Heribusta, Peingown and Hungladder

On 07 Jun 202507 Jun 2025 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Skye, WalksLeave a comment

Friday 6 June: The morning should stay dry; we could have showers in the afternoon (we didn’t…). A morning walk should be pleasant, if rather cool. I’ll follow the very quiet road from the village hall, up through Heribusta, past the cemetery and museum (quite a few visitors here, on the short walk to Flora Macdonald’s grave) and back down the main road. The latter is surprisingly quiet too. Not complaining…

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=139450&Y=871025&A=Y&Z=120

Cuckoo, curlew and corncrake

On 06 Jun 202506 Jun 2025 By geoffspagesIn Photography, SkyeLeave a comment

Thursday 5 June: an evening wander. The observant will already have noticed that the visible wildlife is none of the above… The hare was silent; posed for one quick photo then hurried away. But along the rough lane to Monkstadt, the silence of a still north Skye evening is profound. The cuckoo was over to my left, towards the hill; down towards the shore a curlew bubbled. Then the sound I’d hoped I might hear, a distinctive “creak creak, creak creak” that accompanied me back towards the start. “Come out and listen!” (No photos – audio only!)

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=138235&Y=867930&A=Y&Z=120

In the pink

On 02 Jun 202502 Jun 2025 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Summer comes to Shirlett: a short wander along the lane. The wild rose is in bloom, the pink of the petals whitening as they open. There’s honeysuckle too, and speedwell – and buttercups by the thousands. Summer’s here, I think.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=365720&Y=298280&A=Y&Z=120

Willey’s hedgerows

On 29 May 202529 May 2025 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hillsLeave a comment

Lots of colour and variety in the hedgerows at this time of year.

Castell Caerdydd

On 27 May 202527 May 2025 By geoffspagesIn NT and EH, PhotographyLeave a comment

Cardiff Castle! Tuesday 20 May – a visit to the Welsh capital, and on this occasion, we’ll take a look at the castle. It’s quite a place! In particular the interior of the 3rd Marquess of Bute’s mansion, paid for by the south Wales miners and the sales of the coal they dug, is quite astonishing. Can’t help thinking that the lives of those human moles could have been improved if the wealth generated by the coal had been spread just a little more evenly. The castle is now owned and managed by Cardiff Council.

Castell Caerdydd
Cardiff Castle

A corner of the Arab room - walls and ceiling

Conventio inter Robertum et Stephanum de utroque liberando

It's gone midday - anywhere to eat around here?

Perhaps some of Pete's soup? Perhaps not...

Broomy Hill

On 26 May 202526 May 2025 By geoffspagesIn NT and EH, PhotographyLeave a comment

Sunday 25 May: Hereford – for the waterworks museum and miniature railway. The museum has “Steam Days”, twice a month during the season, coinciding with the public running days on the miniature railway. We’d thought about a visit for some time: today the time and weather seemed right.

The museum’s real fascination lies in its collection of water-pumping engines of several types, operating for demonstration purposes on steam days. The sight and sound of all these engines is mesmerising! The miniature railway operates on a satisfyingly complex layout (there’s a map on their website), with several trains running in a way that maximises that complexity. Great fun!

Waterworks Museum, Hereford
Hereford Society of Model Engineers

Soon be summer at Shirlett

On 22 May 202522 May 2025 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

It can’t be far off! There are signs of summer all the way along the lane on this fine evening – the wild rose is coming into flower, as is the honeysuckle, and here and there the brambles are flowering. Will there be blackberries in June?

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=365615&Y=298315&A=Y&Z=120

Rome in Shropshire

On 16 May 202516 May 2025 By geoffspagesIn NT and EH, PhotographyLeave a comment

Wroxeter (or Viriconium) was a Roman city, the fourth-largest in Britain. The remarkable ruins date back to those days, but across the road to Wroxeter village is a much newer Roman structure – the town house built for a Channel 4 TV programme. Just a mile or two to the east, the Wrekin looks on indifferently. It’s seen it all.

Wroxeter Roman City: English Heritage

It's the tallest Roman wall in the country!

Return to Aberdare…

On 08 May 202508 May 2025 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways...Leave a comment

… and Merthyr, and a trip to Treherbert: Wednesday 7 May. Last time I rode on a trains from Cardiff to Aberdare, there was still coal traffic on the branch (it didn’t last much longer), and we travelled in one of the dreaded ‘Pacers’ (it wasn’t that bad – but it was rather basic).
The lines up the valleys have since been taken apart and put back together, more or less, since that trip just nine years ago. We travelled on new electric trains, running mostly ‘under the wires’ but at times on battery power, through some very fine new stations (and some older ones). Truly a quality experience (even if the Treorchy schoolchildren were rather noisy! We should have caught a later train from Treherbert)
A full(ish) illustrated account will appear on Geoff’s Rail Diaries in due course; meanwhile, here’s a taster:

Old and new at Pontypridd (no wires here...)

From Shirlett to the Smithies

On 05 May 202505 May 2025 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

An old favourite, perfect for a fine afternoon. There’s a cool breeze, though the trees provide some shelter and the sun is warm when it shines. There’s a bright yellow chicken in a old oak tree, the robins are singing ferociously and there’s a red kite wheeling in the distance, nicely caught in the sunlight.