Common mallow

Common mallow (Malva sylvestris) is a striking plant. It grows up to 1.5m in height and has large, deep pink flowers. It is found on wasteland, roadsides, footpaths and in hedges. The leaves, flowers and seeds are edible and it is thought that the Romans cultivated the plant for food and medicines.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone

Sheep in the shade

On a walk up to Table Mountain (Crug Hywel) near Crickhowell (see previous post) we passed these sheep in the shade by a gateway in a drystone wall. They took little notice of us, seeming to enjoy the spot they had chosen. As I framed my shot I noticed that beyond was the distant summit of Sugar Loaf.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

View from Table Mountain, Crickhowell

click photo to enlarge
This photograph shows the ESE view from Table Mountain (also known as Crug Hywel) above Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons. It is a rather grand name for a fairly minor bump at 451m on the side of the higher summit of Pen Cerrig-calch (701m). However, the "bump" is not without interest. It is the site of an Iron Age hillfort built on a landslip that created an almost level site that was then fortified with ditches and stone walls. The remains of these workings can be seen in the foreground of the photograph. The highest distant summit is Sugar Loaf.

 photo © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone

Cafe and boiled egg

As we passed a pavement cafe in Cheltenham I did a double take and walked back to get a photograph of the artwork and outdoor furniture. The egg in its cup makes an interesting focus for the composition, and as I went on my way I wondered just how popular boiled eggs served in an egg cup are today. They are something that I associate with childhood breakfasts. But perhaps I'm not typical.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone

Waltham Premier pocket watch

Many years ago I was given a Waltham pocket watch. Quite soon after I received it the watch succumbed to the clumsy attention of one of my young sons and stopped working. It remained at the back of a drawer for decades until, very recently, when I came across it again. I decided to find out more about the watch and discovered it was made in the U.S.A., probably in the 1940s, was bought by the U.K. government for military use, and engraved on its well-worn back I found a War Department/Ministry of Defence arrow head. I opened it up "messed about with it" and it started working! Moreover, as long as I wind it daily it keeps working!

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Mint moth

As I cast about the oregano flowers with my macro lens, looking for bees, I came upon a small (very small) moth that I don't recall ever seeing before. It was about half the size of my small finger-nail, mainly dark purplish red with yellow spots, and appeared to be a mint moth. This moth, as its name suggests, often uses mint as a food plant. In our garden, which has no mint, it seemed to like the oregano. But then that's true of many insects.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Green-veined white

The green-veined white butterfly is often mistaken for the small white. The distinguishing feature is, of course, the green veins. This example was visiting the flowers of a burdock growing by the River Wye in Herefordshire. Helpfully, the sex of the green-veined white can be determined by the spots on the forewing - the female has two and the male only one.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Gibbs surrounds

The Gibbs surround is a blocky treatment of a Renaissance doorway or window. Typically each block alternates on a column with a flat or a rounded section. It is a variation on the "rusticated" style. It was popularised by the Scottish architect James Gibbs (1682-1754), though it can be found in examples that pre-date his influence. The first example shown is on the early eighteenth century Old Magistrate's House, Church Lane, Ledbury, Herefordshire. The second example is on Waterside House, Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire, and dates from c.1740.

photo 1 © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10
photo 2 © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone

Jazz band musicians

Across the Sundays of the summer months the bandstand at Ross on Wye is home to a variety of brass bands who present a musical programme of a couple of hours duration. Brass bands entertaining from a raised, ornamental bandstand is a very British custom. However, this year tradition was broken when a jazz band was featured. "Jazz Friday" was a big "big band" and I managed to get this photograph of just a few of the musicians as they gave of their best.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P950

Bee on oregano flowers

We cultivate oregano for the attraction its flowers have for insect life: bees, moths and butterflies find it as attractive as buddleia and verbena (which we also grow). Photographing bees the other day I got this photograph. It's not the best I've ever taken, but I particularly liked the dreamy way the macro lens rendered the out of focus areas.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Shadows in The Maltings

For centuries British cities, towns and some villages had malt houses. These were buildings where cereal grains were converted into malt by soaking in water (promoting sprouting) then drying the mix to stop further growth. The malt was usd in the brewing of alcoholic drinks, particularly beer. In the nineteenth century the small malt houses went out of use to be replaced by fewer, but much larger "maltings". These could be found in cities and major towns. They, in turn, during the twentieth century, were replaced by methods of brewing that no longer required massive maltings. The large premises were often turned into housing and covered shopping. The small shopping centre in Ross on Wye was built on part of the site of the town maltings, though some of the larger buildings and distinctive shape of  the roof profile can still be seen. I caught this photograph on a day when the sun was throwing shadows from the glazed roof.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix LX3

Austin A90 Atlantic

The Austin A90 Atlantic looks to be pretty much what it is - a scaled down 1950s car decked out with the favoured styling cues of the time (whitewall tyres, streamlining, convertible or convertible-look, fabric coated roof, chrome stripes etc) - designed for the export market, particularly the United States. It also features 3 headlights, the central light for beam, a detail that can be seen in a few other cars of the period. It wasn't a particularly successful design and didn't achieve much market penetration in the U.S. We came across this example in a meet-up of car enthusiasts on the promenade at Weymouth, Dorset.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Water lily (again)

I'm a sucker for water lilies. Whenever I see them I search for an example that is free of ragged leaves, discoloured flowers and intrusive insects. Recently I came across an example that isn't perfect but is as close as I'm likely to get to that flawless state. It was in the ornamental pond at Bathurst Park, Lydney, Gloucs and was a rather fetching tint of pink rather than the usual white.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P950

St George, Portland, Dorset

click photo to enlarge
The building of the church of St George was begun in 1754 and it was consecrated in 1766. It is the work of Thomas Gilbert, a master stone-mason. The influence of Wren is visible in the exterior which is mainly made of Portland ashlar. The roofs are lead with the exception of the sanctuary which is slate.

The church was built to replace the decaying St Andrew, and was itself replaced in 1917 by All Saints, Easton. St George fell into disrepair in the C20 and was rescued and restored by The Friends of St George. Today it is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is open to visitors who can see the restored Georgian interior.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Ammonite street lights

These decorative street lights can be seen at Lyme Regis, a Dorset seaside town on England's Jurassic Coast. The ammonites reference the coast's fame as one of the places where the science of palaeontology developed from the study of fossils in the cliffs of the coast. The local herring gulls use them as a vantage point from where they can descend on food left by careless tourists.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Fishing boat registration codes

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Fishing boat registration codes are the letters and numbers displayed prominently on the side of European (including UK) fishing boats. The letters are derived from the first letter plus one or two more letters of the home port name followed by an identifying number. When we were on Portland Bill we saw the fishing boat WH296 cutting through the glittering sea, heading towards WeymoutH, its home port. Later we saw the boat moored at the harbourside and noted that it was, very appropriately, called "Portland Isle".

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5