Month: May 2015

Etruria – bones and boats

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, VideoLeave a comment

That’s Stoke-on-Trent, not Italy, though there’s a connection –  pottery. The Etruria Industrial Museum preserves, in working order, Jesse Shirley’s Bone and Flint Mill, for many years a supplier of finely ground calcined bone and flint (oddly enough) for the manufacture of Staffordshire china. Steam powered, the museum operates on a limited number of days each year – including this weekend, when there would be a gathering of working boats on the canal beside the works. Somewhere old – and for us, somewhere new, a most interesting little outing (and tea and cakes, but sadly not oatcakes – they’d all gone…).

Etruria Industrial Museum

Brown Clee from the phone box

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

We’ve done this one before (the phone box in question no longer contains a phone – instead, it’s now the “Little Red Book Stop”) – see “A clear day on Clee Hill” . It was clear this afternoon, warm when the sun shone – which wasn’t often, nor was it for long –  nevertheless, it’s a good place to be.

Map

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=359005&Y=286906&A=Y&Z=120

Hay to Hampton

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, WalksLeave a comment

From Hay Bridge, near Eardington, to Hampton Loade, a pleasant path follows the Severn – though with riverside vegetation and a tall crop of oilseed rape, there’s not always much of a view. Banded demoiselles flop around like tiny world war 1 biplanes in an apparently clumsy manner, until one proves its aerobatic capabilities by snatching a passing fly and making lunch of it. We didn’t snatch anything, but the ice creams at Hampton Loade station were enjoyable on this increasingly warm afternoon, and the platform a pleasant spot to sit for a while watching the world go by. The latter happens in fits and starts – it’s busy when trains call, otherwise quiet (perhaps not quite Adlestrop).

Walking back to Hay Bridge, we follow a quiet way past Chelmarsh reservoir, where there are just a couple of boats out – not enough wind today.

Map

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=373765&Y=287531&A=Y&Z=120

Sheinton Coppices

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Wandering south of the Severn, through quiet woodlands and fields. The OS map defines several of the small woods as coppices, and one or two were still recognisable as such, though no recent work was obvious – unlike the extensive clearance that had been taking place at Traps Coppice. A small herd of wild deer grazed on the hillside just to the north of Farley Coppice – if they had seen us, they weren’t concerned. The rabbit saw us eventually…

Map
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=362460&Y=303461&A=Y&Z=120

Walk in the woods

On By geoffspagesIn PhotographyLeave a comment

It may be chilly, but the bluebells don’t seem to mind – they’re out in profusion in the local woodlands, with almost a full spectrum supporting cast – from the white stitchwort and palest pink lady’s smock, through the yellow dead nettle and the fresh greens in the woods, to the various blues of bugle, forget-me-not and the bluebells themselves – and still no shortage of violets, though they’re rapidly disappearing beneath everything else. Nothing red though.

Bridgnorth in May

On By geoffspagesIn PhotographyLeave a comment

A short wander around Bridgnorth – down to the Severn, where the geese and their goslings are basking in the sun, then up to High Town. A short sharp shower found us under the bridge near the top of Stoneway Steps – perfect timing! Bridgnorth is busy on a sunny Sunday – after a quick walk around the castle grounds and up the High Street, we’re back to the car and home, away from the bustle.