Thematic Photography - Lights On.

This is a view from the window in our hotel room in Padstow.

But when it gets dark we need 

Lights on

The view outside changes too

More lights on

That's it for this holiday week. See more at  Thematic-photographic-422.

A-Z Challenge 2018 - British Rivers; 'C' Chater, Camel

There were two rivers in the village in which I was born - both will feature in this Challenge.

If you walked down Bull Lane in the Rutland village of Ketton, to get to Algate, the path took you across a footbridge over the River Chater. 

River Chater at Ketton from the Sinc Bridge looking north

I must confess that I never knew the bridge had that name, but as children we used to paddle in that stretch of water. I was more familiar with the river upstream beyond the bridge over Church Road.

River Chater Bridge

That footbridge was not there when I was a boy. Further upstream was another footbridge reached by a path over the road from the Railway Inn beyond the church you can see in the background. It was from that bridge and the banks of the Chater that I fished for dace and caught minnows in a jam jar baited with bread.

From age 11 my route to school took me left over the bridge and along the road as it swung up to the railway station where I took a train each day down the line to Stamford. From the station there we crossed this bridge - 

Town Bridge over the River Welland

I always thought that the river on the left was the Chater and the one from the right (just visible) is the Welland. The land in between is Stamford Meadows which used to be the place where a Roman ford crossed the river.

When we go to Cornwall to see our grandsons we always finish up having coffee at 'Down by the Ferry' in Padstow. From there a favourite walk is along the estuary of the River Camel.

Although the Camel rises on Bodmin Moor it's the Camel Trail along the estuary that we know best, from that is this bridge - 

To where it meets the sea at Padstow Bay

Buster loved it too.

And even my wife went swimming on one occasion.

The only shot I'm allowed to show

We waited all day here but the camels never showed up!

Photo attributions:

• River Chater from the Sinc Bridge: June 1999 ex geograph.org.uk by Humphrey Bolton - CC BY-SA 2.0 licence
• River Chater Bridge: 27 April 2007 ex geograph.org.uk by Graham Horn - CC BY-SA 2.0 licence
• Bridge over River Welland: ex wikipedia Commons - CC BY-SA 3.0 licence
• Sketch Map of River Camel & its tributaries: 25 February 2010 by Andy F - CC BY 3.0 licence

Bird of the week

In Cornwall recently after having stopped for a coffee in Padstow at 'Down By The Ferry' amidst all the noise this fellow (?)  just below the top of the quay wall -

Gull waiting for the tide to turn

ignored everyone passing by.

Down on the ground - Thematic Photographic

Sometimes you don't have to look far for a subject, it's just there on the ground.

You have not even have to be down yourself. It's amazing what you can catch just by bending and using a screen that swivels to let you see just what is there.

Gull at Padstow, Cornwall

Homing pigeon in our garden

Of course you may not even have to bend for items on the ground.

This one looks like it has been there for a while.

Alongside a woodland path

Washed up on Saltburn beach, North Yorkshire

To get the lowdown on what others found down on the ground just visit Carmi at Thematic-Photographic-354.

Beached - Sepia Saturday

I thought I would explore some beaches found in my archives and take you on a tour from the West of Scotland via the Adriatic coast to Egypt and end up in the South West of England, before a friendly warning.

A seaside postcard from Ayr, Scotland

This card was one of several linked to Robbie Burns but apart from the views contains no other information to help you date when it was taken. It looks prewar to me.

I cannot date my second card from Yorkshire either and you need good eyes to see anything on the South Bay beach.

The Spa and South Bay, Scarborough

I can put a rough date on the next shot taken in the 1940s, probably somewhere in Egypt during the war when the Fleet Air Arm crews were on a beach.

Egypt (?) - 1940s

Sorry that there have been no bathing belles to admire so far; we get a bit closer on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro.

Beach on the isthmus to the island of Sveti Stefan - c1986

Coming back to Cornwall all I have to show are empty beaches.

Camel Estuary, Padstow - May 2011

At least you can see some footprints - I wonder where Man Friday went?

Crantock Beach, Cornwall

That sea is waiting for the surfers to appear.

Meanwhile this little girl is counting her collection.

Hope she hasn't lost count

I wonder if "she sells seashells on the seashore?"

Finally here's that friendly warning that all can see.

I just wish I could remember where this was taken, I must ask my wife to jog my memory - on second thoughts, I had better not.

For more sand and sea take a trip or donkey ride to Alan's place.

Shades of Grey - Thematic Photography

There are so many shades of grey that I thought I would call this post "Fifty Shades of Grey." However that title has been used already for a book of inferior quality and which, as far as I know, has no illustrations.

I have trouble judging whether something is grey or not, so you may find my photos vary in interpretation.

Barnacles on rocks at Padstow, Cornwall

However there is a definite bluish shade of grey in the feathers of this Wood Pigeon nesting in our garden hedge.

Wood Pigeon

How many shades of grey can you see in this picture taken in Oxford, Michigan.

Avenue of trees, Oxford

This wooden landing stage is definitely grey.

Landing stage

There is a bluish tinge to this grey gate. Does the cobweb qualify as light grey?

Cobweb

I've studied this picture on my daughter's lounge wall for years and still cannot decide what the colours are in it and on my photograph.

Detroit (I think)

Now there's just time for you to drive with me

Tractor mower

on a grey tractor to thematic-photographic-208-grey for more shades of grey.