A wander on a warm afternoon. It’s very busy – we’ll get away from the main streets before the camera comes out of its bag.
Category: Photography
Just photos – no particular theme
On foot in the morning
… because it’s going to rain this afternoon. As ever at this time of year, there’s plenty of colour in the hedgerows around Willey
View OS map in Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367470&Y=298250&A=Y&Z=120
The colour of July
Up here, on the Wenlock Edge, it’s predominantly at the blue, indigo and violet end of the spectrum. There are pyramidal orchids by the dozen, along with hairy bellflowers, vetch and some rather flamboyant knapweed. It’s a colourful month in these parts.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=359435&Y=298335&A=Y&Z=120
It’s rainy at Ravenglass
It was certainly wet yesterday, 10 July, anyway. Just damp at first, but after our ride up to Dalegarth, it was so rainy that we had to take refuge in the Ratty Arms… It was a great day out despite the weather – read all about it, and view a selection of photos: Rainy Ravenglass on Geoff’s Rail Diaries
Damp Dalegarth
Wednesday 10 July: a trip to the 15″-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. It’s the wettest part of England – need I explain? A most enjoyable (though very long) day out regardless of the weather. More to follow on Geoff’s Rail Diaries; in the meantime, here are the three locomotives which were in use yesterday, seen at a rather damp Dalegarth terminus
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Colourful Church Preen
It’s a fine July afternoon, occasionally warm in the sunshine and very pleasant in the lanes up to (and down from) Church Preen. There are one or two signs of the coming autumn (though it’s some way off yet) – swelling wild greengages and damsons, and the remarkable red leaves of herb robert.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=354860&Y=298485&A=Y&Z=120
Helleborines and thistles
There are fine foxgloves, and some wonderful willowherb, but the helleborines are new. They’ll be more interesting (slightly!) when they’re fully in flower – they may be a variety of orchid but they’re not spectacular… The thistles are impressive too. It’s a fine July evening after a showery day – good to be out!
Sunny evening
After a wet morning and a so-so afternoon, it would be a crime not to enjoy an evening like this!
Newhailes
It’s a National Trust for Scotland house and estate near Musselburgh, not far from the Forth shore between Joppa and the old harbour at Fisherrow. There’s a rather fine play area for small people, “Weehailes”, with well-placed picnic benches for mums, dads and grandparents… Sadly, the latter are just a bit too old for the play equipment (it does look fun!) – a walk through the estate to the shore and back will have to suffice for them…
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=332724&Y=672644&A=Y&Z=115
It’s a long way to North Berwick…
… if you want to get there by train from Dunbar!
Friday 28 June: From Dunbar to Drem (the junction for North Berwick), by rail, is about 10 miles. North Berwick is then just under 5 miles away. All trains between Edinburgh and North Berwick call at Drem, but those between Edinburgh and Dunbar don’t. What’s the alternative?
I though about leaving the 11.01 Scotrail service from Dunbar at Wallyford – or Musselburgh – and waiting for the next North Berwick train. Then I realised that the latter was in fact my train from Dunbar – it would stand at Waverley for seven minutes, then depart back the way it had come, taking the line to North Berwick at Drem.
So – 55 miles and 1 hr 15 minutes later, I’m in North Berwick. I’ll enjoy a brief wander along the beach and the harbour, before looking at the sky and realising there was a hefty-looking shower blowing down the Firth. The next bus (answering the question posed above) was imminent (and waterproof) – half-an-hour later I’m at West Barns. It’s stopped raining – I’ll walk the rest of the way, across Belhaven beach, over the bridge to nowhere and along the clifftop path to get back to the start of this very enjoyable outing.
Q: Why?
A: I’d never travelled along the North Berwick branch. I have now!
The mural at the harbour: see https://juliebarnes.co.uk/uks-largest-marine-plastic-mural-to-be-unveiled-in-north-berwick/
The map below may make things clearer… (it also shows my route for the previous day’s trip to Leven)
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=342885&Y=686288&A=Y&Z=130
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