Colours

As the wind and rain drives like a fast train towards me, the bright sun here just moments ago lights up the sky and sea with rainbows. The spot is a high headland above the Cornish cove of Chapel Porth. HBM. Enjoy full screen and have a good week.

Looking like a scene from Tolkiens Lord of the Rings (Mount Doom), one could hardly imagine colours to paint a scene like this. The result of both natural ores near the surface and man’s ability to wreak havoc with nature. Love or hate it, you have to confess it looks impressive. “Parys Mountain is located south of the town of Amlwch in north east Anglesey, Wales. It is the site of a large copper mine that was extensively exploited in the late 18th century. Parys Mountain (Mynydd Parys) is a mountain in name only, being a hill with an elevation of barely 150m. It was mined for copper ore in the early Bronze Age, as shown by sub-surface debris nearly 4,000 years old revealed during excavations in 2002. Parys Mountain is one of the few sites in Britain where there is evidence for the prehistoric beginnings of the British metal mining industry. The 18th century miners recognised that they were following in the steps of much earlier workers, an observation that was then linked to the discovery locally of copper ingots bearing Roman inscriptions. In 1764 Charles Roe of Macclesfield was granted a 21-year lease to work the mountain for copper. Rowland Pugh, a local miner, discovered the "Great Lode" on 2 March 1768. Although the ore here was of low quality, this was more than compensated for by the fact that it occurred in two large masses close to the surface. Initially ore was worked on the surface from shallow shafts, next by open-pit mining and finally underground from adits or from shafts. The ore was broken into small lumps by hand, the best ore being shipped to Lancashire or to the Lower Swansea valley in South Wales through the port of Swansea for smelting. Copper was concentrated and extracted from the remainder using kilns and furnaces on site. It was also discovered that purer metal could be obtained efficiently, although in small amounts, by its precipitation from drainage water with scrap iron in purpose-built ponds Parys Mountain dominated the world's copper market during the 1780s, when the mine was the largest in Europe. Its rise severely damaged the mining industry in Cornwall. The copper from the mine was used to sheath the British Admiralty's wooden ships of war. Since 1988, Anglesey Mining plc, which owns the western part of the mountain has discovered resources of 6,500,000 tonnes containing 10% combined zinc, lead, copper with some silver and gold and has permits and a plan to restart mining operations at 350,000 tonnes per year. Due to the high level of soil contamination, plant life is sparse on or near the mountain, but there are a number of examples of rare plants and bacteria. The bare, heavily mined landscape give the mountain a strange appearance which has been used in the filming of science fiction films and television shows such as a scene in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.” WiKi Enjoy full size as usual.

What can be more pleasant than a weekend walk along the canal on a dry sunny autumn morning? Here we are in the small town of Mossley, one of those places where new homes are springing up by the week, so a walk along the canal path with someone you love or maybe your dog is a real bonus. For me though, it would never be the same without such light and reflections that give me the feeling that someone more powerful is also accompanying us here. As is usual with my photos, best viewed full screen

A retro look at the best of Autumn here at Dovestones Reservoir. This is Chew Brook, one of my old Panoramio uploads. Enjoy full screen

Another chance here to see the exact same rainbow as I posted with a fence just a few days back. (see PiP) This time we see it with a wall instead of the wooden gated fence and unlike the other, this shows both ends too. Another two-photo stitch with unfortunately the left side being not as sharp as the right but I hope you will forgive me for posting it in despite of that. Again a few rain drops highlighted as noise near the bow itself from the bright light behind me. Enjoy full screen. Happy Wednesday Wall

Is it any wonder that I just love this season, when I can get out and take photos like this. Making me be glad to be alive, making me gaze in wonder at natures lovely creations. When it comes to climate change worries around our world, this scene reminds us what we are fighting for. Taken on a walk only some minutes away by car, at the village of Delph in Saddleworth, showing a small private fishing lake, with our public pathway running alongside it Enjoy full screen.

Once again my local Tandle Hills Park takes centre stage for a fence. This time in the heart of Autumn and demonstrates just what a beautiful season this can be. For me though, the large centre tree tales the prize for dragging my eyes to that marvellous trunk pattern and light. Best full screen Have a great weekend. Herb

A view to Alderman’s Hill on the left and one of my favourite silver birch trees on the right. All hanging together in this lovely light as I shoot this from the edge of Dovestones reservoir here near my home. The traditional wall is of course the dry-stone variety, ie no cement nor mortar between the heavy square or flat sand-stones which were once quarried nearby. PiP Have a good day.

September: As Covid retains its grip here in Kendal, we see how the local population have to protect themselves even in the open-air to purchase fresh provisions. We all hoped that 2021 would be better –safer than that dreaded year of 2020 but after early hopes, all was to disintegrate into new health fears and regulations set to protect us all. As I write this three of our British nations have put more stringent precautions in place with England expected to follow suit in the New Year. Mainland Europe and indeed many areas of the world are experiencing their highest Covid cases to date with the onslaught of the new variant Omicron. Ah well, for us here at this home, we carry on regardless, taking photos and trying to enjoy our lives whilst keeping safe and seeing our family periodically. Naturally, wearing mask and being as inoculated as possible is essential for all. Enjoy full screen.

We are on the way back south after our visit to Handa Island and a detour takes us along a very scenic road near the hamlets of Drumbeg and Nedd with views north towards Loch Dhrombaig and Eddrachillis Bay. This is wild country and it takes a lot of will power, work and luck to survive for any length of time here. An old dwelling, long since abandoned testifies to this and makes us wonder. Enjoy full screen

A colourful view of the famous mile here at Blackpool taken some years back. The tower has long since been restored to its former glory. It is in its ballroom that we have enjoyed a few tea dances. To the right of this fence you can see glimpses of the tramway pylons and a tiny part of the illuminations that are switched on every September. Enjoy full screen and have a great weekend.

It’s not often that I show wall murals on here but I make an exception for this that depicts a subject close to my heart: railways. This is a Class 155 Super Sprinter belonging to the Northern, Trans Pennine Express company, almost in the Ukrainian flag colours. The building that it is painted on stands just in front of the main Rochdale to Manchester line in an area known as Castleton, Rochdale. These exact trains currently run up and down this line. Enjoy full size and have a good week. Our thoughts reach out to Ukraine.

A look back to Summer 2016. Lincolnshire, often said to be the bread basket of England. The poppies and colours here are a poignant reminder of what is happening to our friends in the Ukraine. Our thoughts are with you! Enjoy the day in peace. Herb

Bringing home the summer of 16 we see here a snapshot of a tiny part of a vast field of wheat. This taken in our county of Lincolnshire that has quite a few fields of such. Not only did I like the shape but also the texture and sound of this crop. Enjoy full size.

A trip to the SVR (Severn Valley Railway) gives us a chance to see the GWR 1450 at Bridgenorth. A Collett class 0-4-2T designed to work on small branch lines and first started service at Oxford in 1935. After 14,000 miles it has now been sent for its boiler overhaul. Besides this most charming engine we have the luxuriant fence and lamp which are all in keeping. Enjoy full size! HFF, enjoy the weekend.

A local walk testing a new-to-me 50mm lens brings me to share this blooming wild flower. These are always pleasant to see and are favourites for our wild bees. Enjoy full screen.

It was not all green like this but there was a lot of this green sea-weed just in this corner. In other places I might have thought it some kind of pollution but this looked in good condition and so must be quite natural. This is in fact an old whaling station cove in County Mayo Ireland. Long since abandoned. Essential full screen

A look at our Autumn colours in my local Saddleworth area. Here is a glimpse of the Huddersfield narrow canal at Uppermill. Enjoy full screen.