South-west Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway, February 2014

Some photos from a delightful visit to my Dad in South-west Scotland.

Terns? Flying above Carlisle

Tiles in Carlisle

Tall structure on the hills

Big wall on the moors. Was it used for target practice?

Old sign

Choppy North Channel

Cave and wall

Oyster-catchers

Ailsa Craig

Ailsa Craig

Russian memorial to the ship Varyag - Shipwrecked off the coast

Out in the wild

Snow-capped hills

On the road

Strange skies

Sunset over a Loch

Clouds and pink

Distances

Kiroughtree Forest Park

Bendy trees

Reflections on Big Bruntis

Heron

Can you see the wood for the trees?

Trees and moss

Colours

Gnarly

Weird plants

Mushrooms

Windswept coast

Disused jetty

Merganser

This creature welcomed us back to Cheltenham. Spotted on the Honeybourne line.
Thanks for a great trip, Dad.

Bibury and Fairford - 3rd Feb 2014

I head out, with my sister, to the Cotswolds. The rivers are full and look to still be rising.

In Bibury, the river is flowing fast and high.

The River Coln

Arlington Row. 17th Century Weavers Cottages.

... and ducks

You can find out more here - http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bibury/

Water plants

It's a grey day but Bibury is a very picturesque village

Little lambs already?

 Back on the road, we turn a bend to see lots of Red Kites and Buzzards circling overhead. We think they are after some road-kill.

Opportunistic Magpie

 It turned out to be another bird of prey that was being eaten.

Its a grey windy day

We're heading for Fairford

RIP Tiddles

The Church at Fairford has the most complete set of medieval church windows in the country.  I didn't take many pictures of them. They have lots of colourful demons.

... and some wonderful engravings

An excellent literal imagining of Christ ascending into heaven. Can you see his feet?

Thanks for the day trip, sis.

Sunny Weston-Super-Mare. 30th November 2013

A trip to Weston-Super-Mare on a sunny autumn day.

Such a good way to avoid the crazyness that is Christmas shopping in Cheltenham on a Saturday.

The tide was out when we arrived. The low tide at Weston can be up to a mile from the sea-front.

What'sisname.

Weston-Super-Mud.

At the end of the Grand Pier. In this arcade there was the scariest looking ride...basically a robotic arm throwing people about. Didn't get a picture...

Pinocchio.

On the Pier.

Starling.

He was making some beautiful sounds.

The faded glamour of the English Seaside.

Knightstone Harbour.

Inside the Wetherspoons Cabot Court Hotel... we could see a wild and stormy sea... well a kind of video installation of one.

Pier at sunset.

Steep Holm Island.

There is some interesting history to Steep Holm Island. The island is now uninhabited apart from wardens and it is protected as a nature reserve and site of special scientific interest. Maybe I'll pay a visit sometime.
 http://www.steepholm.org.uk/

Sunset.

The tide has come in and the sun is setting on a wonderfully peaceful day in Weston-Super-Mare.