Today’s post contains another of those photos that I am drawn to, but which other people probably think is rubbish.
So, if have to try and say what I like about it, it’ll probably be down to several factors: The contrast that the orange filter has given to the scene, particulalrly the clouds. The lead-in line of the fence, plus the tree framing the edge of the shot. The gate. The distant viaduct and pylon. And finally the car, which adds a hint of mystery.
If I have a complaint, it’s that I wish the top of the pylon hadn’t intersected with the bridge. I’m sure I framed it otherwise, but maybe I wobbled upon pressing the shutter.
Anyway, I like it.
Everyday scene But something is attractive And catches my eye
I detailed the events on the day the signal box at Beighton Station was demolished in this post here: The end of an era. At that point I’d not developed the roll of film that I shot when recording the event. So, today, here are the pictures from the weekend of the demolition, plus a photo made a week or so later showing how it now looks.
On the day before the demolition took place, fencing was erected around the area and the road had been closed to all but foot traffic and bicycles.
There were a considerable number of contractors around, all in bright orange hi-vis clothing. Some from Network Rail, but also from a number of other companies involved in the work.
The following day, Sunday 15 March, the mesh fencing had been replaced by something more sturdy. As the work took several days to complete, these small cubicles were placed at either side of the tracks, presumably as shelter for overnight workers or security guards.
A truck delivers the large metal skip into which the remains of the signal box would be loaded.
Still intact, but only for a few seconds longer…
Spectators and workers gather to see the event unfold.
The demolition begins.
Some people moved down the side of the signal box to get a better view.
The roof has gone completely.
The claw does its work.
The upper section has almost gone now.
Still sheathed in plastic, the new warning signs await their work to begin.
The upper part of the signal box has now gone completely. Work continued to remove the brick lower section and remove the frame from the building, but I didn’t stay to photograph that.
And here’s how it looks now that work has been concluded. No signal box any more. There is apparently a radar-controlled system now in place to detect anyone on the crossing. The barriers cannot lower until it is clear.
A somewhat random photo today – a pack of Pepsi Max (the ginger-flavour variety, if you’re interested). The way the sunlight was lighting it in a chiaroscuro glow through the glass of the back door caught my eye and I decided it was worth a photo. The way the bottles are shrouded in the plastic wrapping appeals – it reminds me of cobwebs a little, but there were no spiders present. 🙂
Bottles of Pepsi Enveloped in plastic skin I don’t like ginger
I walked past the trig point again a few weeks ago. It’s still surrounded by small stone tributes as it was last time I walked by almost a year ago. The weather was murky and misty on this occasion, contrasting with the bright sunshine seen in the earlier photos.
Today marked further relaxation of England’s lockdown rules. The main changes are that up to six people can now meet outdoors (including in private gardens), and also that organised outdoor sport is now permitted, including such things as tennis courts, golf courses, and outdoor swimming pools. I have little interest in any of those sporty things, but have taken the fact that people are allowed to drive to visit golf courses and the like as a good enough reason to venture a little further afield for my photography. I walk for miles usually, so that’ll count as sport to me. 🙂
So, this morning, after seeing one of the boys off to school I got my stuff together and headed out to the nearest bit of the Peak District. There were just a handful of other vehicles in the car park when I arrived, and I set off for a looping walk up to Over Owler Tor, then back down through Bolehills, before finally skirting the top edge of the woodland in Padley Gorge before returning to the car via Owler Tor (which, confusingly, is not the same place as Over Owler Tor).
When I got back to the car park it was absolutely rammed with cars. It would seem that the new found freedoms bestowed upon us were being taken advantage of. I was somewhat surprised considering that it was a work day, but maybe other people had the same idea as myself and took a day off.
It was a nice feeling to go somewhere different, and I’m looking forward to further outings (especially from 12 April, when we’re allowed further right to travel – as long as the infection rate doesn’t start to rise anyway).
I’ll post the photos from today when I get them developed. As usual there will be my usual time-lag in this regard, so maybe next week sometime. 🙂
Freedom at long last Well, partial freedom at least Better than nothing
Today’s photo is of a stretch of the bypass about a couple of miles from where I live. Although I tend to refer to it as the bypass, it also has a colloquial name of “The Mad Mile”, probably because the stretch featured here is around a mile in length between to two roundabouts at either end and also, I expect, because some drivers feel the need to use it like it’s a racetrack. It used to have two lanes running in each direction without a central reservation, but was altered a few years ago to remove the extra lanes (except where it widens near the roundabouts) and add the chevron area in the middle. I believe, if my knowledge is correct, that the area should only be entered if necessary and it is safe to do so, but I often see drivers using it to overtake a whole section of cars.
The photo was made from the same bridge as the picturein yesterday’s post.
Traffic frustration Leads drivers to foolish acts A law to themselves
These metallic cones are embedded in a footbridge across the bypass. I presume their intent is to prevent the foolhardy from climbing atop the bridge sides where from they might fall onto the road. I thought they made for a potentially interesting photo, whatever the case.
I’ve spent several hours today fitting a pull-up bar on the wall of the house for one of my sons. What I had expected would take an hour or so ended up taking the lion’s share of the day. I was stood on a ladder for so long I might as well have been standing on the spikes in the photo, such is the ache in my feet!
Fit a pull up bar Not as simple as first thought When inept like me
The first day of my long weekend and I feel I’ve achieved little. Well little of what I wanted to do anyway. Instead I’ve been caught up in things I had to do, which are usually not the same.
I had to take our cat to the vets for his annual booster vaccination but there was a delay and I ended up waiting 25 minutes past the appointment time. Due to Covid you have to phone the surgery upon arrival and then wait in your car until it’s time for the vet to see you, whereupon they come out, take your animal from you, and whisk it into the surgery for treatment. I had plenty of time for a good conversation with our cat, who was quite vocal in the car. I suspect he was just moaning about the delay though.
Once I got home, I had to then drive out to pick up some groceries with my wife. Once a month or so we go to a discount supermarket open to employees of certain organaisations such as the police, NHS, some supermarkets and others. Normally this is a relatively quick run up the motorway but today I had to make a detour into town to pick up some anchor bolts from the nearest branch of Screwfix that had them in stock. This added some time onto the journey, and then further time was needed to get some lunch – a drive-thru Burger King saw to this. Arriving at the supermarket we were greeted by a very long queue. There’s normally a bit of a queue to get in, but this time it was much bigger than usual. Again more time was sliced from my day.
When we got home I had to start looking at the pull-up bar that my son has bought as part of his exercise regime. Well, we’ve bought it for him is more accurate. There’s nowhere suitable to fit it indoors, so it’ll need to go on an outside wall instead, which is why I needsed the anchor bolts. I’d hoped to get it fitted today but by the time I’d put the piece of equipment together it was time to eat and I didn’t fancy having to start drilling the wall after that, so the chore has now rolled over to tomorrow.
Sigh…
I really hate chores They get in the way of things That make me happy
A super-speedy post today. I had other things I had to do, and not much time to pull a blog post together. So here’s another birch tree (a mini theme with these of late!).
In a rush today I hope this silver birch tree Might please my readers
The day that this picture was made left me a little disappointed when I awoke. We’d had some bright days with sunshine and clouds in abundance just prior to this but, as usual, I was otherwise engaged and unable to fo make photographs. So, when I say the grey, murky skies I almost took the decision to stay indoors and find something else to do. In the end though, I have myself a gentle mental kicking, pulled on my walking boots, and headed out the house. As it turned out, the flat skies also held some mist – not thick by any means, but enough to add a nice, soft layer of atmosphere to the surroundings.
While the lockdown has restricted me from travelling very far, I decided to make the effort to take a long walk to Shirebrook Valley, which is maybe 2-3 miles from home as the crow flies, but longer when following the routes that us ground-dwellers need to tread. The valley is a wooded area with a brook running through the bottom. While I’ve passed it close-by on countless occasions – the bypsss that leads to the city centre skirts its edge – I’ve only visited on foot once in recent times, and walked across it from one side to the other on occasions when I was a lot younger – it was part of the route if we ever walked to or from my grandparent’s house instead of travelling by car.
This lack of previous exploration meant that I was pleasantly surprised by what I found, with some interesting photgraphic opportunities presenting themselves – particularly a whole series of fallen trees down beside the brook in one area – and definitely a place I plan on revisiting when chance and – particularly – conditions favour it.
The image featured today looks down towards the southern edge of the woodland. Although not really apparent, the busy bypass I mentioned is hidden amongst the misty trees at the top of this shot.
Just a feint light mist Adding mystery to things And pleasing the eye
A quick count shows that I have 32 posts in my blog that have been tagged with “power lines”. I would have expected it to be much higher than that as I feel that I post a lot of images of, or featuring, power lines, pylons, and similar things. It could be that some are untagged, or tagged with “pylon” and not “Power lines”, which might bump up the count a bit though.
Anyway, that counter will tick up another notch today as – you guessed it – it’s a photo of some power lines!
I like this one – theres a leading line from the foreground pole, across the field of grass and rushes, and over to the pylon. There’s a stray street-light in there too, photo-bombing his electricity-carrying buddies.
Powerlines again A draw to my camera Many times before
Steel City Snapper photography 