Boyd's photo diary. |
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Thu 30 Jun 2016
Part of the main A591 between Dunmail Raise and Thirlmere in
Cumbria was washed away during the floods of Dec 2015. I visited
the damage in Jan 2016 before repair work was started.
A
section of road was reconstructed and was formally re-opened by
the Environment Minister Rory Stewart on Wednesday 11 May 2016.
I was in Cumbria this morning walking via Dunmail Raise and
Steel Fell so re-visited the site to see the difference. |
The A591 this morning |
The A591 on 13 Jan 2016 |
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Tue 29 Jun 2016
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Good to see the old crumbling wooden stile on the path near
Stoney Flat bridge has been replaced |
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Steeley Lane, Shop Local, Art project.
I think it looks good. |
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Mon 28 Jun 2016
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This evening at an overcast and windy Chorley Photographic
Society outing to Rossall Point, Fleetwood |
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The Observation Tower that I think looks hiddeous |
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Sun 27 Jun 2016
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Ruthven Barrack seen from the A9 on
my drive home |
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Sat 25 Jun 2016
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I woke to thick mist all around.
Today's walk is long so I was on my way by 6am. The walk started
by Loch Bad an Sgalag and up a very rough track covered in loose
gravel. The mist continued and I there was little I could see.
At the grouse stone I stopped to take a picture of the location
where the grouse shot by the hunting parties were left for
collection by a gillie from Gairloch. |
Grouse Stone |
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An information board adjacent twice
referred to the Eagles, Harriers and Peregrins that would hunt
the grouse as vermin. But not the two legged people who pay big
money to kill the grouse. I continued along the track for
several miles to a ford where the guide notes said wading may be
needed. There were enough stepping stones for me to get across
OK. I continued in the mist to where I was supposed to leave the
track. |
Baosbheinn view |
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The notes said to follow a
faint quad bike track but I had to use the gps route info as the
fain track didn’t go anywhere. I reached the river outlet of the
Loch Oidche. There was the remains of an old wooden bridge but
it was too far gone to be any use. There were enough large
boulders in the river for me to get across with boots still on.
I continued up across rough ground in the mist. I was heading
for the summits of Baosbheinn and a ridge walk of three summits.
I reached the first at 877m across a grassy plateau and had a
partial view. I was a steep descent to the saddle then up again
to the next summit, though this wasn't as high. I had brief
glimpses of surrounding areas as I progressed over the third and
lowest summit. I started the descent to the south end of the
Loch to an area of yellow sandy beaches. The water was
surprisingly clear. I crossed to the other side and the Poca
Bothy which is locked and closed to visitors. A sign on the door
says “Gairloch and Conon Estates Private Bothy. Stalking and
Fishing Parties only.” |
Poca Bothy |
Unfriendly side of estates |
Across the loch |
nother sign says “The Bothy code
was not being followed” This sounds like any excuse not to share
it with anyone, even those in danger in bad weather.
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Across the loch |
There was a rough access track which
was very rough to follow and not easy going at all. I had
several miles of it to re-join my access route which I followed
back to my car.
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View across Little Loch Broom |
Late sunset across Little Loch Broom |
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Fri 24 Jun 2016
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My mood turned gloomy when I
turned the radio on to hear the news that the UK had voted to
leave the EU. |
Kipling on Boris,
Trump-Johnson and Gove
Posted on June 26, 2016 by
jjn1
I
could not dig; I dared not rob:
Therefore I lied to please
the mob.
Now all my lies are proved
untrue
And I must face the men I
slew.
What tale shall serve me here
among
Mine angry and defrauded
young?
Rudyard Kipling, A Dead Statesman. |
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I tried to think
positive as I drove the 4 miles to the small car park at Melvaig
and the start of my walk. I headed north along the coast on the
single track road there is signed as private. |
Peat cutting |
Rubha Reidh Lighthouse
Building started by David Alan Stevenson in 1908,
the light
was first lit on 15 January 1912 |
Slipway used to supply the lighthouse |
Along the coast |
Remote cove |
Ivor's Bothy |
Ivor's Bothy interior |
Ivor's Bothy interior |
Masts
on the hill |
Gairloch Heritage Museum |
Fresnel lens from the
lighthouse is now in the Gairloch Heritage Museum |
Ivor's Bothy interior |
Drove to the school house at Inversadale above Loch Ewe.
There I was able to visit the exhibition to the Russian Arctic
Convoy fleets. |
Inversadale exhibition |
Loch Ewe |
I continued north
along the coast of Loch Ewe to Cove to look at the gun
emplacements |
Lookouts and gun emplacements |
Naval gunners |
Image from the exhibition |
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Thu 23 Jun 2016
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After walking to the Whittle-le-Woods village hall to vote in
the in/out European Union vote I set off in the car to head for
a few days walking in Wester Ross, Scotland.
My first call
was Blair Castle, Blair Atholl to photograph the breastplate
armour of ‘Bonnie Dundee’ or John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st
Viscount Dundee (1648–1689)
who was killed at the nearby Battle
of Killiecrankie (1689) |
Whittle-le-Woods Village Hall |
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The hole in the front
was said to be made by the bullet that killed him but closer
inspection shows it is a fake and made after the event by
something passing through the armour from the inside. An account
said he was hit in the side. |
‘Bonnie
Dundee’ |
Breast-plate of Bonnie Dundee |
Blair Castle |
The armour on display by the window |
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Mon 20 Jun 2016
Tonight’s sunset was special. It was the end of the 2016 summer
solstice, the longest day, and the full 'strawberry' moon rise.
They last coincided in 1967. As this year is a leap year it is
on the 20th June
Photos taken from the trig post on Denham
Hill, Brindle. |
Sunset from Denham Hill trig post |
Strawberry moonrise above Great Hill |
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Sat 18 Jun 2016
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Cycle track along the old railway. |
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Lovely knitwear by the coast |
Tunnel on the Innocent Railway |
Street theatre on the Royal Mile,
Edinburgh |
Journey's end at Edinburgh Waverley |
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Fri 17 Jun 2016
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A mostly rainy day today but nice
glens |
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Thu 16 Jun 2016
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Heading off on the bike to cycle from Carlisle to Edinburgh via
the Scottish Borders |
Art in Kielder Forest |
Art in Kielder Forest |
Site of the incline down to the site of Plashetts
Colliery. See picture below. |
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View before Kielder was flooded |
Crossing the border at Carter Bar |
Hawick in the rain |
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Wed 15 Jun 2016
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Heading off on the bike to cycle from Carlisle to Edinburgh via
the Scottish Borders |
Carlisle Railway Station |
Calling to see the Vulcan Bomber at Solway Aviation Museum |
View from my camp by Kielder Water |
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Mon 13 Jun 2016
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Headed out to the northern Howgill Fells for a walk. On the way
topped up with fuel. I can't remember the last time I saw diesel
and petrol the same price. |
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The Howgills |
Looking down on 'Mountain View' farm. When I last visited in 2009
the roof was intact. It has now fallen in |
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Sun 12 Jun 2016
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Out for a bike ride through New Longton and saw these wonderful
road names. |
Sod Hall Lane |
Wholesome Lane |
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Sat 11 Jun 2016
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To help commemorate the Queen’s 90th birthday Whittle-le-Woods
held a Picnic on the Polo Park by the Scout Hut on Chorley Old
Road. The event started at 1pm in the rain but many braved the
downpours and were rewarded with a good event. The rain eased
and the best home-made crown competition was held in the dry.
Thanks to all those who turned up and the event organisers who
did a magnificent job in providing a variety of tents to shelter
under. |
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The home-made crown competition |
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Fri 10 Jun 2016
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Out for a rainy cycle
ride through Brindle and Marsh Lane.
These are moles that
have been trapped in the fields |
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Wed 08 Jun 2016
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This afternoon at the Lancashire Record Office, Bow
Lane, Preston to attended a lecture by Mike Clarke on the Leeds
and Liverpool Canal which is 200 years old later this year |
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Mon 06 Jun 2016
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This evening was a photo outing with Chorley Photographic
Society to Castlefield, Manchester. I went on the train to
Deansgate then walked the short distance along the canal. |
Along the Rochdale Canal |
Deansgate Station |
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Camping under the arches |
The Police were ready for any bother,
but their wasn't any |
I
was early so had time to enjoy a pint at Bar CA |
Warehouses at the junction of the
Rochdale Canal
and Bridgewater Canal |
Back to Deansgate |
Deansgate Station |
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Sun 05 Jun 2016
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Nice warm day all day. Early evening went for bike ride
via Pleasington and Hoghton Bottoms to explore the old lane from
Pleasington down to the footbridge at Hoghton Bottoms. |
Narrow footbridge at
Hoghton Bottoms |
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Trinity Cottage
Hoghton Bottoms |
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Sat 04 Jun 2016
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Out for bike ride on a warm overcast afternoon. I called at the
Fleet St. casr park Chorley where the artist has updated one of
his wall paintings. |
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At School Ln Bridge
Burscough by the Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal |
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Fri 03 Jun 2016
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Barn being converted on Windmill Ln., Brindle
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Barn being converted on Windmill The same view on
the 1st May 2016
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Thu 02 Jun 2016
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Mid-morning set off on longer bike
ride. Went via Haslingden, Rawtenstall, Edenfield and up the
climb to Owd Betts Inn. The last time I cycled here was Sat 27
June 2009. I descended thought the steep narrow lanes to Heywood
then to Bury to have a look at the Whitehead Memorial Garden. |
Owd Bett |
Owd Betts Inn |
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The clock tower commemorates
Walter Whitehead (1840 – 1913), a pioneering surgeon. |
Clock tower commemorates
Walter Whitehead (1840 – 1913 |
Walter Whitehead (1840 – 1913) |
Nearby is a model torpedo to commemorate Robert Whitehead who
invented it. The information plaque reads:
A Tribute to
Robert Whitehead
(1823 - 1905)
A member of the Whitehead
Family of Bury
He
invented the Torpedo
His daughter, Agatha Von Trapp was
the grandmother of the children whose escapades were featured in
the film
'The Sound of Music' |
Whitehead torpedo |
A
Whitehead Torpedo 1888 |
Next to the torpedo monument is this memorial to Officers and
Non-commissioned Officers and men who were Killed or who Died in
South Africa.
(1900 - 1902)
This would have been the Third
phase of the Boer War: Guerrilla war (September 1900 – May
1902) |
Boer War memorial with bayonet
removed by the authorities |
Relief of Ladysmith (March 1900) |
Springs Reservoir by the A675 near
Belmont drained for maintenance |
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Wed 01 Jun 2016
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Evening drove to Wigan Archaeological Society to see
presentation by Dr Andrew Fear who is a lecturer in classics at
Manchester University. He spoke about Chariot Racing in Ancient
Rome. I didn’t realise how popular it had been and how long it
lasted. |
Dr Andrew Fear |
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