Sunday Stamps E4 - Norway, Sweden

On a trip in the Norwegian mountains I once saw the rear end of one of these as it disappeared in the woods.

Norway - 7 April 2000

It was back in the early 1980s when I worked in Stavanger that I saw 'my' Elk.

Staying in Scandinavia I found a Swedish/American inventor whose steam locomotive, The Novelty, was beaten in a Lancashire railway competition in 1829. The winner was George Stevenson's Rocket.

Sweden - 9 October 1976

John Ericsson (1803-1889) invented the screw propeller for ships. The British Admiralty were uninterested in this, but it was widely adopted by the US Navy.

For a wider look at 'E' related stamps follow the links at Sunday-stamps-e.

Fore! - Sepia Saturday

When I started at St Andrews University in 1955 I had never played golf.

It was also the first time that I had seen the Royal & Ancient, fifty years after this photograph was dated.

R&A Clubhouse 1905

It may not have a foursome like those in our prompt but I will leave you to judge which ones are more appropriately dressed.

In my time at St Andrews, and a point that I regret, I never played there. Of course time on putting greens did not count,

Not a time to get the yips

especially when your opponent is your girl friend at the time.

It was 20+ years later that she became a golfing widow.

I was over 50 when, while working in Stavanger, I took up golf seriously - there is no other way to play it.

Over the years in between I suppose we played a few round of crazy golf but it was the 1990s, back in England, that I achieved a measure of success with the CEGB Canute Golfing Society and on Teesside at Billingham Golf Club.

A modest haul of trophies

Since then I've played in a number of countries including Scotland (of course - but not St Andrews), Denmark and the USA.

I never managed to beat my son-in-law.

Winter golf - Steven drives off at Oxford Hills, Michigan

And at the 13th it's my turn on this par 3 with a creek and a steep bank in front of the green.

Bobble hat and gloves - not shorts weather at all

I have struggled to beat my daughter, even on the Mountain Flowers Par 3 at the Homestead, Michigan's freshwater resort on Lake Michigan.

Rachel by the side of a Mountain Flowers green

Some holes on this course were quite a challenge.

The green may be only 190yds away but it's still a daunting drive.

On all courses however you will come across the posers.

One is a bronze!

Water is often a hazard to be avoided like this lake at Mulberry Hills, Michigan.

And in recent winters may make it necessary to close the course.

Flooding at Billingham golf course

If you hit a ball into water sometimes you may need a helping hand.

Or mouth

But the best water(ing) hole of all is always the one like this.

Approaching the 19th hole at Mulberry Hills

To see how others have succeeded with golf or other shots, visit the links at Sepia-Saturday-317

Stavanger and Ships in Norway - Sepia Saturday

This week's prompt of ships in Tønsberg harbour is ideal for me.

Tønsberg lies on the west coast of Oslofjord just over 100km south-south-west of Oslo near the fjord's mouth onto the Skagerrak.

Stavanger where I worked for most of the 1980s, long after the first two of my photos were taken, is on Norway's west coast.

Ships along the quayside - 1902

(This is my photo of one too big for my scanner - so excuse the 'fold' in the middle)

The town centre is to the right of the the shot where ten years earlier the quayside had the replica of a Viking ship tied up alongside.

'Viking' the replica of the Gokstad ship - 1893

The Gokstad ship was found in a burial mound at Gokstad farm in Sandar, Sandefjord in Norway's Vestfold county - the same county where Tønsberg is located. Dendrological dating suggest that the Gokstad ship was built around 880 AD

After visiting Stavanger the Viking sailed crossed the Atlantic to appear at Chicago World Fair of 1893.

In 1978 the opening of the Stavanger City Bridge connected the city to the islands in the borough of Hundvåg where Rosenberg shipyard is located.

Rosenberg Verft on Hundvåg

The structure on the dock at the bottom is the main support frame for Statfjord 'B'. The 'inlet' to the right of this is a dry dock where previously Rosenberg had been building LNG tankers.

RV's last LNG tanker (from the Stavanger City Bridge)

I had the opportunity to see the Royal Yacht Britannia pass by Rosenberg in May 1981 when the Queen and Prince paid Norway a state visit.

Britannia passing dummy platform legs at RV - May 1981

I acquired a number of posters of platforms under construction during my time in Stavanger. The legs of Gravity Base Structures and concrete storage cells were outfitted at Gandsfjord close to Stavanger. We travelled there by boat out under the City Bridge to teach the site.

Mechanical outfitting Statfjord 'C' - 1981-1983

The concrete legs are over 100m tall and the storage cells beneath around 80m. That bridge linking the top of the cells was an interesting place to walk!

Before a platform is towed out to its location in the North Sea the legs are ballasted, sunk down with the completed deck floated over the top and secured to the legs.

Gulfaks 'A' Platform (not at Stavanger)

When it comes to big passenger ships the visits I remember during my time in Stavanger included SS Norway and the QEII.

QEII passing Statfjord 'B' deck at Rosenberg in July 1980

SS Norway with RV assembly shop in background

I guess I'd better end this maritime rambling before anyone gets seasick.

However for more salty tales check out the links at Sepia-Saturday-264.

Childhood Memories - Thematic Photography

As I'm in my second childhood and my memory is not what it was, Carmi's theme this week has caused me some problems.

I've shown the house where I was born on more than one occasion.

100 High Street, Ketton

That stone wall didn't exist back then and there was another empty building behind it to the left, Our front had a double grey gate and a grey wooden fence; a rose-bedecked trellis lined the drive where box hedge is on the right. There where no hatched white lines on the road, just one line down the middle.

The traffic island didn't exist either; although this is main road from Stamford to Leicester, during the late 1940s it was safe enough to use it as a football field - with a tennis ball of course.

The oldest photo I have of me is aged 12 in Stamford School boxing team.

Stamford School Boxing Team, 1949

Just in case you cannot recognise me:-

My pastimes in my second childhood include watching and counting the birds in our garden and photographing them when I'm quick enough. Some just pose.

Wood Pigeon at the birdbath - 24 January 2015

even during the RSPB's Great Garden Bird Watch.

My wife says I'm playing when I'm out with my camera and uploading what I've taken to my computer. Here's one I took yesterday.

Two of five wind turbines - from Dent's Lane, Kirklevington

Not only do I play with Thematic Photography I also take part in Sepia Saturday. This week this involves me playing with some poster memories of my time in Stavanger.

QEII visiting Stavanger - July 1980

The structure on the left is the topside deck for the Statfjord 'B' platform under construction at Rosenberg Verft where I was working. I was too small to be seen in the photo and regret to this day never having a camera with me to take my own photos - not that I would have been allowed on the helicopter from which the shot was taken.

However my second childhood memory has been good enough to find the souvenir poster we were given.

For more childhood memories don't forget to look in on Carmi's childhood thematic-photographic-323.

Large Structures - Thematic Photography

When working at Rosenberg Verft in Stavanger. Norway in the 1980s I was involved with the construction of a large structure which was to become the Statfjord B platform in the North Sea. The topside structure was built on dummy concrete leg supports at the Rosenberg yard.

Statfjord B Deck

To give you an idea of scale, the white living quarters at the right is 7 stories high.

The height of the deck from the concrete legs to the top of the drilling derrick in the centre of the picture below was 171m, if my memory is correct.

Statfjord B Deck

The concrete storage cells and the four concrete legs were slip formed and subsequently outfitted at Gandsfjord also in Stavanger.

Statfjord B Gravity Base Structure

The storage cell (effectively below the water line in this shot) are 23m in diameter and 64m high; four of the 24 cells are extended by the  111m high legs.

The deck structure was mated with legs at a deep water site at Vats, before the completed platform seen below was towed out to its position in the Norwegian North Sea. The concrete cells sit on the sea bed with most of the four legs also submerged..

By comparison the barrage across the River Tees at Stockton is a much more modest affair, but impressive nevertheless.

Tees Barrage with the river in flood.

You have seen shots of the next structure before but as it's from my local town I'll show it again.

Yarm Viaduct

For more large structures you need to check out the links at Carmi's Thematic-photographic-262.

Flag Days - Sepia Saturday

This week's prompt seemed particularly appropriate as we are on holiday in the USA.

I couldn't resist trying to imitate the lady sowing in the picture.

Sewing in progress

Every time, well nearly every time, we visit our daughter's home we are greeted by the flags.

St George's Cross and the Stars and Stripes

There are times when the Union Jack is flying too.

Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack

The Union Jack also has pride of place where it can be admired by the dogs.

Gem and Scout look down into the basement

Lily refused to be left out of the act.

She thinks she always is the star.

That painting above the desk is of Nyhaven in Copenhagen, a place I been to many times.

The Danish Flag flying at Nyhaven

The 17th of  May is a special day for Norway when flags are sure to fly to celebrate their independence as a nation.

Stavanger, Norway

Flags are also flow as memorials of past conflicts. I found these in Cornwall.

Boer War Memorial, Truro Cathedral

When Lily became the central attraction however, she was not that keen on posing with the flag.

She just wishes I would put the camera down and get out the tennis balls. I'm surprised she was so patient and even more surprised that my wife agreed to pretend to sew just to keep the old so-and-so (that's me) happy with the pictures.

For more flags, sewing and other interpretations you need to cross over to Sepia-Saturday-194.

Moon Shots - Sepia Saturday

I had never had a camera at the time of the moon landings so I have had to resort to postcard pictures for views of the moon to meet this week's prompt.

I managed to get a car or two (if you look hard) in my first moon shot.

Moon over Fort Lauderdale

Next is a shot that you will not be able to take again.

The Ill-fated Twin Towers - New York Manhattan

I haven't been to Fort Lauderdale or Manhattan, but the next shot is at a scene I knew well; shame it does not include the benches on which I've sat.

Stavanger Harbour, Vagen

I did get English newspapers while working there in the 1980s but my newspaper fame came later much nearer home when I made it into The Times. The first occasion was a 'Readers' Reply' column on an etiquette page.

Four years later I made it to the Letters Page; maybe not the coveted bottom right spot but at least bottom right of section on Engineers.

I've enlarged the letter so that it can be read.

If the moon makes you frisky and you feel the need to dance, then perhaps the way to finish is by listening to:

Before you go you should dance across and moon at others at Sepia-Saturday-174