Month: September 2013

Revisiting the Folly

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hillsLeave a comment

Flounders’ Folly, that is, at the highest point (just over 1000′) of the Wenlock Edge. It was much brighter and sunnier than our last visit, but not especially clear. The views are extensive in all directions from the top of the tower, which is usually open to visitors on the last Sunday in each month.

There was a very fine crop of blackberries in the woods below the edge – the butterflies thought so too. There were several speckled woods about, mostly too shy for photographer – and more commas than I’ve ever seen – dozens of them, posing lazily on the blackberries. The berries they seemed to favour looked well past their best – perhaps they’d begun to ferment, and the butterflies were sleeping off their hangovers…

Flounders’ Folly website


A most welcome visitor

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways...Leave a comment

A most welcome visitor by geoffspagesSunday afternoon – back to the Severn Valley Railway. I’d seen Metropolitan Railway No.1 on Friday, in action further north – but it was bunker-first up the bank at Eardington, and just drifting down again. Here it’s working well on the gentle climb from Bewdley to Foley Park Tunnel – and the right way round.

There will be a Rail Diaries page in a day or two…
A most welcome visitor, a photo by
geoffspages on Flickr.

Well Preserved

On By geoffspagesIn Railways...Leave a comment

Well preservedWell they are – “well tanks”, that is, both of them. The lovely Krauss metre-gauge locomotives were on display on a short stretch of track at the Alan Keef open day today. The green one is 3142 of 1894, the black one 5742 of 1908. Both have been restored to full working order at Keef’s in the recent past – I met them when they were in the works a few years back (see “Justine and Lydia” and “Coffee Pots at Keef’s“). Both were in steam today, and shuffled up and down their temporary track from time to time.

We drove the short distance from Keef’s to the Lea Bailey Light Railway, where a 2′ gauge line is being developed at the former gold mine (yes, really). One to watch, I think.

Little and large

Little and LargeOn now to Perrygrove. We thought Keef’s was busy – Perrygrove was packed… Perhaps it was the attraction of visiting locos, demonstration freights etc… It’s difficult to believe that “Lydia” and “Cagney”, seen in the photo (right) both operate on the same 15″ gauge track.

There will be a “Rail Diaries” page on the day’s amusements in due course.

Kenilworth

On By geoffspagesIn NT and EH, Photography2 Comments

Forty-two years later… I visited the castle at Kenilworth on a cold, clear day in late autumn, 1971. “Must go again one day”. Here’s the outcome. It’s changed a bit over the years… It was cold and rather grey (ideal for exploring the gatehouse), then later in the afternoon, a spell of bright directional sunshine. Great while it lasted, which wasn’t long.

There’s almost too much to take in here in a day – we’d better come back yet again. Probably won’t leave it another 42 years…

Kenilworth Castle – English Heritage