Yachts, Lydney Harbour

Lydney Harbour is the name given to the lock and canal that connected the town and railway at Lydney with the River Severn. It is an early C19 undertaking that was built to ship coal and iron out of the Forest of Dean. Access to the Severn was possible only within half an hour of high tide. The historic harbour area is currently undergoing restoration as a tourist attraction. My photograph shows the old canal nearest the lock that is now a marina for yachts and launches. They are still able to use the lock to get out to the River Severn and the sea beyond the estuary.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Thinking about crocuses

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I don't often think about crocuses. I see them when the flower buds begin opening in February. I notice when the house sparrows have been pulling them apart. And, as large and small drifts of the flowers appear in lawns and borders, I observe their often untidy appearance as those past their best stand alongside the more recent.  But, as I was taking these two photographs it occured to me that crocuses are one of those flowers that look best from nearby, are somewhat disappointing from a distance, and often look best in direct sunlight. Moreover, I definitely prefer the purple-petalled variety with their yellow/orange stamens than those with yellow or white petals.

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The first of these photographs is of more natural looking crocuses growing up through the ivy and early greenery of a churchyard. It's the one I prefer. The second photograph shows quite striking flowers clustered in a characteristic garden display.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Highland cow, Woorgreens Nature Reserve

Woorgreens Nature Reserve is an area of heathland in the Forest of Dean. It is 104 acres (42 hectares) in size and includes a small lake and wet areas. The site is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust who are seeking to retain and widen its heathland characteristics to make it attractive to a greater range of wildlife. They are employing three types of large grazing animals to help them achieve their target. Highland cattle are the largest and we came upon several gathered under a stand of conifers by the edge of the reserve. This particular animal, one of the traditional ginger coloured animals - there are black Highland cattle too - posed very nicely to have its photograph taken. My first impression was that the cattle had cowbells round their necks, but closer inspection showed them to be GPS collars to ensure that the cattle remain in the required areas.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Razor wire

I've photographed razor wire a few times over the years and when I come across a fresh string of this devilish stuff I usually examine it for a shot. This razor wire was defending the yard at the back of a building. Its photographic appeal didn't become really apparent until I zoomed into the coils and the out of focus sunlit building behind added its complementary yellowish to the bluish elsewhere.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

England's cathedrals photographic exhibition, Peter Marlow

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We recently visited Hereford Cathedral to view a photographic exhibition of the forty two cathedrals of England. They were by the Magnum photographer, Peter Marlow (1952-2016). He was commissioned to produce four cathedral photographs by Royal Mail for use on commemorative postage stamps.  But, so taken was he by the buildings that he undertook the project of photographing every one. All bar about half a dozen of the images were taken from the west end of the nave looking east towards the high altar. The photographs were taken in the early morning light before the cathedral doors opened to the public.

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My first photograph was taken from behind the alabaster tomb and effigy of Sir Richard Pembridge (d.1375). He is depicted in a knight's plate and mail armour with his head resting on his helm and his feet on a lurcher.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Hands of the Knife Angel

In July 2021 I posted a couple of photographs of the "Knife Angel" sculpture, a touring exhibit of an angel made of knives. Its purpose was to highlight the dangers of knife crime and to act as a memorial to its victims. On a recent trip to Gloucester Cathedral we came upon the sculpture again. It seems to have had some lights added to the piece and this second viewing allowed me to take a photograph of the angel's hands - someting I regretted not having done on our first viewing.

 

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Lesser Black-backed Gull

The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) was relatively common in the UK but is now in decline and has been placed on the Amber List (a species of moderate concern). It nests on cliffs, sand dunes, mountain moorland, and on tall buildings by the sea and inland. This particular bird has been frequenting the River Wye at Ross on Wye for much of the winter, using a perch on a fallen tree that it shares with local black-headed gulls. The lesser black-backed gull acquires adult breeding plumage in its fourth year. The small brown flecks on the head and neck are a winter characteristic of an adult.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Trading ketch "Bessie Ellen" in dry dock

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On our recent Gloucester visit we came across the West Country trading ketch, "Bessie Ellen", in the T. Nielsen & Company dry dock undergoing refurbishment. This sailing ship was built in 1904, is 120 feet long, and began life carrying up to 150 tons of clay, peat, aggregates, salt and other bulk cargos around the UK and Ireland. Its working life around Britain carrying goods ended in 1947 when it was bought by a Danish company for work in the Baltic Sea. A diesel engine was installed and this helped keep the ship competitive until the 1970s. Back in the UK "Bessie Ellen" was adapted to offer sailing holidays, day trips and the "tall ship" experience for groups of 12-60 people.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Refurbishing boats, Gloucester docks

On a recent visit to Gloucester docks we noticed quite a few boats, launches, yachts etc undergoing refurbishments of one sort or another. It was a fairly typical overcast February day and on reflection I suppose it was a good time time of year to be getting everything in "ship-shape and Bristol fashion". Standing out among the muted colours of the vessels was this yacht with its bright yellow hull - a good subject to brighten up the photographic scenes in front of me.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Tacked and nailed

This old wooden pole is at the start of a footpath that follows part of the line of an old railway. The pole may well date from the time when track was still down and trains were running; maybe the 1950s or 1960s. Today it is treated as a site for pinning informal notices, mainly about lost cats and dogs. The thumb-tacks that hold such notices are flimsy things and they succumb to the weather very quickly; rust soon replaces colour. Longer lasting is the inexpertly hammered nail, put there for who-knows-why. It could easily outlast the pole.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

The Talbot, New Street, Ledbury

The Talbot is one of Ledbury's several timber-framed public houses. It dates from c.1536 and much work was done on the main, north-facing, elevation in the C17. The close studding is filled with plaster at the front, with brick infills on the rear elevations. One of the finest features of the exterior is the canted bay on the first floor. It is reached by the stairs that are expressed on the main elevation to the right of the bay. Below the bay is the main entrance flanked by Ionic pilasters. The white painted building with the brick gable end, to the extreme left of the black and white work, is also part of the pub and dates from the eighteenth century.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Frosted spider's web

I've taken a few photographs of spiders' webs over the years. Usually they have featured droplets of water. Today's web picked up water from a mist that descended in the evening and continued overnight. Then, as the temperature dropped below freezing as daylight appeared, the water became ice. We spotted it as we walked past the yew hedge that supported it. As I processed this shot I wondered if the spider wasn't being a touch optimistic. Surely flies are few and far between at this time of year, in these weather conditions, and anyway would be careful to avoid such a highly visible web.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Stanbury Chapel, Hereford Cathedral

The Stanbury Chapel is a small chantry chapel in the chancel north aisle at Hereford Cathedral. It was begun around 1480, completed by 1492 and was built for John Stanbury (d.1474) who was the bishop of Hereford from 1453 until 1474. The chapel's Perpendicular architecture reflects the period of its construction, particularly the ornate fan vaulting. The colourful stained glass is by Archibald J. Davies, a member of the Bromsgrove Guild, who worked in the Arts and Crafts style.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Aerial graffiti

One of the few benefits of Covid-19 was the massive decline in the number of aircraft spewing filth into our upper atmosphere and thereby hastening global warming in a uniquely direct and effective way. And one of the depressing consequences of the semi-triumph over Covid has been holidaymakers and others flocking back to air travel. The evidence for the latter was on display one morning recently when I gazed up at the aerial graffiti on display in the blue sky above me. Each vapour trail (contrail) is evidence of water condensing to form ice crystals around small particles of soot from the aircraft engines. These trails have been described as "one of the few manifestations of man-made climate change agents that you can actually observe".

 photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100