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

Bethnal Green gasholders

By London's Regent's Canal where it passes through Bethnal Green are two gasholders. The older of the pair is smaller and the larger is the newer one. They were built in 1888 and 1889 by the Imperial Gas Light & Coke Company in connection with the nearby Shoreditch Gasworks. The canal was used as the means by which coal was brought to the gasworks for conversion into gas and the gasholders held a reserve of the inflammable material. Today they are a piece of visually interesting industrial archaeology which the local community would like to see continuing to enliven the the skyscape.


photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Umbrellas

In the minds of those living in Britain, and also in the minds of those from elsewhere, there seems to be an association between umbrellas and our often wet islands. On the day I photographed these umbrellas that brought a splash of colour to a Hereford shopping centre I was carrying a (black) umbrella. Our day rucksack is permanently kitted out with two small, collapsible umbrellas. Rain is not an everyday occurrence in Britain - the dry east receives amounts comparable with much of central and parts of southern Europe. However, it does appear fairly regularly and prudence dictates that if you want to remain dry an umbrella is pretty much a prerequisite for many places and times of year.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100