Tag: Ricoh GR III

Digital · Photography

Leah’s Yard

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Leah’s Yard dates back to the early 1800s where it was a hub for the manufacture of shears and other hand tools. The place hosted a number of small workshops producing a wide range of goods – in Sheffield, these are known as “little mesters”, a local dialect version of “little masters” denoting the master craftspeople who worked and produced goods in such places. There were eighteen such little mesters in Leah’s Yard by 1905.

Leah's Yard

The workshops feature external staircases allowing access to the upper floors, and large windows are a feature to maximise the amount of daylight illuminating the workshops.

Over time these small industries gradually went away and Leah’s Yard, as with multiple other such sites in the city, fell into disuse and disrepair, and had stood empty for a couple of decades (although the little mesters workshops had been vacated of those trades long before).

Leah's Yard-2

Recently, plans were enacted to renovate the location as part of Sheffield’s “Heart of the City” development and the site re-opened recently. providing homes to a number of small independent businesses and retailers.

Yesterday was my first visit to the renovated Leah’s Yard, and it’s a charming location that I hope will thrive.

Leah's Yard-3

Ricoh GRIII

Taken on 10 May 2025

Digital · Photography

Uncovering a hidden river

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Sheffield has several rivers. The main river is the Don, but there are a number of smaller rivers that join it along it’s course, including the Loxley, the Rivelin, the Porter, and the Sheaf. The latter is where Sheffield derives it’s name: Sheaf Field.

For much of it’s length through the city centre, the Sheaf is subteranean, flowing through a series of man-made culverts and tunnels. One of these, named the Megatron, sometimes has guided tours!

The section of the Sheaf just above where it joins the Don is being uncovered as part of a new park on the site of the old castle site, and it can be seen in the photograph today beneath the ladder-like series of supports in the lower part of the image. The area to the left of the picture will form the park when the work is complete, and the river will act as a border and feature of the landscape.

Uncovering the Sheaf

Ricoh GRIII

Taken on 10 May 2025

Digital · Photography

A day at Newark Air Museum

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I took a trip to Newark Air Museum today. This wasn’t my first visit (I think it’s my third), and I’ve posted pictures from the previous visits here on my blog, but today was the first time I’ve visited with my dad.

Actually, having said the above, it’s actually my fourth visit, because today was a second trip with my dad following an aborted attempt last autumn when we drove all the way there only to find out upon arrival that there had been a problem with the museum’s water supply and that it was closed as a result.

Thankfully, there were no such issues today (although I did phone them in advance, just to be sure!) and we got to wander around the place at our leisure for a few hours. My dad, now in his mid-80s, served his National Service with the RAF in the late 1950s, and I think he enjoyed looking around the place. During a brief chat with another gentleman of similar age, where he revealed that he’d been in the RAF, the other fella asked if he’s been a pilot! He was not, although he did ride a service-issued bicycle (which he crashed while racing one of his fellow servicemen one day, which resulted in him hiding the damaged bike until he left the service 😀 ).

It was a nice day out and I should try to arrange other such visits to similar places for us both, I think.

I shot a roll-and-a-half of Tri-X with my Yashica Mat 124G while there, but the pictures below are all digital pictures from my Ricoh GR III compact.

At Newark Air Museum
English Electric Canberra PR.7 WH791 (under demolition)
At Newark Air Museum-2
de Havilland Dove
At Newark Air Museum-3
Avro Shackleton MR.3/3
At Newark Air Museum-4
Handley Page Hastings T.5
At Newark Air Museum-5
English Electric Canberra B2 (Mod)
At Newark Air Museum-6
English Electric Canberra B2 (Mod)
At Newark Air Museum-7
Various aircraft cockpits

Ricoh GR III

Taken on 24 April 2025

Digital · Photography

Inconvenient

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The archway in the picture shared today was the entrance to the ladies public conveniences that formed part of Sheffield Town Hall. In less conscientious times, when the needs of disabled people were perhaps not considered in the same way they are now, access to the toilets was down a flight of steps. While it’s possible that I might have passed through the arch when I was a small boy and needed a toilet escort from my mum, most of my recollections are of standing at the top of the steps waiting for her (or sometimes my nan, and later my wife) to come back out.

A similar set of toilets exists for males around the other side of the building on Surrey Street. While the Gent’s didn’t have the fancy arch of the Ladies’ conveniences, if did had two separate entrances / exits, both with the same sets of disabled-unfriendly steps.

Both sets of conveniences closed for public use many years ago, so are now inconvenient for that use. While the Ladies’ are, as far as I know, completely unused, the Gent’s has been converted to an underground bar. I expect they have a customer toilet.

Something good that happened today…

I’ve spend the day with a mixture of lounging around watching TV (this morning) and then helping clean the house and then visit my dad (this afternoon). As one of my sons has gone out for his leaving do from his previous job, we got a takeaway for his twin brother (and me), and the large kebab that I chose is currently filling my belly as I type this. I’ll take that as today’s good thing, although the other stuff (maybe excepting the cleaning) was good too.

Town Hall corner

Ricoh GR III

Taken on 20 June 2024

Digital · Photography

Marina

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Another digital shot from Barcelona.

Something good that happened today…

I went out for a drive with my son who starts his new job on Monday. As it’s a considerably longer drive than to his previous place of work, I chaperoned him on a test run to make sure he was happy with the route. All went well.

Marina

Ricoh GR III

Taken on 20 December 2024

Digital · Photography

In a plaça with a guitar

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Another digital shot from Barcelona today.

Something good that happened today…

I had a chilled couple of hours lying on the bed watching episodes of QI while the cats snoozed beside me. It’s really nice to relax like this (especially as my legs were aching a little from yesterday’s hike) and it’s something I don’t do often enough, always being busy with other stuff that can probably wait a little while.

In the plaça with a guitar

Ricoh GR III

Taken on 20 December 2024

Digital · Photography

Shadow lamps

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I’ve not had chance to write up my new “Expiriment” post today as I went out for a hike and didn’t get back home in time. Maybe tomorrow, time allowing…

Instead here’s another digital shot from December’s Barcelona trip.

Something good that happened today…

I went out into the Peak District with the intention of wandering around Baslow, one of the closest villages in the park to Sheffield. I think there are plenty of subjects there and, while I’ve driven through the village on many occasions, I’ve never actually stopped to explore.

However, when I arrived, I instead decided to walk to Chatsworth House, which stands a mile or so down the Derwent Valley from the village. I ended up hiking for miles, but the weather was bright and clear, I shot a roll and a bit of Tr-X through my Yashica Mat 124G, and had a good time doing it. It’s nice to get out and get some fresh air and exercise.

Shadow lamps

Ricoh GR III

Taken on 22 December 2024

Digital · Photography

Lady Dumpling

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We walked past this place selling dumplings on a number of occasions while in Barcelona (although we didn’t get chance to purchase any). I thought it made for a nice picture.

Something good that happened today…

I’m still struggling to find something to put in this section on some days. I did have some good personal news, but it’s not something I want to talk about on here, so I’m clutching at straws a little otherwise. I think that the fact I tend to worry about things a lot can mean the good stuff gets obscured.

So I’m going to go with my weight. Not that it’s great – I’m overweight and at least a half-stone over what I was back in the autumn – but I’m still over a stone lighter than I was this time last year and, while my weight is not really dropping much at present (still some Christmas treats hanging around the house that need to be defeated!), it’s not increasing either, which bodes well for when I make a proper effort to get it under control soon. Hopefully I might hit my target this year!

Lady Dumpling

Ricoh GR III

Taken on 22 December 2024