Island Beaches - Sepia Saturday

I must have walked a few miles along island sands, sometimes with a dog, but never with a gun like Robinson Crusoe below:

The Isle of Skye may be connected to the mainland now by a bridge but in 1957 it was unreachable from -

The foreshore on the island of Raasay

The week of our geological expedition from St Andrews the weather threatened to spoil our stay.

Whereas on the Isles of Scilly it was much more welcoming.

Tresco beach

And not crowded at all.

One man's footsteps

He must have got separated from his dog.

Buster waiting for someone to join him

A North Yorkshire beach is comparatively crowded.

Dogs at Saltburn

Further down that beach the cliffs are menacing.

Any footprints here are filled in quickly in the squelchy sand.

Those in Cornwall are much easier to see even though we may not know who made them at the time.

While Aphrodite strides out from beneath the sea

a curlew decides to make itself scarce along the River Tees.

If you had wondered where I've been for so long I'll just leave you to guess on which deserted island I have been marooned while you check other posts at Sepia-Saturday-308.

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.

Liquidity - Thematic Photography

Some photos from my archives and just one shot specially for the 'Liquidity' theme set for us by Carmi this week.

Not a ship in sight and the beach to himself - 

What could be better?

Same beach at a time to wrap up warm its seems.

Saltburn beach

But if it's a swimmer you want to see -

Scout shows off his skills

However this is the liquidity that I enjoy.

A pity my wife has confiscated it!

For other liquid assets that others have acquired check out Thematic-photographic-340.

Shooting strangers from afar - Thematic Photography

If you live in a village as small as mine it's often difficult to find a stranger at all. However just when I was about to give up I came across an ideal opportunity.

A stranger getting directions from a stranger

I thought it rather odd to see a car in this country lane that leads to nowhere but some farms. When I checked the car's registration I found that it had originated over 250 miles away, in Chelmsford, Essex.

I guess the stranger just wandered into my next shot of a fire practice on the River Tees.

Fire practice near the Infinity Bridge, Stockton-on-Tees

We went to watch our grandson in a surfing contest at Saltburn last October. There were strangers by the score - 

On the pier

and - 

On the beach

Even two of the surfers were strangers to me.

Shame the surf was so poor.

For more strangers unaware they are in the camera's eye head over to Carmi's Thematic-Photographic-306.

Seaside Postcard - Sepia Saturday

People paddling in this week's prompt - 

reminded me of an old postcard sent around 100 years ago from Mabel to Mrs Baker.

Brighton Beach

The card was posted on January 3rd but we have to work out the year from its reverse side.

Mabel's message to Mrs B

"Dear Mrs Baker, Brighton is very windy. We went out this morning and nearly got blown away, This afternoon we went on the pier. 

Jan 3rd, Thank your for the litter (sic). Wishing you a happy New year.

With love from Mabel."

The George V red one penny stamp was in use from 1912 - 1924. So that's why I say the card is around 100 years old.

I can't find either Littledene on Victoria Road or a Mrs Baker in that street although there are many 'Bakers' in the neighbourhood.

I doubt that Mabel would have been paddling on Brighton Beach in January all those years ago. However the postcard shows that it was a popular pastime there at other times.

Brighton beach is made up of shingle and not the sort I would be happy paddling from. I prefer the sandy type that we have in the north-east.

Saltburn Beach and Hunt Cliff 2013

And on the other side of the pier on the same October day.

Saltburn Beach

Well at least the dogs were paddling if not the people.

Now you may paddle over to Sepia-Saturday-234 to see who else is getting their feet wet.

Power - Thematic Photography

I was surprised how many of my photos would fit the 'Power' theme although that was not the reason for taking them.

The latest that have come to my attention stand at least four miles away with the North Yorks Moors behind them.

Wind Turbines

The eagle-eyed among you may just make out the line of pylons part of the electricity power grid. Just to make it easier for you here is a shot of the moors to the right of the turbine photo.

Power Pylon backed by North Yorkshire Moors

As an example of power in use I just have to include a shot from our lounge.

Electric fire in use

Of course there are different forms of power; one of the earliest can be seen here.

Horsepower on Saltburn Beach

It's also possible to generate power using the waves, but beware that sometimes water takes control.

Waves from the Fowey Estuary in Cornwall very much in charge

River barrages, like the ones on the River Tees enable control to be regain of tidal waters as you can see here when the river is in flood and the flow to the sea is controlled.

One gate of the River Tees Barrage

No power shoot would be complete without a reference to the motor car. Of course the petrol companies try to get in on the act in their advertising campaigns,

V-Power Performance Fuels

For which they charge extra of course.

Missing from this power collection is nuclear power so there is a note to myself to go out a take a shot of our local nuclear power station at nearby Hartlepool.

When all else fails there are times when

Only Manpower Works

Not forgetting the woman behind the camera and behind the wheel.

The Driving Force - power on!

To see other power uses (and misuses?) check in with Carmi at Thematic-photographic-268.

Railings - Sepia Saturday

It's a long time since I have used all my own photos in a Sepia Saturday post, but I've managed it by choosing to use 'railings' as the link to this week's photo.

The railings in my first picture are the wooden fence at the bottom of the garden when we moved to a new house in Yarm back in the early 1970s and before either ours or next door's garden had been cultivated.

Our youngest son - well behaved for once

I'm surprised that he was not hanging upside down. Earlier in the 1950s it was his future mother's turn to do just that,

Over the top rail on Stamford Recreation Ground

Then there are these 'elegant' shots of my future wife climbing a ladder to the walkway on the top of the pier at St Andrews at the end of the 1950s when I was at University there.

Straight as a die, those stocking seams!

A little less elegant as she reached the top.

Note the railing to the right

The pictures really should have been in colour as I have never forgotten that green 'felt' skirt!

Meanwhile in Copenhagen in 2007 the railings were merely a vantage point.

Copenhagen, Denmark

What was the big, or should I say small and well formed, attraction? None other than -

The Little Mermaid

In 2012 the railings of a local pier were invaded by Olympians.

Saltburn Pier Olympians

Just two of many erected in secret by The Saltburn Yarn Bomber

Before I go off the rails and you begin to rail at me just swing yourself over to see what others have done at Sepia-Saturday-177-18-may-2013 - Bob's birthday.

2012 Favourites - Thematic Photography

I've taken Carmi's tip to show two or three or ten of my favourite photos of 2012. You will have seen some of these before.

March was the driest month of the year, just right for walks on a North Yorkshire beach.

Huntcliff, Saltburn beach - March 2012

 

Horses. dogs and people use the beach.

Sunday morning ride - Saltburn

Flower of the month in July was this;

Lily

Butterflies were in short supply during the very wet summer but we did attract one or two.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies on Buddleia flower

 

Meanwhile one of my grandsons had a successful surfing year.

Angus in action

In October there was this rather splendid fungus on a dead ash tree that I walk by several times a week.

Fungus on dead ash

No year would be complete without some photos of my daughter's dogs. Photographing black dogs is often a difficult task but here is one of the best.

Gem

She was part of this group on the same day in November.

Scout, Cody and Gem

As usual Scout has two balls in his mouth, one probably belongs to Gem. At 15, Cody is resting  with his ball within reach. They are all looking at what's going on down in the lake where there's -

Lily - searching for her ball.

 

That's my ten favourites for the year.

Happy New Year to all in 2013.

Don't forget to check out other people's favourites at Thematic-photographic-faves-of-year