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

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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

Painting the lighthouse

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Portland Bill's largest lighthouse was built in1903-05 and began its working life in 1906. It remains a working lighthouse and has been modernised down the years, most recently in 2019-2020, when a non-rotating LED and a new omnidirectional fog signal were installed.

 

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On our recent visit to the lighthouse it was being painted, a daunting task for many, but just another day's work for the two men tasked with the job.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Yachts blue and white

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Over the years I've photographed quite a few harbours with their working and pleasure boats, and wherever I've been - certainly in the UK and probably elsewhere - the dominant colours of the vessels has been white and blue. So it is in these photographs of Weymouth and Lyme Regis. It can't always have been so: the natural colours of wood must have prevailed at one time. So why and when did white and blue come to dominate?

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photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Sea Mark, Portland Bill

A sea mark is an aid to navigation, usually to warn of a hazard and sometimes to mark a channel. They can feature a light, an easily seen prominence, a foghorn or be painted in a prominent colour. This sea mark in the form of an obelisk is at the tip of Portland Bill, an island that projects into the English Channel. The initials T.H. denote Trinity House who had it erected here in 1844 as an addition to two old lighthouses that were later replaced.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Yachts big and small

I noticed the diminutive "Freda" moored at the quayside in Wymouth harbour, the pristine paintwork, masts and ropes drawn sharply against the blue water of the harbour and the sky blue above.  I stopped to give her the "once over" in her relative isolation before I went on to photograph the forest of masts further into the harbour.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Turning the corner

Go through any large, British city and you will see Victorian buildings built around a corner i.e. with two main elevations that face two streets. Look carefully at them and you will see innovative ways to treat the corner of the building. One of the favourite methods is with a cylindrical, or part cylindical structure, often topped with a short spire, cupola, dome etc. I was reminded of this when we came across this block of flats, Olympia Apartments, in Weymouth, Dorset. Here the cylindrical feature works well visually: but what about practically? Rounded rooms can be restrictive in terms of furniture placement. It made me wonder whether there is a price to be paid for this particular solution to turning the corner.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5