At long last, we get to see her running on the North Cotswold line! The last time she was due to pass through, she had a problem and was substituted at the last minute for The Royal Scot, but here she is, in all her glory! On return leg (we normally see these services on…
Here is a view of the Royal Albert Bridge spanning the Tamar River between Saltash in Cornwall and Plymouth in Devon – designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, work was started in 1854 and opened by Prince Albert in 1859 – Brunel died later that year and his name was then placed above the portals at either…
Here are two photographs that were taken recently on a summer evening walk with Sparky going up to the top of Shipton Down near Shipton-under-Wychwood – both are of Cow Parsley that has gone to seed with the setting sun beyond – glorious evenings indeed! The second photograph was taken with a much smaller aperture to…
A picture at sunset from a couple of weeks ago – beautiful sky and a spurious oat stem (I think!) making a nice silhouette – and this is in a field of Soybean – this has now been harvested, so the combine harvester cut everything in the field – it is quite barren and stubbly now…
I have not been through the wild garden in Shipton-under-Wychwood for a while – but there are a lot more ducks on the pools there now – here are some of the interlopers – the regular ducks are mallards. This was taken mid-morning yesterday, with a long lens but with the angle and the shade behind,…
A quick birthday post – Here are some busy bumblebees captured on a walk up to the top of Shipton Down in the Cotswolds – this was captured with the standard 18-55mm lens, so I was pretty close, but due to a gusty breeze, the flowers were moving every so often – so I am lucky…
This is the Hawk Stone, near Dean, Oxfordshire – a Neolithic oolitic limestone standing stone – according to Wikipedia, local legend has it that the stone was used for burning witches – the cleft in the top was made by the chains used to tie them up. I was not aware of the connection to witches until after…
Here is the LNER Pacific class 60009 Union of South Africa locomotive pulling another Cotswold Venturer service from London Paddington to Worcester – here seen between Shipton and Kingham stations – a panning shot on a slowish shutter to give the impression of the speed – of the 18 shots (3fps continuous mode), only about 4…
After a long hiatus, here is one of many photographs I have taken over the past few months – Five ducklings and a watchful mother! Coaxed out of the pond by some pitta bread that I had brought with me…greedily eaten by all five – I think mum got some as well! Taken in the…
Here is Britannia class locomotive 70013 “Oliver Cromwell”, at speed, pulling the Cotswold Venturer service on the North Cotswolds Line from London Paddington to Worcester via Oxford – taken from a farm bridge between Bruen Crossing and Kingham in West Oxfordshire station this morning – the weather was rather drab (cold, wet and a little blowy),…