Category Archives: Travel

No Low Flying in These Valleys Today

There were a couple of days while we were in the Lake District when the weather was misty. In some places, it burned off as the day warmed up but in others it lingered. The Lakes can be a popular place for low level flying by military jets but, when the mist stays, there is not going to be sufficient visibility to get down low and fast. While I might have liked to have some planes come through, the contrast with the lower parts of the valleys in the clear with the mist on the hills around was very appealing.

Herdwick Sheep

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I wasn’t previously aware that there is a breed of sheep that is predominantly localised to the Lake District. These are Herdwick Sheep. They are well suited to the rugged terrain of the Lakes and can handle living in the exposed countryside throughout the year. They have quite a distinctive look and the colours of their fleeces are unusual. We saw plenty of them during our visit and I loved the different looks of them as they age. My favourite is when they are in the grey phase. I just thought they looked really interesting.

Buttermere Looks Gorgeous

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We took a trip to Buttermere while up in the Lakes. Buttermere is not a huge lake so provides a nice walk around its perimeter. When we got there, it was still quite misty, but the sun progressively burnt through, and we were treated to some lovely views along the shore and across the water. Here are a few shots I took while we walked around the lake.

Up on Saddleworth Moor

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The first day of the charity bike ride I did across the UK took us 74 miles starting in Liverpool to end up in Huddersfield. The first sections of the ride were really pretty flat, and we made good progress. However, the second part of the route took us up into the hills as we crossed from west to east. After leaving Oldham, we headed up onto Saddleworth Moor. I have driven across this way on the M62 more times than I can recall when work used to need me to head across to Brough. This was the first time I went across under my own steam. It was quite a climb. Of the group I was riding with, a couple of us were the ones that were the slowest. Just a long steady grind up the hills. You might not be surprised to note that I wasn’t stopping to take pictures. However, when I reached the summit before the long descent into Huddersfield, I was able to grab a couple of images of the b leak beauty that is Saddleworth.

Sizergh Castle Gardens

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Nancy had been to Sizergh Castle before but, for some reason, in all the time we lived in Lancashire, I had never been there. We rectified that during our recent trip to the Lake District. When it comes to places like this, we are not terribly interested in the interior of the buildings. The exterior and the grounds are usually what we want to explore. Sizergh was a nice enough looking building, but the gardens were excellent.

A Cedar of Lebanon tree is always going to get my attention because I love the layered effect of the branches. They have one very close to the main building. A walk through the wood brought us to a Japanese garden which was very attractively laid out and only open to walk through on certain days. This meant thee weren’t people getting in the way of photos too often!!

Back near the house was a more structured garden. This included a lot of acers, and, at this time of year, they had turned a delightful colour. One of the staff at the entrance had said they shouldn’t be missed and he wasn’t wrong. I was glad I had brought along my polariser. I have no idea why I hadn’t made the effort to visit previously but that omission is now rectified.

Hurst Castle and the Needles

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I don’t know for certain whether I have ever previously taken the ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth. Something tells me I might have done so at one point, but I have no idea why I would have done so. Anyway, I definitely have made the crossing now because we took a trip across to Yarmouth. As we were crossing the Solent, there were some interesting views down the water towards the Needles. Hurst Castle marks the narrowest point between the mainland and the Isle of Wight. Getting both the castle and the Needles in view was possible. The distance difference meant a little careful processing was necessary to have clarity of both elements, but I loved the compression a long lens provided of this view.

Yarmouth Mill

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Being in Hampshire makes a day trip to the Isle of Wight a simple option. We decided to go to Yarmouth for the day. Despite having lived on the Island for many years, Yarmouth is a place in which I spent remarkably little time. I would usually pass through, but it is a place with a bit to offer for a day trip. We walked around the harbour and out towards the marshes to head to a lunch spot. This took us passed the old mill building. It is an imposing structure and a sign of what might have been a busy place in days past. Here are a couple of shots of this cool looking place.

Walking the Waterfront in Liverpool

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I have only previously been to Liverpool once before. That was for an appointment back when we lived in Lancashire and it was pretty much an in and out visit. I never saw the city itself. I was finally there in September as it was the starting point of a charity bike ride I was participating in. I got there the day before we started and had some time later in the afternoon to walk around and explore with some of my fellow riders.

The Albert Dock was something I was familiar with from the time when it was the location for a breakfast TV show. Everyone knows the Liver Building. Other buildings along the water tell the story of how important Liverpool was as a trading port. The docks also include some old boats as a part of the tale of the city’s history.

It wasn’t like I had a ton of time to explore the city in depth but it was nice to see a bit of it on a lovely afternoon. The following day, I got to see a lot more of the area as a whole as we started our ride across the country. Lots of parks and old architecture hinting at what the city has to offer but no photos of those because I was busy riding!

Hoodoos on a Smaller Scale

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Many years ago, we visited Bryce Canyon in Utah. It is famous for its rocky pillars known as hoodoos. I was slightly surprised to see signs about hoodoos in Banff when we were staying in Alberta. We took a diversion along the road to the overlook for these hoodoos. They are down on the slopes towards the river, and the overlook is some distance from them. Clearly not the same number of them than you get in Bryce but still just as interesting a formation. It was a worthwhile diversion since it didn’t take us far out of our way. To be honest, the view of the river valley was the more impressive element of the visit.

Ozzy the Bull

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I travel through Birmingham New Street Station a lot these days. It is a connection for a bunch of my journeys and sometimes a destination in its own right. The station had a major rebuild a few years ago and one of the features in there now is Ozzie. Ozzie is a huge mechanical bull. It is such an imposing device and I do find it cheers me up. If you are ever heading that way, do find the time to check it out.