manual focus with it, which is no great difficulty with distant views - just set infinity.

If the sun stays out I will post some comparison pics later.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 26 May 2018 20:51

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Nigel Brown wrote:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5782473
Thanks Nigel. The sky looks a bit threatening there.

I like your phone box picture lower down:

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5782443

Martin.

I use Highlights/Shadows in Photoshop Elements quite a lot. Here I used it to brighten the darker bits (shadow lifting) and darken the brighter bits (gives the sky more character), then increase the midtones to bring back a bit more contrast. You can overdo it, but it is good for skies.

I bought a good polarizer for my Yashica FX3 and it had the effects you mentioned. However, after a bit wasn't sure I liked it, so stopped.

Nigel

posted: 10 Jun 2018 22:27

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Useful colour reference for modelling:

rusty_barn_1280x800.jpgrusty_barn_1280x800.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5803551

Martin.

posted: 10 Jun 2018 23:19

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin :thumb: :thumb:


posted: 15 Jun 2018 04:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Brockhampton (Herefordshire) last evening.

brockhampton_1280x720_rp.jpgbrockhampton_1280x720_rp.jpg

   http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5808545

Martin.

posted: 21 Jun 2018 03:52

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Clee Hill Quarry:

clee_hill_quarry_1280x720.jpgclee_hill_quarry_1280x720.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5814695

I see Geograph are now showing larger images. :)

Martin.

posted: 22 Jun 2018 12:15

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A couple from yesterday.

lyon_crossing_1280x800.jpglyon_crossing_1280x800.jpg

Lyon Crossing. An occupation crossing on the Central Wales line.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5815874


sibdon_fields_1280x600.jpgsibdon_fields_1280x600.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5815863

Martin.

posted: 23 Jun 2018 19:30

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rugby 1978.

rugby_1280_rp.jpgrugby_1280_rp.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5817142

Martin.

posted: 23 Jun 2018 19:41

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Seedgreen Farm 1968.

seedgreen_1280_rp.jpgseedgreen_1280_rp.jpg


Martin.

posted: 23 Jun 2018 19:51

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Presteigne.

presteigne_1280_rp.jpgpresteigne_1280_rp.jpg


Martin.

posted: 29 Jun 2018 23:00

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
The restored Droitwich Barge Canal in Vines Park, Droitwich this evening.

vines_park_canal_1280x720.jpgvines_park_canal_1280x720.jpg

This lock is unusual in that it originally had 4 pairs of gates, angled in opposite directions. The sockets for attaching another gate can still be seen in front of the ladder hoops.

The reason is that it links the Droitwich Barge Canal to the the River Salwarpe (behind the camera), which could at times be higher or lower than the level in the Barge Canal. The river is canalized for a short distance from here to the now-rebuilt Droitwich Junction Canal.

New weirs have been built to keep the river level no lower than the level in the Barge Canal, so that only the usual 2 pairs of gates are now needed.

Often the levels are equal, and the gates can be seen left open.

In addition, there is a swing-bridge across the middle of the lock (behind the camera), making it an unusual lock.

Martin.

posted: 29 Jun 2018 23:06

from:

d827kelly
 
Coventry - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Not done much not model railway/railway with the camera recently, however a recent picnic allowed me to capture this of our rescue Staffie/Greyhound Poppy. She actually stayed still enough for the photo!

2356_291805_370000000.jpg2356_291805_370000000.jpg

posted: 30 Jun 2018 08:20

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Not done much not model railway/railway with the camera recently, however a recent picnic allowed me to capture this of our rescue Staffie/Greyhound Poppy. She actually stayed still enough for the photo!

2356_291805_370000000.jpg2356_291805_370000000.jpg

Snap . :D

25_300318_180000000.jpg25_300318_180000000.jpg

My dog,  also a rescue and a Staffie/Whippet cross.  She's about eight in this picture and starting to go a bit grey.  She is now eleven and very grey.  :)

Jim.

posted: 30 Jun 2018 08:58

from:

d827kelly
 
Coventry - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Lovely Jim :)

Poppy, is 2 sometime this month. But being a rescue we don't know when, so we'll count the end of August as her birthday and celebrate her 'Gotcha' day. She's been a handful, is very energetic and bouncy, but has a lovely temperament, and is responding well to training now she has settled down in what is her 6th chance at a home, so has not really had much of a stable life upto now (hence some of the behaviour problems we've encountered).

posted: 4 Jul 2018 02:03

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A familiar scene for visitors to Arley on the SVR.

harbour_inn_1280x800.jpgharbour_inn_1280x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 7 Jul 2018 13:49

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I have thousands of images, but sometimes it takes the passing of a few years before realising which ones are worth a second look. This is Clun in 2007.

clun_1280x850.jpgclun_1280x850.jpg

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5832867

Martin.

posted: 7 Jul 2018 14:25

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Like it. Long time since I've been to Clun. The border towns are fascinating. Could be the subject of a short branch.

Here's a railway-related snap taken a couple of weeks ago:

528_070923_320000000.jpg528_070923_320000000.jpg

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5832161

The Lakelander was a service put on by West Coast Railways on the Oxenholme to Windermere line, after Northern trains had suspended their service because of timetable chaos.

Nigel

posted: 11 Jul 2018 08:34

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Like it. Long time since I've been to Clun. The border towns are fascinating. Could be the subject of a short branch.
Hi Nigel,

One of Iain Rice's layout plans is for a Light Railway to Clun from Broome on the Central Wales line, with a flavour of the Bishops Castle. It's an easy route along the River Clun, here's a site for Clunton station:

 http://goo.gl/maps/YKJvFVazEvL2

which would now be a distant memory.

Martin.






posted: 12 Jul 2018 03:58

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
We don't travel that much. A view from the kitchen window.

2983_112252_430000000.jpg2983_112252_430000000.jpg

posted: 19 Jul 2018 16:16

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Here's another couple of shots from my recent Scottish trip, both from the Torridon area in the north west.

Torridon pier, Loch Torridon, with Beinn Damh beyond
528_191114_140000000.jpg528_191114_140000000.jpg

Beinn Eighe from Incheril, Kinlochewe
528_191111_210000000.jpg528_191111_210000000.jpg

posted: 29 Jul 2018 01:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Cooler days:

radar_snow_1280x800.jpgradar_snow_1280x800.jpg

  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5857289

Martin.

posted: 29 Jul 2018 04:44

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Here's another couple of shots from my recent Scottish trip, both from the Torridon area in the north west.

Torridon pier, Loch Torridon, with Beinn Damh beyond
528_191114_140000000.jpg528_191114_140000000.jpg

Beinn Eighe from Incheril, Kinlochewe
528_191111_210000000.jpg528_191111_210000000.jpg
Hi Nigel,

Torridon is a magical place. We go there when we get a chance.

Our Cairn Terrier was rescued from a puppy mill. He's called Torri - short for Torridon. It seemed appropriate.

Andy

2983_282337_130000000.jpg2983_282337_130000000.jpg





posted: 6 Aug 2018 00:58

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
2001_052000_350000000.jpg2001_052000_350000000.jpgLlandudno north bay from the Great Orme. Lots of lovely scenery on walks round here. Coastline in the distance round to Rhyl and Prestatyn. Lots more sheep on the Orme now to keep the goats company. Plenty of snakes on the move this week so was careful not to stand on any .

2001_051948_320000000.jpg2001_051948_320000000.jpg
Platform trucks at Glyndyfrdwy on the Llangollen railway. Planty of variety.

2001_051952_260000000.jpg2001_051952_260000000.jpg
Llandudno station. A pale shadow of it's former self. Platforms 1 and 2 on the right, platform 3 on the left. Formerly there was also platforms 4 and 5 too. Cab road for the horse drawn carriages rapidly grassing over - despite the heatwave.

2001_051957_230000000.jpg2001_051957_230000000.jpg
Llandudno station track on platform 2. Comments welcome on the sleeper end clips and the signage...

Rob

Last edited on 6 Aug 2018 01:08 by Rob Manchester
posted: 11 Aug 2018 20:44

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks for the Llandudno pics Rob.

A damp evening here, so ideal for handling negs without dust.

These are in the Maenofferen Slate Quarry in August 1969:

maenofferen_1969_1280x800.jpgmaenofferen_1969_1280x800.jpg

maenofferen_1969_1280x720.jpgmaenofferen_1969_1280x720.jpg

At least I think they are, my notes just say Slate, Ffestiniog, 8/69. I remember climbing the incline out of Blaenau Ffestiniog in the rain, and fish & chips when I got back. :)

Lots more like this, but all much the same. I will post a few more. Ilford FP4 + Acutol.

I'm not entirely sure I should go on posting this stuff on a "Templot" forum, there being no obvious relevance. I thought there would be lots of similar web forums for posting such "fresh air" photos, but I haven't been able to find one I would want to post on. There are dozens of photography forums, but they are all immersed in advertising, and the usual endless arguments about Canon v. Nikon and who's got the biggest lens. Plus a lot of arty-farty photos which do nothing for me.

I do have an unused licence for a XenForo forum+gallery and there is masses of spare capacity on the server. I'm wondering whether to set up a separate forum similar to this topic, but open to everyone, rather than limited to Templot users? I can't believe the world needs another photography forum, but if I can't find one I like...

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 11 Aug 2018 21:49

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A few more in sunshine. The rain seems to have stopped:

maenofferen1_1969_1280x720.jpgmaenofferen1_1969_1280x720.jpg

maenofferen_1969_1200x800.jpgmaenofferen_1969_1200x800.jpg

maenofferen_wagons_1969_1280x800.jpgmaenofferen_wagons_1969_1280x800.jpg

maenofferen_wagons_1969_1280x720.jpgmaenofferen_wagons_1969_1280x720.jpg

That's a great shot. This is the first time I have seen it, 50 years after taking it. :)

Where are they now I wonder? I hope they are ok.

Martin.

posted: 11 Aug 2018 22:50

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Here they are again:

maenofferen_drum_1969_1140x760.jpgmaenofferen_drum_1969_1140x760.jpg

What a great playground they had - summer school holidays 1969, in the sunshine. :)

Martin.

posted: 11 Aug 2018 23:10

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

If these are the quality of pics we can expect just keep posting them on here. Wonderful.

I can't see the need for a forum just for pics as there are ( as you say ) plenty of them if people desire. Surely it is just a bit of light relief from spiking track or building crossing vees :)

Pity one of the young boys wasn't me, I would have loved playing around there. My strict dad would have told me to come down before I fell down :(

Rob ( 24 million pixels and a huge lens :D )




posted: 11 Aug 2018 23:53

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
If these are the quality of pics we can expect just keep posting them on here. Wonderful.
Thanks Rob.

I don't really know what to expect. I knew I had some pics taken in the slate quarries, and I remember printing a few of them. But I have no recollection of taking those.

My dad would also have told me to get down. But it's not likely he would have been there -- I roamed free in the school holidays in the 1950s, just like those boys. But not in such a fantastic location. :(

Back to another lost world. Neat ballast without a weed in sight. I think these are near Talerddig on the Cambrian main line, in the early 1970s. If I can pin down the locations I will put them on Geograph. Anyone?

GWR through-bolted chairs:

no_weeds_1120x800.jpgno_weeds_1120x800.jpg

edit: from the hedge pattern on the distant hillside, I think this was taken from the A470 about 1/2 mile north of Carno, see:  http://goo.gl/maps/xPHb5Hvngi52


no_weeds_700x840.jpgno_weeds_700x840.jpg

Looking west from the bridge over Talerddig cutting.

http://goo.gl/maps/aMVYCeGJzZm

Martin.

posted: 12 Aug 2018 00:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Drainage work in Talerddig cutting. But where is everyone?

talerddig_work_620x840.jpgtalerddig_work_620x840.jpg

Martin.

posted: 12 Aug 2018 00:28

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Talerddig Cutting

Rob


posted: 12 Aug 2018 01:04

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks for the link Rob.

A grey day for a grey scene at Dolgellau:

dolgellau_greys_1200x750.jpgdolgellau_greys_1200x750.jpg

Those who had worked there must have been in tears to see that. :(

Martin.

posted: 12 Aug 2018 09:26

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Great photo's, please keep them coming, as it provides some detail from a bygone age, which can be handy for modelling purposes, even when not specifically railway related. colour would have been nice, but in those far off days colour was rare.

Thanks

Phil

posted: 12 Aug 2018 14:09

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Phil.

Back to the slate. Same date, in the dressing sheds:

slate_sheds1_1280x800.jpgslate_sheds1_1280x800.jpg

slate_sheds2_1280x800.jpgslate_sheds2_1280x800.jpg

slate_sheds3_1280x800.jpgslate_sheds3_1280x800.jpg

I do remember taking those, although I can't be sure in which quarry. The shed looks to be in an excellent state of repair, out of keeping with the surroundings. It probably still stands. Anyone?

I was in there with the permission of the last two remaining quarry workers. They were very pleased to have someone taking an interest, and showed me how to split slate. I'm sure I took a photo of them, but I can't find the neg at present.

This is an odd loose neg, no information of where or when, but probably the same as the others:

slate_sheds4_1280x800.jpgslate_sheds4_1280x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 12 Aug 2018 14:29

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin

Think they're fine. Keep 'em coming. I'll add more of my own from time to time. By the way, re other sites, I'm sure Geograph is an excellent place to put them, a visual record of places exactly as they were/are is what the site is about.

Here's a couple of my Talerrdig shots, to complement yours, taken in 2008. Looking on Geograph, it's interesting as to how much the trees and bushes have grown, compared with John Lucas's shots taken in 2001.
528_120927_250000000.jpg528_120927_250000000.jpg

528_120928_280000000.jpg528_120928_280000000.jpg


posted: 12 Aug 2018 16:48

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Nigel. Your Talerddig pics are looking especially verdant. I will get round to putting some more of mine on Geograph, where I have good OS refs and dates. Why are they so fussy about having the camera in the same grid square? Why does it matter where the camera is, if the object is to record the subject of the photo?

This is Minsterley in Shropshire in the 1970s. The Minsterley branch closed to passengers in 1951 and goods in 1967. No doubt someone can date the photos more precisely from the vehicles:

minsterley_station_1280x720.jpgminsterley_station_1280x720.jpg

Clearly I should have used my new polarising filter. :)

The water tank remained at that date:

minsterley_tank_740x800.jpgminsterley_tank_740x800.jpg

Minsterley was obviously a wealthy village, supporting two banks, conveniently side-by-side:

minsterley_banks_1280x720.jpgminsterley_banks_1280x720.jpg

Nowadays there doesn't seem to be so many interesting things to see when wandering about. This is the same location today:

 http://goo.gl/maps/YbWWSVoBB9B2

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 12 Aug 2018 17:17

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
"No doubt someone can date the photos more precisely from the vehicles:"

Martin,

Not really. There appears to be 2 or maybe even 3 ( the right hand vehicle in the first shot ) Austin/Morris 1100/1300's on view. These were in production until 1971 so would still have been seen through the 1970's, rust permitting, they were replaced by the Austin Allegro :( The Vauxhall on the left appears to be an E reg ( 1967 - when the system changed from a new plate suffix being issued in January to being issued in August ) complete with it's add-on rear demist panel from the days when heated rear screens were still not standard. The Morris Minor doesn't help either.

It seems to be winter though judging by the tree branches.

Rob


posted: 12 Aug 2018 18:15

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Thanks Nigel. Your Talerddig pics are looking especially verdant. I will get round to putting some more of mine on Geograph, where I have good OS refs and dates. Why are they so fussy about having the camera in the same grid square? Why does it matter where the camera is, if the object is to record the subject of the photo?
Hi Martin

With Geograph, the camera position doesn't have to be in the same square, but it does if you're interested in accumulating Geograph "points". The reason being that it was thought to be a good idea to encourage people to actually visit the square in question. It had been found that some individuals were finding high vantage points and then bagging all the squares in view by using a telephoto lens, which not only produced pics of limited value, but then discouraged others from bothering to visit the same square.

Most of the squares in Britain not yet covered are in remote bits of the Highlands, and the challenge of actually getting to the squares is part of the enjoyment :)

Nigel

posted: 12 Aug 2018 18:46

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob. You obviously know about cars. :)

I suspect the photos are 1969..1972, like most of the others. The reason is that I was abroad a lot in 1973, and in 1974 I started 85A Models, which left little time for wandering about with a camera, and the subsequent darkroom work. When I did have time in the 1980s I swapped to an SLR. I can see from the neg margins that these photos were taken on the previous Konica rangefinder camera which I acquired in 1969.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 12 Aug 2018 21:27

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Another from the Ffestiniog area. Anyone locate it? Rob will be able to date it from the vehicle. :)

ffestiniog_vista_1280x720.jpgffestiniog_vista_1280x720.jpg

I have a lot like this, but when you have seen one you have seen them all. Monochrome suits some subjects, but not this.

On the other hand, it's fine for this:

burlish_transmit_540x852.jpgburlish_transmit_540x852.jpg

The Kidderminster TV relay transmitter in 1968. Then newly constructed for the 625-line UHF TV transmissions which began in 1964 with the launch of BBC2. It doesn't look like that now. It is now festooned with mobile phone aerials and microwave dishes, and has gained a second mast. The little brick hut has gained several others, and is now surrounded by a high security fence. It now transmits the BBCA, BBCB, and D3+4 muxes. Plus local radio. For some modern pictures, see:

 http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/kidderminster.php

Martin.

posted: 12 Aug 2018 23:17

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Another from the Ffestiniog area. Anyone locate it? Rob will be able to date it from the vehicle. :)

Martin.
Martin,

Some chance :? Blowing the image up a bit still makes it hard. Could be a Hillman Minx maybe ? They were quite popular in a two tone colour scheme. In which case I would go with the Konica rangefinder era. Have you tried a higher resolution scan of the area where the car is parked ?

Rob


posted: 12 Aug 2018 23:32

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

You weren't supposed to take that seriously. :)  I do have a higher-res scan, I will post it shortly.

This is Bishops Castle, 1971:

bishops_castle_market_1971_1280x720.jpgbishops_castle_market_1971_1280x720.jpg

The cattle market.


bishops_castle_1971_796x796.jpgbishops_castle_1971_796x796.jpg

High Street.


I know it is 1971 because on the same neg strip:

onibury_1971_1280x720.jpgonibury_1971_1280x720.jpg

Onibury level crossing. D-Day was February 15th 1971.

Shame about the dirt on the film in these. I can't see anything physical on the negs, so it must have been dust in the camera, or in the processing. :(

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 12 Aug 2018 23:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

Scanned at 4800 dpi:

car_close.jpgcar_close.jpg

Martin.

posted: 13 Aug 2018 01:15

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Hi Rob,

Scanned at 4800 dpi:

car_close.jpgcar_close.jpg

Martin.
Obviously a foreshortened Sunbeam Rapier :)

The air doesn't get a lot fresher than this. Port Orford, Oregon, a couple of weeks ago. By the look of things the beach is having a busy day.

2983_122009_590000000.jpg2983_122009_590000000.jpg



posted: 13 Aug 2018 04:11

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andy, that beach looks a quiet spot for a nap in the sunshine. :)  What's happening over on the right?

This is Oswestry in 1970. Passenger services had ceased in 1966, and by this date there wasn't much goods traffic left either. Mainly just the house coal, as is evident in the picture. The station closed completely in 1971.

I didn't take much colour in the Konica -- these are scanned from the negs:

oswestry2_1280x800.jpgoswestry2_1280x800.jpg

oswestry1_1280x720.jpgoswestry1_1280x720.jpg

oswestry3_1280x720.jpgoswestry3_1280x720.jpg

Martin.

posted: 13 Aug 2018 13:13

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
First time I've seen a pic of the GW station at Oswestry. And first time I've seen a terminus with a triangular platform. Didn't realise it was so close to the Cambrian station.
Nigel

posted: 13 Aug 2018 17:12

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Classic scenes and weather on the Settle & Carlisle, in the dark days when its future was uncertain:

dent_1973_1280x720.jpgdent_1973_1280x720.jpg

garsdale_1973_900x748.jpggarsdale_1973_900x748.jpg

For these I have an exact date -- 28th September 1973.

Happier recent scene at Dent: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5344713

Martin.

posted: 13 Aug 2018 21:30

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Andy, that beach looks a quiet spot for a nap in the sunshine. :)  What's happening over on the right?

Hi Martin,

An active little fishing port.

2983_131620_470000000.jpg2983_131620_470000000.jpg

No trains this far South but we did see a lot of the Coos Bay Rail Link, including some incredibly dodgy track around the harbor. No pix I'm afraid. I was towing a big travel-trailer (caravan) on the way down and we didn't have time on the way back.

Cheers,
Andy

posted: 14 Aug 2018 11:19

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
More hi-tech sheep:

wye_power_1280x800.jpgwye_power_1280x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 15 Aug 2018 03:18

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
This was the view from the window of my 85A Models workshop in Worcester, January 1977. The contractors had elegant fireside seating in their dining room. :)

windshields_demolition_1977_1280x720.jpgwindshields_demolition_1977_1280x720.jpg

In earlier days this building had been the Worcester Tram Depot, see:

 http://www.cfow.org.uk/picture.php?/4254/category/62

and subsequently a metal fabrication works, see:

 http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/File:Im1958v206-p512dc.jpg

It is now the car park for a Co-op supermarket.

This is at Grosmont on the NYMR sometime in the 1970s. But I have no recollection of being there, or why or when. Something's happening, obviously:

nymr_1280x800.jpgnymr_1280x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 16 Aug 2018 03:28

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:

This is at Grosmont on the NYMR sometime in the 1970s. But I have no recollection of being there, or why or when. Something's happening, obviously:

nymr_1280x800.jpgnymr_1280x800.jpg

Martin.

Whatever it was Patrick Moore seems to be enjoying it.

posted: 18 Aug 2018 21:10

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Chirk Aqueduct and Viaduct. May 1989.

chirk3_1989_1280x720.jpgchirk3_1989_1280x720.jpg

chirk2_1989_1280x720.jpgchirk2_1989_1280x720.jpg

Scanned from colour negs (Agfa XRG 100). I'm really quite disappointed with the quality of these and many others I've been scanning. They were taken using a Canon SLR which I thought at the time was quite a good camera. Perhaps the negs were poorly processed, or have deteriorated over time. But I suspect the truth is that they were never much better than this, and I have been spoilt by digital and my latest X100F camera. Looking through a lot of my 1980s and 90s photos I'm wishing now that I had stayed with the Konica rangefinder, after seeing some of its shots for the first time.

chirk1_1989_960x740.jpgchirk1_1989_960x740.jpg

Plain rail spiked to the sleepers for the guard rails on the viaduct.

Martin.

posted: 18 Aug 2018 22:34

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
These are better (Fuji 200 film). Lichfield, May 1990.

lichfield2_1990_1280x720.jpglichfield2_1990_1280x720.jpg

lichfield1_1990_1280x800.jpglichfield1_1990_1280x800.jpg

The bridge chairs show up more obviously when there is a long row of them.

Martin.

posted: 21 Aug 2018 23:53

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Walking in Burford, South Shropshire, this evening.


burford1_1280x640.jpgburford1_1280x640.jpg


A colour reference for modelling:

burford2_1280x768.jpgburford2_1280x768.jpg


burford3_1280x720.jpgburford3_1280x720.jpg


burford4_1280x800.jpgburford4_1280x800.jpg

Tenbury Wells Goods Yard:

burford5_1280x720.jpgburford5_1280x720.jpg

(food flavourings)

Martin.

posted: 26 Aug 2018 00:06

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Walking the Teme Valley around Little Hereford this evening.

Levels in the River Teme are very low this year after the dry summer:

little_hereford1_1280x800.jpglittle_hereford1_1280x800.jpg


Sometimes those signs are irresistible:

little_hereford3_1280x720.jpglittle_hereford3_1280x720.jpg


57 years after the Tenbury Railway (GW & LNWR Jt) closed on 31 July 1961, and probably 70 years or more since they were laid, two sleepers remain in situ on the level crossing in the lane to Little Hereford church:

little_hereford4_648x800.jpglittle_hereford4_648x800.jpg

8ft-6in x 10in as expected, at 31.5in centres. I imagine the tree was a bit smaller then. :)

Martin.

posted: 26 Aug 2018 06:49

from:

DaveJ61
 
Northampton - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,
It looks wonderful around there. The tree probably was a sapling then or maybe even sprouted after the dismantling.
I love the way that the public footpath sign points into what looks like an impassable clump of trees.
Dave

posted: 26 Aug 2018 11:57

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
DaveJ61 wrote:
It looks wonderful around there. The tree probably was a sapling then or maybe even sprouted after the dismantling.
Thanks Dave.

I take dozens of pics, but mostly purely as a record. This is the view 90 degrees to the right. I have only just noticed the old post bottom left, which is probably from the level crossing gate:

little_hereford5_960x720.jpglittle_hereford5_960x720.jpg

And another 90 degrees shows the course of the old line in the opposite direction. There are similar pictures all over the country -- it was such a great shame that the old lines weren't automatically preserved as public rights of way, especially as they were in public ownership at the time:

little_hereford6_960x640.jpglittle_hereford6_960x640.jpg

The station house and platform at Easton Court remains in private use:

little_hereford9_960x436.jpglittle_hereford9_960x436.jpg

For an original view, see:

 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Easton-Court-Railway-Station-Photo-Woofferton-Tenbury-Wells-GWR-L-amp-NWR-2-/262719258420

easton_court_map_1080x764.pngeaston_court_map_1080x764.png


Is this the original stairway to heaven?

little_hereford8_960x500.jpglittle_hereford8_960x500.jpg

little_hereford7_960x800.jpglittle_hereford7_960x800.jpg

I spent a long time looking at it, and was none the wiser.

Do we have a religious correspondent? St Mary Magdalene Church, Little Hereford.

I love the way that the public footpath sign points into what looks like an impassable clump of trees.
Easton Court Lodge, just across the road from the station. It was a bit overgrown in there, but the path soon emerged into a meadow, leading along the fence line to Easton Court.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 26 Aug 2018 17:00

from:

John Lewis
 
Croydon - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Stairway to Heaven

Could they have been some (horse) mounting steps, built long before the metal fence?

John

posted: 26 Aug 2018 18:38

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Lewis wrote:
Stairway to Heaven

Could they have been some (horse) mounting steps, built long before the metal fence?
Hi John,

I think you have nailed it. :)

It seemed to me that the railing defeated any possible use. But maybe for getting on and off a horse it doesn't? And is needed to prevent sheep getting in the churchyard.

But you presumably need an assistant to hold your horse, because you end up on the opposite sides of the fence? In which case who holds the assistant's horse?

Martin.

posted: 26 Aug 2018 18:56

from:

DaveJ61
 
Northampton - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I agree that the steps were used for mounting a horse but I think the fence looks newer and was most likely not there at the time of their use. Maybe?
Last edited on 26 Aug 2018 18:57 by DaveJ61
posted: 26 Aug 2018 19:10

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Perhaps the previous installation had a small gate at the top of the steps? Something would have been needed to keep animals out of the churchyard.

And that when the fence was renewed, investigations revealed that no member of the congregation had actually arrived on horseback for 50 years? :)

Martin.

posted: 26 Aug 2018 19:13

from:

DaveJ61
 
Northampton - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Sounds as good a reason as any, Martin.

Dave

posted: 26 Aug 2018 22:16

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
It seemed to me that the railing defeated any possible use. But maybe for getting on and off a horse it doesn't? And is needed to prevent sheep getting in the churchyard.

But you presumably need an assistant to hold your horse, because you end up on the opposite sides of the fence? In which case who holds the assistant's horse?
Martin,

To use this kind of horse mount,  the horse stands parallel to the long dimension of the step.  A rider would lead the horse to the steps and mount them leading the horse alongside.  Then the rider would mount the horse.   If the rider had a groom then the horse would be held alongside the steps while the rider walked up the steps and mounted the horse.  By tradition, a horse is always mounted on its left,  so the horse would normally be on the small gate side of the mounting steps facing towards the camera.

Jim.

posted: 26 Aug 2018 22:38

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Jim Guthrie wrote:
If the rider had a groom then the horse would be held alongside the steps while the rider walked up the steps and mounted the horse. By tradition, a horse is always mounted on its left,  so the horse would normally be on the small gate side of the mounting steps facing towards the camera.
Thanks Jim,

However, that isn't a small gate, there are no hinges or latch -- although I didn't specifically examine it:

2_261736_130000000.jpg2_261736_130000000.jpg

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 27 Aug 2018 02:31

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Looks like they didn't want to demolish the old horse steps for whatever reason (listed building?) when they installed the fence so, they fitted the fence around the old steps.

posted: 27 Aug 2018 07:13

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
Looks like they didn't want to demolish the old horse steps for whatever reason (listed building?) when they installed the fence so, they fitted the fence around the old steps.
Hi Andy,

I agree, but in that case why not move the fence forward by six inches and avoid the problem? Is the exact line of a churchyard fence important to the nearest inch? Consecrated ground?

It seems that we have correctly identified its purpose:

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5408931

but I still think we are missing something. :?

Here's a picture of the previous wooden fence, unfortunately we can't see if there if there is a smaller gate to the left:

 http://www.glosgen.co.uk/images/littleh.jpg

Martin.

posted: 27 Aug 2018 08:34

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
Looks like they didn't want to demolish the old horse steps for whatever reason (listed building?) when they installed the fence so, they fitted the fence around the old steps.
Hi Andy,

I agree, but in that case why not move the fence forward by six inches and avoid the problem? Is the exact line of a churchyard fence important to the nearest inch? Consecrated ground?


Martin,

It would have to be moved a lot more than six inches to make it useable for horse mounting - more like six feet.  :D   And even at six feet the fence would probably be too close to the horse since our equine friends have a tendency to spook at anything close to them that they don't like. :D

I bet you way back in time there was some altercation about fencing the church grounds where someone would not allow the horse mounting steps to be moved to build the gates,  so they just built the fence and gates over them and rendered them useless.   I bet there was a court case that went on for years. :D

Jim.
Last edited on 27 Aug 2018 08:35 by Jim Guthrie
posted: 27 Aug 2018 09:00

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Jim Guthrie wrote:
It would have to be moved a lot more than six inches to make it useable for horse mounting - more like six feet.  :D
Hi Jim,

Yes, but given that it's not usable now, moving it six inches doesn't change anything. Apart from making the fence look sensible -- and depriving us of a fascinating discussion. :)

Am I alone, as they say in the letters columns, in thinking the old gates looked far preferable to the modern railings with knobs on?

 http://www.glosgen.co.uk/images/littleh.jpg

Martin.

posted: 27 Aug 2018 10:11

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

My niece lives in Tenbury Wells which is a few miles away. I'll see if she knows anything about the gate and horse mount.

Jim.

posted: 27 Aug 2018 13:30

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
What's the wording on the right hand post in the older pic?

The gates in the metal fence look to me as though they open both ways, so it would be possible to get a horse fairly close to the steps. Might not be advisable though.

Philip Halling who took the Geograph pic might know something.

Nigel
Last edited on 27 Aug 2018 13:31 by Nigel Brown
posted: 27 Aug 2018 14:06

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
What's the wording on the right hand post in the older pic?

The gates in the metal fence look to me as though they open both ways, so it would be possible to get a horse fairly close to the steps. Might not be advisable though.

Philip Halling who took the Geograph pic might know something.
Hi Nigel,

I think you may have cracked it. With the gates opened outwards, the horse facing the church. The gates may even lift off their hinges to keep the horse happy. I shall have to go back and examine them in detail. :)

The older pic is care of Google, it's not mine. So I have no idea of the wording.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 27 Aug 2018 16:18

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Nigel Brown wrote:
What's the wording on the right hand post in the older pic?

The gates in the metal fence look to me as though they open both ways, so it would be possible to get a horse fairly close to the steps. Might not be advisable though.

Philip Halling who took the Geograph pic might know something.
Hi Nigel,

I think you may have cracked it. With the gates opened outwards, the horse facing the church. The gates may even lift off their hinges to keep the horse happy. I shall have to go back and examine them in detail. :)

The older pic is care of Google, it's not mine. So I have no idea of the wording.

Martin,

It would be a bit more difficult to get the horse alongside the mounting block when facing the church.  A lot of horses don't reverse easily and you would probably have to lead it up to the block on its right then halt it and get round its front and up the steps to mount it.   Possible with a quiet horse,  but problematic with some other horses. :D   Then,  when you are up there,  the fence reduces the room available on the block and you have to (if you'll forgive the phrase) get your leg over the horse and I think the gate post might just be in the wrong position to allow that with any ease.    I'm not saying it's impossible,  but it certainly won't be easy.

I'll show the picture to my grand-daughter, who is a very experienced rider, for her observations.

Jim.

PS  It's a nice change from discussing 00 gauge standards. :D

posted: 27 Aug 2018 17:09

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Jim Guthrie wrote:
PS  It's a nice change from discussing 00 gauge standards. :D
Hi Jim,

I agree, especially for those of us who haven't the faintest idea what we are talking about. I didn't even twig its purpose when it was in front of my nose.

My best guess was that the local builder, having obtained the contract to build Easton Court Station in 1861, and not having built a railway platform before, practised building a short one 2ft long in the safety of the local churchyard. :)

The interesting question is how many times has it actually been used in the last 10 years?

p.s. The station (and the line) opened on 1st August 1861 and closed on 31st July 1961, exactly 100 years to the day later.

Martin.

posted: 27 Aug 2018 17:27

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

I've just had a response from my grand-daughter and her main concern is the safety aspect next to a spiked fence. Horses can often rear and if that happened they might come back down on the fence, and the riders might get unseated and fall on the fence as well. In suspect the small balls on the tops of the spikes are for decoration only and wouldn't prevent serious injury.

She does state that it is a pukka horse mounting block albeit a station practice piece. :D

I doubt if it has been used since the previous wooden fence was built.

I have yet to hear from my niece on its possible history, but I'm hoping that there might be a juicy legal battle to rival Jarndyce and Jarndyce. :-)

Jim.

posted: 28 Aug 2018 00:05

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
:D:D

posted: 30 Aug 2018 15:22

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Summer on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal:

canal_1280x800.jpgcanal_1280x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 30 Aug 2018 18:52

from:

DaveJ61
 
Northampton - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
This is another of my favourite modes of transport. Time to relax and take things at a slower pace. Great photo Martin.

Dave
Last edited on 30 Aug 2018 18:53 by DaveJ61
posted: 30 Aug 2018 22:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Dave.

This evening's walk around Hartlebury. First signs of autumn colours, although it seems very early in the year for them.

After the recent horsey discussion, I liked this:

hartlebury2_1280x720.jpghartlebury2_1280x720.jpg

It breaks the composition rules, the horses should be facing into the picture, not out of it. But the sunshine was very fleeting, so I had no choice.

I liked this too:

hartlebury1_1280x800.jpghartlebury1_1280x800.jpg

But I'm not sure if anyone else will. Often when I show my pictures to others the response is "what did you take that for?" :)

Fortunately the car driver had the sense to park in almost exactly the right position, and facing outwards. 6ft further to the left of the picture would have been even better, but you can't have everything. I sometimes try photoshopping such things, but it rarely works convincingly. Any more cars would have spoilt the whole thing. 

Martin.

posted: 31 Aug 2018 10:31

from:

Andrew Ockwell
 
Chichester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Sunrise 13 years ago yesterday!

1508_310530_340000000.jpg1508_310530_340000000.jpg

posted: 31 Aug 2018 16:59

from:

DaveJ61
 
Northampton - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
That is a great photo. I love the way that you have caught the horses in the mist with the foliage giving a sense of depth and perspective.

Dave

posted: 5 Sep 2018 20:25

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote: 

footpath_1280x960.jpgfootpath_1280x960.jpg

A lower viewpoint would have been better. I have far too many photos taken from 5ft-6in  above the ground.

A lower viewpoint today, and I'm happy to confirm that the snow has now melted:

footpath_1280x800.jpgfootpath_1280x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 8 Sep 2018 14:24

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
There are thousands of pictures showing this view of Worcester Cathedral, taken from that side of the bridge.

But not so many looking across the bridge to include the city coat of arms on the parapet. Yesterday I found out why. With 4 lanes of traffic and a constant stream of pedestrians between me and this shot, I was standing there for a good 10 minutes before I could get this: 

worcs_bridge_cath_1600x700.jpgworcs_bridge_cath_1600x700.jpg

Here is the Google view: http://goo.gl/maps/pZFAv3FesSo

Martin.

posted: 8 Sep 2018 22:10

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:

maenofferen_drum_1969_1140x760.jpgmaenofferen_drum_1969_1140x760.jpg

What a great playground they had - summer school holidays 1969, in the sunshine. :)

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b088q1ml/iolos-great-welsh-parks-series-3-3-padarn-country-park


posted: 12 Sep 2018 12:35

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Evening sunshine yesterday:

astley_1280x640.jpgastley_1280x640.jpg

Martin.

posted: 12 Sep 2018 13:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
OK, I give up:

49611.jpg49611.jpg

Linked from http://radioparadise.com

Martin.

posted: 12 Sep 2018 22:16

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A couple from today's walk:


bromyard2_1120x800.jpgbromyard2_1120x800.jpg


bromyard1_1280x800.jpgbromyard1_1280x800.jpg


Martin.


posted: 12 Sep 2018 22:37

from:

John Durbetaki
 
Gaston - Oregon USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Just curious Martin - that last photo of the gate - it does not seem to have a purpose and the gate looks in pretty good condition.

posted: 12 Sep 2018 22:42

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Durbetaki wrote:
Just curious Martin - that last photo of the gate - it does not seem to have a purpose and the gate looks in pretty good condition.
John,
Gates are often put in first and the fence ( or wall ) is then built up to it. The gate appears to be new, it hasn't got all it's hardware in place yet.

Rob

Last edited on 12 Sep 2018 22:45 by Rob Manchester
posted: 12 Sep 2018 23:35

from:

Matt M.
 
Australia

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
HI Martin,

I'll bite. What are you giving up on?

Matt M.

posted: 13 Sep 2018 01:28

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Durbetaki wrote:
Just curious Martin - that last photo of the gate - it does not seem to have a purpose and the gate looks in pretty good condition.
Hi John,

Those mysterious gates are quite common along public rights of way on access land. When livestock is on the land, electric fence wires are attached to them. You can see the next post in the picture.

No marks for whoever made those gate posts -- they should have an angled top. With flat tops, rainwater will lie on them, enter the end-grain of the wood, and they will rot.


Rob Manchester wrote:
The gate appears to be new, it hasn't got all it's hardware in place yet.
It's been there for a few years now Rob, along with several others on the site. The gate latch has gone missing -- either needed elsewhere, or maybe stolen. The gate was swinging open when I arrived. Judging by the long grass around it, it hasn't been used recently.


Matt M. wrote:
I'll bite. What are you giving up on?
Taking pictures -- when I saw that one come up on the Radio Paradise slide show. I'm not going to match that, am I? :(

Mike (the RP picture editor) now has over 50,000 pictures in his database including about 200 of mine. He accepts about 50% of the ones I submit. Some of mine do come up quite often on the slide show -- I noticed this one was on tonight:

knighton_1280_rp.jpgknighton_1280_rp.jpg

It's pleasing to see your pictures being shown to the world. To submit your own, go to:

 http://www.radioparadise.com/image_upload.php

RP is a non-profit radio channel, with no irritating advertising between the music. They rely entirely on listener donations. Here's the music/slideshow link:

 http://www.radioparadise.com/rp_2s.php

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 14 Sep 2018 12:53

from:

Matt M.
 
Australia

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin,

I'll have a look and listen.

There are less salubrious parts of Slovenia that can be photographed.
I don't think Lake Bled is a fair example of the average.

Matt M.

posted: 14 Sep 2018 19:37

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
We took our trailer (caravan) to Canada this week. View from the campsite about 20 miles North of Lake Louise. It was a bit chilly too :)

2983_141437_140000000.jpg2983_141437_140000000.jpg
Last edited on 14 Sep 2018 19:38 by Andrew Barrowman
posted: 15 Sep 2018 01:21

from:

madscientist
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
OK, I give up:

49611.jpg49611.jpg

Linked from http://radioparadise.com

Martin.
is that real or photoshopped 

posted: 15 Sep 2018 04:41

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
madscientist wrote:
is that real or photoshopped
Real I think. Looks like Lake Bled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Bled

posted: 15 Sep 2018 06:25

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I cheated a bit. This is the view in wide-angle. I was playing with the zoom on our Nikon B700.

2983_150124_240000000.jpg2983_150124_240000000.jpg


posted: 16 Sep 2018 15:16

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Chirk, 1997:

chirk_aqueduct_1997_1160x800.jpgchirk_aqueduct_1997_1160x800.jpg


posted: 16 Sep 2018 15:17

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Stands the church clock at ten to three?
And is there honey still for tea?

hampton_loade_1064x800.jpghampton_loade_1064x800.jpg



posted: 16 Sep 2018 15:29

from:

Charles Orr
 
Leicester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Honey's off dear

posted: 16 Sep 2018 16:23

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Charles Orr wrote:
Honey's off dear
I wonder how many on this forum are old enough to know where that came from. :D

Jim.

posted: 16 Sep 2018 16:52

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Jim Guthrie wrote:
Charles Orr wrote:
Honey's off dear
I wonder how many on this forum are old enough to know where that came from. :D
Watch to the end:



:)

Martin.

posted: 16 Sep 2018 17:27

from:

Charles Orr
 
Leicester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
This is the version I remembered.
I certainly owned this vinyl LP.




posted: 16 Sep 2018 18:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Worcester Cathedral again:

worcs_cath_796x536.jpgworcs_cath_796x536.jpg


Bewdley, SVR:

bewdley_1032x800.jpgbewdley_1032x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 17 Sep 2018 09:25

from:

DaveJ61
 
Northampton - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
The sort of thing I used to get up to, all year round. No mobile phones or playstations in those days.
No health and safety either. :-)

Martin Wynne wrote:
Martin Wynne wrote:



What a great playground they had - summer school holidays 1969, in the sunshine. :)
maenofferen_drum_1969_1140x760.jpgmaenofferen_drum_1969_1140x760.jpg

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b088q1ml/iolos-great-welsh-parks-series-3-3-padarn-country-park


Last edited on 17 Sep 2018 09:27 by DaveJ61
posted: 17 Sep 2018 11:15

from:

madscientist
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
interesting , GWR signals , I always thought they favoured having the balance weighs down the main pole but clearly not here

posted: 18 Sep 2018 03:28

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Given up on the Companion for tonight. Found these:


menai_1200x800.jpgmenai_1200x800.jpg




harbour_1200x700.jpgharbour_1200x700.jpg




beales_corner_1280x720.jpgbeales_corner_1280x720.jpg


Martin.

posted: 18 Sep 2018 12:53

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Excellent pics. Were these film or digital?

Nigel

posted: 18 Sep 2018 13:47

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Excellent pics. Were these film or digital?
Thanks Nigel.

Menai Bridge 2004 and Bewdley 2015 are digital.

The harbour picture (Cemaes 2001) is film.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 24 Sep 2018 01:05

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
This is on the approach to Galena Summit (8,700 feet) last week. Fortunately the weather was great but it can turn really nasty up there PDQ, at any time of year. That's the Sawtooth mountain range to the West.

2983_232004_140000000.jpg2983_232004_140000000.jpg

posted: 24 Sep 2018 01:37

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Jim Guthrie wrote:
Charles Orr wrote:
Honey's off dear
I wonder how many on this forum are old enough to know where that came from. :D
Watch to the end:

:)

Martin.
Balham University of Mathematics - always at the bottom of the academic ratings :roll: but at least the park is nearly half an acre.....

Good to see Robbie Coltrane gets around a bit in the film.

Thanks for posting that, not seen it for years.

Rob


posted: 27 Sep 2018 21:37

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Walking around Abberley yesterday.

Green lane with boat:

netherton_boat_1200x840.jpgnetherton_boat_1200x840.jpg


netherton_stile_1200x800.jpgnetherton_stile_1200x800.jpg


shavers_end_1540x640.jpgshavers_end_1540x640.jpg


(Abberley was always the first entry in the AA Book -- for those who can remember an AA Book. :))

Martin.

posted: 27 Sep 2018 21:59

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,
I can remember the AA patrolmen saluting you as you drove past an the black and yellow AA boxes. In the ealier days of motoring you often had to rely on a patrolcar spotting a broken down car and stopping to assist. They used a lot of motorbikes for patrol duties as they were cheaper to buy/maintain and could navigate through traffic easier. I read somewhere that they got 90% of breakdowns going again at the roadside - no engine management faults as such like back then:)

Rob

posted: 6 Oct 2018 01:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A couple more in the colour reference for modelling category.

brick_shed_corr_1280x720.jpgbrick_shed_corr_1280x720.jpg

And full-size from the camera:

brick_shed_corr_full_size_1280x1076.jpgbrick_shed_corr_full_size_1280x1076.jpg


ruin_bricks_1092x800.jpgruin_bricks_1092x800.jpg

There's something strange about the resampling in that one. It looks ok at full-size:

ruin_bricks_full_size_1160x796.jpgruin_bricks_full_size_1160x796.jpg

(X100F 1/340th at f/5.6  ISO 200)

Martin.

posted: 6 Oct 2018 20:30

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Up at Cornbrook this afternoon I had my woolly hat with me, but I didn't think I would need my gloves. I was wrong.

cornbrook_corner_1280x720.jpgcornbrook_corner_1280x720.jpg


60 years ago at school I was forced to play this game against my will, and hated it. From the amount of noise they were making, this lot in Tenbury Wells today seemed to be enjoying themselves:

tenbury_rugby_1280x800.jpgtenbury_rugby_1280x800.jpg

With a bit of Googling I could tell you who was playing whom, and who won. Over to you. :)

Martin.

posted: 6 Oct 2018 21:05

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,
Tenbury against Stourport, The home XV is in black. The website isn't updated with the result, must still be in the pub:) You wouldn't have needed the gloves if you had been playing today :D

Rob

posted: 6 Oct 2018 23:18

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Tenbury against Stourport, The home XV is in black. The website isn't updated with the result, must still be in the pub :) You wouldn't have needed the gloves if you had been playing today :D
Thanks Rob. I will give them a ring on Monday and offer my services. :)

It's 12 months now since I acquired the X100F and I'm really pleased with it. It took me a while to grow into it -- at first I wondered what I had let myself in for and whether the difference in my photos would ever justify the cost and complexity of the X100F. Now I don't really care about that, I just enjoy using the camera so much. It has rekindled my interest in photography back to the days of using the Konica rangefinder in the 70s. I don't know now why I ever got a heavy SLR with all the extra stuff in a cumbersome bag.

I thought perhaps I should update the lens cap deliberations, for any other X100F users out there. :)

I found that a Lidl jam pot lid clipped over a collapsed 49mm rubber lens hood wasn't always as secure as it might be. A couple of times it has got knocked off while I have been clambering over a stile, exposing the lens to risk of damage and more seriously falling in the mud. A muddy lens cap is not a good thing to put on a lens, so I have been carrying spare lids. Also its size does rather get in the way if you want to slip the camera into a jacket pocket:

2_061710_500000003.jpg2_061710_500000003.jpg

Observant readers will note that I changed from Marmalade to Blackcurrant Jam. :)

However, I recently found that with the replacement 49mm filter/hood ring and a 49-55mm adaptor ring in place, the lens barrel is extended sufficiently to shield the lens from flare in most situations. Which is great news, because my old Konica 55mm lens cap is a nice snug fit over the 55mm adaptor ring, and the camera fits in my pocket easily:

2_061710_500000002.jpg2_061710_500000002.jpg

It's very pleasing to be still using and have with me a bit of the old Konica when I'm out and about. Every time I put it on the lens the 40+ year gap falls away and I'm back in the hills with the Konica. How daft is that? :)

But there is more. I don't want to be fiddling with adaptor rings in the middle of a field, so I now needed a 55mm lens hood instead of the 49mm one. Cue several 55mm lens hoods from Konica and Canon days. One of which is a rubber hood which had a bad split between the collapsible part and the outer ring. So I removed the outer ring entirely and found that it still collapses just fine. What's more, a lid from Haywards Piccalilli is then a perfect push fit over it, and clips on much more firmly than the Lidl lids. It's also smaller:

2_061710_500000000.jpg2_061710_500000000.jpg

2_061710_500000001.jpg2_061710_500000001.jpg

I can use both these caps easily wearing gloves, which is not the case with the fiddly clip-in type of lens caps.

p.s. the 49mm filter/hood ring fits the camera either way round. If you never* intend to use the clip-on lens hood, it's a good idea to reverse the ring. It is then much easier to grip 49mm filters or the 49-55mm adaptor when you need to remove them.

Also, with the filter/hood ring reversed, the original X100F metal/felt lens cap fits over it very nicely (much better than onto the focus control ring as intended as supplied -- which is where I came in).

*The clip-on lens hood doesn't allow a fit-over lens cap, the only option is to fiddle about inside it with a clip-in type of lens cap. Which for me makes it pretty useless for outdoor conditions, even without gloves.

(Another disadvantage with the usual fiddly clip-in lens caps is that they engage the filter thread. If the cap has got a bit grubby with handling or in your pocket, you are potentially injecting dirt into the fine thread every time you use it.)

Should I be posting this stuff on a serious photography forum somewhere? :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 6 Oct 2018 23:47

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Should I be posting this stuff on a serious photography forum somewhere? :)

cheers,

Martin.
Martin,
You may find it hard to pick a suitable forum to post it on. People seem more interested in lens resolution and sensor pixel counts than the practical aspects you work so well at :)

I still have my original X100 from when they first came out and it still works as well as it did back then. More often than not I walk with the Nikon DSLR because I really like using the old classic manual focus lenses. Usually I take one on the camera and one in a pocket or waist pouch, a 35 and 105mm or 28mm and 85mm work well as pairs. I also like the old 35-105 manual focus zoom that came out in the early 80's and with that I can put sweets in the pouch and not have to worry about getting dust on the sensor changing lenses. Bear in mind the focal lengths are as per film days on a full frame digital body, this was a big step forward when the D700/D3 became the first bodies with a 36x24mm sensor.

Just purchased a Nikon 18-35mm (modern ! ) lens that looks very promising although not been out with it yet. Raise the camera to your eye with the lens set at 35mm and then zoom out and the view is amazing. It takes 77mm filters ( ouch ) although my pro filter system can cope with this size and I have graduated ND filters that are good for landscapes.

Do you check the sizes of jam and pickle lids when you do the shopping ? Round where I live the security would be carting you away if you started taking a ruler or calipers out of your pocket.......

Rob

P.S. Surprised you saw the rugby match.....according to the Tenbury RUFC site the kick off was 03:00 :roll: - still no result details.


posted: 7 Oct 2018 17:24

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

Tenbury 66  Stourport 3.

I did think the local spectators seemed to be in a good mood. :)

Yes, I found it difficult to find a photography forum which I liked. There must be one somewhere. I do have an unused licence for a forum+gallery, so I suppose I could start one (if I had nothing else to do on my computer  :) ).

I would also have liked manual focusing to mean exactly that, rather than motor driven. An optical coupled rangefinder would have been the icing on the cake. There is a digital rangefinder on the electronic viewfinder, but it doesn't compare with the yellow split image on the old Konica, and it's not available in the brilliant optical viewfinder (which I use most of the time). On the other hand, the auto focusing is so good, I don't have much need for manual focusing.

Moving from the grocers to the ironmongers, here's another handy X100F accessory. This gadget started life as one of these:

 70100373-K-S-SS-Hand-Loop-Weeder-3.jpg70100373-K-S-SS-Hand-Loop-Weeder-3.jpg

 http://kentandstowe.com/Our-Products/Weeding/Stainless-Steel-Hand-Loop-Weeder

However as I intend no harm to any weed, I quickly disarmed it and put it to a better use. If any weed does turn nasty, I could quickly reassemble it. :)

Any bit of wood dowel or broom handle off-cut would do just as well, of course.

The international screw thread standard for camera tripod sockets is 1/4" Whitworth, which was invented by Sir Joseph Whitworth in 1841. Fuji's toolmakers must scratch their heads.

What that means is that it's easy to make handy attachments for any camera:

2_071111_170000002.jpg2_071111_170000002.jpg

The combined wood screw+1/4W studs are handy things to use (mostly found in furniture fittings) -- if your local ironmonger is long gone, try ebay. Actually this Ash wood handle is so dense it could probably be tapped 1/4W for ordinary studding. The 1/4" penny washers ("repair washers" for canvas, etc.) and 1/4W wing nuts are easy to find in most DIY places.

2_071111_170000001.jpg2_071111_170000001.jpg

2_071111_170000000.jpg2_071111_170000000.jpg

(Take care when screwing into the camera socket not to force it too far. Back off half a turn, and use a wing nut to clamp it tight.)

Now with a solid handle on it, I can hold the X100F firm with one hand, leaving the other hand free to access and operate all the controls and menus.

But more than that, I can lift the camera high to see over a hedge, or through a fence, or hold it down low to avoid having to lie flat on the ground for ground-level shots. It doesn't seem to mind being upside down. A longer broom handle would allow even more inaccessible shots of course, but it wouldn't fit in my rucksack.

When using the handle at arm's length, the X100F has a great remote control app (free) for mobile phones and tablets -- you can see the image on the phone, change the camera settings if needed, and take the shot. This is much more versatile than an articulated rear screen (the X100F has a fixed screen).

I was prompted to make this by having far too many shots taken from 5ft-6in above the ground.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 7 Oct 2018 18:23

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

I take it Stourport aren't in good form then, either that or Tenbury are good stuff.

I love your inventive streak with the grip stick. Many camera makers used to make add-on grips to ease handling, often for medium format models such as Mamiya and Hasselblad that were a bit of a handful when taken out of their natural tripod habitat. Using the camera upside down makes a lot of sense even without a grip - no messy nose grease on the screen and you gain a few extra inches of height. The optical finder on the Fuji models is a delight and the main feature that made me buy one all those years ago. If you want a proper spli-image focussing aid you will just have to save up for a Leica - M8 for a smaller cropped sensor or the M9/M10/M240 for a full frame view. Once you have the body you can then start saving up again for some lenses :D

Have you seen the gorilla pod mini tripod/supports ? Handy to secure the camera to a tree branch or whatever. Used with a self timer you could even get yourself in the shot leaning on the gate with your Barbour jacket and pipe :roll:

Rob


posted: 7 Oct 2018 19:20

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

I do have a couple of mini-tripods, a collection of ball & socket joints, and a spare tripod head:

2_071401_460000000.jpg2_071401_460000000.jpg

But I don't have anything which could be clipped to a signpost or gate. I was thinking to make another wooden holder with grooves to allow it to be cable-tied to such places.

The Gorilla pod looks ingenious, I will think about that instead.

I will also think about a Leica as a backup for the X100F. :)

But I do need to leave space in my rucksack for my sandwiches, flask of soup, water, GPS, binoculars, string, tape measure, notebook, torch, emergency whistle, and Elastoplast. :)

Martin.

posted: 7 Oct 2018 21:23

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

As for the rucksack inventory I would add in some insect/bee/wasp sting cream or spray and some anti-histamine tablets. You may never need them but you will be glad you packed them if you do. A spare £20 note tucked away can be useful for the day you forget your wallet - learnt that one the hard way some years ago :?

I saw a chap with one of these recently and may get one. You can reverse the hood on dull days to save space ( or for storage ).

Rob


posted: 8 Oct 2018 02:27

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I've mentioned before that looking back through old photos often turns up something worth a second look. This was 15th December 2001.


mamble_1280x720.jpgmamble_1280x720.jpg


Martin.


posted: 9 Oct 2018 03:58

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

What can you tell me about the Fuji Instax credit-card-size printer?

Is it possible to write on the back of the prints, or are they on some kind of plastic film?

Sometimes it would be handy when out and about to make notes on the back of an instant print.

Also sometimes when taking pics I have offered to send someone a copy of a picture, which means making a note of name and address or email address or whatever (and remembering about it when I get back). Giving them an instant print would be a good way to say thanks even if it is only the size of a credit card.

I know the prints are expensive, but I wouldn't be using it very often. Does the print film have a use-by date?

cheers,

Martin. 

posted: 9 Oct 2018 11:56

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

I haven't used ( or even seen one in the flesh ) but mobile printers are quite popular I understand. The main issue with the Fuji seems to be the cost-per-print based on buying the paper packs. Many of the others seem quite a bit cheaper - guess it depends how many shots you are going to print. Then again if it is only a few the capital expenditure cost per print is going to be high. I think I saw that the paper does have a use-by-date like Polaroid packs used to have.

This HP one seems popular - here

A summary of some options - here

Some of them have paper with a peel off back and some you can write on them but not sure if the Fuji is one of those. You can always have a pack of those little sticky labels to pop on the back and write on.

Not sure if the Fuji one would be an advantage as you use one of their cameras. As it has Wifi it shouldn't be any different than the other brands for connection.

Rob


posted: 10 Oct 2018 22:20

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
It was a fine day today, but I didn't feel up to a long walk two days in a row, so I took myself down the road to Witley Court instead, for the first time in several years.

60 years ago the ruins were a playground for us local boys. The house had burnt down in 1937 and been left to rot. 20 years later the house was utterly derelict, the gardens were completely overgrown, the fountains smashed, and a couple of strands of barbed wire weren't going to keep us out. I do remember "Do Not Throw Stones At This Notice". :) The former kitchens were a maze of damp basements and stairways, where the smell of burning still hung in the air even after so many years.

Nowadays the place has been utterly transformed by English Heritage, and has become one of the leading visitor attractions in Worcestershire. Those damp basements are all fenced off, and replaced with neat information boards.

There are thousands of photos out there, so there didn't seem to be any reason for me to take yet more. But when you have a camera with you...


witley_court3_1280x640.jpgwitley_court3_1280x640.jpg


witley_court2_1280x760.jpgwitley_court2_1280x760.jpg


I like this one -- I can still see the barbed wire and my bike in the hedge: :)

witley_court1_1280x928.jpgwitley_court1_1280x928.jpg


Martin. 

posted: 11 Oct 2018 16:50

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
A summary of some options - here

Some of them have paper with a peel off back and some you can write on them but not sure if the Fuji is one of those. You can always have a pack of those little sticky labels to pop on the back and write on.

Not sure if the Fuji one would be an advantage as you use one of their cameras. As it has Wifi it shouldn't be any different than the other brands for connection.
Hi Rob,

Thanks. It's difficult to compare so many different sizes and technologies. Some are clearly portable (inkjets) rather than pocketable printers. The latter seem to be mostly monochrome on thermal paper, whereas the Fuji Instax uses the old colour polaroid photochemical process.

I know the Instax will connect because the X100F has a "Send to Instax" option in the menus. Other makes might involve transferring pics to my mobile phone first, which would be far too much hassle.

As usual, the published info never includes what I need to know. For example does the Instax have some slots or clips which would allow me to fix it to the side of my rucksack, or to the strap? Can it eject a print when so fixed? If not, no doubt I could find some safe way to self-tap into it to make a fixing.

It's an expensive toy, and I'm still in two minds about it. I'm trying to ignore all those reviews along the lines of "this is one of those gadgets you didn't know you would ever want -- until you've got one, after which you will never go out without it". :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 11 Oct 2018 18:58

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

You could get some wide velco hook and loop material, such as THIS . Stick one part to the printer and sew the other half to the rucksack.

Or maybe epoxy a pair of metal loop brackets to the printer and use a cord on the rucksack threaded through them. I was thinking the kind of brackets used in shops with the scurity alarm fed through them.

Rob


posted: 11 Oct 2018 19:28

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:

2_071111_170000001.jpg2_071111_170000001.jpg

(Take care when screwing into the camera socket not to force it too far. Back off half a turn, and use a wing nut to clamp it tight.)

Now with a solid handle on it, I can hold the X100F firm with one hand, leaving the other hand free to access and operate all the controls and menus.

But more than that, I can lift the camera high to see over a hedge, or through a fence, or hold it down low to avoid having to lie flat on the ground for ground-level shots. It doesn't seem to mind being upside down.
A warning.

I have found that the tripod socket on my X100F is not tapped exactly square to the camera baseplate. Others may be the same.

It's only a thou or two out, but it means that when clamping a penny washer tight against it with a stud and wing nut, the camera base is being flexed slightly.

Despite looking like a pressing, the base is in fact an alloy casting. Which looks more stylish, but is far less durable than a pressing would have been.

Looking closely, I can already see some stress cracking around the socket:

2_111336_180000002.jpg2_111336_180000002.jpg

Which is disappointing, and means I'm going to be a bit nervous when using any tripod fixings in future. Cracks in castings can only get worse with repeated stress. Unlike a pressing, a section of the casting could break away entirely, possibly taking the socket with it. :(

In future I shall take the precaution of using a rubber washer under any clamps, and tether the camera to the holder with a short cord, just in case the worst happens.

Fortunately the base casting is only a cover, rather than part of the camera chassis, so if the worst does happen I can remove it and probably make a repair:

KFwQbRscusJu2kWS.mediumKFwQbRscusJu2kWS.medium
photo Creative Commons BY-NC-SA © Christian Johansen

See: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Fujifilm+X100T+Disassembly/55681

It's worrying because there are several attachments which use the tripod socket, such as belt straps which use a socket plate fixing, which even come with an allen key for tightening.



Talking of such things, this bit of Chinese plastic has arrived from eBay for a fiver:

2_111336_180000001.jpg2_111336_180000001.jpg

As a pistol grip it's distinctly flimsy compared to my home-made handle. On the other hand it's very lightweight and fits in my pocket when I'm out without my rucksack.

Also, the handle section folds out to make a simple non-adjustable mini-tripod:

2_111336_180000000.jpg2_111336_180000000.jpg

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 11 Oct 2018 19:29

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rugby - can't stand the game! Forget the "character forming". In North Wales played soccer, a game for those with skill and a bit of intelligence. Moved to Stroud and the school was fanatical about rugby. It's as much the attitude as the game itself I can't stand. Nearly broke my neck when a scrum collapsed. A group of us rebelled and were allowed to do gym instead. Ugh!

Strange Fuji lens caps being so useless. The one on my X-E2S was.

Used to use a nice Yashica rangefinder, but moved to SLRs simply because for landscapes I appreciated the flexibility of a zoom lens. A Nikon F601 wasn't too heavy and did me for many years, before I went digital.

posted: 12 Oct 2018 01:06

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

I glue a piece of thin cork sheet on the base-plate of tripods if they don't already have a rubber insert. The cork provides a nice amount of friction without torquing the screw too much, and it protects the camera base.

Andy

posted: 14 Oct 2018 14:36

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
10 minutes of wonderful high-quality drone footage over the Peak District:

 http://www.facebook.com/richard.bowring/videos/10214796602563409/

If you have decent broadband set to full-screen and HD 1080p or 1440p.

Thanks to RMweb for the link.

Martin.

posted: 14 Oct 2018 22:00

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Thanks for posting the video link, very nice footage. My favorite is Magpie Mine, probably the best preserved lead mine in the UK. A small narrow gauge layout would suit it just fine :D. It is on my NOD* list.......

* = Nice one day !

Rob


posted: 16 Oct 2018 05:15

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A touch of Fall. There are quite a lot of hard-wood trees in the undergrowth.

2983_160009_130000000.jpg2983_160009_130000000.jpg

posted: 19 Oct 2018 22:52

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Walking on Brimfield Hill this afternoon, after a misty morning.


brimfield_hill1_1280x848.jpgbrimfield_hill1_1280x848.jpg


brimfield_hill2_1280x720.jpgbrimfield_hill2_1280x720.jpg


brimfield_hill3_1280x820.jpgbrimfield_hill3_1280x820.jpg


Martin.

posted: 19 Oct 2018 23:00

from:

Trevor Walling
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hello,
       If those trees in the second picture had eyes what things they would have seen over the years.
Regards.
:)

posted: 19 Oct 2018 23:49

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Trevor Walling wrote:
If those trees in the second picture had eyes what things they would have seen over the years.
Hi Trevor,

What are you on tonight? Can I have some?

What do you know has happened under those trees which I don't? :)

It's pleasing that the farmer has left a proper field-edge path -- as he is legally required to do where there is a public right of way (minimum 1.5 metres uncultivated and unobstructed). Which was not the case in the previous field where I had no choice but to walk on the crops.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 20 Oct 2018 14:07

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Recently returned from a trip to Scotland, based on Glencoe. Very wet and windy weather, with just the one fine period. Fled south when the forecast turned to serious storms. Here are a few snaps.

The fine spell: The River Shira above Victoria Bridge, near Bridge of Orchy
528_200902_470000000.jpg528_200902_470000000.jpg

Tulloch Station in the rain
528_200904_150000000.jpg528_200904_150000000.jpg

A tree in a gale, Loch Arkaig
528_200905_120000000.jpg528_200905_120000000.jpg
Last edited on 20 Oct 2018 14:09 by Nigel Brown
posted: 21 Oct 2018 20:52

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Walking around Deblin's Green this afternoon. Unfortunately the sun didn't last long:

deblins_green_1280x720.jpgdeblins_green_1280x720.jpg

Martin.

posted: 22 Oct 2018 06:12

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Recently returned from a trip to Scotland, based on Glencoe. Very wet and windy weather, with just the one fine period. Fled south when the forecast turned to serious storms. Here are a few snaps.

The fine spell: The River Shira above Victoria Bridge, near Bridge of Orchy
528_200902_470000000.jpg528_200902_470000000.jpg

Tulloch Station in the rain
528_200904_150000000.jpg528_200904_150000000.jpg

A tree in a gale, Loch Arkaig
528_200905_120000000.jpg528_200905_120000000.jpg
Looks like good camping weather. You can't beat a nice bit of Scotch mist.

posted: 22 Oct 2018 06:22

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I thought I better capture some of the foliage before it all falls off. The streets in our local town are mostly lined with trees. This one is particularly impressive. Sorry about the flaring.

2983_220115_090000000.jpg2983_220115_090000000.jpg

Nikon Coolpix P600

posted: 22 Oct 2018 18:53

from:

Trevor Walling
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
Nigel Brown wrote:
Recently returned from a trip to Scotland, based on Glencoe. Very wet and windy weather, with just the one fine period. Fled south when the forecast turned to serious storms. Here are a few snaps.

The fine spell: The River Shira above Victoria Bridge, near Bridge of Orchy
528_200902_470000000.jpg528_200902_470000000.jpg
A tree in a gale, Loch Arkaig
528_200905_120000000.jpg528_200905_120000000.jpg
Looks like good camping weather. You can't beat a nice bit of Scotch mist.
Hello,
        At least with gales the mosquito's go away :)

posted: 22 Oct 2018 19:55

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
No midges! Except hints of them when dusk was falling, if it wasn't actually raining. No midges on my trip at the end of June either; the heat wave had killed them all off. But loads of horseflies/cleggs, made walking a misery.

posted: 22 Oct 2018 22:03

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A rare excursion east of the Severn today -- I walked up to Kemerton Camp hillfort on Bredon Hill. It's many years since I was last up there.

bredon_hill4_1280x800.jpgbredon_hill4_1280x800.jpg

More info: http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=5111


bredon_hill3_1280x800.jpgbredon_hill3_1280x800.jpg


bredon_hill1_1200x836.jpgbredon_hill1_1200x836.jpg


bredon_hill2_1280x640.jpgbredon_hill2_1280x640.jpg

A stand of pines on high ground is thought to be a way marker for the old drove roads. Although I can't imagine anyone driving animals over the top of Bredon Hill when it's just as easy to go round it. :)  

Martin.

posted: 23 Oct 2018 03:19

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
What a superb drystane dyke Martin. I'd like to take a shot at building one myself. We have lots of rock here but it's a bit too "new". Nothing but basalt cobbles and boulders.

posted: 23 Oct 2018 14:36

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Andy. A few more from yesterday.

This is known locally as the "Elephant Stone" although in order to see it as an elephant it is necessary to first visit the local pub.

elephant_stone2_1280x720_rp.jpgelephant_stone2_1280x720_rp.jpg


elephant_stone1_1280x800.jpgelephant_stone1_1280x800.jpg


parsons_folly_1280x720_rp.jpgparsons_folly_1280x720_rp.jpg


The tower is known as Parsons Folly, built on the ramparts of the hillfort by the local squire John Parsons in the 18th century. As towers go it is not very high. Its main purpose was to get the height of Bredon Hill to the 1000ft mark. At which point he stopped building.

It is now leased to Vodafone and covered in mobile phone aerials.

Martin.

posted: 27 Oct 2018 04:09

from:

Andrew Duncan
 
Reigate - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hello Martin, Nigel and Andy
You’ve taken some really terrific photos here, very atmospheric and in the case of the English countryside and the Scottish wilds very nostalgic for me.
Thank you
Andrew

posted: 6 Nov 2018 02:19

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Duncan wrote:
Hello Martin, Nigel and Andy
You’ve taken some really terrific photos here, very atmospheric and in the case of the English countryside and the Scottish wilds very nostalgic for me.
Thank you
Andrew
Thanks Andrew.

It's been suggested to me that I should create a web presence of some sort for my photos.

So I've been playing with the AV software which is popular in the camera clubs to create a video slideshow from about 100 of my pics. This is my first stab at this sort of thing -- almost certainly I have overdone the effects:

 http://85a.uk/photos/

It's a video, so you can click it to stop/start it, drag the slider, etc. If it doesn't fit your screen, try pressing F11 in your browser.

The black & white images are from the late 1960s and 1970s.

I need to find some better music if I'm going to do any more of this. Also re-work my originals down to 1920x1080 instead of the assorted 1280 wide versions there -- a mish-mash of sizes doesn't work too well in a slideshow.

cheers,

Martin.


posted: 6 Nov 2018 14:02

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin

Some lovely photos, there. Any idea what the wheel was for on the lock scene?

Phil

posted: 6 Nov 2018 14:14

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Phil O wrote:
Martin

Some lovely photos, there. Any idea what the wheel was for on the lock scene?
Hi Phil

Thanks.

It's the Buck patent horizontal paddle, used (as far as I know) only on the Montgomery Canal:

2_060912_410000000.png2_060912_410000000.png

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 6 Nov 2018 17:46

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin,

Never seen that before.

Phil

posted: 6 Nov 2018 19:12

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

The style of music is fine, reminds me of this which I may have posted before. Some lovely shots in there. My favorite is the open shock wagon and signal box. Nice to see the Buxton shot with the Reliant Scimitar and the classic Saab. Think you posted it before but remind me where the one after Buxton was shot. Wooden spoon goes to the roundabout pic.

Personally I think the fade from picture to picture would be better if it was the same each time. Not knowing which way the next is going to appear is distracting to me.

Rob



posted: 6 Nov 2018 22:19

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob.

The one after the Buxton pic is at Clee Hill Top in 1969. It was posted before, with map, at:

 topic 3228 - message 24406

Here is another Buxton pic, I can't remember if I ever posted it:

buxton_station_27_9_1973_1280x600.jpgbuxton_station_27_9_1973_1280x600.jpg

I agree about too many different transition effects. I was trying different ones to see which I prefer.

That video was just a quick try-out of the AV software. Next time I will be more selective in the photos, add some captions, keep the transitions simple, and find some better music (royalty-free).

What size screen are you viewing it on? At what dpi? it's a battle of wits with the page script to keep it displayed dot-for-dot on all desktop screens, while still shrinking on mobiles.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 6 Nov 2018 22:46

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Phil,

A couple more shots of the Buck gear at Belan locks (28th June 2015).

With dinky-toy tractor on bridge:

2_061742_450000001.jpg2_061742_450000001.jpg

2_061742_450000000.jpg2_061742_450000000.jpg

cheers,

Martin.




posted: 6 Nov 2018 23:29

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thanks for the extra Buxton pic, don't remember it. Two Hillman Minx's and a Hillman Hunteron the front row, you could have waited for a Rapier to replace the Mini :)

Yes, I do rember the Clee Hill pic, sorry. I remember marvelling at the quarry lines on the map you posted.

My screen is 27" running 1920x1080. Being old fashioned ( and just plain old ) I though mobiles were just for making phone calls on.......

The tractor at Belan is a ( Massey ) Ferguson 35. Tractor colour is always usually a good starter point for identification of the brands - not sure who decided on which company got which colours. No roll over protection or safety cabs in those days, an upside down tractor lying on a crushed driver was quite a frequent event. Your pic was at Lime Kilns Lane I think, not been up there for a couple of years. It has made it as far as Google Maps.

Thanks for the info.

Rob




posted: 6 Nov 2018 23:55

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob.

Yes, that's the location.

Here's Belan Bottom Lock from the bridge, 5 years after Google:

2_061849_350000000.jpg2_061849_350000000.jpg

Swing the camera round in Google to compare.

cheers,

Martin.


posted: 7 Nov 2018 06:52

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Yes, I do remember the Clee Hill pic, sorry. I remember marvelling at the quarry lines on the map you posted.
Hi Rob,

Looking at the map again:

clee_hill_map_1024x720.pngclee_hill_map_1024x720.png

I think I've got the camera position wrong. Those two brick outhouses are in fact marked on the map, which means I was a bit further west, close to the road. From where I put the red X the rear wall of the cottages on the left would have been visible.

No-one picked that up. Come on folks, pay attention. I don't want to feel that I can post any old rubbish on here and get away with it. :)

clee_hill_1969_1280x720.jpgclee_hill_1969_1280x720.jpg

clee_hill_top_google_2009.jpgclee_hill_top_google_2009.jpg
© Google.

Google's view 40 years later in 2009.

Martin.

posted: 7 Nov 2018 23:54

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Yes, looks like you slipped up on the Cleehill map :D Must check your methodology next time....

Here is Bucknell now ( well 2009 actually ) courtesy of Google.
2001_071850_170000000.jpg2001_071850_170000000.jpg

Must have been an active goods trade with the goods shed ( still there ) and a travelling crane for the timber yard .

2001_071852_080000000.jpg2001_071852_080000000.jpg

Always surprised to find that the lines around here were LNWR.

Rob

P.S. What about captions on the slideshow ? If all the pics in yours had been new to us there would have been many questions asked about locations.



posted: 8 Nov 2018 00:09

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
P.S. What about captions on the slideshow ? If all the pics in yours had been new to us there would have been many questions asked about locations.
Hi Rob,

I'm just working on that as we speak. It's actually quite tricky to get the captions to fade in and out long enough to be readable, but then leave the image uncluttered.

I don't think I made it clear enough that that first video was just a trial play with the AV software to see what I could do with it, and more importantly to see how many cries of "what a load of rubbish" went up. :)

Having been encouraged by the response (I posted the link on RMweb too), and enjoying being a bit creative, I will now spend some time creating something a bit more polished. At least it is keeping me away from that damned OSM, which would take over my life if I let it. :)

Martin.

posted: 9 Nov 2018 06:02

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I was confused by the brilliant shots of the Corsair, the Victor and the washing.

posted: 6 Dec 2018 15:59

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:

maenofferen_wagons_1969_1280x720.jpgmaenofferen_wagons_1969_1280x720.jpg

That's a great shot. This is the first time I have seen it, 50 years after taking it. :)

Where are they now I wonder? I hope they are ok.
Here they are again:

maenofferen_drum_1969_1140x760.jpgmaenofferen_drum_1969_1140x760.jpg

What a great playground they had - summer school holidays 1969, in the sunshine. :)

I'm now fairly confident that this was No.2 incline at Maen-offeren. Based on my hazy recollection of a day 50 years ago, but now also finding this showing the twin power poles still in position (11 years ago):

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/564963

Martin.

posted: 6 Dec 2018 21:09

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Yes, they are lovely pics.

The wagons are certainly similar to many of the Festiniog area types from pictures I have seen. The pictures imply they usually ran with maybe one out of every 3 or 4 with a brake fitted.

Is this the top of the incline here ?


Were the rails at the top of an incline secured in any special way to prevent them slipping down ?


Rob



posted: 6 Dec 2018 22:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Is this the top of the incline here ?
Hi Rob,

Yes. If you click on the map on that page it will swap to the earlier 25K mapping which shows the track still in place.

Here's my 1969 view down the incline for comparison:

incline_top2.jpgincline_top2.jpg

And here's another one of the drum house which confirms the match with the previous Geograph photo (only just found this one):

incline_top1.jpgincline_top1.jpg

I have several more taken the same day, although the quality is a bit variable. I will post them all soon.

Here's the incline in 1899:

 http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=53.0018&lon=-3.9223&layers=168&b=1

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 6 Dec 2018 22:55

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thanks for that. We are very lucky to have such photos for you to share and appreciate and the internet resources to tie them all together. If only the development of the photographic process had happened earlier.......and been in more widespread use.

Rob


posted: 7 Dec 2018 02:29

from:

DaveJ61
 
Northampton - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Absolutely fascinating. Especially the one down the incline. Thanks for posting, Martin.

Dave

posted: 7 Dec 2018 19:53

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
P.S. What about captions on the slideshow ? If all the pics in yours had been new to us there would have been many questions asked about locations.
Hi Rob,

I have now added captions to the slideshow. Press the ENTER key to toggle a scrollable list of captions on and off:

 http://85a.uk/photos/

I have also added a few more pics, and made a few other changes.

Click the video to stop and start while reading the caption list. We don't have a streaming media server, so it's necessary to wait until the show has run through once before the frame slider will work properly.

If it doesn't fit your screen, try pressing F11. There is also a full-screen option on the bottom right.

If the ENTER key doesn't work, try clicking on the video first.

If the captions are not working on mobile devices, they can be opened in a separate page tab here:

  http://85a.uk/photos/fresh_air_captions.php

The caption list includes OS grid references. If you copy them, you can paste them into the search box at:

 http://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

I have entered the full 5-figure grid references, which is a bit daft because they read to the nearest metre. But I found rounding them to the usual 3-figures produced some silly results, placing me in the middle of a canal or on the wrong side of the tracks. :(

I have changed the music, but I can't find anything better which is free to use. Suggestions for such welcome.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 7 Dec 2018 20:57

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thanks for adding the captions and grid refs, both are helpful. Some nice new pics I haven't seen before too.

I don't like the music :( but we all like different things which is fair enough.  What was the music used on the original version ?

The shot of Worcester depot was taken from the Tunnel Junction side judging by the position of the cathedral. Do you have any pictures of the wagon sheet facility or wagon repair works - there is one in a Russell Great Wagon book ( which I have all of ) and I found another couple but anything else would be great.

The pit sheave memorial picture is almost identical to one I took a while back. I will post mine if I can find it. BTW Shapeways now sell sheaves for anybody modelling a mine.

Rob




posted: 7 Dec 2018 22:08

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Hi Martin,

Thanks for adding the captions and grid refs, both are helpful. Some nice new pics I haven't seen before too.

I don't like the music :( but we all like different things which is fair enough.  What was the music used on the original version ?

The shot of Worcester depot was taken from the Tunnel Junction side judging by the position of the cathedral. Do you have any pictures of the wagon sheet facility or wagon repair works - there is one in a Russell Great Wagon book ( which I have all of ) and I found another couple but anything else would be great.
Hi Rob,

Sorry to confuse you. That B&W pic was actually a colour neg original from the mid 1980s, not from 1969 as the other B&W pics. By then I suspect the wagon works was long gone. It was taken from the steps of Tunnel Junction Signal Box. I can't remember why I thought it was worth converting to greyscale. :?

Here are some others of the area taken at the same time, scanned from prints:

 https://85a.uk/images/tunnel_junc_pics.jpg

(large image, click link)

If you can see anything in the background which might be useful, I will search out the negs and scan them properly, and maybe find some others.

The new music tracks came from the YouTube catalogue of free music. I don't much like it either, and most of the catalogue is even worse. Unfortunately any music of reasonable quality requires a paid-for licence to use.

The original music track was supplied as a default with the AV software, and has the memorable name of PT_286154.mp3

You can hear it again on their promo video at:

 http://www.youtube.com/embed/wRz43Yc3r8w?rel=0&autoplay=1

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 7 Dec 2018 23:08

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thanks for the music info :)

I should have been more clear about the wagon and sheet shops. I didn't really think you would have been around when they were active and in use. Just wondered if you had taken any from the other end of the yard area facing north from around Tolladine Road. Just looking for ideas for future layouts - a wagon repair shop is ideal as an excuse for for lots of different wagons in various states of decay.

Tunnel junction box looks to have suffered a mishap - an errant wagon in the siding maybe ? Your picture seems to show what looks like a concrete 'ram raid' device in front of the rebuilt brickwork. Here is the box in 2015.

If you hadn't chopped the DMU off the side of the B&W shot on the slide show I would have known it was at least late 70's as the livery is blue and grey :D

Rob



posted: 7 Dec 2018 23:28

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Tunnel junction box looks to have suffered a mishap - an errant wagon in the siding maybe ?
Hi Rob,

The siding is actually the trap spur on the exit crossover from the shed:

2_231403_440000000.png2_231403_440000000.png

I recall some time in 60s or 70s a loco was too eager to get off the shed, and delivered the buffer stop into the signal box locking room instead. Someone will know the details -- perhaps "The Stationmaster" on RMweb?

I don't remember taking any pics around the Tolladine Road area at that time, but I will have a look through my negs.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 23 Dec 2018 02:56

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Santa arrived a bit early and brought me new skis, so I had to try them out today, and you don't want to miss days like this.

2983_222148_180000000.jpg2983_222148_180000000.jpg

This is on the Idaho/Montana border not far from Avery where the Milwaukee Road RR switched from electric to steam or diesel traction.

posted: 23 Dec 2018 03:04

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
Santa arrived a bit early and brought me new skis, so I had to try them out today, and you don't want to miss days like this.
Hi Andy,

That looks great. You don't happen to know of any skis which work in rain instead of snow? :)

Current radar:

2_222204_070000000.png2_222204_070000000.png

Martin.

posted: 23 Dec 2018 12:31

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin

I'm in the middle of that lot! And have to go out shortly to collect the Xmas order from Morrisons. Ugh!

Actually saw the sun yesterday, I reckon for only the 4th time in the last 2 months, most of which have been rain. Here's a pic looking over the Ystwyth valley from the Arch, east of Devil's Bridge, after the sun had set:
528_230720_340000000.jpg528_230720_340000000.jpg

Here's a bit of sun on the 30th November, Craig Goch dam in the Elan valley:
528_230725_540000000.jpg528_230725_540000000.jpg
 
And on the 23rd November, a train approaching the Dysynni Bridge north of Tywyn:
528_230727_290000000.jpg528_230727_290000000.jpg

Nigel
Last edited on 23 Dec 2018 12:34 by Nigel Brown
posted: 24 Dec 2018 01:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Nigel,

Thanks for those. :)

To see Craig Goch overflowing as early in the season as the end of November shows what a wet autumn we had. It makes a great sight in full flow in the sunshine.

I like the Dysynni Bridge pic. Low lighting like that can transform the everyday into a memorable image.

Your pics remind me that I must get out again soon. This was on the last decent walk, back in November -- by the time I stopped for my cheese and pickle sandwich it was raining!

2_232034_430000000.jpg2_232034_430000000.jpg

That section of the Worcestershire Way near Bewdley is the old "Coffin Way" from Bewdley (where the town-centre church has no burial ground) to St Leonard's Church, Ribbesford. Camera: SO 78498 74718

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 26 Dec 2018 03:21

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Christmas Day in these parts was the murkiest since records began.

This was the only colour I could find:

canal_christmas_1280x848.jpgcanal_christmas_1280x848.jpg

Camera at SO 81017 71017

Martin.


posted: 26 Dec 2018 12:34

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Same here, but it's been miserable weather for most of the last couple of months. Grabbed a walk before Xmas lunch at the Arch, forestry east of Devil's Bridge (same spot as earlier pic); the cloud was down and drizzle soon set in:

528_260733_030000000.jpg528_260733_030000000.jpg

Much the same today, will probably try the beach.
Nigel

posted: 26 Dec 2018 16:03

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Christmas Day in these parts was the murkiest since records began.

This was the only colour I could find:



Look what I found...

25_261056_520000000.jpg25_261056_520000000.jpg

...my crepe myrtle at my back gate just in flower with buds in the centre of the picture.   Normally it produces a profusion of flowers during summer which just about last into early winter.  The long hot spell in early summer seemed to put it out of kilter and it hardly bloomed through summer but seems to have started now.   Today's temperature had to be into double figures, Celcius.

Jim.

posted: 26 Dec 2018 22:10

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Jim Guthrie wrote:
Look what I found...

25_261056_520000000.jpg25_261056_520000000.jpg

Thanks Jim. I didn't notice anything in bloom when I ventured up the garden path this morning, but I will take a closer look tomorrow.

Of course, if I do find anything I won't have the faintest idea what it is. My horticultural knowledge doesn't go beyond brown stuff and green stuff.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 26 Dec 2018 23:34

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Of course, if I do find anything I won't have the faintest idea what it is. My horticultural knowledge doesn't go beyond brown stuff and green stuff.
Martin,

My late wife was the horticultural expert around here but I have learned how to do laborious searches through web sites which expect you to know about all the terms applicable to petals and leaves. :D

The crepe myrtle came from cuttings taken from a bush in a neighbouring garden.  I had seen it in full bloom when walking the dog and thought I would have some for my garden.  Permission was sought for the cuttings. :D   I found the name of the plant much later. :D

Jim.

posted: 27 Dec 2018 05:57

from:

alan@york
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Sorry guys about the plant ID: I think that what you have is a tree mallow [Malva arborea aka Lavatera arborea] rather than the crepe myrtle [Lagerstroemia genus], which is subtropical.

"It is theorised that lighthouse keepers may have spread the plant to some British islands for use as a poultice and to treat burns, an occupational hazard. Thought to have been used as an alternative to toilet paper." Wikipedia entry on Lavatera. Check out the pictures of the leaves, which are apparently edible.

alan@york



Last edited on 27 Dec 2018 06:01 by alan@york
posted: 27 Dec 2018 07:38

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
As the Winter Poultice is now upon us, it's quite appropriate. (We just received 3" of snow. I like it 'cos it covers up all the junk in the garden.)

posted: 27 Dec 2018 08:16

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
alan@york wrote:
Sorry guys about the plant ID: I think that what you have is a tree mallow [Malva arborea aka Lavatera arborea] rather than the crepe myrtle [Lagerstroemia genus], which is subtropical.
That rather underlines my lack of horticultural knowledge. :D

Interesting to note that it is biennial which would explain one of my plants dying back.  But the cuttings came from a long established bush which looks as though it is perennial.

Jim.

posted: 17 Jan 2019 01:25

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Weather of 2019 has been distinctly unpromising so far. Out of the murk I grabbed this in a few brief moments of sun.

mhdc_1280x580.jpgmhdc_1280x580.jpg

Martin.

posted: 17 Jan 2019 01:44

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Pretty bad here, generally, but there was a bit of sun today. But got frozen taking this. Tomorrow is forecast finer and colder.

528_162044_380000000.jpg528_162044_380000000.jpg

posted: 17 Jan 2019 03:39

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Pretty bad here, generally, but there was a bit of sun today. But got frozen taking this. Tomorrow is forecast finer and colder.

528_162044_380000000.jpg528_162044_380000000.jpg
The abundance of sheep safely grazing in these troubled times is very encouraging.

posted: 29 Jan 2019 05:19

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Yesterday's walk was very muddy, and the sunshine wasn't in as plentiful supply as the Met Office had led me to believe. But it was a relief to discover that the sun does still exist.

This is the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Hanbury Wharf. Trying a trendy square crop for once: 

 hanbury_canal_960x960.jpghanbury_canal_960x960.jpg

Camera at SO 92833 63463

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 4 Feb 2019 22:40

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Change of weather today -- sunshine and a bit warmer. So computer off, boots on. :)

In fact it was several degrees warmer -- I went out wrapped up and with a flask of soup, I ended up walking in shirtsleeves and would have preferred iced lemonade! Tomorrow will of course be the exact opposite.

Walking at Hanley Childe in the Teme Valley today:

hanley_childe_1280x720.jpghanley_childe_1280x720.jpg
camera at: SO 64652 65055


kyre2_1280x800.jpgkyre2_1280x800.jpg
camera at : SO 63213 64643


Trying a square crop again:

kyre1_960x960.jpgkyre1_960x960.jpg
camera at: SO 64557 65180

Martin.

posted: 5 Feb 2019 00:01

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Looks spring-like, already. Today I managed to leave my place for the first time since last tuesday; the drive finally unfroze. Too busy restocking for pics, but tomorrow is a possible.

Nigel

posted: 7 Feb 2019 20:40

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Sunny again today. :)

Anyone know why I took this?

burnthorne1_1280x720.jpgburnthorne1_1280x720.jpg
camera at SO 79396 70637

Me neither. So why do I like it? One more for the WDYTTOF* folder. There are plenty in there.

The folks who live on the hill:

burnthorne2_1280x720.jpgburnthorne2_1280x720.jpg
camera at SO 79655 70746

Martin.

*What did you take that one for?

posted: 8 Feb 2019 13:06

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
What is this strange "sun" thing? Not much around here. But yesterday in desperation headed down to Aberaeron harbour, somewhere I'd been meaning to visit for some time and managed a few pics in spite of the flat lighting:

528_080809_200000000.jpg528_080809_200000000.jpg


528_080805_510000000.jpg528_080805_510000000.jpg


528_080806_310000000.jpg528_080806_310000000.jpg


posted: 9 Feb 2019 18:35

from:

John Durbetaki
 
Gaston - Oregon USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
My version of the folks that live on the hill (off to the right side in the distance), sort of snowing day, but the air is fresh! Lots of old oaks with interesting character...

3512_091334_090000000.jpg3512_091334_090000000.jpg
Martin Wynne wrote


The folks who live on the hill:

burnthorne2_1280x720.jpgburnthorne2_1280x720.jpg



posted: 15 Feb 2019 02:14

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Today's report from a muddy field.

jennings_wood_1280x720.jpgjennings_wood_1280x720.jpg
camera at SO 78685 70412

Martin.


posted: 24 Feb 2019 19:16

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
This evening's report from a muddy field:

astley_school_1280x800.jpgastley_school_1280x800.jpg
camera at SO 78797 68417

Today's weather didn't quite match up to the promises from the Met Office. Fog lasted into the afternoon, and the sun remained quite hazy after that. Tomorrow is promised to be better.

My route today took me along a short stretch of main road. That's no place to be on foot on a Sunday afternoon if you value your life. It's supposed to be the King's Highway accessible to all. Some drivers today obviously hadn't heard. If the Tiggers are looking for some policies, how about providing a safe walking space alongside all main roads? They'd get my vote. :)

Enough of that. Back to work. 1. put fish pie in oven. 2. make map video for John.

cheers,

Martin.   

posted: 3 Mar 2019 15:15

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A miserable wet day today, so I'm looking back through my photos from nicer days.

worc_way_1600x980.jpgworc_way_1600x980.jpg
camera at SO 76747 68127

Martin.

posted: 3 Mar 2019 15:34

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Wet, windy here, but there was some superb fine weather earlier in the week:
528_031034_040000000.jpg528_031034_040000000.jpg

posted: 19 Mar 2019 06:38

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Boots calling. Swap Brexit for a cheese and pickle sandwich.

October last on Bredon Hill:

bredon_hill_1280x800.jpgbredon_hill_1280x800.jpg
camera at SO 95880 40333

Martin.

posted: 22 Mar 2019 22:53

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I have just posted this one in the Radio Paradise topic.

Here it is again, with the camera verticals corrected. Unfortunately that means it won't sensibly fit 16:9 format, so no good for RP.

Just keeping any National Trust workers happy -- I know you don't build wonky stiles.  :)

hillfield_coppice_1600x1038.jpghillfield_coppice_1600x1038.jpg
camera at SO 67246 56079

Martin.


posted: 22 Mar 2019 23:18

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

400 posts so far on this topic, well done :D

Back in the days of film cameras some would have used a perpective control lens to keep the National Trust's posts vertical although you could also do it at the printing stage with a tilting film holder and masking frame. Bit easier these days though.

The care taken in the execution of the dog gate is pleasing. Just hope there aren't any overweight dogs round those parts :?

Rob


posted: 23 Mar 2019 10:53

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob. I remember tilting the masking frame on the enlarger, and fiddling with bits of blu-tack under the negative holder to tilt it back into focus. Never got it to work very well. :(

That one was accepted on RP, see:

 topic 3399 - message 26852

 http://img.radioparadise.com/slideshow/720/63023.jpg

It's a shame that after asking for up to 4K resolution, Mike has now taken to resampling them down to 720p, since introducing the mobile App.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 26 Mar 2019 02:05

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
One of my dogs made a new friend at the park today, mine is the one at the bottom :D

2001_252104_130000000.jpg2001_252104_130000000.jpg

Rob


posted: 21 Apr 2019 23:41

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A nice day today. Walking around Shrawley this evening:


holders_pool_1280x1280.jpgholders_pool_1280x1280.jpg
camera at  SO 80644 65156



lower_astley_wood_1856x1044.jpglower_astley_wood_1856x1044.jpg
camera at  SO 81154 66543

Martin.

posted: 22 Apr 2019 21:33

from:

Richard_Jones
 
Heswall - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
It was a fine day today, but I didn't feel up to a long walk two days in a row, so I took myself down the road to Witley Court instead, for the first time in several years.
If anyone finds themself at Witley Court, don't miss Great Witley Parish church - a veritable hidden baroque gem..... The interior was "snapped up" at a bankrupt sale when the Duke of Chandos lost out in the South Sea bubble - as the building was a "standard Wren design" the interior, including an organ played by one G F Handel, fitted in the new location.....

posted: 22 Apr 2019 23:11

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Richard_Jones wrote:
If anyone finds themself at Witley Court, don't miss Great Witley Parish church - a veritable hidden baroque gem..... The interior was "snapped up" at a bankrupt sale when the Duke of Chandos lost out in the South Sea bubble - as the building was a "standard Wren design" the interior, including an organ played by one G F Handel, fitted in the new location.....
Thanks Richard.

Note also that the church is alongside but not part of the English Heritage/Witley Court attraction, so there is no admission charge, and the garden tearoom is a non-profit in aid of church funds:

 http://www.witleytearooms.co.uk

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 30 Apr 2019 13:44

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Agricultural geometry.

agri_geo1_1664x1040.jpgagri_geo1_1664x1040.jpg
camera at SO 78388 68134


Yellow evening with village school.

yellow_evening_1856x1044.jpgyellow_evening_1856x1044.jpg
camera at SO 78622 68036

Rapeseed must be a profitable cash-crop judging by the way this part of the world turns yellow at this time of year. Is this lot going into margarine, or biodiesel?

Martin.

posted: 30 Apr 2019 18:29

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

It's not just in your neck of the woods that goes yellow, a fair bit of Devon does too!

Phil.

posted: 1 May 2019 10:14

from:

richard_t
 
Nr. Spalding, South Holland - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
The yellow was a bit different our way in late February:

499_010513_050000000.jpg499_010513_050000000.jpg

And Pepper enjoying what he likes best:

499_010514_050000000.jpg499_010514_050000000.jpg





posted: 1 May 2019 15:52

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Around my way it's meadow buttercups on Chpping Sodbury Common. On the better grass land they are out now in patches with dandelions. But I wait for one large area of poor scrubland which doesn't get grazed by the cattle on the common. There the meadow buttercups can grow to 12" - 15" and on a good year the area is transformed into a sea of yellow in June. The last good year was three years ago and I hope that this year might be one again.

Jim.

posted: 3 May 2019 22:40

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Whilst looking for some other pictures this morning I came across pictures of the meadow buttercups which I had forgotten I had taken.


25_031730_540000000.jpg25_031730_540000000.jpg


25_031731_410000000.jpg25_031731_410000000.jpg


The area is about one mile north of Chipping Sodbury - the upper picture is facing due north-ish towards the Cotswold scarp and the lower facing due south-ish towards Sodbury and Yate.   Here's a link to the area in Google Maps.

http://www.google.com/maps/place/Chipping+Sodbury,+Bristol/@51.5550022,-2.3810422,333m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48719dad2999bb5d:0x50d8b23d4978e10!8m2!3d51.5351659!4d-2.3909379

Jim.

posted: 4 May 2019 23:05

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Walking at Berrington Green this afternoon. It was chillier than it looks -- a flask of soup would have been welcome. :)


berrington_green_1856x1044.jpgberrington_green_1856x1044.jpg
camera at SO 57532 65740


cadmore_1768x1044.jpgcadmore_1768x1044.jpg
camera at SO 57612 66526


One for Radio Paradise:

jcb_1920x1080_rp.jpgjcb_1920x1080_rp.jpg
camera at SO 57664 65579

Martin.

posted: 12 May 2019 06:10

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
The BBC are saying we need rain, but not here. :)

My walk around Astley yesterday was very muddy.


astley_mud__11_05_2019_1856x1044.jpgastley_mud__11_05_2019_1856x1044.jpg
camera at SO 78840 66435


crundels_11_05_2019_1856x1044.jpgcrundels_11_05_2019_1856x1044.jpg
camera at SO 80840 67132


nutnell_pool_11_05_2019_1856x1044.jpgnutnell_pool_11_05_2019_1856x1044.jpg
camera at SO 78823 66397

Martin.

posted: 12 May 2019 23:57

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
My legs said they didn't want a long walk two days in a row, so today I took myself to Arley station on the SVR and sat in the sunshine in the picnic garden to eat my lunch. It's a beautifully kept station:


arley_signal1_12_05_2019_1856x1044.jpgarley_signal1_12_05_2019_1856x1044.jpg


arley_signal2_12_05_2019_1424x1044.jpgarley_signal2_12_05_2019_1424x1044.jpg


I know that signal well. 57 years ago I visited Arley station on my bike. That was at the end of BR days, when the station was semi-derelict. Traffic on the line was down to a bare minimum, although the coal trains from Alveley Colliery continued for a few more years. After poking about in the yard, I climbed that signal -- as any self-respecting 14-year-old boy would do. The station seemed to be deserted, so I was a bit surprised when a formidable woman appeared from the station house and gave me a good telling off. :)

Nowadays kids playing on the railway line is treated far more seriously. I suppose it's progress.

Years later James Boyd explained to me that climbing a signal perfectly illustrated the difference between Britain and Ireland. In Britain you got a telling off for trespassing, in Ireland you got a telling off because the post wasn't safe.

Martin.

posted: 13 May 2019 08:40

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Arley is my favourite station on the SVR,Martin thanks for the photos.

Phil.

posted: 13 May 2019 12:42

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Looks like a model railway, even down to the correct colours of the station furniture, and the bridge disguising the exit to the fiddle yard!

Was at the site of another station on Friday, Strata Florida, where the line out over Tregaron Bog is now part of the Ystwyth Trail.

528_130740_300000000.jpg528_130740_300000000.jpg

528_130741_380000000.jpg528_130741_380000000.jpg

Nigel

posted: 14 May 2019 00:21

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Bewdley North Box in evening sun:

bewdley_north_box_1620x1044.jpgbewdley_north_box_1620x1044.jpg
camera at: SO 79131 75360

Martin.

posted: 29 May 2019 12:58

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
More reaching for the sky in Bewdley.

bewdley_tower_1780x1044.jpgbewdley_tower_1780x1044.jpg
camera at SO 78583 75429 looking NE

Martin.

posted: 8 Jun 2019 05:15

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Bewdley South's Down Distant in the sunshine yesterday. The red sheen on the fields is a sea of poppies:

bewdley_south_distant_1856x1044.jpgbewdley_south_distant_1856x1044.jpg
camera at SO 80817 74616 looking SE


Looking back at the signal just visible in the distance:

droppingwell_poppies_1856x808.jpgdroppingwell_poppies_1856x808.jpg
camera at SO 80406 73995 looking NE

Martin.

posted: 10 Jun 2019 00:43

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Broken chain.
 
broken_chain_1392x1044.jpgbroken_chain_1392x1044.jpg
camera at SO 43054 83588 looking E

Martin.

posted: 10 Jun 2019 01:02

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Stanford-on-Teme
 
stanford_on_teme_1856x1044.jpgstanford_on_teme_1856x1044.jpg
camera at SO 70239 65734 looking NE

Martin.

posted: 29 Jun 2019 23:35

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Walking on Clee Liberty earlier this week. The sunshine was a bit hazy for most of the day, but the visibility improved in the evening.

In the distance, those blue remembered hills:

blue_hills_1280x940.jpgblue_hills_1280x940.jpg
camera at SO 57498 84229 looking NW


Titterstone Clee from Nordy Bank hill fort. Lots of green. I like green, it's good for the brain:

nordy_1856x1044.jpgnordy_1856x1044.jpg
camera at SO 57499 84649 looking S

Martin.


posted: 14 Sep 2019 00:50

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Walking near Tenbury Wells yesterday evening.

birchley_1498x936.jpgbirchley_1498x936.jpg
camera at SO 59701 64580 looking NW

Martin.


posted: 28 Sep 2019 21:03

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
No walking today :( -- here's the rain radar just now:

2_281559_510000000.png2_281559_510000000.png

And here is where that map is coming from -- the Met Office weather radar on Clee Hill (the small dome on the left -- the main buildings are NATS air traffic control):

2_281601_430000000.jpg2_281601_430000000.jpg

Here's some info:

 http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/library-and-archive/library/publications/factsheets/factsheet_15-weather-radar.pdf

Martin.

posted: 14 Oct 2019 02:09

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
After several rainy days the sun finally came out of hiding.

late_sun_1500x1000.jpglate_sun_1500x1000.jpg
camera at SO 78453 68119 looking SE

Martin.

posted: 15 Oct 2019 07:03

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
My knee is acting up a bit but here's the view above my shed today.

2983_150153_220000000.jpg2983_150153_220000000.jpg 
The dodgy looking fir on the left is a Larch. They drop their needles in the Winter.



posted: 7 Nov 2019 19:30

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
"Good afternoon, Martin! There seems to be a spring in your step today."

"Yes, I'm quite pleased with myself. With a good breakfast inside me, I managed to get the metafiles working in Lazarus."

"Oh well done! That's marvellous news. I'm sure he will be pleased. What did you have for breakfast?"

"Scrambled egg, grilled tomatoes, and a kipper."

"Well I'm not surprised you got the job done! If you had a kipper for breakfast."

You meet the nicest people on a walk.


astley_tree_2019_1080x900.jpgastley_tree_2019_1080x900.jpg

astley_church_2019_1496x840.jpgastley_church_2019_1496x840.jpg


astley_school_fields_2019_1080x900.jpgastley_school_fields_2019_1080x900.jpg


astley_church_2019_1496x900.jpgastley_church_2019_1496x900.jpg


Martin.

posted: 8 Nov 2019 17:13

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Been missing out on my Elan valley trips of late, so with a bit of sun promised amongst the showers I headed over there yesterday. Some interesting lighting; here's a few:

528_081208_330000000.jpg528_081208_330000000.jpg

528_081209_080000000.jpg528_081209_080000000.jpg

528_081209_330000000.jpg528_081209_330000000.jpg

528_081212_310000000.jpg528_081212_310000000.jpg
528_081210_260000000.jpg528_081210_260000000.jpg

posted: 8 Nov 2019 19:44

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Been missing out on my Elan valley trips of late, so with a bit of sun promised amongst the showers I headed over there yesterday. Some interesting lighting; here's a few:
Hi Nigel,

Thanks for those. Some great lighting there.

It's months since I was last in the Elan Valley, I must make another trip soon.

By the way, I have changed the settings on the image gallery. It now resizes down to 1580 wide so there is no need to resize smaller than that if you don't want to. The images are automatically shrunk when viewing on smaller screens or mobile phones. It will accept uploads up to around 4000 wide, so no need to resize at all if your originals are smaller than that.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 8 Nov 2019 19:53

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin

That's fine. These are the same images that I put up on Geograph, so are sized to the Geograph maximum display size of 1024px.

Cheers
Nigel

posted: 18 Dec 2019 02:00

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Back to a sunny day in 1969. This one for Rob, I think:

raven_street_car_park_1969_900.jpgraven_street_car_park_1969_900.jpg

At least, the neg says 1969. I wonder if it might be later? The building dates from 1965. The hexagonal building on the left is a wartime pill-box.

Martin.

posted: 18 Dec 2019 02:42

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A forlorn-looking flower tub shares the platform with some weeds, Lichfield City, May 1990:

lichfield_05_1990_1280x720.jpglichfield_05_1990_1280x720.jpg

Martin.

posted: 18 Dec 2019 03:21

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A wet day in Rugby, 1978.

rugby2_1978_1200x740.jpgrugby2_1978_1200x740.jpg


rugby1_1978_1200x800.jpgrugby1_1978_1200x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 18 Dec 2019 19:31

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,
This is supposed to be a train forum not a car one :D Can you post a higher resolution version of the pillbox pic ? Maybe I can give you a better idea on the date and have some fun looking at the cars closer up.

The shot of Rugby with the five cars in the car park shows some of the changes in car buying habits with the Audi 100 and Volvo 244. Never mind Michael Edwardes was about to rescue the Birmingham car industry soon - with the Metro :( The video tells part of the bad story here



Rob


posted: 18 Dec 2019 20:19

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
This is supposed to be a train forum not a car one :D Can you post a higher resolution version of the pillbox pic ? Maybe I can give you a better idea on the date and have some fun looking at the cars closer up
Hi Rob,

Here you go. You should be able to fix the date by checking the tax discs: :)


raven_st_cars1_1408x814.jpgraven_st_cars1_1408x814.jpg


raven_st_cars2_1388x824.jpgraven_st_cars2_1388x824.jpg


Here is a link to the full scan if you have a widescreen monitor:

 https://85a.uk/images/raven_st_cars_2498x1728.jpg

It was scanned 5 years ago. Since then I have a higher-resolution scanner, so I will look out the neg and scan it again. Which may not show much more other than confirm the size of grain in the emulsion (FP4/Acutol).

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 18 Dec 2019 20:47

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
p.s. Here is the modern Google view:

 http://goo.gl/maps/KJj8AGBP4TLJFLC66

It's interesting that parking is no longer permitted down the middle. Are cars now bigger, or have parking skills deteriorated?

The pill-box is long gone.

Martin.

posted: 18 Dec 2019 20:57

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Rob Manchester wrote:
This is supposed to be a train forum not a car one :D Can you post a higher resolution version of the pillbox pic ? Maybe I can give you a better idea on the date and have some fun looking at the cars closer up
Hi Rob,

Here you go. You should be able to fix the date by checking the tax discs: :)
Well no earlier than 1968 with the G reg in the foreground and it's looking a wee bit tatty,  so early 70s. :) :) :)
Jim.

posted: 18 Dec 2019 21:26

from:

Paul Boyd
 
Loughborough - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Are cars now bigger, or have parking skills deteriorated?
Yes, and yes!

posted: 18 Dec 2019 23:03

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thanks for the more detailed pics of the car park. Cars are generally much bigger overall these days within each segment. Cars are easier to park than they used to be mainly because of the cameras and parking sensors - not that people seem to bother learning the basics anymore.

The car at the front of the middle line is a Sunbeam Stiletto with an odd design of wing mounted mirrors. The car was produced by the Chrysler/Roots ( later General Motors ) group and was based on the Hillman Imp. The rear engine didn't work out too well - fingertip steering due to all the weight being at the back. You had to listen to the weather forecast before taking one on an exposed road in case there was any wind due :(

The white car on the right hand row with the 'C' plate is a Renault 8 and to the right of it a Ford Corsair. Third from the far end of the top row is an Austin, probably an A60, one of the few cars around that were available back then with a diesel engine.

Plenty of BMC Mini's on show including Traveller versions. I think the date of your negs is probably about right.

The lens seems much less sharp on the left hand side, see the reg plate on the Mini Traveller on the left.

FP4+Acutol was excellent. 2/3rds of a stop extra film speed very high sharpness.

Now where was I with wrapping the Christmas presents........ :D

Rob


posted: 18 Dec 2019 23:31

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Wow, thanks Rob. You certainly know your motoring history. By the time I've counted the wheels I've reached the limit of my knowledge. :)

I don't know if the lens is less sharp on the left, or is it just the focus depth of field? Most of the stuff in the distance is unsharp, look at the fence for example.

I mostly used FP4+Acutol, although I think I tended to give them a bit too long in the dev "just to be sure". With the result that they are grainier than I would like. It didn't show at the time with my enlarger lens, but now that we have high-res scanning it does. I can see the difference with a few I did in PanF+Acuspecial, but PanF was too slow for regular use. Interesting page here:

 http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Paterson/Paterson_Acu_Range.html

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 19 Dec 2019 00:06

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thanks for the link, interesting bringing back some memories. My mum worked at a wholesale chemists distribution centre in the 60's and 70's and Paterson was one of the brands they supplied to retail chemists. Free samples were never far away :D I remember using Acuspecial but it needed sunshine or a tripod.

Looking at the picture again you may be right about the depth of field. Any idea what lens you would have taken it with ? Given the bright day you would have had the lens stopped down to maybe F11  or so. No high speed shutters in those days.

Rob


posted: 19 Dec 2019 00:09

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
The car at the front of the middle line is a Sunbeam Stiletto with an odd design of wing mounted mirrors. The car was produced by the Chrysler/Roots ( later General Motors ) group and was based on the Hillman Imp.
Hi Rob,

Yes, a Stiletto, assembled in sunny Renfrewshire just down the road from Paisley where I lived, but I'm not sure Rootes was ever part of GM. I think it eventually became part of Peugeot.

My brother had a Clan Crusader. Two-seater fiberglass body with Hillman Imp running gear. He bought it as three "spare parts". A body part, an engine/transmission part, and a front suspension part. We assembled it in a garage in Edinburgh and drove it home that night. (At that time there was no purchase tax on spare parts.)

Cheers!
Andy



posted: 19 Dec 2019 00:31

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Any idea what lens you would have taken it with ? Given the bright day you would have had the lens stopped down to maybe F11  or so. No high speed shutters in those days.
Hi Rob,

At that date I had only one lens. Camera was a Konica Auto S2, my first proper camera.

The marketing was basically buy a top-grade lens and get a camera thrown in free:

  http://www.lomography.com/magazine/68841-the-konica-auto-s2-top-notch-rangefinder

I loved that camera, and still hanker after the sharp yellow split-frame rangefinder and lever focus, even when using the X100F. The needle exposure meter in the viewfinder was so much easier to see in all lighting than digital readouts. A half-press on the shutter locked the needle and the aperture - all mechanical. The battery was only for the meter, and lasted for ever. But if it did fail, just carry on all-manual.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 19 Dec 2019 00:41

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Andy,

Yes, correct about Rootes, just testing you :) Ah, the Linwood plant, more strikes than work if I remember correctly.

Rob

Last edited on 19 Dec 2019 00:47 by Rob Manchester
posted: 19 Dec 2019 00:51

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Yes, I remember asking you about 'the' camera before. The Konica was nice, pity the X100 isn't quite a 100% replacement for you.

I wanted one of these - Olympus 35SP - for years but when I finally got one I don't think it was as good as I hoped.

Rob


posted: 19 Dec 2019 00:57

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Hi Andy,

Yes, correct about Rootes, just testing you :) Ah, the Linwood plant, more strikes than work if I remember correctly.

Rob

....and possibly one of the reasons I'm no longer in the UK. But I better leave it at that.

posted: 19 Dec 2019 01:25

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
But I better leave it at that.
In which case, back to photos: :)

bridgnorth_cliff_rly_1160x900.jpgbridgnorth_cliff_rly_1160x900.jpg


Martin.

posted: 19 Dec 2019 01:28

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
"Look Mum! No wheels!"

posted: 19 Dec 2019 01:39

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
"Look Mum! No wheels!"
You want wheels?

bridgnorth_cliff_rly_800x780.jpgbridgnorth_cliff_rly_800x780.jpg

Martin.

posted: 19 Dec 2019 14:14

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Chrysler bought Roots, as part of its Chrysler Europe arm, which was later sold to the Peugeot group. A friend of mine managed to overturn two Imps; steering required a delicate touch, and he wasn't a very good driver!

posted: 20 Dec 2019 09:20

from:

Graham Idle
 
Redhill, Surrey - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I seem to remember that Imps burst into flames quite easily, plastic (Nylon?) fuel pipe running very close to the exhaust system.
As a child I remember throwing buckets of sand over an Imp engine outside my friend's hose.
Regards, Graham

Nigel Brown wrote:
Chrysler bought Roots, as part of its Chrysler Europe arm, which was later sold to the Peugeot group. A friend of mine managed to overturn two Imps; steering required a delicate touch, and he wasn't a very good driver!


posted: 20 Dec 2019 17:08

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Yet another wet day here, so I've been looking at my photos again.

Train with bridge:

south_staffs_bridge_1280x800.jpgsouth_staffs_bridge_1280x800.jpg

If you are thinking the arches look a bit over the top (!) for such a lightweight bridge, that's because they are actually water pipes. Taking water less than a mile from Chelmarsh Reservoir just over the hill to Hampton Loade Treatment Works, behind me.

It's a private bridge belonging to South Staffs Water -- known locally as the Emergency Bridge because being the only road crossing over the Severn between Bridgnorth and Bewdley it is sometimes used by the emergency services.

Martin.

posted: 20 Dec 2019 19:32

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi-tech mast looks down on traditional ironmongery. Which will fail first?

craven_arms_caravan_1920_rp.jpgcraven_arms_caravan_1920_rp.jpg

Martin.

posted: 22 Dec 2019 17:30

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
After Martin's nice photos back to the cars :)

Link to Rootes video - here



Rob


posted: 26 Dec 2019 21:38

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John's question about scanners has set me looking at old negs again. :)

Fishing below John Gwynn's fine bridge at Atcham, Shropshire, in June 1989:
 

atcham_fishing_6_1989_1280x720.jpgatcham_fishing_6_1989_1280x720.jpg


http://www.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/atcham-bridge-shropshire/

The bridge was closed to vehicle traffic in the 1920s and replaced with a concrete bridge alongside, which rather spoils any proper view of the old bridge. It does however provide a vantage point for close ups -- the only mystery being where the extra fisherman appeared from:


atcham_fishing_6_1989_1200x748.jpgatcham_fishing_6_1989_1200x748.jpg



These are colour negs, as are most of my photos at that date. Unfortunately whatever I do I can't get the scanned colours to look good, especially the sky, so I think I prefer them in monochrome. I need to spend more time experimenting with the scanner's colour-correction functions:


atcham_fishing_1200x748.jpgatcham_fishing_1200x748.jpg


Martin.

posted: 26 Dec 2019 23:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Berrington station, Shropshire in February 1989. It was actually in the village of Cross Houses, a good mile from Berrington. The weighbridge and hut remains in place beyond the van (an Iron Mink?).

This misty picture seems to be evocative of the whole sad era:

berrington_02_1989_1422x800.jpgberrington_02_1989_1422x800.jpg

Pic was scanned from a print because just now I can't find the neg. When I do I will make a better copy. 

A few years later:

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4096450

I can't see the van.

Martin.

posted: 27 Dec 2019 01:09

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Also on Geograph is a nice pic of the station in use:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1792383

Quite a few of my early snaps (which went onto geograph) had poor colour, so I converted them to monochrome. Think a good monochrome pic beats a dodgy colour one.

Also have a fairly recent compact camera, Nikon P7100, where the colour isn't up to Nikon's usual standards but the monochrome output is fine.
Nigel
 

posted: 29 Dec 2019 03:06

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Nigel.

Back to 1978, Nuneaton:

nuneaton_yard_1978_1400x536.jpgnuneaton_yard_1978_1400x536.jpg


nuneaton_cars_1978_1400x780.jpgnuneaton_cars_1978_1400x780.jpg

I scanned these at 6400 DPI, so higher res available if anyone wants them.

Martin.

posted: 29 Dec 2019 03:26

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Fast forward to Christmas Day, 2019.

mart_lane_25_12_2019_1200x1000.jpgmart_lane_25_12_2019_1200x1000.jpg

Martin.

posted: 29 Dec 2019 18:01

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thanks for the pics.

The car front left is a BMW E3 - 2.5litre 6 cylinder and in the same market segment as today's 7 series range. That's all you get...... :D I will have a look and see how many car roofs I can identify at some point. Currently assembling MERG PCB's.......

Rob


posted: 29 Dec 2019 18:13

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
The car front left is a BMW E3 - 2.5litre 6 cylinder and in the same market segment as today's 7 series range. That's all you get...... :D I will have a look and see how many car roofs I can identify at some point.
Thanks Rob.

What interested me is that the middle row appears to be completely blocked in. Presumably this was before the days of "road rage"?

Martin.

posted: 30 Dec 2019 02:04

from:

Kevin Prince
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:


What interested me is that the middle row appears to be completely blocked in. Presumably this was before the days of "road rage"?

Martin.
The angle is slightly deceiving - the road access runs along the front and then loops around between 2nd and 3rd rows
Kevin

posted: 30 Dec 2019 21:16

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Kevin Prince wrote:
Martin Wynne wrote:


What interested me is that the middle row appears to be completely blocked in. Presumably this was before the days of "road rage"?

Martin.
The angle is slightly deceiving - the road access runs along the front and then loops around between 2nd and 3rd rows
Kevin
Martin,
Yes, I agree with Kevin. The cars in the 2nd and 3rd rows don't seem to be bumper to bumper.
Rob


posted: 5 Feb 2020 19:31

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

I suspect you aren't one for constantly upgrading your camera gear but here is a link to the new Fujifilm X100V



I still have the original X100 from back in the dark ages and it still takes good pictures if you point it at something interesting and press the button at the right time :)



Rob


posted: 5 Feb 2020 20:30

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
I suspect you aren't one for constantly upgrading your camera gear but here is a link to the new Fujifilm X100V

I still have the original X100 from back in the dark ages and it still takes good pictures if you point it at something interesting and press the button at the right time :)
Hi Rob,

Yes, thanks. My inbox has been inundated since the launch yesterday, from a Fuji forum I'm on.

The biggest single improvement for me, and the least expensive to implement, is the little white mark on the viewfinder eyepiece adjuster -- now 2 people can share the camera and easily return to their own setting. And now that the X100F is no longer current, I'm allowed to put such paint on this one myself. :)

Still no lock on the side door over the connector sockets. I have knocked it open so many times while out and about that I now keep a bit of sticky tape over it. And the S-C-M switch still isn't recessed, I have knocked that to the wrong position a few times too.

But I like the moved Q button, it was too easy to press it accidentally before. And the flush cover plate in the flash hot-shoe socket is neat, one thing fewer to get caught on something -- presumably that's part of the new weather resistance, which would be the main factor causing me to think about upgrading. But not yet, I really like the X100F as it is and I just know that there will be something changed in the X100V which irritates me forever afterwards.

I'm not qualified to comment on the lens improvement, the X100F already produces superb pictures to my eyes.

As you say, the secret to taking a good picture is to point the camera at something interesting:

 p_w_heap_1920_rp.jpgp_w_heap_1920_rp.jpg

:)

Original X100F image 6000x4000 ( F/2  1/125  320-ISO ) is at:

 http://85a.uk/dscf1660.jpg

cheers,

Martin.
  

posted: 5 Feb 2020 20:53

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,
I should have guessed you would be up to speed on the new camera. The lens improvements are often thought to be needed as the pixel count increases. My original X100 only needs to resolve 12 million pixels and does it very well. Same reason my 'proper' camera is a Nikon D700 - again with 12MP and it performs well with older manual focus lenses which I prefer to the modern plastic things with no aperture ring and fly-by-wire manual focus.

I think that photo of the chairs has been posted before - I seem to remember commenting on the welding pot then too.

Rob





posted: 6 Feb 2020 07:01

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Any thoughts on how to capture falling snow?

This was about the best I could do. I used the flash to try to illuminate the flakes but it didn't really do justice to it.

2983_060153_130000000.jpg2983_060153_130000000.jpg

posted: 8 Feb 2020 14:48

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
Any thoughts on how to capture falling snow?

This was about the best I could do. I used the flash to try to illuminate the flakes but it didn't really do justice to it.
Hi Andy,

Thanks for posting. Haven't seen a single snowflake here so far this winter, although it seems there might be some tomorrow.

Flash illumination falls off as the square of distance, so it's unlikely flash would have much effect into the wood. Also, it's too fast, so that the snowflakes appear to be er, frozen, in space.

Finding the right shutter speed for falling rain, snow, moving water, is quite tricky. Too fast and it looks like solid ice. Too slow and it looks like custard. I've seen so many pictures of waterfalls that look like gloopy custard. :)

I suggest around 1/100 second as a starting point. Try a few slower and faster. Increase the ISO if necessary until that gives you a reasonable aperture setting to focus a field of view into the wood.

This is 1/100:
dam_water1_1200x800.jpgdam_water1_1200x800.jpg


This is 1/200:
dam_water2_1200x800.jpgdam_water2_1200x800.jpg

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 17 Feb 2020 09:11

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Far too much fresh air about this last week -- but no photos. Here's one I've posted here before which I have just posted on another forum in response to a question. A reminder of Offa's Dyke in summer when Dennis The Menace is back in his box. It doesn't look like this at present. :)

offas_dyke_1280x960.jpgoffas_dyke_1280x960.jpg

Martin.

posted: 17 Feb 2020 19:47

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

That looks a lot like a long disused railway line.

Cheers

Phil.

posted: 28 Feb 2020 04:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Some additions to the WDYTTOF* folder on my walk yesterday.

Work at Diglis (Worcester) is flooded out, so they have made a start a month early at Lincomb weir. Had an interesting chat with the young enthusiastic site manager. See:

  http://unlockingthesevern.co.uk


lincomb_works_1600x900.jpglincomb_works_1600x900.jpg


lincomb_works_1200x900.jpglincomb_works_1200x900.jpg


*What did you take that one for?

Martin.

posted: 28 Feb 2020 18:57

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

I hope the Shads have the same curiosity as cats :), otherwise after all this time they may have forgotten the way. Looks like a great project though - nice to put things at least part of the way back to where they were.

Rob

Last edited on 28 Feb 2020 18:58 by Rob Manchester
posted: 28 Feb 2020 21:02

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
I hope the Shads have the same curiosity as cats :), otherwise after all this time they may have forgotten the way.
Hi Rob,

They might be better off as elephants, if they have to remember back to 1842. :)

I believe the EA plan is to take some up to the headwaters if they don't start to find their own way there. They have been tagging them and studying their behaviour. It's the first question all the schoolchildren ask "what if they don't remember where to go?".

If they like clean shallow water over pebbles, they are more likely to find that above Llanidloes than at Worcester:

 http://goo.gl/maps/mRGxk6pP9d4K4FAo7

Presumably they keep swimming against the flow until they find some. Maybe they don't need to go that far. This is the Severn alongside the SVR between Arley and Highley:

low_severn_1280_rp.jpglow_severn_1280_rp.jpg

(It doesn't look like that at present, the entire area is under water.)

It will be an interesting project to watch over the next few years. At Diglis Weir in Worcester they are installing a viewing gallery alongside the fish-pass chambers.

A couple of pics of Lincomb Weir:

lincomb_weir_fence_1024x800.jpglincomb_weir_fence_1024x800.jpg

The fish pass will be where I'm standing. I can't do that at present because the fence is under water and the weir is nowhere to be seen.

Happier times, the weir in summer:

lincomb_weir_1024x768.jpglincomb_weir_1024x768.jpg

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 28 Feb 2020 21:54

from:

Trevor Walling
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hello Marin,
The Shads probably adapted to changes on the river even before man came along and caused such a mess.So they should manage this as well hopefully.
Regards
Trevor.:)

posted: 6 Mar 2020 04:18

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I confess a child-like delight when my pictures appear on the Radio Paradise slideshow. :)

 http://radioparadise.com/home

Anyone can upload pictures to a web site, but it means a lot more when someone else chooses them to be displayed to the entire world.

Mike says that all accepted pics are used eventually, but there are quite a few of mine which I have never seen appear. Then tonight three of mine which I have not seen used before appeared within a space of 2 minutes:


farm_equip_1920_rp.jpgfarm_equip_1920_rp.jpg


stokecastle_farm_1280x800.jpgstokecastle_farm_1280x800.jpg


plough_1280_rp.jpgplough_1280_rp.jpg


A farming theme there, clearly.

On the other hand, there are a few of mine which seem to appear often. I have seen these two appear many times:


abermule_canal_1280_rp.jpgabermule_canal_1280_rp.jpg


timberhonger_farmhouse_1280_rp.jpgtimberhonger_farmhouse_1280_rp.jpg


The obvious explanation is how well the pics match to the theme of the music being played.

edit: Would you believe it? That last one appeared again while I was typing this. The song was "Almost Home" by Moby. :)

Anyone else tried submitting their pics? Go to:

 http://legacy.radioparadise.com/image_upload.php

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 6 Mar 2020 08:45

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

What is the top part of the barn like structure, next to the lock, built of please.

And off topic, has the river level dropped, last Friday the Stourport Fun fair was somewhat water logged.

Cheers

Phil.
Last edited on 6 Mar 2020 08:46 by Phil O
posted: 6 Mar 2020 13:59

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Phil O wrote:
What is the top part of the barn like structure, next to the lock, built of please.
Hi Phil,

It's corrugated iron. It's at Brynderwen Lock on the Monty, at SO 16283 95466.

From a 1984 guide to the canal:

"In the congested space between canal and road, a Shropshire Union Company warehouse, walled with brick in the lower part, and corrugated iron above, still carries its SU notice."

The upper doors are presumably level with a horse and cart, and would make a talking point on a model.

More info and a sunnier pic on Geograph at:

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1321938

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/462584

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/462583

Here's another pic:

2_060835_130000000.jpg2_060835_130000000.jpg

And off topic, has the river level dropped, last Friday the Stourport Fun fair was somewhat water logged.
Yes, the Severn is now back within its banks and falling. There is a live graph of recent levels at the Northwood (Bewdley) Monitoring Station, and a forecast for the next 36 hours, at:

 http://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/2001

The monitoring station is close to the SVR near the old Dowles Bridge at SO 78232 76165.

We get floods most years. This year was well above average, equalling the last bad flood in 2007, but not quite reaching the highest recorded level in modern times, in 2000.

But it certainly got more news coverage this year, and it's now blamed on climate change, although it didn't used to be. :?

A difference this year was the extremely rapid overnight rise on the weekend of storm Dennis, which took everyone by surprise. Usually there is a visible warning of rising levels for a day or two beforehand.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 6 Mar 2020 18:55

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
The upper part of the 'warehouse' may have been used for hay storage to feed the many horses used on the canals before the boats were internally powered. The doors are rather high to have been loaded on the level from a wagon floor but a man standing on the wagon with a pitch fork would be ideally placed to throw in the hay. These days horses are mainly just used for sporting or leisure and are fed on grain in many areas.

Rob


posted: 6 Mar 2020 19:32

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
These days horses are mainly just used for sporting or leisure and are fed on grain in many areas.

Quite a few of the many horses around here never seem to do much of anything, other than eat and produce fertilizer for the rhubarb. But they do keep the farriers gainfully employed. It's amazing how often horses need to be re-shod and have their nails done even when they are just standing around enjoying the scenery.

posted: 9 Mar 2020 06:26

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Progress report.

With the River Severn returned to normal winter levels, the roar of Lincomb Weir can again be heard across the nearby fields. A week ago I would have been in 5ft of water, and there was a strange silence as the weir had completely vanished under the flood.

fish_pass3_1500x1000.jpgfish_pass3_1500x1000.jpg


fish_pass4_1500x800.jpgfish_pass4_1500x800.jpg


The contractors have been able to make a start on preparing the work site for the fish pass:

fish_pass2_1500x700.jpgfish_pass2_1500x700.jpg


fish_pass1_1500x900.jpgfish_pass1_1500x900.jpg


I have also updated OSM accordingly:

 http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/52.32258/-2.26729

Martin.

posted: 9 Mar 2020 21:06

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

Thanks for the info, would be an interesting building for a canal and railway scene.

Glad to hear that the river level has returned to more seasonal levels, although tonight's tv forecast looks as if there's going to be another deluge overnight and tomorrow.

Cheers

Phil.

posted: 17 Mar 2020 00:04

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A sunny day today so did one of my favourite local walks. As you probably guessed if you compare today's pic with the first one in this topic. :)

astley_mud_2020_1472x828.jpgastley_mud_2020_1472x828.jpg


astley_tree_2020_1472x828.jpgastley_tree_2020_1472x828.jpg


I've eaten many a cheese & pickle sandwich on this bench, although today's was cheese & tomato.

astley_seat_2020_1472x828.jpgastley_seat_2020_1472x828.jpg


I lingered a little longer over lunch today, in fact I sat there for a good hour, taking in the view and listening to the sounds of nature. I'm now in the age group which has been much in the news today, so in a reflective mood and hoping I shall pass this way again.

Take care everyone.

Martin.

posted: 17 Mar 2020 00:21

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Not feeling too worried I hope ? Not sure I could survive in front of the PC without your pictures :) My wife has asthma so we will be somewhat restricted in the next few(?) months. We have a few boxes of food tucked away without being silly about the quantities.

I have been renovating a work area today to set up a couple of small lathes and a drill press etc. Maybe I will get some more actual modelling done rather than charging round to every show I can find and spending yet more money on projects I will never get to start.

Keep well and take care.
Rob

P.S. I have 2.21a TemplotMec stashed away just in case. Remind me if this is the most up to date one.


posted: 17 Mar 2020 00:45

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

Thanks for the kind words.

Not too worried, but maybe just a little. It's not turning out to be the year any of us had in mind. :(

The current version of TemplotMEC is 2.92. The download is at:

  http://sourceforge.net/projects/opentemplot/files/

(T2 will continue to 2.89, T3 began at 2.90 with an aim of 3.00 as a first full release.)

It's looking like I shall have plenty of computer time to get on with it. :)

Look after yourselves and stay well.

best wishes,

Martin.

posted: 17 Mar 2020 00:46

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Very nice, Martin! A thing I've noticed; the quality you're getting out of your Fuji seems so much better than what I've seen from the Fuji ILC models.

I am also in that age group. The "advice" seems a bit muddle. At one point it was said that over-70s with no health problems should just follow the same advice for everyone else, at another point it implied that we were in the group which should stay at home. I'll ignore the latter; walks keep me going in spite of dodgy legs. Also I'm pretty sure a quick dive into the local Morrisons at quieter times with a quick exit via the self-service tills is relatively safe. Likewise the garage I fill up at is quiet.

Whatever, I haven't been snapping of late but am determined to rectify that when the next bit of sun appears. Did get this one just west of Devil's Bridge a couple of weeks ago while driving home:
528_161941_220000000.jpg528_161941_220000000.jpg

and this couple on my one and only jaunt on Plynlimon this year, in early February:
528_161944_070000000.jpg528_161944_070000000.jpg

528_161945_460000000.jpg528_161945_460000000.jpg
Attachment: attach_3006_3228_hX_0063b.jpg     681

posted: 17 Mar 2020 01:20

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin, I have updated my 'backup' copy.

Rob


posted: 17 Mar 2020 01:28

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Very nice, Martin! A thing I've noticed; the quality you're getting out of your Fuji seems so much better than what I've seen from the Fuji ILC models.
Hi Nigel,
Yes I had heard of others saying that. I have the original Fuji X100 which is still great after all these years. When I had the X-Pro1 I was never quite as happy with the images. Maybe the fixed lens can be better optimized to the needs of a digital sensor ? Camera lenses are subjected to much more scrutiny than in film days.

Take care of yourself. I never thought I would be excited by the appearance of a pallet of toilet rolls in the supermarket......

Rob


posted: 17 Mar 2020 15:58

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Very nice, Martin! A thing I've noticed; the quality you're getting out of your Fuji seems so much better than what I've seen from the Fuji ILC models.
Hi Nigel,

Thanks for the great pics. That picture near Devil's Bridge had me reaching for my boots! :)

I wish I was a bit closer to some proper hills, without needing up to 2 hours drive each way.

It's not clear why a lens of similar focal-length should give different image results if it's fixed in place rather than interchangeable. Maybe the difference is somewhere in the sensor/firmware to allow for lenses of different focal length to be used?

An obvious difference in the X100F is the leaf shutter in the lens rather than the focal-plane shutter on interchangeable models. As far as I know the only likely effect of that on image quality is shutter-shock at slow speeds, but maybe there is more to it than that? The X100F also has an electronic shutter, although I have made little use of it.

An image on a web site such as this doesn't fairly represent the output from a camera. The X100F produces images at 24 megapixels (6000x4000). If resampled and reproduced here at say 1200x800, that's less than 1 megapixel. In other words 96% of the data recorded by the camera has been discarded. I know quality resampling doesn't quite work like that, but it's still obvious that only a tiny fraction of the recorded data is physically visible on the screen. It looks good only because the rest is filled in as a guess by our brains. I need to start shooting and processing RAW files and get my A3 printer going again to see what I'm really getting from the X100F. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 27 Mar 2020 21:32

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Now restricted to walking distance from home for the foreseeable future, so it will be a challenge to keep this topic going. At least it avoids the problem of trying to remember where I left the car. :)

I'm quite pleased with this from today's "Daily Boris" in the local fields, because it's a crop from less than 1/6th of the Fuji image:


local_tree_1200x800.jpglocal_tree_1200x800.jpg


In due course the tree will be in full leaf and the field will be bright yellow with rapeseed. Let's hope this whole dreadful business is no more than a memory by then.

Still a bit wet in places, but drying fast after a few nice days without rain:


local_pines_1280x720_rp.jpglocal_pines_1280x720_rp.jpg


Martin.

posted: 27 Mar 2020 22:44

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hello Martin,
Thanks for the pics. Considering we are only a couple of miles from the centre of Manchester we are pretty good for 'rural' places. At least my 3 year old slightly high mileage car will be a 4 year old 'average' mileage one by next year :(

Make the most of the rape seed fields. They have been on the decline for a number of years since the EU idiots banned the pesticide that was required to keep the bugs away and it is now hard to grow a decent crop in some areas. We will need to import a lot this year - although who knows where from ?

This chap - here - has a few videos on the trials and tribulations of modern farming. His other channel is full of real world reviews of fast and/or expensive cars which I suspect is of less interest to you. Search for 'Harrys Garage' on Youtube if you dare.

Take care.
Rob


posted: 28 Mar 2020 00:48

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Must confess I did nip up to Nant-y-moch reservoir (Pumlumon) on Tuesday, as much as anything to see if anybody was about; there were rather more cars than usual (about 6) when I visited last Sunday. On Tuesday it was absolutely deserted, almost eerily so; reminded me of the pic On the Beach. Whatever, I grabbed a walk. On the way there took this snap of Dinas reservoir:

528_271944_280000000.jpg528_271944_280000000.jpg

Have behaved since then. I'll review things around the middle of next week to see how things are, or are not, developing; the messages about driving to a walk are mixed at the moment.

Nigel

posted: 28 Mar 2020 15:20

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Nigel, that's a great pic. It's years since I was last there (and won't be again any time soon  :( ).

The rules about driving into the countryside for a walk are as clear as mud at present.

A close reading of the government web site is that the offence for which you can be fined is not the being there (if once a day, for exercise), but for refusing to follow the instructions of a police officer to go home when asked:

 http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others

But we don't want to turn Templot Club into Facebook, so it is probably best to leave it there.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 29 Mar 2020 05:16

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
On Tuesday it was absolutely deserted, almost eerily so; reminded me of the pic On the Beach.
Thanks Nigel,

The other day I was trying to remember the name of that film. Hopefully things won't get so bad that I feel obliged to hop into my sports car and do a "Fred Astaire" :)

Cheers!
Andy

posted: 28 Apr 2020 19:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Restricted now to a daily Boris walk, I've been looking back through some of my previous photos.

This time last year: 

lower_barge_lock_1400x900.jpglower_barge_lock_1400x900.jpg

I spent a long time looking at this picture. Because 60 years ago just here I used to sail my model boats with a friend. We always got wet. In those days the place certainly wasn't as neat and tidy as it is now.

Balsa wood kits, from memory Keil-Kraft? Driven by a little electric motor and a cycle lamp battery. I can smell the sanding-sealer now.

Which is the only explanation I can think of for having just ordered one of these:

  http://www.aero-naut.de/en/products/boats-accessories/boats/single-view/?tx_edxproductman_pi1%5Bproduct%5D=309100

Because I haven't looked at a model boat from that day to this. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 28 Apr 2020 20:06

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I had a balsa boat from that era, could have been Keil Kraft. Motor torpedo boat. It never really got finished and wasn't motorised. Think it was used as target practice for an airgun!

Also had a metal boat which had an interesting means of propulsion. A line of 3 burners fed from meths in a small tank were placed under a sort of metal bladder, from which a tube exited the rear of the boat. As the air in the bladder expanded it drove the boat.

Nigel

posted: 28 Apr 2020 20:09

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Lockdown pics from my the top of my garden.
528_281509_080000000.jpg528_281509_080000000.jpg

528_281510_090000000.jpg528_281510_090000000.jpg

Last edited on 28 Apr 2020 20:10 by Nigel Brown
posted: 28 Apr 2020 20:20

from:

Paul Boyd
 
Loughborough - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
There must be something in the air - this arrived today! Billing Boat FD.10 I also dug out, and put away again, a 1940s Sail King wooden yacht kit, bought complete and boxed from an antiques centre. I’ll build it one day!

posted: 28 Apr 2020 20:37

from:

Charles Orr
 
Leicester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I used to build those Keil-Craft Kits 60 years ago as well.

My grandmother bought them for me when we visited.

The fumes from the dope sealer convinced me that I should do a chemistry degree. :?

Happy days 

Charles

posted: 29 Apr 2020 21:28

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Paul Boyd wrote:
There must be something in the air - this arrived today! Billing Boat FD.10 I also dug out, and put away again, a 1940s Sail King wooden yacht kit, bought complete and boxed from an antiques centre. I’ll build it one day!
Hi Paul,

What a strange coincidence. :)

I had thought nothing about model boats for half a century until I was looking at that photo yesterday. And ordered a boat kit on pure impulse of the moment.

Of course yours is a proper scale model, mine will just be a toy boat to play with and pretend I'm 9 years old again. :)

I've ordered a cheapo radio-control package to go with it -- which hopefully will do double-duty for my experiments with 3D printed track.

Thanks all for memories of model boats.

Progress report from the fish pass at Lincomb. The site had been in lockdown for the past month, but this week they seem to have resumed work, with the arrival of some steel piles and a crane to do the pile-driving.

The floods here now seem ages ago.

fish_pass_29_04_2020_1536x864.jpgfish_pass_29_04_2020_1536x864.jpg


Boris permitting, I will wander down river in a day or two and see what's happening at Holt weir. It's in a much less accessible location than Lincomb. I believe their plan is to float all equipment down to the site.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 30 Apr 2020 11:34

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Boat kit just arrived.

Full marks in these difficult times to Howes of Oxford. Ordered Tuesday evening. Arrived early Thursday morning.

The kit is superb -- intricate precision laser-cut plywood parts and all the bits and bobs. With a full-colour illustrated instruction booklet.

I may be away from Templot for a while... :)

Martin.

posted: 1 May 2020 00:31

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Someone mention boats? Cranes?

greenore_crane_924x800.jpggreenore_crane_924x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 1 May 2020 03:31

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Someone mention Holt weir?

holt_weir_1280x720.jpgholt_weir_1280x720.jpg


holt_angler_1280x800.jpgholt_angler_1280x800.jpg

Martin.

posted: 1 May 2020 22:26

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

No..only you mentioned Holt Weir :) but I will now. Used to be a good Salmon venue in years gone by when the fishing was leased by the Birmingham Anglers Association. If my memory serves they even had a special parking area for fishermen by the lock. An old school friend inherited a house just outside Droitwich and I stayed a couple of times but lost contact with him.

You started the boat yet ? At least you won't have to cut round all the black outlines to make the parts like in the old days. Been there - done that :D except it was planes with me. I will stick with Tamiya plastic ones these days.

Rob



posted: 2 May 2020 04:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Used to be a good Salmon venue in years gone by when the fishing was leased by the Birmingham Anglers Association. If my memory serves they even had a special parking area for fishermen by the lock.
...
You started the boat yet?
Hi Rob,

Did you spot the angler in my first Holt pic?

Sure I've started the boat -- I opened the box. :)

Here it is laid out on the carpet -- mug of coffee added for scale. The overall finished length is 18".

2_012351_070000000.jpg2_012351_070000000.jpg

Hopefully before too long I won't be able to take such a pic again. But don't hold your breath.

p.s. Just noticed on the corner of the box -- age range 14 - 99. So I've only got 27 years left to build it, I shall need to get a move on. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 2 May 2020 05:21

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
If you get hooked Martin you might have to scale-up to this one.

http://www.aero-naut.de/en/products/product-search/single-view/?tx_edxproductman_pi1%5Bproduct%5D=307600&tx_edxproductman_pi1%5Bsearcharray%5D%5Bsubject%5D=307600&tx_edxproductman_pi1%5Baction%5D=show&tx_edxproductman_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=Product&cHash=7278ecb137cd30f0fad6aec065c04259

...and less expensive than than an O gauge loco.

Cheers!
Andy

posted: 2 May 2020 05:46

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Andrew Barrowman wrote:
If you get hooked Martin you might have to scale-up to this one.
Hi Andy,

Hooked? -- yes I know it's a fishing boat. :)

I looked at that one, but a bit expensive for an impulse purchase. If I enjoy building this one (and it doesn't sink) that one would definitely be on the list. You know how it is with hobbies -- one thing leads to another, and in no time you have a cupboard full of unmade kits. :)

Just at the moment I have 200 bedding plants to get planted. I'm doing a bit of communal gardening to cheer the place up for my neighbours in these trying times. It's bit early frost-wise to be putting them out (the plants, not the neighbours), but they are now too big to stay in their trays any longer. Long-range forecast says May will be above average temperatures, so I'm going to risk it. Well actually they are.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 2 May 2020 06:02

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Similar temps here. We're a lot further South but we're over 2000 feet up. I think we're done with frost but it could cool down again. I have gone skiing on Memorial Day here and that's at the end of May.

Last year my wife insisted we buy a vacant 1/3 acre across the road to protect our view of the lake. In hindsight it might have been a brilliant investment if we have to start growing our own food :)

Cheers!
Andy

posted: 2 May 2020 23:44

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Yes, I did spot the first angler. Thanks for the kit picture - it had me briefly confused as I thought the Land Rover coaster was a workshop manual until I realised how big the mug would have to be :) The kit instructions seem to have improved over the years. What happens to the kit if you are 13 or 100 years old ? I am not too sure there will be too many sales of it to the younger end of the age range.

Been in the garden most days recently making up the summer baskets and window boxes. Tomatoes are still in cover but think I will risk putting them out this week. I have grown a large number of sunflowers from seed so the street can have a go at growing them on. They will be calling me 'Little Weed' - that is from Bill & Ben in case you missed it.

Take care.
Rob




posted: 6 May 2020 20:16

from:

Trevor Walling
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hello,
      Looking south across the Lune towards Conder Green
Regards
Trevor. :)

2110_061515_130000000.jpg2110_061515_130000000.jpg

posted: 6 May 2020 20:26

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Trevor Walling wrote:
Looking south across the Lune towards Conder Green
Thanks Trevor.

"Grass again for lunch today. Didn't we have that yesterday?" :)

Martin.

posted: 7 May 2020 21:59

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
This week's report from the Lincomb fish pass. Piling in progress, neighbours deafened, fish stunned.

fish_pass_07_05_2020_1536x864.jpgfish_pass_07_05_2020_1536x864.jpg

If the lockdown restrictions are eased next week, I will wander down river and report progress from the other 3 sites.

I bet you can't wait. :)

Martin.

posted: 8 May 2020 00:12

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,
Thanks for the pic. You would think they could make the process of inserting piling quieter with some kind of shock absorber but the last time I heard some being done it was as noisy as ever.

Look forward to more pics from downstream. Thanks too for the replies on the timber colours and outside slips.

Boris has ordered the wettest summer since 1708 to keep us all inside anyway :( You may need a sou'wester and oilskins :D

Rob


posted: 8 May 2020 09:59

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
You would think they could make the process of inserting piling quieter with some kind of shock absorber but the last time I heard some being done it was as noisy as ever.
Hi Rob,

Looking at the uneven tops they have left on the piles, I'm assuming this is a temporary cofferdam to create a work area. Otherwise I hope they have worked out how to get the pile-driving machines out...

Martin.

posted: 8 May 2020 10:54

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
p.s. To see the drawings for the fish pass, go to:

 http://plan.malvernhills.gov.uk/plandisp.aspx?recno=76421

Click Documents.

Tick the copyright agreement box.

Scroll down to the Group Plans section. Click on the name of the drawing. "General arrangement" and "Plans and sections" are the main ones. It will be a PDF file.

Or tick the boxes on the left. Scroll to the bottom of page. Click Download Selected Files. You get a single ZIP file containing all the PDFs.

Sorry I can't provide links or post the drawings for copyright reasons.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 9 May 2020 00:34

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Rob Manchester wrote:
You would think they could make the process of inserting piling quieter with some kind of shock absorber but the last time I heard some being done it was as noisy as ever.
Hi Rob,

Looking at the uneven tops they have left on the piles, I'm assuming this is a temporary cofferdam to create a work area. Otherwise I hope they have worked out how to get the pile-driving machines out...

Martin.
Hi Martin,
I seem to remember seeing some piling take place a year or two back and they left the metal sections at different top heights although in that case it way more of a flowing curve to the tops rather than the random nature of the Lincomb ones. I understand they cut the tops level ( or to match the ground contour ) afterwards. Could it be something to do with the ground conditions ? If there were some patches of rock maybe some sections were easier to drive in although you would think they would do some trial borings.

Not sure if they would need a cofferdam here though :? - there doesn't seem to be a construction sequence on the plans page. Thanks for the link - pleased to see they are also putting in an eel and Lamprey pass.

Rob


posted: 9 May 2020 06:46

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob.

Looking at the photo of the work site, I'm wondering what this scene would have been when the weir was being built in the 1840s? Presumably just horses and carts and wheelbarrows. There was the lock chamber to build in addition to the weir in the river.

Steam shovels had only just been invented, this from 1841:

640px-Otis_Excavator_1841.jpg640px-Otis_Excavator_1841.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_shovel

I doubt one of those would have found its way to rural Worcestershire in time.

The raising of the river levels for navigation had several other effects, apart from blocking the fish. Several local fords became unusable. This area is called Larford (the village of Lincomb is on the other side of the river), but there is now no evidence of a ford at this site:

 http://maps.nls.uk/view/120899863#zoom=4&lat=7057&lon=13184&layers=BT

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 9 May 2020 22:15

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

That steam shovel looks rather delicate but must have been quite an invention in 1841 ( the year after Rowland Hill introduced uniform postage with the Penny black - 180 years ago last Wednesday ).

Amazing to think how many projects got built at all in those early railway days. I was thumbing through 'Railway through Talerddig' in the garden this afternoon.

Rob


posted: 10 May 2020 09:57

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote
Amazing to think how many projects got built at all in those early railway days. I was thumbing through 'Railway through Talerddig' in the garden this afternoon.
Hi Rob,

And roads. Telford's suspension bridge over Menai was opened in 1826. This pic is from 2004.

menai_2004_1500x800.jpgmenai_2004_1500x800.jpg

Telford died in 1834, so never saw a photograph of his bridge, digital or otherwise. Fox Talbot's first image was that very year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menai_Suspension_Bridge

cheers,

Martin.


posted: 10 May 2020 20:45

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin,
Thanks for the pic. I know the parking spot well. A nice trip along through Beaumaris for fish&chips and a walk round the lighthouse overlooking Puffin Island. Lovely views back over to Llandudno from there. Think I need a trip.... :)

Rob


posted: 10 May 2020 20:52

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Boris gives us permission to go out and about again, and at that very moment the Spring sunshine vanishes. :(

Where shall I go first? Apparently I mustn't wander over the border into Wales. As far as I can remember this is the first time in my lifetime that the Welsh boundary has become an actual border.

This isn't in Wales, so maybe. Nordy Bank hill fort in 2016.

nordy_bank_1024x1024.jpgnordy_bank_1024x1024.jpg

Martin.

posted: 10 May 2020 20:55

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Go on, Martin. Lead an invasion and rescue us from the clueless idiots making a hash of things!

Nigel

posted: 10 May 2020 21:20

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Nigel,

First we need to get the gaps in Offa's Dyke repaired. :)

offas_dyke_1280x960.jpgoffas_dyke_1280x960.jpg

Martin.

posted: 14 May 2020 23:32

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:

local_tree_1200x800.jpglocal_tree_1200x800.jpg

In due course the tree will be in full leaf and the field will be bright yellow with rapeseed. Let's hope this whole dreadful business is no more than a memory by then.

Two months on, and yes it's in full leaf:

tree_in_leaf_1200x800.jpgtree_in_leaf_1200x800.jpg

But no, this dreadful disease is far from over, and if anything more serious than we realised then.

The lockdown has sent a lot of new folks walking in the countryside -- many farmers are not happy to see crops being damaged and dogs off the lead around livestock. Hopefully the eased restrictions will send folks back to the usual beauty spots instead of their local fields. Here the farmer has carefully marked the line of public footpaths across his fields. As he is legally required to do, but most years doesn't bother just for me and a handful of others.

And no, not rapeseed this year. Rob 1, Martin 0. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 14 May 2020 23:59

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Pity I can't predict the lottery numbers too :( Did you take note of this years crop ?

Some farmers aren't too good at marking the footpaths across their fields, mind you in normal years many paths see little walking traffic. Failing a clear path being visible you can often get a clue as to the course of the path by looking out for stiles or gates on the other side of a field. A tree in the middle of a field often makes a good point to head to as they were often allowed to grow where walls used to exist that marked older and smaller fields.

If the field is fully sown and no path is visible I would usually take a route round the edges - on the high side of the field if in hilly ground  - less chance of churning up the mud and getting dirty boots.

Rob


posted: 7 Jun 2020 09:36

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A blustery walk yesterday evening.


fly_tipping_1480x1000.jpgfly_tipping_1480x1000.jpg


No doubt the fly tippers were thinking "this will add a bit of foreground interest to a photo". I've seen a lot of this lately. :(

But thankfully none looking back from there:


no_fly_tipping_1480x924.jpgno_fly_tipping_1480x924.jpg


Martin.

posted: 23 Jun 2020 17:34

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Another angler for Rob. :)

Neen Savage ford and weir, yesterday. SO 67490 77521


neen_savage_ford_1480x860.jpgneen_savage_ford_1480x860.jpg


His eyes were on the fish, but mine were on the bench -- somewhere to eat my lunch (cheese & tomato sandwich, hard-boiled eggs).


neen_savage_ford_1480x900.jpgneen_savage_ford_1480x900.jpg


Martin.

posted: 23 Jun 2020 20:20

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin.

Hope he caught something. There have been a few incidents at that ford ( and many other ones ). One poor lady was washed away and killed in her car a few years back. The road surface across fords is often covered with algae and doesn't let your tyres grip to prevent the car sliding sideways.

There is quite a pull on the water even when the level isn't very high on the gauge, see here

Rob


posted: 23 Jun 2020 21:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

Thanks for the link. I had forgotten about that accident.

Here's the footbridge in 2009.

neen_savage_footbridge_2009_1480x900.jpgneen_savage_footbridge_2009_1480x900.jpg

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 23 Jun 2020 22:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:

cleobury_barn_1280_rp.jpgcleobury_barn_1280_rp.jpg

Hi Martin,

Thanks for the mill details. It was used for corn according to the 1883/4 map ( when it was also not in use ). Did you take any more photos of the building. Get in close next time you pass by and find out what is under the chimney stack :? Are the bricks just stretcher bond ? I can't see any headers on the uploaded photo.

Rob
Hi Rob,

The next time I passed by was yesterday. Not much chance of getting in close or counting bricks:

walfords_mill_2020_1200x800.jpgwalfords_mill_2020_1200x800.jpg

I don't mind climbing a fence, but I didn't have an axe with me. :)  Amazing to see the change in just 4 years. Of course being in full leaf compared with the previous winter pic makes a big difference. I will see if I can remember to pass by again next winter.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:24

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,
Thanks for remembering my request on the old barn. It has changed but as you say the season has at lot to do with it. It has gained a new fence since too. I guess the 'danger' warning is in case the roof ( or the building ) falls down although it wouldn't have stopped me as a kid going to explore :D

Rob


posted: 7 Jul 2020 22:34

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A drizzly day today, but yesterday evening was nice. My walk took me past a fishery (Rob will be pleased). All manicured lakes and lawns. But not a soul about, so presumably still in lockdown.

fishery_lake_1480x1024.jpgfishery_lake_1480x1024.jpg


And past a cottage garden, where they believe you can't have too many watering cans.

watering_cans_1480x960.jpgwatering_cans_1480x960.jpg


Martin.

posted: 8 Jul 2020 13:35

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Good pics, Martin. Been mainly wet here since yesterday, but Monday was a dry, pleasant day. Celebrated Covid restrictions being eased in Wales by visiting my favourite haunt on the west side of Pumlumon for a bit of a walk. Legs badly out of practice on uphill! Here's a pic:

528_080833_380000000.jpg528_080833_380000000.jpg

Or rather there isn't! It hangs on Uploading please wait. Tried it last night and it did the same.

posted: 8 Jul 2020 13:40

from:

Paul Boyd
 
Loughborough - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Or rather there isn't! It hangs on Uploading please wait.
That just seems to be how it works these day - I find that if I just close the "uploading" window the picture is there in the gallery waiting for you.  It's presumably not how it should work!!
Cheers,
Paul

posted: 8 Jul 2020 14:55

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Paul Boyd wrote:
That just seems to be how it works these day - I find that if I just close the "uploading" window the picture is there in the gallery waiting for you.  It's presumably not how it should work!!
Hi Paul, Nigel,

No it isn't. Several users have been reporting this, but it was working fine here in Firefox. Until the latest Firefox update a couple of days ago. Now it's not working here either. :(

I will look into it. However, several weeks ago I did put a note below the button on the editor. Did anyone read it:

2_080950_470000000.png2_080950_470000000.png

p.s. Nigel, I have inserted your pic. Great lighting. Now that the Wales restrictions have been removed, I'm just waiting for a nice day to get back in the hills. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 8 Jul 2020 18:21

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Yes, always nice to see a fishery, thanks.

I have seen the upload 'hanging' issue a couple of times. I am still on Firefox 60.0.1 though so not too sure if a recent update may be the issue. My system reports that the latest is 72.0.2

Rob


posted: 8 Jul 2020 18:30

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Just tried the normal 'Upload new image for insertion' method and it doesn't work on my Firefox version, just hangs, however it does put the image into the Image Gallery.

Here is the same upload putting it in the Gallery first and then inserting existing image.

2001_081325_510000000.png2001_081325_510000000.png

Rob


posted: 9 Jul 2020 10:18

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob, Paul, Nigel.

I made some changes. The upload button is now working again, here at least (in Firefox):

2_090516_480000000.jpg2_090516_480000000.jpg

This forum runs on 20-year-old code. It has always been rock-solid, so I've stuck with it. But the browsers keep changing so much that it can't last forever (a bit like Templot). :(

Sooner or later I am going to have to bite the bullet and attempt to migrate 20 years worth of database content into a new forum software. But not today. :)

cheers,

Martin. 

posted: 9 Jul 2020 10:31

from:

Paul Boyd
 
Loughborough - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
105_090530_330000000.png105_090530_330000000.png  Yes, it works!!!!  Certainly on Chrome, anyway!  Thanks for fixing it.

posted: 9 Jul 2020 10:52

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Paul. :)

posted: 9 Jul 2020 13:59

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks a lot, Martin. I've been working through my archive of film snaps, so in celebration here's one of my Torridon snaps taken in 1999. My faithfull Nikon F601, 35-70 lens and Kodak Gold 100 film.

528_090859_020000000.jpg528_090859_020000000.jpg

posted: 9 Jul 2020 21:39

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
2001_091638_420000000.png2001_091638_420000000.png

Works here too :thumb:

Rob


posted: 9 Jul 2020 22:16

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Rob.

Did you make that all by yourself? :)

Martin.

posted: 9 Jul 2020 23:42

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Thanks Rob.

Did you make that all by yourself? :)

Martin.
Hi Martin,

Yes, with my left(wrong) hand :)

Rob

P.S. Some time ago you posted a pic for yourself with a Bridgeport mill. Which of your many vocations was happening at the time ?



posted: 9 Jul 2020 23:57

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
P.S. Some time ago you posted a pic for yourself with a Bridgeport mill. Which of your many vocations was happening at the time ?
Vocations or vacations?

Here's that pic again. It's from the early 1980s -- I don't look like that now. :)

2_091853_250000000.jpg2_091853_250000000.jpg

Not sure what your question means? I didn't know I had a vocation, let alone several? :?

Martin.

posted: 10 Jul 2020 00:45

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Just wondering why a picture of you had been taken next to the mill. Was it something to do with your work at the time ?

I doubt many of us look like we did 35 years ago. I certainly find it harder to get out of bed in the mornings :(

Rob


posted: 10 Jul 2020 02:15

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Just wondering why a picture of you had been taken next to the mill. Was it something to do with your work at the time ?
Hi Rob,

Yes, we made a lot of precision tooling on that machine. Including turbine blades and other aerospace components for Rolls-Royce, also some medical hip-replacement implants.

We converted it to CNC control ourselves. We chose the best of the mills, replaced the table screws with zero-backlash ballscrews and fitted stepper motors. We also added a Z-drive to the head quill to create a full 3-axis machine. In effect 4-axis, because we retained the manual lift screw on the knee which made it much easier to set up.

I built the drive electronics and wrote the control software to drive the 3 steppers in sync. And the 3-D stuff for the cutters -- I tended to write a one-off program for each job we got in, rather than create a general do-anything control program.  But it was slow -- the processor was running at a mere 1MHz (as they did in those days), and the maximum feed rate was only 5"/min. Which didn't matter for the precision toolmaking work we were doing, but would have been hopeless as a production machine.

It was in full-time daily use for about 15 years. It's currently installed on a farm in Shropshire, but hasn't been used for several years. About 10 years after the photo was taken, it made most of the tooling for the 7mm Hunslet loco kit:

2_172235_490000000.jpg2_172235_490000000.jpg

I don't know why Len took the photo. Probably no special reason -- he was a wedding photographer at weekends and often had his cameras with him. What I do know is that it was taken on a Monday morning -- our white coats didn't look like that by Friday. :)

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 10 Jul 2020 22:00

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Thank you, very interesting. The Hunselet can still hold it's own even after 25 years. The Dapol/Heljan RTR stuff is bringing a lot of people into 7mm scale who wouldn't maybe want or be able to build for kits/scratch build - but some of the design compromises are a bit of a let down.

Rob


posted: 10 Jul 2020 22:17

from:

Trevor Walling
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hello,
       Looking as young as ever Martin :cool:
Regards
Trevor :)

posted: 11 Jul 2020 04:56

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Talking of old motors, I found this sad reminder:


hillman_motors_lions_1480x832.jpghillman_motors_lions_1480x832.jpg


I like the lions on the roof. At least I think they are lions. Llandrindod Wells, August 2016.

Martin.

posted: 11 Jul 2020 05:12

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
p.s. Not so sad now. Two years later:

 http://goo.gl/maps/kx4K5TUKdaJW1ubq9

It was quite an empire:

 http://goo.gl/maps/E6vcCMUiwEEtbM2A7

Martin.
Last edited on 11 Jul 2020 05:29 by Martin Wynne
posted: 11 Jul 2020 23:50

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

I can remember a number of car dealerships from the past ( no pictures though :( ).

Sir William Rootes did make the odd mistake though - like quoting that the VW Beetle wasn't suitable as a mass market car ! Long live the Hillman Imp.

Rob


posted: 12 Jul 2020 14:24

from:

Judi R
 
Sutton-on-Sea - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
We should be thankful that the British motor manufactures didn't take on the VW Factory. They would have "improved" it and the car wouldn't have lasted 5 years.

Judi R

posted: 12 Jul 2020 21:39

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Judi R wrote:
We should be thankful that the British motor manufactures didn't take on the VW Factory. They would have "improved" it and the car wouldn't have lasted 5 years.

Judi R
Indeed!  Shudder to think of British cars which had something of their own being replaced by monstrosities. Morris Minor being replaced by the Marina, for example.

Nigel

posted: 12 Jul 2020 21:53

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel,
My first car was a Morris Marina :). It was 4 years old when I got it and it was rusting rapidly from both ends and the sills. But many happy weekends were spent replacing about 60% of the car and it went like a dream. It was the 2 door Super De-luxe model so it looked real cool with the vinyl roof. I did nearly 90,000 miles in it during the next 5 years before upgrading to a 1.8TC version with the MG B-series engine. The oil was all sludged up so I decided to put some flushing oil in and blast down the motorway - bad idea - the sump was nearly empty when I got home and the engine was blowing smoke from every gasket.

I loved ( not ) the torsion bar/lever arm shocks at the front and the cart springs at the rear - instant sea-sickness on a cobbled road :(

Oh for the memories.....

Rob


posted: 13 Jul 2020 00:35

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
IIRC correctly the Minor used torsion springs at the front. The VW had torsion springs all round. The VW benefited because the torsion bars were all enclosed in tubes which made them much less likely to fail due to corrosion.
ab

posted: 13 Jul 2020 02:04

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob

I knew somebody who had a Marina and kept a couple of concrete blocks in the boot. She said it improved comfort and handling no end!

Nigel

posted: 13 Jul 2020 10:46

from:

Graham Idle
 
Redhill, Surrey - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi,
As an aside to this thread they didn't just sell cars at this building, but aircraft as well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53353205

Regards, Graham
Martin Wynne wrote:
p.s. Not so sad now. Two years later:

 http://goo.gl/maps/kx4K5TUKdaJW1ubq9

It was quite an empire:

 http://goo.gl/maps/E6vcCMUiwEEtbM2A7

Martin.


posted: 13 Jul 2020 21:32

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Rob

I knew somebody who had a Marina and kept a couple of concrete blocks in the boot. She said it improved comfort and handling no end!

Nigel
Nigel,

If you had done that with mine they would have fallen through onto the road :D

Rob


posted: 16 Jul 2020 18:27

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
"Why has nobody been to see ME. I thought these places would have been popular :("

2001_161335_340000000.jpg2001_161335_340000000.jpg

Rob

Last edited on 16 Jul 2020 18:35 by Rob Manchester
posted: 29 Jul 2020 20:26

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
It's all happening at Bratch Locks, on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.


bratch_1280x800.jpgbratch_1280x800.jpg


Martin.

posted: 2 Sep 2020 20:31

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Two months on, and yes it's in full leaf:

tree_in_leaf_1200x800.jpgtree_in_leaf_1200x800.jpg


And now with the crop grown and harvested,

tree_again_1480x800.jpgtree_again_1480x800.jpg


and Autumn clearly in the air.

The lighting is never the same twice:

two_trees_1480x760.jpgtwo_trees_1480x760.jpg


The years roll on. That tree has seen them all, and will see a few more yet.

Martin.

posted: 2 Sep 2020 21:36

from:

John Lewis
 
Croydon - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin
Very nice!
What is the distant hill to the right of the tree in photo 2 (and 3), please?
John

posted: 2 Sep 2020 22:52

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Lewis wrote:
Hi Martin
Very nice!
What is the distant hill to the right of the tree in photo 2 (and 3), please?
John
My guess is the Wrekin :)

Rob


posted: 2 Sep 2020 23:00

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
John Lewis wrote:
Very nice! What is the distant hill to the right of the tree in photo 2 (and 3), please?
Thanks John.

That's North Hill (1302ft) at Malvern, about 14 miles away:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hill,_Malvern

We are looking almost due south at the northern end of the range of Malvern Hills -- here's the line of sight on the map:

 http://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/5984784/AstleyMalvern-Hills-line-of-sight

More about the Malvern Hills:

 http://www.malvernhills.org.uk/

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 2 Sep 2020 23:34

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
My guess is the Wrekin :)

Hi Rob,

Brave guess. :)

The Wrekin is about 27 miles to the north-west. There's high ground west of Bewdley in the way, and even without that it would require exceptional visibility. It would also put the sun in the north-east, meaning I was out very early in the morning. :)

But it is 33 feet higher than North Hill.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 3 Sep 2020 01:02

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Rob Manchester wrote:
My guess is the Wrekin :)

Hi Rob,

Brave guess. :)

The Wrekin is about 27 miles to the north-west. There's high ground west of Bewdley in the way, and even without that it would require exceptional visibility. It would also put the sun in the north-east, meaning I was out very early in the morning. :)

But it is 33 feet higher than North Hill.

cheers,

Martin.
Hi Martin,
Uh, my geography was a bit out then :(

I did look at the map after I posted and I thought it was a bit out of your territory to be up there apart from being in totally the wrong direction.

The paterns you get on fields always intrigue me. Previous crops sown in different directions and variable seed rates can show for several years afterwards. Maybe even the long forgotten pattern of old field boundaries before the farms went in for huge fields to make mechanised sowing and cropping more efficient.

Rob


posted: 3 Sep 2020 01:21

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I suppose it's all a bit relative. My PC is allegedly sitting at 2227 feet ASL and about 100 feet above the surface of a biggish lake :)

Fortunately the Pacific stops it getting too cold here in the Winter but it's a different story a bit further East on the other side of the Rockies. I can assure you minus 35 (pretty much the same in C as F) is not a lot of fun.

Currently about 80F in my shop/shed but there is no cloud cover so it will cool down a lot overnight.

posted: 22 Sep 2020 18:22

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
My walk in the Teme Valley yesterday took on a renewable energy theme.

Down on the farm.


high_point_solar_1480x760.jpghigh_point_solar_1480x760.jpg


High Point Solar Farm, with a capacity of 4.5MW from 14200 solar panels. More info and the live current output figures (not much at night):

 http://electricityproduction.uk/plant/GBR0004701/

What struck me was the silence -- I can't imagine many ways of generating 4.5MW which allow you to hear the birdsong.

Less controversial at the planning stage was this:


tetstill_mill_1200x800.jpgtetstill_mill_1200x800.jpg


Tetstill Mill, now using a water turbine to generate a more modest 14.4kW for residents in the village of Neen Sollars. More info:

 http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2014/08/13/shropshire-village-now-producing-its-own-electricity/


Lunch with a view.


tetstill_1400x840.jpgtetstill_1400x840.jpg


Hard-boiled eggs, oatcakes, cheese, Tetstill Farm.

I'm still very happy with the X100F, who needs a zoom lens when you can do this on the computer:


tetstill_1400x832.jpgtetstill_1400x832.jpg


And a couple for the chocolate box.


footrid_cottage_1100x840.jpgfootrid_cottage_1100x840.jpg


neen_sollars_churchyard_960x960.jpgneen_sollars_churchyard_960x960.jpg


Martin.

posted: 22 Sep 2020 22:01

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,
Nice pics - thanks for posting them.

There is more money to be made by a farmer with fields full of solar panels than crops and livestock. Not sure how good the solar technology is at maintaining output on dull days though :(

Some ( all ? ) of the wind turbine farms are very noisy when you get close and it doesn't help the landscape photographer unless they are considered modern art.

How do you find the battery life of the Fuji. I don't use my original X100 much these days but despite buying new batteries it seems to run fine and then just dies when the batteries start to discharge much - which may be 100-150 shots.

Rob


posted: 22 Sep 2020 23:32

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Some ( all ? ) of the wind turbine farms are very noisy when you get close and it doesn't help the landscape photographer unless they are considered modern art.
Thanks Rob.

Anything with moving parts is bound to make a noise. I don't know how much power that farm was generating while I was there in the afternoon sunshine, but it certainly wasn't making any fuss about it -- I couldn't hear a thing.

I don't find the solar panels themselves too obtrusive, it's all the fences and warning signs which spoil the countryside for me. There are more and more of them everywhere, alongside the railway too, and no-one ever takes one down. They will go on increasing for ever. Presumably the sheep in these parts can read:

2_221801_040000000.jpg2_221801_040000000.jpg

To be fair, they have planted some new hedgerows, but it will be a few years before they amount to much.

As a boy I was able to wander and explore anywhere -- I survived, and so did the countryside.

What is the environmental cost of making all those photo-voltaic cells? Maybe if they moved the rows of panels a bit further apart they could get a few rows of cabbages in between each row. :)

2_221810_350000000.jpg2_221810_350000000.jpg


I haven't had any battery problems at all with the X100F and never think about it. Yesterday I took 249 images with no noticeable effect on the battery level. It recharged via the USB in about an hour after I used it to transfer the images.

The X100F has a higher battery voltage and capacity than the earlier models. But the way it's used does make a big difference. I mostly use only the optical viewfinder, flicking to the EVF only very occasionally, and I use the rear LCD only to check what I've taken. But if you record video or burst mode or use focus mode C it does hit the battery. Just using the EVF in preference to the OVF will also hit battery life.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 23 Sep 2020 06:33

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Fresh air has been a rare commodity around here recently. We were stuck indoors for about a week trying to avoid the smoke from the fires that have been raging in California and Oregon. Reminded me a bit of the smog in the UK many moons ago.

We are fortunate to benefit form a substantial amount of hydroelectric generation here. The lakes are all around 2000 feet above sea level - lots of potential energy available. They'll start bypassing the turbines to lower the lake in a week or so to make room for the water as we move from the very dry season to the very wet season :)

posted: 23 Sep 2020 08:18

from:

Tony W
 
North Notts. - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin.
One problem with solar panels, as your photo clearly shows, is that very little grows underneath them, which can't be that environmentally friendly.
We have a growing number of them round here and from a distance it looks like we have a new lake.
Regards
Tony.
Last edited on 23 Sep 2020 08:22 by Tony W
posted: 23 Sep 2020 15:22

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Tony W wrote:
Hi Martin.
One problem with solar panels, as your photo clearly shows, is that very little grows underneath them, which can't be that environmentally friendly.
We have a growing number of them round here and from a distance it looks like we have a new lake.
Regards
Tony.
One of the claims when solar panels first appeared was that the fields could still be used for grazing. They obviously hadn't thought it out!
Nigel

posted: 23 Sep 2020 16:44

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Nigel Brown wrote:
Tony W wrote:
Hi Martin.
One problem with solar panels, as your photo clearly shows, is that very little grows underneath them, which can't be that environmentally friendly.
We have a growing number of them round here and from a distance it looks like we have a new lake.
Regards
Tony.
One of the claims when solar panels first appeared was that the fields could still be used for grazing. They obviously hadn't thought it out!
Nigel

Mushrooms?



posted: 23 Sep 2020 21:48

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
It might be possible to use them as greenhouses.

http://solarmagazine.com/solar-panels/transparent-solar-panels/

posted: 24 Sep 2020 00:19

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Times have changed since we were kids roaming the land looking for somewhere to play. My mum of dad would have given me a good slap if I got caught tresspassing. These days the signs are there so if you do go where you shouldn't the land owners can at least cover their backsides.

Seeing as Tesla seems to be the only electric car company that makes any sense maybe the solar farms could offer some kind of charge facility so you at least have enough power to get home. If they had little heated panels at the end of each row you could fry an egg for lunch instead of taking boiled ones.

Thanks for the thoughts on the Fuji. I only use the optical finder ( surely one of the cameras biggest features ) and rarely change settings or 'chimp' though the memory card. I just found somebody selling 'proper' Fuji brand batteries for mine rather than cheapo ones so maybe I will shell out for one and see how it goes. Do you shoot in aperture priority mode ? I do and usually set F4 ( or stop down a bit if it is very bright ) on the lens and let the camera work out the shutter speed. The lens is marginally less impressive at F2-2.8 but I guess it depends what you are doing with the pictures.

Rob


posted: 24 Sep 2020 01:08

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

Yes aperture priority. But usually around F/8 - F/11 for better hyperfocal depth of field. Then if the speed is slower than about 1/125 I up the ISO as necessary -- I can't hand-hold as steady as I used to. I've got ISO on the front wheel for quick changes -- the top dial is a bit small without my reading glasses.

For exposure I mostly use AE bracketing at +/- 2/3rds of a stop. This is the lazy way out of doing careful metering, usually one of the 3 images is good. :)

At present I'm trying to fathom how the auto-ISO works with AE bracketing. In theory you can set auto-ISO to maintain a minimum (slowest) shutter speed, but the bracketing messes it up. I did have it working fine, but I can't remember how I did it. :?

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 29 Sep 2020 20:33

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Sorry, must have missed your last Fuji related post.

The Fuji manual for the X100F isn't much help on AE bracketing with Auto ISO as I just looked. I find the multi-pattern metering mode works pretty well if you stay away from beaches, snow and other difficult situations which is a little odd as the original Amateur Photographer test from way back in 2011 found that the camera could easily produce differing exposures is similar lighting conditions if you just recomposed a little.

The spot metering mode works quite well as long as you have the sense to meter off a suitable part of the scene and think carefully about the dyanamic range you are trying to capture. Think I will stick to multi-pattern with -1/3 compensation for general use - it works pretty well.

Rob


posted: 29 Sep 2020 21:57

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
The Fuji manual for the X100F isn't much help on AE bracketing with Auto ISO as I just looked.

Hi Rob,

The chart on page 169 indicates that Auto ISO isn't available with bracketing. What it doesn't say is what ISO setting is used instead. It seems to go for 400 ISO for all three bracketed images when ISO is on A, although where that is set is a bit of a mystery.

It's puzzling, because I'm sure I found a setting which worked. And I can't see why it couldn't work -- do normal Auto ISO/min speed for the first image, keep ISO the same and adjust the shutter speed up and down for the next two.

I mostly use the Multi metering, although page 64 suggests that Average is good for landscape shots. When I've tried it, it has worked well. But not every shot is a landscape, and you can't change everything for every single shot. I suspect that using bracketing means that any differences between the metering modes (apart from Spot) are in effect cancelled out.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 10 Oct 2020 03:13

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
First hint of Autumn colours, a neatly trimmed hedgerow, new life at my feet. But a chill wind and leaden skies seemed to catch the national mood today.

village_school_1486x836q.webpvillage_school_1486x836q.webp


This is the first time I've used Google's WebP "weppy" image format instead of JPG. A smaller file for faster download but with better image quality. Allegedly. But if you are viewing in Safari you will need the latest update to see it. Other browsers have supported the format for years.

Martin.

posted: 10 Oct 2020 21:50

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

The image format needs the latest Firefox updates ( 72.0.2 ) with which it displays fine. Guess I should keep upto date :(

Rob


posted: 10 Oct 2020 22:51

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
The image format needs the latest Firefox updates ( 72.0.2 ) with which it displays fine. Guess I should keep upto date :(
Hi Rob,

??? That's not the latest, I'm on Firefox 81.0.1 :?

Weppy images have been working for ages here.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 10 Oct 2020 23:26

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin,

My system says it is on 72.0.2 and claims to be upto date. Sometimes things like this don't always go up in one jump. Maybe I need a reboot :)

Rob


posted: 10 Oct 2020 23:40

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Rob,

Are you on the Release Channel? This is what I'm seeing:

 http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/81.0.1/releasenotes/

Firefox channels:

 http://wiki.mozilla.org/Software_Update:Channels

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 11 Oct 2020 01:02

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
81.0 here. Looks fine. Lasts a long time :)

posted: 11 Oct 2020 23:21

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
Hi Rob,

Are you on the Release Channel? This is what I'm seeing:

 http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/81.0.1/releasenotes/

Firefox channels:

 http://wiki.mozilla.org/Software_Update:Channels

cheers,

Martin.
Hi Martin,
Thanks for the Firefox channels. No, I am not on them. My system is now up to date with yours :) after switching on tonight.

Rob


posted: 22 Oct 2020 19:37

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
A sunny walk today.


astley_sunny_1482x832.jpgastley_sunny_1482x832.jpg


Martin.

posted: 27 Oct 2020 23:21

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Wet lunchbreak:

kier_orange_1440x900.jpgkier_orange_1440x900.jpg


fish_pass_october_1280x900.jpgfish_pass_october_1280x900.jpg


Martin.

posted: 27 Oct 2020 23:25

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Gone fishing.

fishing_lakes_1280x900.jpgfishing_lakes_1280x900.jpg

Martin.

posted: 28 Oct 2020 00:15

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Yes I saw you posted a fishing shot for me - thank you :) How is the new fish pass shaping up ?

Rob


posted: 28 Oct 2020 00:37

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
How is the new fish pass shaping up ?
Hi Rob,

Very slowly. They are well behind schedule after the covid interruptions, and now facing a second floods season. See above:

 topic 3228 - message 31178

It was intended to be finished by now. The 6-month closure of the public footpath has had to be extended.

Down at Holt, the works compound is upstream of the weir, and all equipment is being floated down past the pub beer garden as needed:

2_271934_020000000.jpg2_271934_020000000.jpg

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 28 Oct 2020 01:13

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin,

I do look forward to the day we can all get back to normal - but who knows when that will be :(

Rob


posted: 28 Oct 2020 13:23

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:

I do look forward to the day we can all get back to normal - but who knows when that will be :(

Hi Rob,

It's not all doom and gloom:

 http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/oct/25/we-are-railing-britain-embraces-the-joys-of-the-humble-train-set

Martin.

posted: 28 Oct 2020 19:25

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Thanks Martin,

There are a number of rich ex-music people into playing with trains as you probably know. I have shared breakfast with Pete Waterman a couple of times in recent years and he told me he finds it so very relaxing and great for those chill-out moments ( maybe he hasn't tried Templot yet :)).

I bet Bachmann and Hornby have done very well with sales this year. Ebay prices are silly at present. DPD and the other courier companies are expanding like mad. Shame lots of people in other areas have lost jobs and are struggling.

Rob


posted: 28 Oct 2020 19:41

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote: 
( maybe he hasn't tried Templot yet :)).
Hi Rob,

I'm aware that the "Templot-using" end of the hobby is shrinking -- if not in absolute terms, certainly as a proportion of the whole with the return to traditional train sets and other hobbies (the boat kit awaits ...  :) ).

For the sheer escape-value of model making, I have today updated the "video of the week" (button top left of Templot Club).

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 29 Oct 2020 17:06

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
I bet Bachmann and Hornby have done very well with sales this year.
Hi Rob,

You weren't wrong -- this today:

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54729801

Martin.

posted: 29 Oct 2020 18:26

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,
I will have a think about the lottery numbers for the weekend and let you know :D

Pity Hornby doesn't make stuff in this country these days, still guess we are used to buying foreign 99% of the time.

Rob


posted: 4 Dec 2020 17:46

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
This has made me angry:

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/18919164.pictures-shocking-destruction-enchanting-herefordshire-riverbank/

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/horror-destruction-nationally-important-uk-river

:(

Martin.

posted: 4 Dec 2020 18:25

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Seems like an environmental disaster, I can't see what benefit it creates for the landowner.

Phil.

posted: 4 Dec 2020 18:47

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Phil O wrote:
Seems like an environmental disaster, I can't see what benefit it creates for the landowner.
The only reason I can think of is that he is planning some sort of water-sports. A mile is a long length to straighten. But for most of the summer it is quite shallow.

I think this is the stretch affected, near Kingsland:

 http://goo.gl/maps/gtoWXomjEuArx2g78

 http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/52.25496/-2.81074

Martin.


posted: 4 Dec 2020 21:34

from:

Trevor Walling
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hello,
Whatever the plan it is hardly a match for what has been ripped out of the local countryside. People who know the price of every thing but the value of nothing springs to mind.
It will be impossible to replace something that took millennia to develop naturally. It makes me think of what has been done across the country to accommodate modern agricultural machines(tractors) and their usage. :(
Trevor.

posted: 4 Dec 2020 21:41

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:
This has made me angry:

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/18919164.pictures-shocking-destruction-enchanting-herefordshire-riverbank/

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/horror-destruction-nationally-important-uk-river

:(

Martin.
Hi Martin,

Yes I saw that too : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-55193809



Shame. I have a word for people who do that kind of thing - it rhymes with people who work at Barclays and HSBC :shock:



Rob


posted: 4 Dec 2020 23:15

from:

Andrew Barrowman
 
USA

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Shame. I have a word for people who do that kind of thing - it rhymes with people who work at Barclays and HSBC :shock:
Ah yes, philistines.

Whoever did that is truly disgusting. I hope they get hammered in the courts.

posted: 5 Dec 2020 07:43

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I see that it made the BBC national news last evening.

Phil.

posted: 7 Dec 2020 18:59

from:

richard_t
 
Nr. Spalding, South Holland - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
499_071357_490000000.jpg499_071357_490000000.jpg499_071357_080000000.jpg499_071357_080000000.jpg



A golden moment yesterday, snapped, with my lens poking out of the bathroom window … that was still cold enough! (He says, after some tidying in the garden for 3 hours...) It's one of the reasons I love living here (despite the frost on the inside of the windows, the leaky conservatory, the fence that needs replacing, the heating system that isn't...)

All the best



posted: 18 Dec 2020 00:20

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

Are you done with organising all the old negatives from your younger years ?? It seems somebody thought the world may have thousands of rolls of film to sort through. See here :

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/valoi360/valoi-360-scan-your-film-with-a-digital-camera

Rob


posted: 18 Dec 2020 02:50

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
Hi Martin,

Are you done with organising all the old negatives from your younger years ?? It seems somebody thought the world may have thousands of rolls of film to sort through. See here :

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/valoi360/valoi-360-scan-your-film-with-a-digital-camera

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the link.

No I'm not done. However I'm not sure I have much more that will be worth posting, it is mostly typical family and holiday stuff. I didn't have a lot of time to roam the countryside taking photos after I started 85A in the mid-70s.

Also with my Canon SLR I changed from home-processed B&W to commercially processed colour negative. Scanning them now I'm quite disappointed with the quality compared with the earlier B&W stuff taken with the Konica rangefinder. I can't really understand why I ever changed to an SLR in first place, and now of course I have switched back to the Fuji X100F without noticing the loss at all.

In any event, that gadget is intended for rolls of film. All my negatives have been cut into strips of 6 for storage in negative albums, so it wouldn't be much help.

I haven't really had any problems with the film strip holders for the Epson scanner. The big problem is DUST and STATIC, even the tiniest speck becomes enormous when scanned at hi-res. I have an air-blast duster, do scanning only in damp weather, wear only a cotton shirt, etc., but still have problems. This gadget appears to do nothing to solve the dust problem, which seems to me to be by far the biggest issue making neg scanning such a pain. The so-called dust-removal software is useless.

Have I posted this one here before?

2_172143_080000000.jpg2_172143_080000000.jpg

Trawsfynydd Nuclear Flask Tranship Yard, August 1969.

That was scanned at low-res with the old scanner before I got the Epson. It would be worth looking out the neg and scanning it again.

cheers,

Martin.  

posted: 18 Dec 2020 09:45

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
I'm thankful that I quickly tired of colour slides, even though they were touted as what serious photographers took, and took to colour prints, which were starting to reach decent quality, in the 1980s. I kept the prints in albums, and find they scan quite well. Here's one I've just scanned dating from 1993, up Liathach in Glen Torridon:

528_180445_040000000.jpg528_180445_040000000.jpg

Nigel

posted: 18 Dec 2020 19:16

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Martin,

No, I don't remember your shot of Trawsfynydd, although I have seen several others over the years.

There has been a renewed interest in film cameras in the last few years both in 35mm and 120 formats. I think I missed an opportunity to make some money by buying lots of equipment and re-selling it now the prices have gone back up again. It is seen as retro and cool to carry a film camera - especially if you have one that needs no batteries. I seem to remember seeing a light-meter app for your phone too.

Dust. Yes, always a problem - and Newton's rings on glass holders. We used to have a high end scanner at work that cost many thousands. It had some kind of blower pump ( or was it a vacuum ? ) and the negative was squeezed through some kind of oil bath onto the scanner unit.

Rob


posted: 18 Dec 2020 20:27

from:

Jim Guthrie
 
United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Rob Manchester wrote:
We used to have a high end scanner at work that cost many thousands. It had some kind of blower pump ( or was it a vacuum ? ) and the negative was squeezed through some kind of oil bath onto the scanner unit.

Known as wet gate printing in the film laboratory industry and used extensively from the late 1970s to make prints from negatives.   It was also used on telecines to transfer print or neg onto video.   Not too nice a process,  requiring good ventilation.  The ideal liquid to use was Perchloroethylene,  or "Perc",  quite a hazardous substance.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-transfer_film_gate


Jim.


posted: 18 Dec 2020 21:20

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Hi Jim,

Yes, that sounds familiar. I can remember the smell now - like dry cleaning fluid. I seem to remember lots of work being carried out for museums and places like John Rylands library here in Manchester.

There were later developments with lower health risks. Drum scanners were made by some of the big photographic names in the 80's and 90's I seem to remember.

Rob


posted: 25 Dec 2020 23:48

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Christmas Day at the fish pass:

fish_pass_xmas_1480x900.jpgfish_pass_xmas_1480x900.jpg

Recently they had been pouring concrete for the fish slots, but it's now all underwater again. It should have been finished 6 months ago, but this year's Covid problems have pushed them so far behind that they are into the flood season again. It could be like this on and off for the next 3 months.

Notice that the weir is almost invisible -- in these conditions the fish don't need a pass!

Martin.

posted: 26 Dec 2020 02:23

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

click the date to link to this post
click member name to view archived images
view images in gallery view images as slides
Martin Wynne wrote:

Notice that the weir is almost invisible -- in these conditions the fish don't need a pass!

Martin.
Martin,
In these conditions I don't think the fish will be bothering to come :(
Rob

Last edited on 26 Dec 2020 02:24 by Rob Manchester


Templot Club > Forums > Off track > Fresh air and photos
about Templot Club

Templot Companion - User Guide - A-Z Index Templot Explained for beginners Please click: important information for new members and first-time visitors.
indexing link for search engines

back to top of page


Please read this important note about copyright: Unless stated otherwise, all the files submitted to this web site are copyright and the property of the respective contributor. You are welcome to use them for your own personal non-commercial purposes, and in your messages on this web site. If you want to publish any of this material elsewhere or use it commercially, you must first obtain the owner's permission to do so.
The small print: All material submitted to this web site is the responsibility of the respective contributor. By submitting material to this web site you acknowledge that you accept full responsibility for the material submitted. The owner of this web site is not responsible for any content displayed here other than his own contributions. The owner of this web site may edit, modify or remove any content at any time without giving notice or reason. Problems with this web site? Contact webmaster@templot.com.   This web site uses cookies: click for information.  
© 2020  

Powered by UltraBB - © 2009 Data 1 Systems